Today on the MS Editors blog, I ask if good writing, like good typography, is invisible. Read the post and let me know if you agree!
I also talk about the 7 Writing Maxims, what makes a strong voice, cliches, formal writing, critique partners, and how to not annoy your reader đ
Be forewarned: I included a TON of links to resources you might find useful.
Psst…Are you on Twitter? If so, follow @LaraEdits! Today I tweeted the difference between formal and fiction writing.
Posts in this series so far:
I talk about the second act in my series on plot. Here I’ll continue examining how these 8 C’s of Plotting combine with Theme in Toy Story‘s second act.
Last time we left Woody, his motivation changedâinstead of being motivated by his desire for position (both the physical spot on Andy’s bed and as the head honcho among toys), he’s now motivated by a desire to be a good friend. The “Break into 3” is the comprehension, as you’ll remember:
BUZZ
Come on, Sheriff. There’s a kid
over in that house who needs us.
Now let’s get you out of this thing.WOODY
Yes Sir!
Once out of the gloom, the character needs to make a new plan, which starts Act Three.
Act Three’s Action, Curveball, Final Battle, Culmination, and Resolution are similar to Act Two’s Preparation and Problems through its Elation period. Here’s how they match up:
| Act Two | Act Three |
|---|---|
| Preparation & Problems | Action |
| (last, worst problem) | Curveball |
| Confrontation | Final Battle |
| Â (end of confrontation) | Culmination |
| Elation | Resolution |
The differences between the three acts are motivation, growth, and theme.
Sometimes the theme is demonstrated by a dilemma:Â The character is put in an impossible situation, needing to choose between A or B. Both are important, and the loss of either would be deeply felt. The character comes up with a new option, Choice C, which is chosen at the Culmination.
Brian McDonald, story consultant to Pixar and an expert on the subject, sums up the theme’s progression through the acts in two ways:
Read his thematic analysis of The Godfather here.
Woody’s in “jail,” Buzz has a rocket strapped to his back, and here a moving truck comes to take Andy away forever. A nice reminder of that ticking time bomb. We have to knowâWhat’s next?
We end with some character development…
WOODY
I can’t do it! Take care of Andy for me!
…before Buzz sacrifices himself for Woody, jumping off the truck to tackle Scud. (mutual relationship development)
Woody unlocks the back of the truck and looks for somethingâhe’s got a plan, but we don’t know what it is. He tears into a box labeled “Andy’s toys.” The toys react, but he ignores them (more development) and looks in another box. He finds the RC car and its remote, then throws RC out of the van. The other toys screamânow they have no doubt Woody is a toy murderer. Woody drives RC over to Buzz. The toys charge Woody. Woody’s being attacked by toys while trying to drive RC and Buzz toward the moving truck, away from Scud, and through traffic. It’s a chase and fight scene full of obstacles, and it ends with the Curveball:
The mob of toys lift up Woody (still holding the remote) and
head for the open back.WOODY
No wait! You don’t understand!
Buzz is out there! We’ve gotta
help him!!MR. POTATO HEAD
Toss ‘im overboard!WOODY
No, no, no, wait!The toys toss him out into the road. As the truck drives
off, the toys CHEER.MR. POTATO HEAD
So long Woody!
The “Final Battle” is the last fight in the war. However, perhaps a better way of seeing it is as a final exam. Everything that the character learned is now put to the test.
First, a sequel to the curveball: Woody gets up, is nearly run over, and then gets swooped up by Buzz and RC. Then he’s ready for his final test. Let’s see how he does:
Another twist! RC’s batteries start running out. The toys are seen (but only by Andy’s baby sister). RC’s batteries deplete.
A car drives by, extinguishing the match. Miniature gloom as all hope seems to be lost.
The rocket hurtles upward higher and higher.
WOODY
Ahhh!! This is the part where we blow up!
The culmination is the end of the final battle.
BUZZ
Not today!Buzz confidently presses the button on his chest. Wings jut out of Buzz, severing the tape that holds him to rocket. The toys separate from the rocket just before it blows up. The toys plummet.
