StoryCon 2002 Abstracts Page

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StoryCon 2002 Abstracts Page

More detailed speaker descriptions of their presentations.

1. CINEMAHEAD: "SCENE DYNAMIX" (*)
Daniel Alegi
____________________________________________________________________________
(*) CINEMAHEAD.COM is launching this fall.
"Scene Dynamix" is my adaptation and reinterpretation of "Diagonal Dynamics", a script development method created by Leonid & Larissa Alekseychuk.
____________________________________________________________________________
Scene Dynamix serves 2 key purposes in the scene-writing process.
The first: graphical visualization of the scene. Through the use of a graph, a writer can map each scene's dynamix: time, dramatic relevance, polarity, objectives, sequencing.
The second: recycling of discarded ideas. Storytellers generate many possible plot branchings. Choosing one event as opposed to another means renouncing the other alternatives. One of the most frustrating consequences of such a "competitive" relationship among development options is the slowdown in writing. After a days's work and 10 options, the story may have only progressed by one page.
One of the ideas behind scene dynamix is that opposing ideas are not exclusive. Two ideas that may seem entirely irreconcilable not only are not so, but can become consecutive steps along the dramatic progression along the timeline. To simplify: in creating a diagonal path from point 0=scene start to point Z=climax, a sequence of events is constructed (see workshop proposal for details)
A visual example of a scene dynamix map will support the presentation.
_________________________________________________________
CINEMAHEAD WORKSHOP: "SCENE DYNAMIX and IDEA RECYCLING",
Daniel Alegi
(Hands On, prefer max. 15-20 people, bring one finished scene if available)
_________________________________________________________
In this Workshop we will develop one scene as a group and analyze one scene among those contributed by participants. (i.e. bring a scene that you want to have the workshop work on) The workshop will show answers by developing the scene ONE specific action at a time. Dialogue in this phase is secondary to dynamic action.
How to reach the climax in the richest possible dramatic way?
How not to arrive at the climax too fast?
How to maximize the potential of each event?
How to make something "boring" work, and a "fun" thing not go overboard?
How to recognize writing arbitrary events and organic ones?
How to exploit brainstorming nuggets without waste?
Participants contribute opposing ideas, and all ideas are used or recycled.
None are discarded. The process of expanding individual moments through the
re-use of conflicting ideas is shown graphically and developed to its
maximum potential together.
_________________________
BIO
_________________________
Daniel Alegi
PO BOX 5332
Santa Monica, Ca
90409 USA
daniel@godot.net
Raised in Rome and educated in the italian school system, he was attracted to music, art, philosophy, classical languages and his grandfather, a sailor whosaid he'd been all around this world. In 1973, Daniel Alegi, was an eight year-old actor in Cinecittà, where he witnessed the making of Fellini¹s ³Amarcord², with the wooden cruise liner, the plastic ocean, a facade-only western-style town with race cars and fake snow three feet tall... But that's another story. Or is it? Daniel's B.A. in International Relations from Brown University (1987) climaxed in this thesis: "Poets, novelists and filmmakers. What role in the outcome of the revolutions in Cuba, Brazil, Chile, Nicaragua, 1959-1981? >From 1988-1993 Daniel studied film directing and screenwriting in Italy with directors Leonid and Larissa Alekseychuk. Daniel's early experience was eclectic. First, spots and news reportage for RAI TV. Then, in 1994, the first short ³The Sax Man² and assisting director Mark Lawrence on a Walt Disney direct-to-video production in Los Angeles. In 1995, he was assistant director to Gianni Zanasi¹s on ³Nella Mischia² (In the Thick of It) a Cannes Festival selection. With the dawning of the digital age, Daniel worked often as a freelance editor and post-production story consultant. In 1998 Daniel received a film MFA from the avantgarde-oriented University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he also was a graduate instructor in film and assisted director James De Paul on multimedia Shakespeare productions. ³Czar Of Make Believe² (23 min., 16 mm, 1998) was an onirical multi-language fiction about 5 immigrants and their midwestern american dreaming. The short, which features a cameo by Mark Borchardt, star of Sundance winner ³American Movie², won "best short film" and "most original narrative" international awards, and traveled to festivals and academic conferences in all continents. Daniel's public presentations would widely range from global cinema topics such as: ³What perspectives for national cultural identities in the global Hollywood landscape?² to the narrative structure issues of: "Image-lingo, abstract heroes and MTV hyper-edits: storytelling from Wilder to wild. " In 1999 Daniel directed in L.A. a CBS production ³NOT HERE². In 2000, italian TV TELEPIU¹ featured Daniel in an episode dedicated to italian directors overseas. Since 2001 Daniel is a visiting professor" in the Culture and Communication Department of the University of Karlstad, Sweden. He also is a Filmmaking instructor in Valencia, California.

