Thursday, October 6, 2011
Live Workshop! (As opposed to dead workshops…)
I’ve never understood that ‘live’ stuff. I mean, things can be prerecorded, etc…but live…just makes me think about what would be the opposite. Which is dead, of course. And a dead workshop just doesn’t sound terribly appealing.
Even if it is October.
But I begin with digression. Got that out of the way!
I attended a day long workshop before I left for Atlanta. The biggie that everyone has fan moments about. Goal, Motivation and Conflict by the FABULOUS ROCK STAR, DEB DIXON!
Okay, you fangirls out there under control now!? Done squealing?
Yes, she was really, really good. And very personable.
My normal reticence regarding following any sort of rules or guidelines had me a bit skittish, I admit. But it was an enjoyable day and I took a fair amount of notes. I still do not believe I will ever read a book and diagram it the way Deb does. The whole idea gives me the willies.
Though, yes, I’ve noticed the last few books I’ve read that I’m pausing to pay attention to the sex scenes a bit more. (Went through some editing a few weeks ago that had me contemplating throwing my laptop out a window and joining the French Foreign Legion…)
But an entire plot breakdown? Not likely. It might make me a better writer. Okay, it probably would, but I can’t do it. I just don’t have enough years left in my life to spend reading the same book several times to do this. Hell, I don’t even watch movies this way! Even those I do view many, many, many times.
Okay, so what did I get out of this that proved really helpful? Several things, honestly. I have pages of notes! Today, let’s talk about the one that made my brain twitter with glee.
What I really had fun with? The Dominant Impression exercise for main characters. You know this one?
1) Adjective
2) Descriptive Noun
1 + 2 = Dominant Impression
This was interesting! She emphasized how a character’s dominant impression changes from the beginning of the book to the end and I found that a neat thing to contemplate. You know you’ve done your job right when the DI progresses…
She used the example from Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series.
In the beginning, Giles was the Beleaguered Intellectual. By the end of the series he was the Intellectual Warrior. Yeah, Giles!
So, I’m working on a new book…between going over the editing notes from my editor for the third in the Kraken’s Caribbean series…
The new story, Almost Human, is about a woman who committed suicide at 83 (in the year 2039) by throwing herself off a cruise ship. Only to wake up 11 years later…in her mid-forties and living aboard an underwater alien ship. (She hit the water, shattered and floated down to land on a small scout ship that was following the cruise ship…) Things get interesting 15 years later when she is inadvertently rescued by a naval crew and the aliens want her back…and before you know it, I
have abducted sailors, a morally bankrupt military contractor and conspiracies up the whazoo! (Good aliens, btw.) There’s a very Gibbs like character and… Well, it’s been a wild ride to write!
Anyway! I needed to figure out a DI for Ria, the main character (who wrote romance novels, quite successfully…had awards and everything!) and I came up with a good one for her at the beginning of the story…
Traumatized Idealist
Not sure where she’s gonna end up. Hopefully a Renewed Idealist. And happily in love with Sam, my Gibbs like character.
Now…Sam…
Driven Investigator was what I came up with. I’d like him to move from Investigator to Healer of some sort. (He worked as a therapist before being recruited into my extreme version on Homeland Security.)
So, it’s Friday, play with your characters… What is the Dominant Impression of your main characters, at the beginning and how do you think they’ll change? (Non-writers…play along and pick a character from TV, books, movies…and give a stab at coming up with DI.) Or better yet…what is your DI?
Even if it is October.
But I begin with digression. Got that out of the way!
I attended a day long workshop before I left for Atlanta. The biggie that everyone has fan moments about. Goal, Motivation and Conflict by the FABULOUS ROCK STAR, DEB DIXON!
Okay, you fangirls out there under control now!? Done squealing?
Yes, she was really, really good. And very personable.
My normal reticence regarding following any sort of rules or guidelines had me a bit skittish, I admit. But it was an enjoyable day and I took a fair amount of notes. I still do not believe I will ever read a book and diagram it the way Deb does. The whole idea gives me the willies.
Though, yes, I’ve noticed the last few books I’ve read that I’m pausing to pay attention to the sex scenes a bit more. (Went through some editing a few weeks ago that had me contemplating throwing my laptop out a window and joining the French Foreign Legion…)
But an entire plot breakdown? Not likely. It might make me a better writer. Okay, it probably would, but I can’t do it. I just don’t have enough years left in my life to spend reading the same book several times to do this. Hell, I don’t even watch movies this way! Even those I do view many, many, many times.
