I love the way Barbara O’Connor does Writing Tip Tuesdays. Sometimes she shares her own tips and sometimes she posts bits of wisdom from writing books she has read. What I love about that is that I have often read the same books but absorbed it as a whole, rather than as a targeted helpful tip. I like the chance to look a little deeper at what the author is trying to teach me. Since I’m trying to do writing thoughts on Wednesday I thought I’d try to do the same thing here. I have 8 shelves of books on how to write (yes, a bit of a junkie) and many of them have gobs of little Post-it notes hanging out the side.
Today’s writing thought comes from the book Emotional Structure,Creating the Story Beneath the Plot A Guide for Screenwriters by Peter Dunne.
“Good drama is not about the thing. It is how we feel about the thing.”
“Good drama is not about the thing. It is how we feel about the thing.”
Oh that is soooo true!
It really spoke to me too.
I love that, Susan!
AND – I LOVE studying screenwriting as a tool to writing children’s books.
And thanks for the shout-out….
You’re welcome Barbara. I love studying those screenwriting books too. Story IS story, right?
Good tip! It’s the stories with the emotional impact that stay with me the longest. So, instead of looking at the ‘thing,’ think about how it affects you or those around you. Nice.
Me too! I have to keep reminding myself to keep the emotion in the front of mind. It is so easy for me to let the “thing” take over.
Great tip. . .
That gives me alot to think about with my YA and MG — the balance between the ‘thing’ and the emotion = to keep the plot moving but to have depth Hhhmmmmm.. . . .
Thanks for the link, and for the book you quoted from. =)