In fall 2002, Daniel has curated ³Polyphonix 40², a film exhibit at the Pompidou Museum in Paris, and joined CINEMAHEAD, an innovative glo-cal film studio. CINEMAHEAD completed its fist film production in spring 2002 in Finland and will be on the web this fall. Daniel's upcoming feature ³Catch Wise² is curently seeking further financial support. He lives in S. Monica with Daniela and TV-less kids Nelson (7) and Emma (6).

Plenary talk:

THE THERAPEUTIC USE OF STORY AS AN ADJUNCT IN THE COUNSELING SETTING
Rachel Ballon, Ph.D.

The Therapeutic use of story as an adjunct in counseling is a powerful technique to reach individuals unconscious material and liberate repressed emotions. Pyschologists and other Health Care practitioners will learn how to change their clients' stories for therapeutic results. These story techniques will give them additional tools to use in the counseling setting which are effective, short term and accessible. They will also learn how to use the therapeutic rewriting of clients’ stories to free them from psychological blocks and enable them to become unstuck in their lives and relationships.

workshop
CHANGE YOUR STORY, CHANGE YOUR LIFE: BE THE HERO IN YOUR OWN LIFE SCRIPT
Rachel Ballon, Ph.D.

Are you playing a role in an old script written for you by others? Are you sufferings from feelings of anxiety, fear and depression at work or home? Are you stuck in bad relationships and a dead-end career? If the answer is "yes," now is the time to "Change Your Story, Change Your Life." Just like the heroes in popular films, television shows and novels, will help you learn how to set goals, take risks, overcome obstacles, advance toward fulfilling dreams and remove your masks to become the true central character of your own life. Through innovative writing exercises and the knowledge of story structure, participants will learn how to deal with unfinished business and dialogue with various voices from the past, who are still running your life without your knowledge. By using the techniques of Story you'll have the tools for experiencing personal growth and transformation, just as the hero in a fictional story. You'll break free of childhood fears, discover how to discard self-defeating behaviors and learn how to set goals, take risks, overcome obstacles, and resolve personal and career conflicts. Discover how to change your problematic victim stories to solution oriented survivor ones to achieve your goals.

(Here is the detailed copy for this workshop, that I believe you wanted)

FROM HEROS TO VILLAINS:
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CHARACTERS AND CONFLICTS
Rachel Ballon, Ph.D.

All great stories have either extraordinary characters struggling with ordinary conflicts, or ordinary characters in extraordinary conflicts. To be a successful writer you must know the psychology of characters in conflict. How does your character behave in his dysfunctional family? How does your character respond when she's faced with a major conflict? What do your characters fear and what would they fight for?
Good writers are usually good psychologists, able to look behind their character's mask to understand his or her motivation. To develop credible characters and compelling conflicts for your stories, you need to understand the nature of characters' dysfunctional relationships, defense mechanisms, personal conflicts, self-defeating behaviors, and inner motivations. Learn how to employ psychological techniques to avoid stereotypical characters and cliched stories, to create believable characters in real life conflicts, giving your writing a "ring of truth."

Plenary
Why is Dorothy Wearing Blue? Color and the Development of Story.
Marcie Begleiter
The development of story requires more than the details of plot and theme. This talk will explore the relationship of color to story and how visualization relates directly to the audience/reader’s understanding of character , setting and action. Individual psychology, physiological influences and cultural readings will be covered in this broad approach to investigating narrative from the perspective of imagery.

Pre-conference
The Essence Of Story
James Bonnet
What are the fundamentals that drive all great stories? In this pre-conference talk I will describe the threat and its relation to the seven critical elements which constitute the very essence of story -- that without which there would be no story.



