January 30, 2012 - Character Essentials

Over these last few blog posts, we have discussed a great detail about character. Yet, some of the most important things have been overlooked.

Create an Active Character

Don't just have your character be wishy-washy. Make them take control of the situation and handle it themselves. Nobody likes the passive types, and we all love a hero.

Would "Speed' be a great action flick if Keanu Reeves just paid Dennis Hopper the money?

"No way."

Would "The Replacements" be a so-so sports comedy if Keanu Reeves just let Gene Hackman run the team?

"No way."

Would Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure be an Excellent Adventure if Ted didn't get in the time machine?

"No way."

Keanu makes this point clear.

"Active Characters are important. . . also, johnny mnemonic is underrated."

Motivation

What do your characters want? Obviously we've all seen Maslow's Hierarchy.

Most of society follows these in order from the base up. First, we need food, then shelter, then love, etc. This is boring and too easy. An interesting character switches around their needs and puts others first. Think of it. John McClane risked his life in order to save his wife from the evil Professor Snape in Die Hard. Rather than taking from society, he gave to society in an act of unselfishness.

The Hero Pyramid

Another important thing to note is the significant dividing line that forms in the middle of the Belonging section.

When a character is "Lost in Love," it's easy to help others or to find respect within your community. But when you're "All Out of Love," other people hardly register. That's why I refer to this line as the "Air Supply Line." Their early 80s hits dabbled across the spectrum of Maslow's hierarchy.

And those are the character essentials.

January 27, 2012 - Creating Characters

When creating characters, it's always important to eliminate the cliche, the familiar, the hackneyed, old-hat types. Out with timeworn fustiness! In with the nuanced originality!

Why must all Disney princesses be so damn nice, pure, and innocent?

Jasmine's still my favorite.

Or rednecks? Has anyone ever written a minor role for a Southern man without stereotyping?

No.

So where should we look for characters?

The best one comes from the people around us. Truth makes for relatable, believable characters. Everyone has flaws, dreams, hopes, and accomplishments, and hopefully, you know those specifications of at least a few people in your life. Start with yourself. Take traits from your own life and write a book with that character.

If you've exhausted everything about yourself and your friends, what should you do? Go to the internet of course. Google unusual jobs for inspiration.

Egg smeller ranked pretty highly (Pun intended).

There are rodeo clowns, bingo announcers, fingerprint analyzers, jelly donut fillers, phone psychics, lifeguards for nude beaches, game show question writers, cemetery telemarketer, and haunted house actors.

For a list of traits, I just used a random word generator. 

"Severe"

"Precise"

"Preparatory"

"Marauding"

"Funerary"

"Condolent"

"Unflaming"

(Seems like my character's a fireproof, calculating, sad sack.)

Creating unique characters isn't a major challenge, but it does require some effort. An audience will tune out things they've heard a million times, so if you want your message to be heard, you've got to craft interesting characters. Period.

January 23, 2012 - Story Why?

Anytime first impression is made, a story of humility, capability, and humor is on the way. We want to show that we are not perfect, we can be fooled, but that we learned from our mistakes and can take care of ourselves.

The settings in our stories are usually safer places where danger doesn't lurk comical situations are right around the corner.

Imagine a comedy club next to the babbling brook.

How does the storyteller end up looking at the end of story. Almost unanimously, they should be seen as easygoing, comfortable, and flexible. The kind of person anybody could be friends with.

Easygoing, Comfortable, Flexible

So why do we want people to think we are like this chair? Because we want to belong. We all want to be accepted and be a part of something, especially in these times of struggling. We want the comforting friend and the shoulder to cry on.

This guy's tired of it.

Everybody knows there's strength in numbers and more number = more power. 

Stories also transmit and provide identity, history, and culture. Shared events happen because of story. It helps us to relate and bond to one another. Story is the backbone of community and civilization from the lowest of the low to the man who has mo'.

Think of a bowling alley with all its characters. . .

Sal, the pin monkey

-Sal took a job at "The Pin-itentiary" when he knocked up his high school sweetheart and he decided to stay.

-All the regulars know Sal and Sal knows all the regulars. He loves meeting new people though.

-A co-worker convinced him to grow out mutton chops for No-Shave November.

-His proudest moment was winning the Pinewood Derby in Boy Scouts

Sal

Terry, the semi-pro

-Cancer survivor who found renewed passion in life when he joined the bowling league at "The Pin"

-No girlfriend since he dropped out of community college, but frequently orders the chili cheese fries so he can talk to Julie.

-Mails letters to the Bowler's Journal Magazine. (So far he hasn't made it in.)

-People often ask if he's crying, but he just gets soap in his eyes . . .a lot.

Terry

Julie, the waitress

-Works two other jobs and goes to school full-time. She plans and schedules many aspects of her life, so many people thinks she's uptight.

