JacquiGMay 4

In my blog this month, I talk about how I sometimes need a little bump to keep my writing fresh...clickety click to read more...
https://www.jacquigreaves-author.com/blog/sometimes-i-just-need-a-little-bump?fbclid=IwY2xjawRk_F9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeChxmhJZ1YV541zFWlwQNNhkwzztsjPncOGvXkq8A0hjjphTc6SkbkDHfWTU_aem_hw0I9MUmuGL44J_aotrX_Q

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Sometimes, I just need a little bump

It's been decades since I first experienced the saturating joy of a bumper boat. That summer, the youthfulness and the waterpark are all long gone, but my memory of the day is strong—almost...

JACQUI GREAVES
Michaela MayaSep 15, 2024
Ich lese in letzter Zeit auch immer wieder How-To-Write-A-Novel-Guides und mein bisheriges Takeaway ist: das "eine" Rezept, mit dem man den perfekten Plot bäckt, gibt es nicht. Je nachdem, welche Geschichte man erzählen will, hilft mal die eine und mal die andere Methode/Technik mehr. Die Guides sind ein bisschen wie ein All-You-Can-Eat-Buffet - je mehr man liest, desto mehr Häppchen hat man zur Auswahl, die man sich dann auf den Schreibtisch schaufeln kann. #AboutWriting #writing
Show threadMichaela MayaJun 3, 2024
A tragedy ends with a character failing to alter their flawed way of perception & action. Instead of adapting and changing for the better, they give in, embrace their flaw further and spiral out of control. Usually, this ends in one of three ways: ostracisation, humiliation (=complete and irretrievable loss of status) or death. Other possible endings are: happy ⬆️, deliberately unsatisfying (heroic behaviour fails to reestablish control) and bittersweet. #AboutWriting #ScienceOfStorytelling
Show threadMichaela MayaJun 3, 2024
The "God Moment" is that one blissful (sometimes fleeting) moment where the protagonist has regained control over everything - the happenings of the outside world as well as the process of change he was undergoing inside, on the subconscious layer of the story. They fully embrace and embody their "new and improved" self and succeed. A God Moment is a happy ending for a novel. #AboutWriting #ScienceOfStorytelling
Show threadMichaela MayaJun 2, 2024
The book argues for a character-centred approach to plotting. First, define your protagonist's "sacred flaw" - something that shaped their view of the world + their self & drives their thinking+behaviour. Be specific. Then uncover what made them this way - their "origin damage" (often a childhood event). Now find a "story event" that exposes their flaw and forces them to find a new way to control the chaos around them. Around this, a compelling story arises. #AboutWriting #ScienceOfStorytelling
Show threadMichaela MayaMay 31, 2024
Sympathy for the devil - how to create a compelling #antihero:
• deflate reader's moral outrage before it arises
• have antihero acknowledge their wrongdoing and suffer for it
• paint a tragic past that made them this way
• offer an even worse foe as villain
• create a world where their actions are good-ish (relatively speaking)
• emphasise their humanity & their good sides
• make their bad deeds seem justifiable
• make them attractive, cultured, polite
#AboutWriting #ScienceOfStorytelling
Show threadMichaela MayaMay 31, 2024
Stories are, in their essence, tribal propaganda. They delineate what is "good"/desired behaviour in the tribe (by which one can improve their status) and what is considered a (punishable, by loss of status/humiliation) moral infraction. They tie the group together, set out which rules to follow and demarcate it from other groups through a shared narrative and shared values. Stories are at the roots of religions and cultures. #AboutWriting #ScienceOfStorytelling
Show threadMichaela MayaMay 5, 2024
When we are under threat, our brain's processing capacity increases temporarily - we take in more details and time seems to slow. Storytellers can use this selectively to add drama: the employment of detailed, minute descriptions may help convey that the protagonist is facing a life-threatening situation. #AboutWriting #ScienceOfStorytelling
Show threadMichaela MayaMay 5, 2024
Our brains are extremely powerful prediction machines - what we perceive is actually a hallucination of the world that is predicted by our brain and corrected in real time. This is why unexpected change immediately grabs our attention - it could signal a threat or an opportunity. Storytellers employ this by starting their tale at a point where something changes or they hint at a troubling change to come. That immediately draws us into the story. #AboutWriting #ScienceOfStorytelling
Show threadMichaela MayaMay 4, 2024
One thing I actually had never considered before is how much the *word order* in a sentence matters. It's much easier for the brain to visualise a story if it follows a "natural" order. For example: "I handed the cup to Margaret" flows more naturally than "I handed Margaret the cup", because the first one follows the order of the action. Think of it as commenting something live, as it happens. That makes the story feel more real and alive. #AboutWriting #ScienceOfStorytelling