PLenary :
THE SEVEN HIGHEST VALUE FORMS OF ORGANIZATIONAL STORYTELLING: Steve Denning
In his work with executives in large organizations, Steve Denning has seen how easily and quickly people can enhance their natural storytelling capacity, once they grasp that storytelling is not some kind of primitive toy that needs to be replaced by the sleek computer-guided instruments of modern analytical thinking. Storytelling is in fact at the core of the activities of every modern corporation, as well as at the center of everything we do in public and private life. The ability to tell the right story at the right time is emerging as an essential management skill to cope with and get business results in the turbulent world of the 21st century.
This practical and inspiring presentation shows how to use purposeful storytelling to achieve organizational objectives. In addition to providing a theoretical framework for understanding the power of stories, it provides
helpful examples, templates, guidelines and other tips for using storytelling in the real world of organizational life.
Steve Denning's book The Springboard was about how storytelling could address the #1 problem in business today, namely how to get an organization to transform itself, willingly, enthusiastically and quickly. It showed how
a springboard story could be very effective in tackling this central business challenge.
The presentation will give examples of springboard stories and show how storytelling can address six other central business challenges facing organizations today, namely:
· How can you weave groups of different individuals together so that they work as teams or communities?
· How can you induce people to share their knowledge when they suspect that the object of the exercise was to render them expendable?
· What can you do when a huge negative rumor gets going?
· How can you preserve and enhance the good values of an organization and transfer them to new recruits?
· How can you get people to know the person you truly were and not just another suit?
· How can you lead people into the future so that they were keen to follow?
The presentation will show the the different narrative patterns related to each purpose, with practical guidance and tips on using narrative to achieve management objectives.
CV: Steve Denning is the author of the acclaimed book, The Springboard: How Storytelling Ignites Action in Knowledge-Era Organizations (Butterworth Heinemann, 2000) which describes how storytelling can serve as a powerful tool for organizational change and knowledge management.
From 1996 to 2000, Steve was the Program Director, Knowledge Management at the World Bank where he spearheaded the organizational knowledge sharing program. He now works with organizations in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Australia on knowledge management and organizational storytelling. Steve also conducts workshops around the world on organizational storytelling. Steve is currently working on a new book about the seven highest value forms of organizational storytelling. In November 2000, Steve Denning was selected as one of the world’s ten Most Admired Knowledge Leaders (Teleos) along with Jack Welch (GE) and John Chambers (CISCO). Steve’s website which has a collection of materials on knowledge sharing and storytelling may be found at:
www.stevedenning.com
Steve was born and educated in Sydney, Australia. He studied law and psychology at Sydney University and worked as a lawyer in Sydney for several years. He did a postgraduate degree in law at Oxford University in the U.K. Steve then joined the World Bank where he worked for several decades in many capacities and held various management positions, including Director of the Southern Africa Department from 1990 to 1994 and Director of the Africa Region from 1994 to 1996. From 1996 to 2000, Steve was the Program Director, Knowledge Management at the World Bank. Steve is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (U.K.) He has published a novel and a volume of poetry.
Contact information:
Steve Denning
4515 Klingle Street NW
Washington DC 20016
tel 202 966 9392
fax 202 686 0591
email steve@stevedenning.com
web www.stevedenning.com


Intro To Story preconference talk(20 min.)
Personal Stories/Sacred Stories – Is There A Difference?
Karen Dietz
In this Intro to Story presentation Karen Dietz will explore the similarities and differences between personal stories and sacred stories. While not all personal stories are sacred stories, some can be, and Dr. Dietz will clearly identify what makes a personal story a sacred one. Each one of us has stories to tell that impart wisdom, knowledge and a little secret of life that we’ve discovered. Discovering what our sacred stories are and how to tell them well will allow us to shape and create a sustainable and inspiring future. She will talk about her experiences as a story coach to senior executives, why many of their stories turn into sacred stories, how these sacred stories affect the people and organizations in which they reside.

Plenary Talk)
Personal Stories as Sacred Stories -- Embarking on Powerful Quests to Consciously Shape the Future
Karen Dietz
Today we have a deep hunger for certain kinds of stories. In this Plenary Session, Karen Dietz will delve more deeply into the nature of personal and sacred stories, sharing with the audience what she has learned about sacred stories from North American Indian storytellers, her experiences coaching executives and how the two converge. Specifically Karen will talk about the nature of sacred stories from the Chippewa-Cree perspective, how different archetypes and journeys come into play other than the Hero, and the cultural changes that are happening that make it necessary for telling these kinds of stories today. In addition, Dr. Dietz will address how our sacred stories need to be treated, and the wonderful outcomes that emerge while telling personal sacred stories. She will share with the audience a few paths for turning personal experience stories into sacred stories, and also discuss the implications of doing so – personally, professionally and for our culture.

