Friday, March 18, 2011
Friday Challenge - like a teenager telling you a movie plot
For those of you who have or have had teenagers this will be a familiar scenario. Your teen gets back from the movies and if you are still awake you ask, in all innocence "what was the movie like?" at least the first time. After that first time, if you ask again, it is because you are sleepy or believe that an occasional dash of psychological torture is good for one.
Why? (ask the folks who have never had or been near a teenager)
Because they will tell you the plot and it will be a dreadful series of the most boring sentences starting with 'and then'. You will want to rip your own head off and fling it at them but you won't because you are a nice person. You will smile and nod while thinking about a recipe for Charlotte Russe or Creme de Brule. And they will go on and on and on. The Ancient Mariner has nothing on the tediousness of a teenager telling you a movie plot. Nothing.
Which brings us to this week's challenge. Because I am mid-query and mid-synopsis and because I've been here before and know the intense difficulty of writing a good one and the immense importance of doing so - well I'm going to do what suffering folk like to - bring you along on the ride!
The Challenge: wherever you are on your writing path I want you to practice telling the story to someone or someones. Not writing, telling. Ask people that perhaps already love you, if you can tell them the story of your story. And then pay attention while you do it. Pay attention to signs of imminent head throwing, genuine amusement, concern about your mental health and so on. I'll be doing it too. The thing is that before you are allowed to put pen to paper and write your synopsis you must tell the story FIVE times. It could be five times to the same person, I'll leave that up to you. But at least tell the person you told the story to the first time - an improved telling! It is only fair.
Good luck and report back!
Why? (ask the folks who have never had or been near a teenager)
Because they will tell you the plot and it will be a dreadful series of the most boring sentences starting with 'and then'. You will want to rip your own head off and fling it at them but you won't because you are a nice person. You will smile and nod while thinking about a recipe for Charlotte Russe or Creme de Brule. And they will go on and on and on. The Ancient Mariner has nothing on the tediousness of a teenager telling you a movie plot. Nothing.
Which brings us to this week's challenge. Because I am mid-query and mid-synopsis and because I've been here before and know the intense difficulty of writing a good one and the immense importance of doing so - well I'm going to do what suffering folk like to - bring you along on the ride!
The Challenge: wherever you are on your writing path I want you to practice telling the story to someone or someones. Not writing, telling. Ask people that perhaps already love you, if you can tell them the story of your story. And then pay attention while you do it. Pay attention to signs of imminent head throwing, genuine amusement, concern about your mental health and so on. I'll be doing it too. The thing is that before you are allowed to put pen to paper and write your synopsis you must tell the story FIVE times. It could be five times to the same person, I'll leave that up to you. But at least tell the person you told the story to the first time - an improved telling! It is only fair.
Good luck and report back!
3 comments:
I love this challenge! I'll have to make sure I'm not going "and then." :) I have folks asking me about my next book all the time and I just sort of freeze up and say, "It's another mystery..."
Jan, I pitched my novel to my husband last night. He was very helpful, indeed. Apparently, I was a little on the monotone side and avoided eye contact...but that was because I was certain he'd make a funny face. :)
This is quite a challenge and I'm not sure if I have the courage to try it out or not. Will ponder and possibly take the plunge. Enjoyed your post, I follow another blog which recommended yours and now I see why.
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