Okay, so what did I get out of this that proved really helpful? Several things, honestly. I have pages of notes! Today, let’s talk about the one that made my brain twitter with glee.
What I really had fun with? The Dominant Impression exercise for main characters. You know this one?
1) Adjective
2) Descriptive Noun
1 + 2 = Dominant Impression
This was interesting! She emphasized how a character’s dominant impression changes from the beginning of the book to the end and I found that a neat thing to contemplate. You know you’ve done your job right when the DI progresses…
She used the example from Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series.In the beginning, Giles was the Beleaguered Intellectual. By the end of the series he was the Intellectual Warrior. Yeah, Giles!
So, I’m working on a new book…between going over the editing notes from my editor for the third in the Kraken’s Caribbean series…
The new story, Almost Human, is about a woman who committed suicide at 83 (in the year 2039) by throwing herself off a cruise ship. Only to wake up 11 years later…in her mid-forties and living aboard an underwater alien ship. (She hit the water, shattered and floated down to land on a small scout ship that was following the cruise ship…) Things get interesting 15 years later when she is inadvertently rescued by a naval crew and the aliens want her back…and before you know it, I
have abducted sailors, a morally bankrupt military contractor and conspiracies up the whazoo! (Good aliens, btw.) There’s a very Gibbs like character and… Well, it’s been a wild ride to write!
Anyway! I needed to figure out a DI for Ria, the main character (who wrote romance novels, quite successfully…had awards and everything!) and I came up with a good one for her at the beginning of the story…
Traumatized Idealist
Not sure where she’s gonna end up. Hopefully a Renewed Idealist. And happily in love with Sam, my Gibbs like character.
Now…Sam…
Driven Investigator was what I came up with. I’d like him to move from Investigator to Healer of some sort. (He worked as a therapist before being recruited into my extreme version on Homeland Security.)
So, it’s Friday, play with your characters… What is the Dominant Impression of your main characters, at the beginning and how do you think they’ll change? (Non-writers…play along and pick a character from TV, books, movies…and give a stab at coming up with DI.) Or better yet…what is your DI?
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55 comments:
Oh, I like this exercise. I'm going to have to come back though. I've got a kiddo to get to school. :) I'll think in the car.
The story sounds fun, though! Aliens and cruise ships, oh my!
This sounds like an intriguing exercise. I'll have to give it some more thought when I'm at work today. I don't watch the TV shows you mentioned, so I'm guessing at the personalities via the dominant impressions you've given them. But I do like the idea of it. :)
Oh, I love the idea of this progressing. I always struggle with pinning down my character, because they're not the same throughout the book. So this works really well for me....
Let's see:
My heroine, Naomi starts out as someone who has sacrificed too much, and she knows it. So her beginning DI would be anesthetized avenger, and her ending DI might be something along the lines of: poised champion. She still retains many of the same characteristics, such as being reserved and unemotional, and generally able to kick-ass. But more in a satisfied and fulfilled way, than the "I'm so depressed and numb I can't work up anything else" manner she starts the book with.
I'll have to think more about my hero. He's a bit crazier :)
Ooooh! I like going from anesthetized to poised. And the diff between avenger and champion? Subtle, but definitely present. I can really see a growth arc in the words you picked.
I know I struggled with using traumatized. I didn't want Ria to sound like she was terrified or unable to function, though at times that is exactly what happens. I needed a word to denote that frozen part of the traumatized experience. Everyone knows fight or flight, but frozen is a bit hard to pinpoint. And if I'd used frozen she might have simply looked frigid...not the same thing!
I look forward to hearing what you come up for with your hero!
Marn - Take care of the boys! Then come back and play! ;-)
Donna - Caffeinate... And sorry, I do forget that not everyone is a TV afficiando. Hopefully, you've picked up enough from the chatter about the shows to get the gist. (I can do the TV Guide crossword puzzle and answer questions about shows I don't watch...I'm like a sponge, I absorb so many dumb little details from what I hear...)
Thanks Mo - though I will admit to cheating and using a thesaurus :)
And I totally stole Hal's "champion" because I liked it so much.
This blog made me smile. I've never done the diagram a book either for the same reason. Debra is more a practical, pragmatic plotter (and characters seem to come later); but I believe characters come before plot (at least 99% of the time.) I usually am introduced to a character first--not the situation. I care about the people, not the war going on.