Workshop (2 hrs.)
Personal Stories/Sacred Stories – What Are Your Messages the World Needs To Hear?
Karen Dietz
In this workshop, Karen Dietz will lead participants through the experience of taking? one or two personal experience stories and turning them into sacred stories. There will be lots of discussion about what participants observe, experience, and the difference telling their stories as sacred stories could make in their world. Toward the end of this workshop we’ll talk about the patterns of messages and themes that have emerged, and create a diagram of the types of stories we need to be telling ourselves and each other in order to create an inspiring future. By the end of this workshop, each participant will walk away with at least one sacred story they can tell, they will know how their stories fit into the grander picture of stories that need to be told today, and they will have the tools to transform their other stories into sacred stories.

Workshop
How to Create Powerful Stories to Make Your Sales Copy Irresistible
David Garfinkel
This one's different -- it's about using stories as part of your pitch, whether you're selling another story, a seminar, a service -- or anything else using the written word. People naturally resist a sales pitch, but few can resist a powerful story, well told. If you market yourself, your products, or your services on the Web or in print, you will notice a marked increase in response when you include powerful sales stories. While story itself is universal in scope and subject, the types of stories that work well in sales copy are, by the nature of the medium, related to what you're selling. In this workshop, we'll walk through the three types of stories that make people want to buy, and look at the sales story themes that push the buttons of desire in your prospects. If you sell: * seminars * screenplays * information on the Web * services * business-to-business offers Then you will benefit from this workshop by learning how to incorporate your love of story and your already-developed storytelling skills into your sales copy. You'll also learn key and rarely revealed "tricks of the trade" in wording your copy to gently make people reading it more receptive to what you have to say.

Pre-conference:
“Stories that Can Change the World”
Thom Hartmann
Culture is best defined as a collective unconscious conspiracy to believe and act on a specific (and unique) collection of stories about who we are and why we must behave the way we do. Although these stories seem static and immutable, in fact they’re often fluid and transitional: for example, the story that was held for over six millennia that it’s appropriate to hold slaves, which broke down rapidly (culturally speaking) in the past two centuries in the developed world. In this talk, Thom Hartmann explores a set of stories that are still very much a part of our or of worldwide culture but are essentially toxic, and presents healthy alternative stories that are now emerging into public consciousness. By attending to these cultural fulcrum-points, authors of both fiction and non-fiction can both increase the vitality of their work and become subtle agents of cultural transformation.


Plenary talk:
“Story as the Deepest Level of Non-Fiction”
Thom Hartmann
Non-fiction is almost always written as a way of informing and inspiring. Although some non-fiction contains clear calls to action (self-help, diet, how-to), much seems to lack a call for action (biography, history, science). At its core, though, Hartmann suggests that all non-fiction is grounded in story, with story-like structure, and an implicit call for action. This talk explores the meta-structure of non-fiction and the importance of finding the story within your nonfiction before and as you write it, so it’ll have maximal impact and value to your readers and the greatest potential to become a best-seller.


Workshop:
“Using the tools of NLP to construct crisp, clear, and solid writing”
Thom Hartmann attributes much of the success of his best-selling books to a writing style which makes real for readers otherwise didactic information, bringing to life the clear vision of his message, helping them understand its story, and giving them the sensory experience of his examples. In this workshop, he shares with writers the tools of communication derived from NLP which are now so powerfully used by Madison Avenue…and can help transform your next novel or work of non-fiction into a best-seller by dramatically ramping up the impact, power, and clarity of your words.

