These are notes I took from a wonderful writing symposium called Life, the Universe, and Everything. We have a lot of talented people in Utah and visitors with a great deal of knowledge. Any Misinformation is the fault of the note taker.
– Scene sequential is a pacing tool. pacing took to allow actions and then reaction.
Q: what are things you’ve read or seen that exemplify this tool? Da Vinci code. Some of the most tense scene is when characters have different goals. It’s not about actions.
– The entire series Dresden files. Keeps moving quickly.
– Need to balance types of conflict physical and characters.
– Conflict can be external and internal. Whatever happens in actions should propel characters into internal conflict. How does the character grow from what they just experienced? The reader wants to experience some kind of triumph. They should experience emotional growth. As your book moves along the physical and mental conflict should match.
– Action should be where a character tries to resolve a problem. If they’re using magic hopefully they are learning more about magic.
– Would slow the action down to have character reactions during the fight. It can be overused. Reflection during the battle can slow down the battle. Just have raw emotion but the more in-depth thoughts would come later.
Q: when crafting a story when do you look at pacing?
– Star off with three act structure. Then will put events under that arch and then each mini-arc for each scene in the three acts
– Break down of the Martian book article according to pacing. First plot pint should get 25% > introduce new conflict. 50 % of the book introduces a new conflict. Second plot point takes 75% of the book. It should be a mix of internal and external conflict. This will make it so the reader is unable to put down the book.
– First avenger movid3 hulk punches Thor and everyone laughs.
– The three-act structure is not used in the romance genre.
– Some books are character books. They have no plot but the character is interesting.
– The litness test is, are you drawing interest. Pacing is not about mortal conflict. Is what on the page engaging you.
– Learn the rules and learn how to apply them. You can use different devices to achieve the same goal.
Q: what kind of conflicts to use?
– Scale> does the problem matter to the character, personal threat, county threat world threat. In every scene, something big happening such as an attack of army unit and something small such as a relationship between characters.
– Have a situation where the characters are cut from the world. Characters that have a clock heart that can be seen as a sorceress. Build a crucible of all the different ways the world will impact (internal and external) for that character.
– Reasons tension works > It works if you have feelings for the character. When they are in a mortal conflict. It is one reason why starting a book with a fight scene often does not work because the reader is not emotionally engaged in the character.
– For one author, the first draft is often a lot of exposition. Then later drafts of the book expand the more emotional moments.
– When you read a lot and write a lot you gain an instinct. Trust that narrative instinct.
– Need to read a lot of books in your genre, especially the top sellers and see what they are doing.
– Book: Save the cat > still apply for moderns cinema.
– As a new writer, a lot of instincts are wrong and the beta readers can help find problems. Book on Save the cat.
– Often people’s writing gets too cluttered and in the rewrite you need to cut out the excess and narrow your focus.
– There is a theater term called ‘sound off’. It is where you have a car accident off stage and people respond to it. A battle
– Learn how to cut down the excess.
Want to add to the list? Please do so in the comment section of this blog.