-She likes Terry as a customer, but has no idea of his infatuation.

-She hates eating pizza because it burns the roof of her mouth.

-She attends church regularly. She's not very religious, but she loves singing in the choir.

Julie

Michael, the manager

-Owns a chain of themed bowling alleys. His jail-themed "Pinitentiary" is the most successful.

-Self-trained entrepreneur. His dream has been to run a business

-Spends more of his time working with his charity, "Bowling over Blount's Disease"

-Had his second child last year and now feels he has accomplished everything he set out to do (This scares him more than anything else.)

Michael

January 20, 2012 - Storytime!

It was a bitter cold December evening in 2006. Christmas was on everyone's mind. Fresh powder had hit the night before, but all but disappeared by now. White lights outlined the buildings  in the shopping area across from the mall. It was a night for festivities.


3 friends and myself decided to celebrate that Yule feeling by attending a farcical movie. One that could engender belly laughs and transform the cold air into warm memories. We chose Borat. 

Harbinger of Doom

Upon the conclusion of the movie, the imitations began. "My wife," we said. "Like sleeve of wizard," we erupted with laughter. Nothing could bring us down from that raucous movie-going experience. 

That is until, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed four young men following. They were keeping their distance from us, but it didn't seem like anything too unusual. As we continued walking, these four gentleman kept getting closer and closer. They appeared to be whispering something, so we decided to head into the local GameStop to kill some time.

As we emerged though, they were still nearby. "What's up with it, Vanilla Face?" I wondered. Four of them, four of us. They got closer and closer and then a punch. 

A fist hit the back of my friends head and he went down. Then my next friend was on the ground. I knew I would be hit anytime. So my instincts took over. My eyes grew steely, my hands raising in the air, and my head turning away from them. The scowl on my face turned to one of whimpering and pussying-out. I ran away and hid behind a car.

Eventually, the hooligans left, and my friends had some bruises. I was perfectly fine. "Great success," I said. They were not amused.

Why did I tell this story? It certainly doesn't paint me in a positive light, and it makes seem cowardly and frightened. Yet, contained within it is a human element. Rather than telling a story of cocksure confidence where I took on all four guys myself, this one has the ring of truth. It's sincere and commands a level of respect for being honest. It passes the validity test, and puts in a state of trustworthiness. I have evoked change within.

Story Message  Change

That's the key.

January 18, 2012 - Reasons

Stories are concise and stories are universal.

If I wasn't worried about getting a bad grade, I would stop my post right there. That really sums up everything that was learned today, and it would be a nice tag for concision.

Instead I will go into the 5 reasons stories are told.

1. Stories are easy to remember.
Think of all the little phrases your parents used to say to you.
"Don't judge a book by its cover."
"Life's not fair."
"If you keep making that face, it'll stick that way."
"Even a blind pig can find an acorn."

But why would they want to?

2. Stories are entertaining.

Nobody would bother with an uninteresting story. 

One Fine Day

I was walking down the street, right foot following my left foot. My arms swayed gently back and forth, just like a gorilla. My feet made a noise every time they hit a ground. It was a beautiful day.

Fin.

See, pretty boring, and not really even a story.

3. Stories are easy to understand.

Typically, stories only have one main idea that is being directed at the audience. This is to avoid muddle and trouble. If only one idea is sent, it's easy and uncomplicated.

This guy just finished a David Lynch movie marathon.

4. Stories are easy to believe.

There are countless books about folklore, urban legends, and tall tales. There's an entire website devoted to disproving rumors, and a television show all about busting myths.

Why do people believe in these obvious lies. Because we want to. We want the fantastic and bizarre to be true, and we're willing to accept anything that sounds plausible.

5. Stories are easy to share.

All you have to do is talk. And it's only gotten easier in this day and age. We can text, post, blog, write, talk, or gesture stories halfway across the world in a matter of moments.

And that's why we all love stories.

January 13, 2012 - I See A. . .

Today's lecture was all about omelets. Or cupcakes.  Or omelet-cupcakes. Or stories. The point is that they all have key ingredients and certain recipes for how to properly prepare them (Yes, even omelet-cupcakes).

The ingredients for a story includes at least two different characters, a conflict, and a resolution. By characters, I mean at least two mindsets within one person, or even a setting or thing as a character. There's just got to be some level of conflict between two opposing forces.

We were also introduced to the UCA Principle which involves examining the world around us. Like Emerson in the woods, we've got to examine every leaf and see the uniqueness in everyday objects and people. However, the UCA Principle only works when describing others to put it into practice. For self-reflection, I use the ICA Principle. I started by pulling back the curtain to the window behind my desk. . .

I see a . . . lot of leaves. My room is on the second floor with a tree right next to it. I retreated to the living room and stared out the window on that floor. . .

