Last night I was in my office watching a movie on my computer (DVD in office is broken). So, there I was, on the floor, remote in one hand, pen and paper in the other. One of my kids walked in and said "Um, Mom, what are you doing?" I replied. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm watching a movie." Child then said, "It looks more like you are in class taking notes." I laughed. So true.
No one likes to watch movies with me. I always want to stop, rewind, play it again. I'm always stopping the movie to take notes, jot down ideas. Or, if the movie is bad, I'm always yelling at the TV.
Movies and Books are my classroom. It's where I learn about how to craft a good story. It's where I find out how to create memorable characters. Write good dialogue. Figure out the details. Understand when my characters are too stupid to live.
I spent a fair amount of time bugging a friend with my latest idea. After a few emails it hit how huge my idea had become. Plot is great. Need good plot. But just as important, if not more important, you need memorable characters. So, what am I doing this morning? I'm going to watch a movie dealing with the topic I want to write about and study how that story is told. Then, I'm going to read a book recommended by a friend. While it is not about the topic, it's about a character that is similar to what I want my character to be --- flawed, very flawed.
I've never understood writers who say they do not have time to read or watch movies. Yeah, we are all busy. I've got a husband, three kids, a house, part-time job.... welcome to life. However, salesman have time to learn about their craft. Golfers take lessons (even Tiger Woods). If you want to get better, you need to study your craft.
I taught dance for over 20 years. I took classes from other teachers to learn new moves and keep up with the latest in dance. The same must be applied to writing. Where do you learn? From other story tellers. From books. From movies. From TV shows.
Some people look at the time I spend reading and watching movies as a waste of time. They actually think I don't take my writing seriously. That I'm all whimsical, artsy fartsy... in a nutshell they think I'm just weird. Maybe I am. Who knows. I just know that if I want to master my craft, I need to study it. Take notes on it. Figure out what, how and why authors did what they did in their stories that made them so great. Only way I'm going to write a better book.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
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6 comments:
So funny! I do the same thing. I got rid of tv years ago, so my television is one huge DVD player. I often recommend reading *as a writer* to keep the momentum up, especially in rough writing times. Agreed entirely that we can find some of our best inspiration that way.
One of the best ways for writers to learn to write better is by using the published (or movies) as examples. Not only do they teach us what to do, they teach us what NOT to do.
Great insight, as usual :) I'd love to read a post on what you've learned from specific movies!
Great post! Is why I love TV and movies so much! And a lot of what I love are those "Shades of gray" characters like on The Closer, The Cleaner and Amazing Grace ;-)
For some reason I do more TV than movies. I've gotten pickier about movies, but they're still mostly entertainment for me whereas as much as I LOVE what I watch on TV, I think I do more *homework*.
Ok...I took allergy meds so I'm going to scuttle off now ;-)
Great advice Jenni. I have been told for years that if you want to write you have to read. I have been following that advice lately and have seen both what to do and what not to do.
I've also been thinking about what I liked in a movie and what I didn't like. So I guess I must be doing something right.
Still working on the same old wip. I pick it up and put it down a lot. I also do do some editing and have even rewritten a whole section. I may get it ready for publication in spite of myself.
Congratulations on all you have accomplished. I'm going to find a time for that lunch and to get your books, signed.
Take care
Penny
Ah, the kids of writers...I had a huge epiphany in the car the other day, and after driving a couple more blocks decided I had to write it down NOW. Once my kids realized I hadn't pulled over to bawl them out about something, they were totally cool with it. They don't let me hold the remote when we're watching movies ;)
I love this post. Thanks for sharing. I always tell people that I read more than anybody I know but I also watch tv and movies more than anybody I know. Of course my house is not as clean as some but I like you find I get a lot out of both reading and watching tv and movies. All of this to say, this is a spot on post.
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