Writers gym, Brain Muscle (Ellis Freeman, Classnotes)

Professor: Ellis Freeman

Scuola Holden

WRITERS GYM

DISCLAIMER: This summary is taken from my classnotes, please be aware that I could have had misunderstood it all.

Events

Theme

STORY

Situation Character Analytic Creative

Scuola Holden

Professor: Ellis Freeman

"In the end, writing is about filling white pages with words" TIPS FOR READABILITY (The book is so good you don't feel you are reading)

1. Give (visual ) details that ancor the reader into the story, 2. Use a or several characters that work as a bridge through empathy. (small bits of humanity) 3. Create a flow, driven by story questions / hooks. Avoid interruptions. Story is, in the end, a secuense con events driven by actions/motivations/desires.

"When you edit or change your story out of fear (of audience reaction)... what you are actually doing is making your story more boring"

LEFT BRAIN

You might not be seeing your children again!

Face the conflict, solve it by getting trough it, not out of it.

She was a very troubled widow.

Her children had not seen daylight. Since the accident happened.

The detective who found them in the appartment....

Right Brain Write, one word at a time, one sentence at time, let it flow...

TIPS FOR NOTEBOOK

Writting on a notebook by hand can liberate you. You can use this type of notebook to write details, project journals, thought bubbles, concept, situation or character bubbles, the things you wouldn't show to anyone, writing for ten minutes just to see what happens...

Little notebooks are for big ideas, full size pages for this kind of thing.

Sometimes it is more important to have quantity not caring about the quality as you really learn by doing. A very extreme stuff would be to copy entire novels you like so you can learn from the masters.

Dreams are also very good for handwriting, first time in the morning. It chills you, relaxes you not having complete control.

Dreams Dreams Dreams...

Wanna manufacture a dream?

Write by free association allowing the first word that comes to your mind to be next, and the next, and then the next... You'll create memorable visual images that might not be possible had you tried to come up by it more intentionally.

LEFT BRAIN

A group of objects create a space (and a space can create a story)

Grandpa's office.

(Who was a doctor and loved cars.)

Right Brain Point at something and say it is another thing.

Some final stuff...

Collaboration You will do it, a lot! Wanna work out the muscle? Play with someone "draw a line". Basically you both have to Autenticity come up with a drawing, without talking, one line at a time.

Please, write things that you would like to read yourself, things you would like to see. If you write things you wouldn't read given a choice... then seriously, who is going to like it?

Brain Muscle Quick workout? Draw with both hands, crossing them all time while drawing, Energy try to come uo with something coherent.

Stop your writing sesions when the energy is still high, it is not very likely that something good will come out of an exhausted mindset.