My decision not to take this all too seriously has been a good
one. I am writing the most ridiculous stuff
and getting a kick out of it. I am letting my imagination run wild. I know
that there's a lot of unconscious detritus in my head. How do I know? From my
dreams. Things happen in my dreams that I could never think up. Mix up late-night television with an upcoming Bruce
Jenner interview and what to you get? An actor who played a priest in MURDER
SHE WROTE appearing in my dream as a bisexual transvestite who wants to have an
affair with me. Vivid. There must be a lot in the old noggin about which I am unaware, and I will only know what it is by letting
myself riff.
I've been reading THE ANATOMY OF STORY by John Truby -- had lunch
with my old friend and John’s wife Leslie Lehr yesterday at Back on the Beach - and she recommended
chapter 3 for novelists.
Truby talks about weaknesses.
I challenge you to point out some heroic flaws or weaknesses in literature:
EMMA - Emma is a snob and a control freak.
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE Lizzie Bennett is sure she’s
right and just a little more witty than everyone else.
JANE EYRE - What’s Jane Eyre’s flaw?
She seems spotless and too good to be
true.
GREAT EXPECTATIONS - Pip’s
flaw is that he is ashamed of his past and wants to hide it –
again, snobbery rears its head.
LOLITA - Humbert Humbert is
a pedophile – seems flawed enough, but there’s more….
THE GREAT GATSBY - Gatsby has a flaw, but what about Nick
Carroway?
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD - Does Atticus Finch have a flaw?
A ROOM WITH A VIEW - Lucy
is afraid to be natural and admit what
and who she truly wants.
LADY CHATTERLY’S LOVER - What
about all the flaws that come from a person being outside their time or place.
Lady Chatterly
Is it a weakness to want passion in Anna Karenina?
Here are two film examples from
Truby:
In Sunset Boulevard – Joe Gillis’s weakness is that he
has a fondness for money and the finer things in life. He is willing to
sacrifice artistic and moral integrity for comfort.
In Tootsie – Michael is and
arrogant and selfish.
Both of these characters are likable – to me anyway – and perhaps it is
because I want to follow a journey toward redemption. Each man does want to be
better than he is even if he doesn’t know it at first. Spoiler alert: Gillis ends up dead.
(Well, it’s not really a spoiler alert – you find out right at
the beginning). Gillis is redeemed when he chooses to break away from comfort
in favor of integrity. (Tragedy)
Michael, in Tootsie, is a womanizer,
but he learns to literally stand in a woman’s shoes and his attitude toward
women changes. He learns to have a fulfilling relationship.
(Comedy)
In these two cases, you could say
that the story is embedded in the flaw. If a character has to move from one
stance to another, it may make the starting point for the writer more of a
trampoline than a plank.
Flaws.
Flaws.
Flaws.
Flaws.
Give me flaws.
I am working on a project that I have wanted to finish for years. But I constantly find myself thinking that maybe I should be working on another one instead. It’s a cool story and might be a better fit for this experience. So, what happens if you want to switch, or is this just another form of avoidance?
ReplyDeleteI think switching -- something I am also prone to - can be another form of avoidance. Pick something to work on and join us for support.
DeletePerception
ReplyDeleteHumbert Humbert failed to perceive his desire for the youth and vitality of America over the decay of Europe
Billy Budd could not perceive evil
Hal 9000 could not perceive as a human because it had no soul
Sauron could not perceive little hairy footed people would be his downfall
Mersault (the Stranger) could not perceive anything outside of his own mind
The Wicked Witch could not perceive the power of good
Quint could not perceive that you should not mess with a 30 Foot Great White Shark unless you bring a bigger boat.
I have downloaded the book. Thanks. .
ReplyDeletedownloaded what book?
DeleteTruby's?
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