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Friday, August 2, 2013Willamette Writers Conference
“Story Physics 101”
Larry Brooks
www.storyfix.com
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The Writing Conversation
Wherein we explore the conventional wisdom in search of unconventional insight.
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The Six Realms of Story Physics
Wherein we get to it.
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Story Physics:
• Compelling dramatic premise
• Dramatic tension/arc
• Optimized pacing
• Heroic empathy (what we root for)
• Vicarious experience
• Narrative Strategy
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Compelling Dramatic Premise
Wherein we put character, purpose, conflict and context in the same room.
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What is CONCEPTUAL about your premise?
Your CONCEPT is the CONCEPTUAL source of energy
and compelling allure to your story.
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Dramatic Tension
• Hero’s quest…
• … facing obstacles
• … with motivating stakes (and possibly emerging stakes
• … creating
• opportunity for heroic resolution
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Optimal Pacing
Wherein we put the story into some sort of sequence…
… according to given principles that OPTIMIZE pace.
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Heroic Empathy
Wherein we make is easy for our readers to ROOT for our hero on her/his quest.
And… to root against the villain/antagonist (because fear is a terrific motivator)
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Vicarious Experience
Wherein we tap into the Secret Weapon of storytelling… by transporting the reader
into a new time, place, experience, context and emotional state.
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Narrative Strategy
Wherein we choose how to tell the story.
Tense, voice, POV, something fresh, something risky…
… or not.
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Story Physics
- Compelling Dramatic Premise
- Dramatic Tension
- Optimal Pacing
- Heroic Empathy (rooting)
- Vicarious Experience
- Narrative Strategy
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The Three Stages of Story Development
Wherein we figure out where we are in the process.
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The Three Stages:
• The Search for Story
• Story Design
• Story Execution and Polish
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Case Study
Wherein we look at the most common missed opportunity (bordering on mistake)
out there.
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Four Key Questions:
• What is the concept that drives your premise, and why will it be compelling?
• What is your core dramatic question and arc (focus, unfolding exposition), driven by what your hero needs in context to the stakes attached?
• What opposes that quest, and how compelling (scary) is it?
• Is your First Plot Point functional, and is it where it needs to be?
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Questions?
Wherein we play Stump The Presenter
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Story Physics:
Harnessing the Underlying Forces
of Storytelling
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