Just then Buzz banks under some power lines and soars upward
again. Woody takes a peek.They’re flying.
WOODY
Hey, Buzz!! You’re flying!!BUZZ
This isn’t flying. This is falling — with style!WOODY
Ha ha!! To Infinity and Beyond!!They soar gracefully towards the moving truck, but then pass
over it.WOODY
Uh, Buzz?! We missed the truck!BUZZ
We’re not aiming for the truck!Buzz and Woody fly right over the van’s sun roof and then
drop into the car.
Buzz gets his character development, too. The B Story is tied up nicely.
Andy finds Woody and Buzz in the seat beside him. He hugs them, and the two toys wink at each other.
At Christmas (this scene could be considered a small Epilogue), Andy’s toys are anxiously waiting to hear what new toys Andy will be gettingâa nice parallel to Andy’s birthday at the beginning of the movie. The toys have hit a new normal. Woody isn’t afraid of not being the best or the favorite anymore.
But Buzz might be nervous about Christmas. He asks if Woody is nervous.
WOODY (laughing)
Now Buzz, what could Andy possibly
get that is worse than you?!SFX: BARKING
ANDY (O.S.)
Wow! A puppy!We ZOOM BACK through the window to a CLOSE UP of Buzz and
Woody.They look at one another with a half-smile, half-grimace and
laugh weakly.Fade out.
THE END
Remember Woody’s belief/goal from Act One and his experiences in Act Two:
Being the best and favorite toy (act one) + making a friend (act two) =
Being the best isn’t as important as having a best friend.
Let’s check that theory with what characters say, with what they do, and with the music.
What does your character believe in Act One? How will her experiences in Act Two change that belief? What is the final theme or message of your story?
Did you use any tools or abilities you’ll need to later implant in the “Preparation and Problems” section? Make a note of those to include while revisingâdon’t go back to the beginning until you’ve finished your first draft.
Did writing your ending give you ideas for starting your story in a different place? Is there a way you can wrap up the story that would pay homage to your beginning?
Toy Story and its characters are owned by Pixar.
Posts in this series so far:
I talk about the second act in my series on plot. Here I’ll continue examining how these 8 C’s of Plotting combine with Theme in Toy Story‘s second act..
Act One gave us a character with a desire that’s threatened. Woody wants to be the favorite toy, and Buzz’s appearance threatened Woody’s position.
The character’s mistakes (or, in a passive protagonist, his inaction or avoidance) put her into an impossible situation or foreign location. This is the “ocean” of Act Two. (The term “ocean” comes from the Paper Wings Podcast.)
Toy Story’s Act One is character-driven. After the inciting incident (Buzz’s arrival), everything that happens in Act One is a result of Woody’s decisions.
1) provide the protagonist with Allies and Abilities (or, in a tragedy, Enemies and Flaws)
2) develop the B story or Belief (theme), and
3) Challenge the protagonist with different kinds of Conflict
When we last left Woody and Buzz:
BUZZ
Sheriff, this is no time to panic.WOODY
This is the perfect time to panic!
I’m lost, Andy is gone, they’re going
to move from their house in two days,
and it’s all your fault!!BUZZ
My fault? If you hadn’t pushed me
out of the window in the first place–
Woody and Buzz are stranded at the gas station. Woody nearly got ran over by a semi truck, and he is freaking out. Being lost is the worst possible situation for a toy desperate to be favorite.
The Preparation and Problems section of the plot is the longest section. It’s also the part where most movie trailers gather material from. Blake Snyder calls this section “fun and games”âand that is how the audience will view it, but all of the ABCs listed above need to be introduced and built up during this section. After the Preparation and Problems, the main character should every thing he needs to succeed during the confrontation and the climax.
Note the B story is optional and flexible. When you frame your story with theme, your B story is going to give another opinion or point of view on that theme. If your story is a romance or buddy story, the B story will be the arc of that secondary protagonist.