Bio:
Thom Hartmann is an award-winning best-selling author, international lecturer, teacher, and psychotherapist. His books have been written about in Time magazine, and he has appeared on the front page of The Wall Street Journal, and on numerous radio and TV shows including "All Things Considered," CNN, and BBC. A former journalist, international relief worker, and the executive director of a residential treatment facility for abused children, he now lives in Vermont where he is a guest faculty member at Goddard College and fulltime writerplenary talk (not taped)
The Expectations of Genre

Neill D. Hicks

A good storyteller uses linguistic sleight‑of‑hand to create a bond of trust with the audience by keeping the fabrications of fiction contained just inside the boundaries of a particular genre. If the consistency is broken, the Cosmos of Credibility is ruptured, and the audience loses not only its belief in the special reality of the narrative, but its trust in the storyteller as well. However, because there are no universally accepted classifications of genre, popular entertainment frequently offers incoherent narratives that distort genre definitions into meaningless hyperbole.

The Genre Continuum sorts stories into the fundamental elements that contribute to the Cosmos of Credibility, rather than by the immediately evident razzle‑dazzle of surface characteristics. These distinct genres are then positioned in a specific sequence determined by how the main character acts to resolve the core challenge of the story and how that action changes the society contained within the context of movie. In the Genre Continuum scheme, each successive genre has an expanding influence on the society that contains its story in direct proportion to the degree of lethal threat that the main character suffers. The greater the risk that the main character will die, the more there is at stake not only for that character but for the surrounding characters, up to and including an entire culture or way of life.

2 hour workshop (not taped)
The Essentials of Action- Adventure and Thriller Writing

Lecture / Discussion with Neill D. Hicks

The Action-Adventure and Thriller genres are often confused because they each contain many similar surface elements. However, there are very basic underlying differences between the two forms, including the Bounded World, the Ethos of the leading characters, the Narrative Trajectory, and the Timescape that make up the Cosmos of Credibility which encompasses the audience. The Action‑Adventure wins us over by enabling each of us to vicariously fulfill our destinies as the moral champions we would be if only we could. The Thriller, on the other hand, plunges us by proxy of the main character into overwhelming panic and loss of reality until, like life itself, we grow in order to subdue some primordial fear. Discover the essential distinctions between these two popular story forms in this lecture/discussion with the leading industry expert in defining film genres.

Intro To Story Pre-conference talk.

How Stories Provide Us A Map Of Human Psychology And The Problem-Solving

Process

Chris Huntley

ABSTRACT: One of the unique concepts that sets Dramatica apart from other

theories is the assertion that every complete story is a model of the mind's

problem solving process. We call this model the "Story Mind." This Story

Mind does not work like a computer, performing one operation after another

until the solution is obtained. Rather, it works more holistically, like our

own minds, bringing many conflicting considerations to bear on an issue. It

is the author's argument as to the relative value of these considerations in

solving a particular problem that gives a story its meaning.

To make his case, an author must examine all significant approaches to

resolving the story's specific problem. If a part of the argument is left

out, the story will have holes. If the argument is not made in an

even-handed fashion, the story will have inconsistencies.

Characters, Plot, Theme, and Genre are the different families of

considerations in the Story Mind made tangible, so audience members can see

them at work and gain insight into their own methods of solving problems.

Characters represent the motivations of the Story Mind (which often work at

cross purposes and come into conflict). Plot documents the problem solving

methods employed by the Story Mind. Theme examines the relative worth of the

Story Mind's value standards. Genre establishes the Story Mind's overall

attitude, which casts a bias or background on all other considerations.

When a story is fully developed, the model of the Story Mind is complete.

PLENARY TALK

Reaching Your Audience: Compelling Story Choices that Affect an Audience's

Emotional Involvement in a Story

Chris Huntley

WORKSHOP TOPIC

Eight Essential Questions Every Author Should Know About Their Story

Chris Huntley

This workshop benefits greatly from the availability of projection video

(VCR and LCD projector), or if it's a small group a large TV with VCR will

do. I have many filmic examples to illustrate each of the eight questions

and the possible choices.

StoryCon 2002
Conference Workshop

Eight Essential Questions All Authors Should Know About Their Stories

Syllabus

Speaker: Chris Huntley

Based on a theory and materials developed by
Melanie Anne Phillips and Chris Huntley

Definitions: *

Main Character (MC)

The character through whose eyes the audiences experiences the story

Traditionally, the exploration of the Main Character's "problem" is called the Main Character's "character arc."

Impact Character (IC)

The character whose alternative world view impacts the Main Character to such a degree that the Main Character must address the Main Character's own personal issues. An Impact Character need not be aware of his or her impact on the Main Character or others.

