Back to the “Sweat Box”

I got back to work on my story Heat Wave this week. I’ve changed the title to Sweat Box. It is a more appropriate title than what I had.

I approached the story in a piece meal way. A change from what I’ve done in the past. I developed an overall outline, but then jumped around to write the different segments of the story. So, I have the start and end done, along with some stuff in between, but there are unwritten segments here and there around the story.

I’d left the story for quite a while, almost five months! I did print out a copy a month ago and I’ve gone through it a few times to make notes for changes. I had planned to write the missing segments before I started a rewrite, but since I had left it so long, I thought a rewrite would help me get back into the story.

That approach seems to have worked. I have come up with several ideas for the unwritten segments. The rewrite has also built up the story somewhat. I added about 1,000 words in the last couple of days. I think the changes made the story better.

The ending of the story could be a problem. It was what got me started on the story, but now it doesn’t seem at the same level as the rest of the story. I’ll wait until I hear from some beta readers before I decide if I want to replace it or keep it.

I have other, more important, things on my mind these days, so it has been difficult to work on this project. However, it does help me to take some time away from those issues. This could be a good way to do that.

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

“Some Days . . .” in the Hundred Dollar Film Festival - 2013 March 7

The Hundred Dollar Film Festival will screen my film “Some Days . . .” on 2013 March 7.

The Globe Cinema (617 8th Ave SW) in Calgary will host at the festival this year. The films start at 7:00 pm. Please visit their website for more information about times and tickets. http://100dollarfilmfestival.org

The film is 38 seconds long, so don’t blink.

I’ll post the film on-line after it screens at the festival.

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog

Some Thoughts on Villains

A good story needs a good villain, or is that a bad villain? From time to time, I think about how to create villains for my stories. A while back, I wrote an article on how to create heroes. Many of the same ideas apply to villains.

Recently I had the thought that the antagonist, or villain, in a story must see himself as the protagonist, or hero, and see the protagonist as the antagonist. This seems obvious once I thought of it. I’m surprised I hadn’t come across it somewhere in my reading. Many people must have had that thought before. I must just be ignorant. Maybe you can point me to something on this.

The main question writers must consider about the antagonist is why he, or she, is so evil. No real person wants to be evil, so it must be that the antagonist must see what he or she does as good. They only seem evil from the perspective of the protagonist, and, we hope, the reader.

In a more general sense, we can see the two opposing characters have goals that are in conflict. The writer must choose one of the two to be the hero, and write the story from his perspective.

This view does create some interesting possibilities for conflict. Would a story work if the reader does not side with either character? Could we have stories where the reader identifies with both characters?

One possible story structure is to have the protagonist and antagonist change places throughout the course of the story. I’m not aware of any stories like this. However, at the moment, I am reading the book “Edgar Rice Burroughs” by Erling B. Holtsmark. In it, he mentions a case in the Martian books where, over the course of two books, one of his villains, Ras Thavas, turns into a good person.

Many writers and stories have some moral ambiguity in the characters, with the bad guy not all bad, and the good guy not all good. These stories do provide more depth and interest.

I’d like to write stories where the two sides have legitimate “good” goals, which just happen to be in conflict. Neither side is truly “bad”. The resolution would come from the realization on the part of both characters that the other has a valid goal. They must each overcome the natural tendency to see anyone that opposes them as evil.

I believe this is a more accurate description of reality. I feel somewhat egotistical when I say this, but I want to provide stories that will help readers as they make their way through their lives. A good story does more than just entertain.

This post is a mirror from my main blog http://www.dynamiclethargyfilms.ca/blog