In Toy Story, here’s the beat sheet:
Through this section, Woody gains allies (Buzz, the mutant toys) and abilities (the magnifying glass, talking to humans). Buzz’s B story, which was suggested in Act One, gets its own arc here. Woody’s beliefs start changingâearlier he’d be destroyed by truck or magnifying glass before breaking his “toy” character. Woody and Buzz are both challenged, revealing their weaknesses. We also get a “pinch point” reminder of the antagonists Woody will have to face next:his fellow toys at Andy’s house.
Woody throws the Christmas lights to Andy’s toys, and some are happy to see him (elation), but Mr. Potato Head still doesn’t trust him, and reminds the other toys what he did to Buzz. Woody tries to get Buzz to prove to the toys that he’s okay, but Buzz, still depressed, throws his arm at Woody. Woody pretends to be Buzz with just his hand. The toys might just believe him … until he slips up and shows them the severed arm. Now they’re positive he’s a toy killer, and they close the window.
Pixar movies tend to have lengthy gloom periods because they follow big, emotional collapses. Compare this to Dreamworks movies, which tend to have less intense gloom periods. In many stories, especially visual fantasies, the environment or weather conditions will reflect the gloom period.
Here’s a beat sheet for Toy Story‘s gloom:
As I’ve said before, the Midpoint can happen any time between the Confrontation and the Comprehension. The Midpoint occurs at about 50% and is a shift in thinking or purpose. In Toy Story, Woody’s Confrontation and Collapse happen in the same scene, right after Buzz’s. The Midpoint often occurs during a sequelâwhen the character has a moment to think. For Buzz, the midpoint is when he’s lying on the ground. He’s not going to keep trying to get back to Star Command anymoreâhis motivation has changed. For Woody, the plot midpoint starts when Slinky drops the blinds. Woody isn’t going to be the favorite among toys anymore. But Woody’s emotional, character midpoint starts when he says this:
WOODY
Oh, come on, Buzz. I…Buzz, I
can’t do this without you. I need
your help.
and ends when he says this:
WOODY
Why would Andy ever want to play
with me, when he’s got you?
I’m the one that should be strapped
to that rocket.
…
Listen Buzz, forget about me. You
should get out of here while you can.
Woody stops focusing on himself being Andy’s favorite toy and starts to realize that he needs others to help him. He starts thinking of Buzz and Andy rather than his own position.
The plot midpoint is the scene, and the emotional midpoint is the sequel. All together, you’ve got a big Scene at the middle of the story that shows a change in direction or motivation.
The comprehension is whatever drags the character out of the gloom.
BUZZ
Come on, Sheriff. There’s a kid
over in that house who needs us.
Now let’s get you out of this thing.WOODY
Yes Sir!
Once out of the gloom, the character needs to make a new plan, which starts Act Three.
Have you figured out what your character’s deepest, unconscious desire is?
What does your character believe in Act One? How will that belief change or evolve? What shift will your character experience during the midpoint?
What kind of people, places, and obstacles will help your character arrive at the midpoint?
Remember the 12 different types of antagonists. Brainstorm problems your character might face while en route to the midpoint.
I’m donating some edits for an auction benefitting Summer Heacock. The top 5 bidders will win their choice of a full plot critique or an intense line edit of their first ten pages. Bid here before Monday November 23rd.
Next: Act Three
Toy Story and its characters are owned by Pixar
Two weeks ago I shared my tips for Speed-Writing Your First Draft. Last week I talked about the five building blocks of a story as well as the three elements of scene. In the weeks to follow, I’ll give you some benchmarks and plot ideas to keep you from getting stuck.
If you haven’t read last week’s post about goals, conflict, the 12 types of antagonists, and sequels, go do so now. Today I’ll build upon those, so even if you have read it, you might want to skim through it again.
Another way to think of your character’s overarching goal is to consider what they’re passionate about. Remember, a character’s goal is what drives them. Something they only feel lukewarm about isn’t going to compel them to keep going to the end of the story.
This passion needs to be established early on.
If you’re not sure what your character is passionate about, consider what they’re most afraid of.