Therefore: 2nd prefers characters too. I don't think I've realized that before. We do have stuff in common! *LOL*
The Dominant Impression was my favorite part of the class too. *LOL* It was something fun to fall back on, something to recalibrate my characters in a scene so they didn't "act out of character". Also if you can figure out where their growth where be (where their flaws are), then you know, generally speaking, what direction you need to take the book. Basically you figure out what the character would NEVER do based on the flaw and make them do it. I always like that bit of information, even if I can't figure out the flaw. (But that's a quirk of mine. I don't like judging characters' flaws because then I think someone will be judging MY flaws.)
ADAM: Bewildered provider
EVE: Frustrated nurturer
ADAM: Enlightened champion
EVE: Empowered partner
(I'm not sure those will work, but they're how I sorta think of them now. Adam's rather baffled; Eve is beyond frustrated--and in the end, I think they just come to grips and compromise a little...and admit each of them were WRONG. Groveling on both sides.)
And I may need to steal that champion bit, too!
Yeah, champion is a good one.
As for me prefering or concentrating on character over plot? I don't know...my plots get pretty convoluted for taking back seat. Not sure I agree wit' yer assessment! ;-)
But anything be possible.
I like bewildered provider! Great word, bewildered. Baffled is good, but I think bewildered shows a bit more wide eyed freaking-out than baffled. Baffled is more the shaking-his-head stuff. The journey from bewildered to enlightened makes perfect sense.
And frustrated nurturer is great, too! I can imagine her perfectly. And go go from frustrated to empowered? Yeah, that really works!
I could really see these phrases worked into a pitch...must remember that!
well, I stole champion from the thesaurus for all the same reasons!
I like the progression a lot, Hellie! I like how they go from quite separate roles to very equal roles in the end. Provider says to me that he's doing something "for" her, where as champion implies doing it "with" her. And of course "partner." Anyway, I'm rambling, but I can see a very clear progression, not only within each character, but in how they start so far apart and come together. Nice!
I'm with you, Hal. Hellie's shows some real growth. Not sure my paired up ones do...From traumatized to renewed? Well, maybe!
Still not sure how to go from investigator to healer...or therapist.
Hmmmm!
You can't steal from a thesaurus...words is there ta be used!
Hellie’s shows some real growth.
When I read this, I saw "Hellie's shown some real growth" and thought "Wow, no one's ever said that!"
Now I realize no one has never said that. *LOL*
But I love your guys' interpretation of what I flung up there. *LOL* I didn't think that deeply about "champion"--I just thought it was more positive than "provider", like he cherished her rather than felt responsible for her. A pleasure rather than a duty. And I almost picked "helpmate" for Eve in the 2nd, but thought "partner" was stronger.
traumatized to renewed works for me. Or--and I don't know if this word sounds cliche--"reborn"?? Or whatever the word is for the Phoenix when it regenerates and becomes new and stronger again.
I just thought it was more positive than “provider”, like he cherished her rather than felt responsible for her. A pleasure rather than a duty.
That's exactly how I read it. That he went from feeling like it was necessary to take care of her, to feeling like he was happy to work with her to cherish his family
Yeah, partner is stronger! And yeah, your DIs show some real growth for your characters...
What did you think I meant? ;-)
Reborn is an option... Though she's already dealing with that after waking up from being dead...sorta... ;-)
I agree, Hal! A pleasure rather than a duty...
Okay, crew... I gots an hour afore I have ta leave the ship fer me sewing class. Only three more classes ta go! I'm doing pirate pantaloons taday...
OMG! so I've been looking for Halloween costumes - one idea I just came across an idea: me as a pirate, the baby as my parrot. Hahahahaha!
You all are chugging along today. I love this exercise but didn't know it had a name. Dominant Impression. I like that. (And I've done a day long workshop with Ms. Dixon so I'm sure I have heard this, just forgotten.)
I know my heroine goes from people-pleasing pushover to empowered something. Not sure on the 2nd noun. Hmmmm...
Hero goes from stubborn pessimist to enlightened optimist. Wow, that's a really big jump. Probably not the right words. Let me think about this.
(Explains my inability to write a damn pitch/query.)
Hmmmm... people-pleasing pushover to...empowered individual? And yup, yer hero's journey is a biggie! But that is a great one to make. Likely he was a closet optimist to begin with... ;-)
Hal...yup, I like that. The parrot child...
That would be the roundest, cutest pirate ever. LOL!
Yeah, sure, blame it on the fingers... It's the donuts you were braggin' about on twitter...
