Mike Reeves-McMillan

“For maximum effectiveness, you should start your story at the time of the change that threatens your major…

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Mike Reeves-McMillan

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“For maximum effectiveness, you should start your story at the time of the change that threatens your major character’s self-concept.”

“…at the outset of your story… show your character coming up with a vital intention or story goal, designed to “fix things” for him in terms of his sensation of being out of equilibrium with his environment. Every good fiction character is thus goal-motivated.”

“…you end the novel… by answering the story question you posed at the outset.”

“Plan to make the start and end as close together in time as you can, and still have room for a minimum of 50,000 words of dramatic development.”

– Jack M. Bickham

#sceneandstructure

Comments

14 responses to ““For maximum effectiveness, you should start your story at the time of the change that threatens your major…”

  1. Steve Turnbull Avatar
    Steve Turnbull

    Good advice ~ if you’re writing a movie.

    Reply
  2. Steve Turnbull Avatar
    Steve Turnbull

    Good advice ~ if you’re writing a movie.

    Reply
  3. Mike Reeves-McMillan Avatar
    Mike Reeves-McMillan

    What about a novel, Steve Turnbull?

    Reply
  4. Mike Reeves-McMillan Avatar
    Mike Reeves-McMillan

    What about a novel, Steve Turnbull?

    Reply
  5. Steve Turnbull Avatar
    Steve Turnbull

    There’s a lot I could say but I’m on my mobile.

    Reply
  6. Steve Turnbull Avatar
    Steve Turnbull

    There’s a lot I could say but I’m on my mobile.

    Reply
  7. Walter Roberson Avatar
    Walter Roberson

    A novel that is about a person might begin near birth, establishing environment, and following the character as the person grows. There might or might not be a substantial disequilibrium element introduced that triggers the person to rise above what they were. The Hero’s Quest does not always get introduced early on, and it is completely valid to have a novel which has no Hero’s Quest as such. The Walton’s for example might have a bunch of moral tales to tell in the TV version , but the original was probably a lot of Slice Of Life: “This is what things were like for us”.

    If you are feeling like everything has to be in pursuit of quest, then I recommend that you take the time to watch the Japanese anime Barefoot Gen

    http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barefoot_Gen where the Quest is mostly “survival”. Keep tissues handy.

    Reply
  8. Walter Roberson Avatar
    Walter Roberson

    A novel that is about a person might begin near birth, establishing environment, and following the character as the person grows. There might or might not be a substantial disequilibrium element introduced that triggers the person to rise above what they were. The Hero’s Quest does not always get introduced early on, and it is completely valid to have a novel which has no Hero’s Quest as such. The Walton’s for example might have a bunch of moral tales to tell in the TV version , but the original was probably a lot of Slice Of Life: “This is what things were like for us”.

    If you are feeling like everything has to be in pursuit of quest, then I recommend that you take the time to watch the Japanese anime Barefoot Gen

    http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barefoot_Gen where the Quest is mostly “survival”. Keep tissues handy.

    Reply
  9. Walter Roberson Avatar
    Walter Roberson

    In the short short fiction rhelm I would point out, for example, the poem Jabberwocky, which might have a “coming of age ritual” imputed to it, perhaps, but has no element of the main character seeking to restore “fitting in”.

    Reply
  10. Walter Roberson Avatar
    Walter Roberson

    In the short short fiction rhelm I would point out, for example, the poem Jabberwocky, which might have a “coming of age ritual” imputed to it, perhaps, but has no element of the main character seeking to restore “fitting in”.

    Reply
  11. Mike Reeves-McMillan Avatar
    Mike Reeves-McMillan

    The book I’m taking notes on is talking about a specific type of fiction: the popular novel. You’re right that the advice doesn’t apply to all kinds of fiction.

    Reply
  12. Mike Reeves-McMillan Avatar
    Mike Reeves-McMillan

    The book I’m taking notes on is talking about a specific type of fiction: the popular novel. You’re right that the advice doesn’t apply to all kinds of fiction.

    Reply
  13. Steve Turnbull Avatar
    Steve Turnbull

    Mike Reeves-McMillan  Okay I’ve looked this guy up and I withdraw my comment.

    What he is doing is telling you how to write a book like an action movie but since he was a very successful writer of those sorts of books, I won’t disagree with him. (If he’d just been some “writing guru” I’d have let him have it with both barrels.)

    Reply
  14. Steve Turnbull Avatar
    Steve Turnbull

    Mike Reeves-McMillan  Okay I’ve looked this guy up and I withdraw my comment.

    What he is doing is telling you how to write a book like an action movie but since he was a very successful writer of those sorts of books, I won’t disagree with him. (If he’d just been some “writing guru” I’d have let him have it with both barrels.)

    Reply

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