 Drama: May 28, 2014 Issue [#6322] |
  Drama
This week: The Power of the Question Edited by: Joy  
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"'So tell me, since it makes no factual difference to you and you can't prove the question either way, which story do you prefer? Which is the better story, the story with animals or the story without animals?' Mr. Okamoto: 'That's an interesting question?' Mr. Chiba: 'The story with animals.' Mr. Okamoto: 'Yes. The story with animals is the better story.' Pi Patel: 'Thank you. And so it goes with God.'"
Yann Martel- From 'Life of Pi'
“Albert Camus wrote that the only serious question is whether to kill yourself or not.
Tom Robbins wrote that the only serious question is whether time has a beginning and an end.
Camus clearly got up on the wrong side of bed, and Robbins must have forgotten to set the alarm.
There is only one serious question. And that is: Who knows how to make love stay?
Answer me that and I will tell you whether or not to kill yourself.”
Tom Robbins- From Still 'Life with Woodpecker'
To really ask is to open the door to the whirlwind. The answer may annihilate the question and the questioner.”
Anne Rice- From 'The Vampire Lestat'
“Have you found someone to share your heart with? Are you giving to your community? Are you at peace with yourself? Are you trying to be as human as you can be?”
Mitch Albom- From 'Tuesdays With Morrie'
Hello, I am Joy , this week's drama editor. This issue is about asking questions to ourselves while drawing up a plot for our stories.
Your Drama Newsletter Editors: zwisis NickiD89  kittiara Joy
Thank you for reading our newsletters and for supplying the editors with feedback and encouragement.
Note: In the editorial, I refer to third person singular as he, to also mean the female gender, because I don't like to use they or he/she.
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Welcome to the Drama newsletter
We know that sequence of events constitute the plot, but do we want lackluster, boring, and unrelated events to make up a story? Definitely not, although a few unrelated events can be tied together by a writer with a strong story sense, the rest of the story will need to be tailored in view of those events.
Thus, for the purpose of writing strong stories, most good writers ask themselves several questions along the way, starting with what-if questions, because plot building needs wonder, curiosity, and intrigue. When these three needs are met, the readers will want to know what happens in a story. One way to guarantee a reader’s curiosity and undivided attention is through searching for the most important questions during the writing process.
Since every question needs an answer, for what we ask to ourselves, we'd better search and find the answer. We can keep asking; no problem exists with that, but we shouldn’t let the questions go unanswered or forgotten for a long time. Otherwise, mixing up the facts and omitting important material or evidence, such as in the case of mysteries, will remove color and excitement from the story.
Although asking questions should involve the entire story, the imperative place is the opening, as any editor, publisher, and reader will start from that point. Here the question should be: How can I start this story with an attention-getting image or exciting action? The answer could be with a dialogue, in the middle of a scene, or with a clever thought that signals the gist or the problem of the story.
Yet, even before that, a more important question looms over our entire fictional piece: What is the central question in this story? Usually we hit upon the answer while putting together the premise, but sometimes the central question and even the premise may change as the story progresses.
Coming to the central question, sometimes it takes the entire story to be written first to find it, though not always. The central question is probably the most dramatic one in any piece of fiction. For example, in the movie It’s a Wonderful life, the central dramatic question is: Will George Bailey leave his boring hometown to a life of wealth that he has dreamed of, or will he find satisfaction in his own turf and family? This question keeps coming up several times in the movie, such as when George is forced to take over the Savings & Loan, and when he gets the glitzy job offer from Potter. What happens then to George’s dream? The answer is given at the end of the movie. George doesn’t need that dream anymore, because a man who has family and friends is already wealthy.
Possibly, it will take an entire script or novel to come up with the central dramatic question, but there are also other questions we can ask along the way for its parts. While writing a movie or a play, questions could be asked for each act, and in a novel, for each chapter. In this case, it is a good idea to ask the question to yourself first before starting to write the chapter or act. For example, in the first act of the movie City Slickers, the question can be: How will Mitch (Billy Crystal) survive that Old West-style cattle-run in this act? Then, in Macbeth, the question for the first act can be: Will the ambivalent Macbeth be persuaded to commit a murder whose wife keeps egging him on his desire for power?
Another area to ask questions is the subplots. Each subplot has its own hero or heroine and its story problem as it relates to the main plot, and the question can pertain to one of those. In Hamlet, in the subplot of Hamlet and Ophelia, the question Shakespeare might have asked himself can be: How will Ophelia take Hamlet’s strange behavior and will she be able to stomach it?
Then, for each scene and even for each turn in a scene, there will be questions to ask as the writing progresses. As an example: In Othello Act II, Scene 3, the questions depend on the actions of Iago and Cassio. Iago wants Cassio, who is Othello’s friend, out of the way so he can have stronger influence on Othello. Since there are probably four or more beats in this scene, several questions can be asked, such as: What is Cassio’s weakness that Iago can use to his advantage? How will he be able to use that advantage? How will he show the results of Cassio’s behavior to Othello? How will Iago use those results to make himself look good to Othello?
Surely, most any story raises lots of intriguing questions, although not every question needs to be dramatic. It would tire the reader if we were to induce drama into every question we ask and answer. Some questions are only for progressing the scene, subplot, or plot. With this in mind, if we can bank on our writer's curiosity to ask questions and the desire to know their answers, we’ll secure the reader’s attention, which may prove to be the most significant benefit to our work. |
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 This Issue's Tip: If you free-write and brainstorm like I do, I bet you can come up with lots of thoughts. Some of them may belong in the piece you are planning to write, but not all. Keep the others in a file; they can be useful in another piece at another time. 
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Quick-Quill 
I was told the same thing. My first novel (waiting for the Publisher's acceptance) is a simple drama. I have two more novels waiting in the wings. One is the beginning of a possible paranormal series (action/romance)and the other is a thriller type. I am writing my drama under my full name I never use. I didn't know if I should use different pen names for the other two. You NL tells me I should. I get to use names I've always loved.
Thanks, Tina, but there is no "should" in writing or publishing. Pen names come in handy if you are an established author in one genre and you don't want to lose your followers. For a beginning novelist or writer who hasn't quite made it to fame yet, sticking to one name could be a better idea, but eventually, it all depends on what you want to do.
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bane1
Dean Koontz has written under 11 pen names. I had to check because I was familiar with Brian Coffey and K.R. Dweyer. I was actual unaware of the two you listed. I'm a big fan of his. Anyhow, I think its vital for authors to experience a wide range of genres and styles. If you're doing it right, it should help you evaluate scenes and characters in different ways.
You are absolutely right. Even if you settle on one genre and style, experimenting with different ones gives depth to your writing.
Thanks for the input.
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BIG BAD WOLF Feeling Thankful 
You have to try new things, or else life gets stale.
Right. Trying to write in a different genre, makes writing more exciting.
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