I see a . . . tree, and a car, and some snow, and I'm bored. After a short while, I noticed the mail-lady was walking by.  She was in her 20s, had a pink streak in her hair, and was rocking out to the music playing from her headphones. She had a small package for my house, too. Lucky Day! However, it occurred to me that this was not your usual mail-lady. Suddenly, my mind began to whir.

The Murderous Mail-Lady

Beethoven's 5th played in Janeane's mind. She had shuffled her iPod, and a small smile appeared on her face when she saw the title.

"Fate," she said.

She reached into her mailbag and produced a large brown parcel. Janeane had a habit of shaking packages, even if they weren't for her. This box was very lightweight despite its large size.

"This is the one," said Janeane.

To an outsider it wouldn’t be clear whether she meant the package or the house.

 Her face flushed with excitement as she set the box on the porch.

Within the package was a clear plastic bag filled with sarin, a deadly nerve gas. Janeane bit her lower lip, and her breathing got heavy as it always does before her next murder.

As Janeane turned to leave, the door opened in front of her. A small boy peeked out.

"Oh boy, a package! Is it for me? Can I open it?" said the boy.

Janeane never counted on a child receiving the package. Her look of disappointment turned into one of kindness as she kneeled next to the boy.

"Promise me you won't open this box now," said Janeane.

The boy pouted.

"Wait till your family can watch you open it."

A large smile appeared on the boy's face as he grabbed the package.

"I can't wait," said the boy.

The door closed and Janeane picked up her mailbag, ready to make more deliveries. She whistled Beethoven's 5th as a gentle snow began to fall.

January 11, 2012 - New Hampshire Primaries, Doomsday Clock, Mark Davis, Girl Scout Cookies, Sharia Law, Van der Sloot

Now that I've got your attention, this class was all about knowing your audience. And what do I know about my audience? They love sexy women, cute kittens, and baconators.

My audience is the general audience, and if you want to relate to them, you've got to speak in the language of the masses. My title includes the top google searches, and pictures are worth a thousand words, they say. Which is useful since most Americans are illiterate. A 5th grade reading level is the average for most adults in the US. For reference, Little House on the Prairie is about as tough as it gets for a 5th grader.

People are also very, very lazy. As animals, we have two desires: food and sex.

This man tried to combine them. 

Scientists would call laziness, homeostasis. Mankind wants to exert as little energy as possible while achieving his desires.

Therefore, if a message is sent that appeals to these core elements, there's a greater chance of breaking through the WIIFM Barrier. 

Finally, due to mankind's short attention span, it's important to keep messages short and sweet. A limited, witty batch of information targeted directly at your audience is a great way to end a story. An informational torpedo to bust through the barrier.

I call them "infopedoes."

Note: My professor is not George Costanza, despite the similar appearance.

January 9, 2012

I have no idea how to write a blog post. I don't read blogs. I don't subscribe to blogs. And I don't write blogs. Now, Joel Jenkins is forcing me to write one, and I think I might enjoy it.

"Every story is a message. And every message is a message of change," said Mr. Jenkins nearly three-quarters through my first class. Mr. Jenkins is a socially awkward man (his words) with a penchant for Star Wars references and a seersucker-suit-salesman voice. He swung an imaginary lightsaber. He threatened to tickle students with a feather should they resist laughing at his jokes. Joel Jenkins produces children's theatre when not teaching this class, but  I imagine he acts the same wherever he is.

Because every message is attempting to change us in some way, they are an act of manipulation and control.  And one can use this power of control for good or evil (which Jenkins called "the dark side," naturally). Jokes and anecdotes are a way to make people comfortable and trusting enough to listen to the things you say. Jenkins himself employs the technique in order to "stimulate our minds."

However, we humans are not weak-willed jello-brains susceptible to each and every manipulation. We have a WIIFM Barrier™. The What's In It For Me? Barrier. If a story or joke or anecdote isn't immediately interesting, informative, or funny, listener loses interest and no manipulation can take place.

For an example, look no further than the 2011 Oscars. The traditional viewpoint is that the Academy Awards is all about the film industry honoring its most talented and brightest stars. The oppositional viewpoint being that ABC and their advertisers are out to generate high ratings and make lots of money, especially from that sweet, sweet demographic of 18-to-34-year-olds who love to buy anything and everything. Ergo, ABC hired James Franco and Anne Hathaway to host the Oscars rather than a comedian or Billy Crystal.

Did Franco and Hathaway slip through the public's WIIFM™ Barrier and attract a bigger youth audience? Of course not! Lame writing + A sleepy Franco + 5% dip in youth ratings = a big whiff for ABC and a big whiff at cracking people's WIIFM™ Barriers. A WIIFM whiff, if you will.

Either way, this class has already got me thinking, and I can't wait to see what Jenkins has up his sleeve for next time.

Side note: Joel Jenkins is not the Joel Jenkins that wrote this.