Consider Toy Story. Woody is afraid of being replaced as Andy’s favorite toy. But he’s not just passionate about being Andy’s toy, he’s passionate about his position as Head Toy. When Woody is Andy’s favorite toy, all the other toys look to him for guidance and reassurance.
Enter Buzz Lightyear, the coolest toy ever. Now Woody has a story, he has conflict, he has something that will change his current life and force him to make decisions.
The inciting incident is a Change which introduces fear or risks passion.Â
When your main character experiences this initial change, he or she is going to react. In my 8 C’s of plotting, I go into more detail about the reaction, so I’ll stick to the Toy Story example here.
Buzz arrives in Woody’s spot, and Woody tells him so. Buzz meets all the other toys, who are very impressed by him and compare him to Woody:
BUZZÂ pushes his button. “Buzz Lightyear to the rescue!”
The toys all GASP IN AWE.
SLINKY
Hey, Woody’s got something like that.
His is a pullstring, only itâMR. POTATO HEAD
Only it sounds like a car ran over it.
Buzz is delusional and thinks he’s not a toy but an actual space ranger. Woody is the only one who seems to notice this, driving a further wedge between him and the other toys. Even Woody’s girlfriend wants Buzz to be her “moving buddy.”
A montage shows Andy favoring Buzz and replacing all his cowboy-themed (Woody) decor with space-themed (Buzz) decor. Another montage shows all of the toys who once idolized Woody now enamored with Buzz.
Then Andy has to choose between the two toys, and he picks Buzz. Woody has been replaced.
Woody has had it. He confronts Buzz, calling him a phony and shoving him. Their altercation is interrupted by Sid blowing up a toy in the yard next door. (Now this scene is a Chekhov’s Gun. If you’ve planned your story ahead of time, you will include all the factors at play during the ending within your first act. If you discover your story as you write, you’ll go back during revisions and plant foreshadowing.) After Sid shows us the worst possible outcome for a toy, Bo Peep reminds everyone that they are moving away (more foreshadowing).
Next we have the Complication/Campaign. This step has a two-part name because it often starts with a complication and ends with the need for a new campaign or journey, which leads into Act Two. In a character-driven story like this, the complication:
(See my 8 C’s post for other types and examples of reaction and complication, using the examples of The Fugitive, The Lion King, and The Hunger Games.)
In Toy Story, Woody actively but inadvertently causes his complication, which has its own mini-plot:
The Complication ends Act One and introduces the campaign or “ocean” of Act Two, which I’ll talk about next week! If you can’t wait that long, listen to this Paperwings Podcast on the subject.
Ask yourself what your character’s immediate desire and greatest fear are.
In Tangled, Rapunzel’s passion is to see the floating lanterns. Her greatest fear is abandonment. If abandonment is her greatest fear, then her ultimate goal is to feel like she belongs in a loving family. See the 8 C’s of Tangled here.
Write your character’s fear and desire on a note and post it in your writing space. Refer to it every time you start writing. If you already know your character’s greatest desire or ultimate goal, write that down, too. Otherwise write it down as soon as you discover it.
Ask “What if…?”
Remember the 12 different types of antagonists. What kind of antagonist will introduce your character’s fear to the audience or reader during the inciting incident?
How can other types of antagonists drive your character to make the mistake that causes the Complication?
What impossible situation will your character find himself inâthe “Ocean” of Act Two? How can you get your character there?
Chances are, you have an idea of your character’s campaign or “ocean” when you write the Change.
The Change, or âinciting incident,â is what gives you a story. A character starts off with a sense of stability, something rocks the normalcy boat, and the protagonist is thrown into a sea of chaos. The boat gets shattered by a giant squid, the protagonist canât swim, there are sharks in the water, and your guy floats on flotsam and jetsam until he gets to shore, where he finds a new stability. He kisses the sand, and the camera fades to black. âThe 8 C’s of Plotting (underlined section suggests the “ocean” of Act Two)
If you’re already writing the ocean, consider what Preparation your character needs in order to survive the ocean and overcome her fear to achieve her greatest desire. What Problems will come her way? How can she win a small victory?
Next post: Act Two.
Lara Willard 