I meant PARROT ever. Gah. You are NOT round. Damn fingers.
Oh, yeah...we'll need pics!
I want PICTURES of that Halloween outfit. That is the cutest thing I've ever heard of!!!! How perfect is that!
I like the heroine's journey, Bo'sun, but making someone a pessimist to an optimist--not so much. You can be LESS pessimistic, but I don't think you can be a full-fledged optimist. I think pessimist and optimist are like gender or sexuality--you just have what you have and you just have it. You can't change it. (Okay, maybe "gender" was a poor example since some can change it, but I don't see your hero going to those limits.) How about a pessimist to a realist. A realist is like a middle ground person, neither a doomsayer but not a glittery-unicorns person either. A person who can look at stuff objectively.
Not sure I agree, Hels. I mean, maybe he's a closet optimist all along... Just not secure enough to let it out and embrace the sunshine... ;-)
haha - he would be a little round parrot! I'm definitely going to have to play with this
I like the journey of your heroine, too, Ter. Champion would fit nicely with her too!
I'm going to let you guys duke it out over optimist vs. pessimist. Though I will say, my hubs is a pessimist. His knee-jerk reaction to anything is "that won't work," and it takes him time to come around to new ideas and alternatives. I can't see him ever becoming a "glittery-unicorn" kind of guy :) But I could certainly see someone being a closet optimist, or someone who has had the optimist part of him beaten out, and has to regain it.
here's the link to the costume (though I could do the pirate-mom half way better!)
http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/holidays/halloween/simple-halloween-costumes-00100000067390/index.html?xid=roundtable-halloween#8
I agree, Hal. A total born pessimist isn't going to change. Unless they get one of those proverbial God-smack-on-the-head things. But I do think a lot of people are closet optimists. They won't be upfront about it due to the ridicule that comes with being that way...we are a cynical society!
And a closet optimist can step out!
And with that odd comment, I need to head for me sewing class...play nice, use a coaster on the bar, please! And I'll be back ASAP!
That is adorable! If one had a pocket dog, one could dress it up. Or a very tolerant cat.
Neither of which I have.
Later!
Pessimist/Optimist aren't the right words. No duking necessary. That was off the top O me head and it's not Joe. He's more a curmudgeon who comes around to being less cranky. LOL! And a little less stubborn. I've tried the thesaurus for a few ideas but haven't found the right combinations yet. What's the opposite of stubborn without making him sound like that sparkly unicorn thing. (Great term, Hal!)
And with your kiddo's penchant for putting things in his mouth, I'd cut back on those feathers. LOL! But so cute!
A total born pessimist isn’t going to change.
That's what I was saying. Why is it when I say it, I'm wrong, but when Hal says it, she's right? Is it because she has a parrot baby?
of course it's because I have a parrot baby. Anything that cute can't be wrong. haha.
But I will say that the sparkly unicorn was all you, Hells! I just repeated it. (and I was trying to agree with you more than anything else)
And yes, I knew some of the feathers would have to go. I might do felt feathers instead of boa-type feathers for the body, just so that he can chew on them
He’s more a curmudgeon who comes around to being less cranky
I love this description!
Note to self: go to JoAnn's and pick up a Parrot Baby.
If this is what it takes to be taken seriously, I'll go get one. *LOL*
I think fleece would easier to work with than felt, wouldn't it? And more comfortable? I thought I saw a pattern for a parrot baby and it used fleece. Are you winging your costume??
Definitely no boa feathers. Not digestible...or affordable comparatively.
Can you do gummy bear like feathers? LOL! (This child tried to eat a plant!)
I'm a little distracted so I shift credit for the sparkly unicorn over to Hells. Sorry.
And I think 2nd was trying to get her "closet optimist" across. And in reality, Joe used to be a happier guy. Until a chick screwed him up. Boys are not always quick on the recovery.
Just because he was a happier guy doesn't mean he was a closet optimist. I'm a pessimist and I'm quite happy, thank you.
Fleece! yes, I knew felt was wrong as soon as I submitted the comment. Fleece would be excellent. Or some kind of spongy material that will stand up to chewing. And yeah, he tried to munch on plant leaves when we were with Ter. It was awesome.
I wonder if I could dress up my pitbull like an un-dead monkey. That would really complete the family ensemble!
