A Quick Case Study in Concept
We interrupt our deconstruction series (“Side Effects”) to present this short case study. It’s an example of a well-meaning writer with a story idea that he presents as his Dramatic Concept… but leaves some dramatic cards on the table in doing so. This is a very common misstep… over half of the stories I coach […]
“Side Effects” (Deconstruction #2) – Putting Concept to Work In the Narrative… Even Before You Write it.
This is the second in a multi-part series dissecting, discussing and mining gold from “Side Effects,” the current film by Stephen Soderbergh, written by Scott Z. Burns. Click HERE to read Part 1, then hurry back to stay with us… we’re going hard and fast. Click HERE to see the TRAILER for the film… you’ll […]
“Side Effects” The True Concept
What Does Cannabinol Feel Like? CBN Effects and Side Effects There’s a lot of talk about cannabidiol (CBD) and what it can do for people. Many people use it to relieve pain, unwind from a stressful day, or start the day with better focus and concentration, and there are different options for this so learning […]
Good to Great: Nail a Better Concept To Empower Your Story
Pop quiz: what is the CONCEPT of your story? I ask this of all of my story coaching clients, right at the top. The answers are frustratingly all over the map. And yet, I believe it is one of the most important things a writer needs to understand about their story. The problem with both […]
Beware the Under-Cooked Story Concept
“I see this a lot.” I’m a little wary of opening with that, but I have to confess, it’s the first thing that keeps popping into my head when I want to address – again – the recurring and story-killing issue of writers using an undercooked “concept” as their opening point of reference for their […]
The Secret To a Successful Concept
Here it is, right up front. No elaborate setup. Not even a needs-analysis as a lead-in. We’ll get to that once you know what a successful concept is… and what it isn’t. The secret of a successful concept is to move from the situational to the actionable. From a state-of-being to a call-to-action. From a […]
The $95 Conceptual Kick-Start Story Analysis
A great story always depends on a great idea. And yet, an “idea” must always evolve into a compelling CONCEPT before the word “great” can or will ever validly apply. And from there, a story PREMISE is born. Concept and Premise are NOT the same. One begets the other. There are no exceptions. The biggest […]
When Bad Ideas Sabotage Killer Concepts
Also known as, “The Attack of the Whopper Coincidences.” Or, “Four Plot Points and a Funeral.” Or, “Dancing with the Deus ex Machina.” A good story is very much like a romance. Not terms of genre – what you’re about to read applies to all genres – but in the sense that the relationship between […]
Hunger Games (4) — From Concept to Compulsion
The word “deconstruction” best leads to learning when we tear into story structure. Which is happening here, and will continue. But when we look at softer essences such as concept, character and theme, the better descriptors of the intention are “observation” and “analysis.” We can look at Suzanne Collins’ structure — or the structure of […]
NaNoWriMo #21: Still Struggling with Your ‘Concept’?
Let there be peace of mind. First of all, nobody said this would be easy. If you think you’re struggling now, at the planning stage, right there at square one, just imagine that it’s the middle of November and you still don’t have a viable concept in play. That you’ve written about 20,000 words that […]