Traditionally, Impact Characters tend to be role models, competitors, mentors, or love interests.

Throughline

A sequence of story points within a single perspective, such as the Main Character throughline of the Impact Character throughline.

Throughlines represent different perspectives on the source of conflict within a story. They are called throughlines because, generally speaking, they extend “through” the story from the first act to the last.

Eight Essential Questions

1. Main Character Resolve: Change or Steadfast?
2. Main Character Growth: Stop or Start?
3. Main Character Approach: Do-er or Be-er?
4. Main Character Problem Solving Style: Logical or Intuitive?
5. Story Driver: Actions or Decisions?
6. Story Limit: Timelock or Optionlock?
7. Story Outcome: Success or Failure?
8. Story Judgment: Good or Bad?

1. Main Character Resolve: Change or Steadfast?
Does your Main Character Change his way of dealing with the problem at the heart of the story (such as Ebeneezer Scrooge's switch to generosity in A Christmas Carol) or remain Steadfast in his convictions (such as the innocent Dr. Richard Kimble in The Fugitive)?

At the core of the MC throughline is an inequity. This is the source of personal conflict for the MC -- the MC's problem, so to speak.
· One way of imparting meaning to your audience is by exploring how your MC's position on resolving this inequity develops over the course of the story.
· This is sometimes mistakenly called the MC arc or the MC change.
· In Dramatica, we call this the Main Character Resolve.
· The question is, will the MC hold onto his original way of responding to his inequity by the end of the story, or will he exchange it for a new one?
· In short, does the MC Change or remain Steadfast?
· Video Clips: Examples of Change Main Characters: Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, Judah Rosenthal in Crimes and Misdemeanors, Luke in Star Wars.
· Video Clips: Examples of Steadfast Main Characters: Dr. Richard Kimble in The Fugitive, James Bond in Goldfinger (Pussy Galore is the Impact Character).

Sometimes meaning comes from growing into your resolve and remaining steadfast.
Sometimes meaning comes from growing out of your resolve and changing.

Q: How do we know the value of remaining steadfast in a story?
A: We must see the effects and results of changing are by contrast.

Q: How do we know what to change TO?
A: The Impact Character provides the counterpoint to the MC Resolve by providing the other side of the argument.

· If the MC Changes, the IC will remain Steadfast.
· If the MC remains Steadfast, the IC will Change.


In this way we not only show how the MC's response to his inequity develops, but it's alternative response as explored by the IC.

· Sometimes the MC Resolve shifts quickly -- Leap of Faith
· Sometimes the MC Resolve shifts slowly -- Non-Leap of Faith

2. Main Character Growth: Stop or Start?
Does your Main Character grow by adopting a new useful trait (Start) or by outgrowing an old inappropriate one (Stop)?

The MC Resolve seems to focus on the results of the MC's response to his inequity.
The part of Dramatica that focuses on the MC's "character arc" is called the Main Character Growth.

Like any well constructed argument, you must build to your conclusions -- you can't just jump right to the end and expect anyone to accept it.
· You need to "show your work"
· The same is true for your Main Character.

Q: If a character has a problem, why doesn't he just solve it?
A: He must go through the process of growth that gets him to a position where he can see the problem for what it is and deal with it directly and appropriately.

The MC Growth describes the type of growth needed to bring the MC to the point where we can definitively tell whether the MC has changed or remained steadfast.

· Is the nature of the MC Growth toward starting something or toward stopping something?



· Does the MC need to Stop or Start? Grow out of or grow into?



· Video Clip: Example of Stop Main Character: Dr. Richard Kimble in The Fugitive.
· Video Clip: Example of Start Main Character: Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.

3. Main Character Approach: Do-er or Be-er?
Is your Main Character a Be-er who mentally adapts to his environment(such as Rick Blaine in Casablanca) or a Do-er who physically changes his environment (such as John McClane in Die Hard)?

How does the Main Character prefer to solve his problems, through external work or through internal work?

· Video Clip: Example of Do-er Main Character: Harry in Dirty Harry.
· Video Clip: Example of Be-er Main Character: William Munny in Unforgiven.

4. Main Character Problem Solving Style: Logical or Intuitive?

Does your Main Character use a Logical problem solving style (such as Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs) or an Intuitive problem solving style (such as Tom Wingo in The Prince of Tides)?