I might try to make something for myself. Maybe some hammer-type pants and a big sash....hmmm....this could get fun (and expensive)
I vote for black skinny jeans and some awesome boots. (Great excuse to buy awesome boots.) Then check charity stores for flowy white shirt and maybe a vest.
http://mccallpattern.mccall.com/m6105-products-10916.php?page_id=494
I can't find the parrot one, but I can swear I SAW one! Blast. But these could be adapted, I believe. Just make tail feathers and turn the lion mane into a colorful feathers.
Y'all are way more ambitious than I am. My child has never had a homemade costume. LOL! We did throw together a Bratz one when she was 5, but everyone just thought she was a rock star. Oddly enough, the killer boots were HER boots she wore all the time. LOL!
I think we take Halloween more seriously than you do, Bo'sun. *LOL* That's all.
But I love the skinny jeans and the boots! That can be a totally rocked Pirate Outfit. :) And as Jack proved, it's all about the eyeliner and the drunken walk anyway.
That's right. Just don't wash your hair for a week and pile on the eyeliner. Voila!
Back in the 90s I dressed as a pirate every year. Had this awesome big, billowy white top that tied at the neck. I'm positive Fabio wore that exact shirt on a cover at some point. LOL!
Kiddo hasn't mentioned dressing up this year, but there's a school dance on the 21st. Not sure it'll cool to dress up. Will keep you posted.
Oh yeah, I can definitely rock some skinny jeans and boots! (I happen to have a pair of knee-high leather boots - ha!). And the thrift store is a great idea for a pirate shirt.
Hellie - that may be more sewing then I can manage, but the idea is awesome! We just got a Hobby Lobby in town - I have a feeling I'll be there for a while this weekend!
Well, if you can find a fleecy colorful suit to buy, like a little baby track suit, you could make a "hat" to put the feathers on, some yellow shoes (for bird feet), and then tack on feathers on his arms and tail.
It's always cool to dress up. I don't care what teenagers say. I've seen what they wear to look "grown up"--they don't have taste.
I've tried to do the DI thing, but so far I haven't come up with anything worth keeping. Maybe I don't know my characters as well as I think I do. Or maybe its the struggle between my natural verbosity and a two-word limit. LOL.
I love the parrot costume, but, of course, your little one will be even cuter, Hal. Halloween costumes are serious business among the grands, who feel free to critique one another's choices--sometimes resulting in outbreaks of violence.
We've had an exciting day here. Grand #3 made his school's academic team, one of three fourth graders to do so. We're button-bustin' proud of him. We had a different kind of excitement with #5 who was knocked into a fence post by a bigger kid and now sports a black eye, a chipped tooth, and assorted scratches and bruises on the much swollen left side of his face. The pediatrician says he'll be ok. I'd like to get my hands on the big kid. Last week #6's (the six-year-old) school lost him for two hours. I hate to think what next week holds. Does that make me a ppessimist or a realist? :)
A realist. You know something is going to come up, but you're not going to specify what. A pessimist would have already said they feared one of the kids turned up dead.
Congrats to #3; I'm sure #5 now looks very roguish, which makes him a good pirate if he plays this right; and #6 probably just has a tendency to wander. He just needs one of those ankle things to track him.
Don't worry about the DI. I never feel I can fit the scope of my characters in two words either. You don't have to commit. You can change if you find something that fits better.
I'm back! Now to catch up on all the chatter.
And nope, didn't sew my fingers together or anything!
I love the idea of fleecy pajamas and then do 'em up with details. I am the maste of the 'found' costume.
Even though I'm presently making meself some pirate pantaloons. BTW, Hels...that pattern... I like how they say buy 1 inch elastic, then the directions would leave one with a casing that wouldn't fit 1 inch elastic. Glad I figured that out before I used the machine!
Pirate shirts are almost easy anymore. Lots of ones that look close enough in the stores. Even t-shirt fabric with a frilly front...
Janga - the two word challenge was tricky. A lot in the workshop did the hyphen thing! ;-)
Hal...go to the Martha Stewart website. She has some awesome kid costumes that are made from what one already has.
Shit. I've been trying to make it to this blog all day. Sorry girls.
Hmmm...
My hero in the beginning is a trapped perfectionist and he ends the story as an qualified leader . I think.
My heroine is a worldly cynic but ends it as an self-aware believer.
Marn - Demanding day, eh! I totally dig trapped perfectionist...not sure qualifiied leader is a transition I can see... I'm assuming the qualified comes from the perfectionist and leader is the step from trapped? If I turn it about like that, I can see it...
Cynic to believer is a big journey...wowser!
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