Does the Main Character fundamentally tend to see things linearly or holistically?

· Video Clips: Example of problem solving styles reversed as compared to expectations based on gender roles: Agents Mulder and Scully in The X Files.

· Video Clips: Example of intuitive problem solving style in a male Main Character: Jack Ryan in The Hunt for Red October.

5. Story Driver: Action or Decision?


Is the overall story driven by Actions first (such as the time travelers arriving in The Terminator) or Decisions first (such as Daniel Hillard's decision to impersonate a woman in Mrs. Doubtfire)?

Which takes precedence over the other in driving the plot, do Actions drive decisions or do Decisions drive actions?


One way to determine the Story Driver is to look at the act turns.

Another way to determine the Story Driver is to look for an inciting event that "starts" the story. This should be matched by a concluding event that wraps up the story.

The inciting event, concluding event, and act turn events should all be of the same nature -- either driven by Actions or driven by Decisions/deliberations.


· Video Clips: Example of Action driven stories: Jaws, Star Wars.

· Video Clip: Example of Decision driven stories: The Godfather.

6. Story Limit: Timelock or Optionlock?


Is your overall story brought to its climax by running out of Time (such as the 18 days to save the earth in Armageddon) or by running out of Options (such as the detectives trying to stop a serial killer from completing his mission of killing seven victims in a manner consistent with the seven deadly sins in SE7EN [Seven])?

The "size" or scope of the story is determined by some form of limit. Even though the limit may seem to be artificial when seen from the outside, it is -- by definition -- essential to the story.

Q: What happens when this limit is met?
A: Reaching the limit indicates or brings about the climax of the story—the climax being the final attempt to resolve the Overall Story's inequity.
Story Limit: Timelock or Optionlock
What brings your story to a climax, running out of time or running out of options?

A Timelock can take several forms:
· A specific deadline, such as 8:30 AM Friday morning.
· A specific duration of time, such as 24 hours.

An Optionlock can take several forms:
· A specific number of options, such as three wishes.
· A specific set of conditions, such as the alignment of the planets.

· Video Clips: Example of Timelock stories: 48 Hrs., High Noon.
· Video Clip: Example of Optionlock stories: The Verdict.

7. Story Outcome: Success or Failure?


Do your character's efforts to achieve the overall story goal result in Success (such as killing the shark in Jaws) or Failure (such as not being able to open the dinosaur theme park in Jurassic Park)?

The Story Outcome is a simple assessment of whether or not the Story Goal is achieved.

· If the Story Goal is achieved, then the outcome is a Success.

· If the Story Goal is not achieved, the outcome is a Failure.

This evaluation of the Story Goal is completely unbiased and non-judgmental. There isn't any room for SHOULD the goal have been achieved, or COULD the goal have been achieved, just WAS/IS the goal achieved.
• Outcome: Success or Failure
Is the Story Goal reached or not?

8. Story Judgment: Good or Bad?


Does the Main Character resolve his personal problems and feel Good (such as Luke finally trusting his skills in Star Wars) or not resolve them and feel Bad (such as Clarice Starling still being haunted by her childhood memories in The Silence of the Lambs)?

Similar to the Story Goal, but focused more on the Main Character is the question of the Story Judgment.

While wrestling with his personal issues, the MC will either hold on steadfastly to his world view, or go through a significant paradigm shift and change his world view.

The question is whether or not this changing or holding onto his world view resolves his central inequity.

· If it resolves the inequity, then the judgment is deemed Good.

· If it does not resolve the inequity and he remains angst ridden, then the judgment is deemed Bad.
Judgment: Good or Bad
Does the Main Character work out his angst or not?

What is interesting about the Story Outcome and the Story Judgment are how they work independently to provide meaning to the story argument, yet also work together to create additional meaning for the audience.

	Outcome: Success	Outcome: Failure
Judgment: Good	Triumph	Personal Triumph
Judgment: Bad	Personal Tragedy	Tragedy



· Video Clip: Example of Failure/Bad stories: Hamlet.
· Video Clips: Example of Success/Bad stories: Remains of the Day, The Silence of the Lambs.
· Vi

The Expectations of Genre

Neill D. Hicks

The Essentials of Action- Adventure and Thriller Writing

Lecture / Discussion with Neill D. Hicks