Difference between revisions of "Beating the Story by Robin D. Laws"
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==Prologue== | ==Prologue== | ||
===Six Essential Tips=== | ===Six Essential Tips=== | ||
| − | + | ;Sit Your Ass in the Chair and Write: All the schematics in the world won't help if you're not fluent with writing words, you need the practice, like any art. | |
| − | + | ;Ideas are Worthless:There are lots of cool ideas out there, many like yours - the thing that makes them work is the execution, not the concept, you have to do work to create a work | |
| − | + | ;Sit Your Ass in the Chair and Read: The more works and styles you're familiar with, the more ingredients in your writer's cookbook, the better your style will taste. | |
| − | + | ;Don't just Read Books, Read Life: Real life serves as both an inspiration for authentic interaction, and a way to break uniquely from tropes. Study what people do/say as if you were trying to learn how they work so as to be a person. | |
| − | + | ;If You Can See Yourself Doing Anything Else, Do That Instead: The societal rewards for writing are largely mythical, write because you are drawn to or have to do it, not for money, validation, lifestyle. | |
| − | + | ;Seriously, Sit Your Ass in the Chair and Write: If you still will be a writer, then write. | |
===Making This Book Work For You=== | ===Making This Book Work For You=== | ||
| + | Take this method with a grain of salt - use only what works for you, don't force your work to conform to the method. | ||
| + | Remember the [[Vilppu Rule]]. | ||
===Style Notes=== | ===Style Notes=== | ||
| + | reader(s), viewer(s), audience - these are the same people, just depending on medium. | ||
===Does This Sound Eerily Familiar?=== | ===Does This Sound Eerily Familiar?=== | ||
| + | Robin's previous book, "Hamlet's Hit Points" uses this beat analysis, applied to TTRPGs. | ||
==Conceiving Your Story== | ==Conceiving Your Story== | ||
Revision as of 16:48, 30 January 2021
Contents
- 1 How to Pretend You've Read This Book (introduction)
- 2 Foreword
- 3 Prologue
- 4 Conceiving Your Story
- 4.1 The Random Actor Method: An Idea Springboard
- 4.2 Turning Inspiration into Premise
- 4.2.1 Throughline
- 4.2.2 Core Question
- 4.2.3 Protagonist Type
- 4.2.4 Procedural Heroes
- 4.2.5 Dramatic Characters
- 4.2.6 Supporting Characters
- 4.2.7 Transformational Supporting Characters
- 4.2.8 Thematic Opposition
- 4.2.9 Genre and Expectation
- 5 The Building Blocks of Narrative
- 6 Laying the Groundwork
- 7 Mapping Your Story
- 7.1 Your Opener
- 7.2 And Now For The Map Part
- 7.3 Building Incidents As You Map
- 7.4 Noting Transitions
- 7.5 Your Sequence of Events
- 7.6 Placing Exposition
- 7.7 Goal Shifts and Wavering Protagonists
- 7.8 Your Closer
- 7.9 Reviewing Your Completed Map
- 7.10 Thread Mapping
- 7.11 From Map to Prose Outline
- 8 First Draft
- 9 Revision
- 10 Editing and Giving Notes
- 11 Now, Over To You
- 12 Inspiration to Premise Worksheet
- 13 Beat Mapping Quick Reference
How to Pretend You've Read This Book (introduction)
Foreword
Prologue
Six Essential Tips
- Sit Your Ass in the Chair and Write
- All the schematics in the world won't help if you're not fluent with writing words, you need the practice, like any art.
- Ideas are Worthless
- There are lots of cool ideas out there, many like yours - the thing that makes them work is the execution, not the concept, you have to do work to create a work
- Sit Your Ass in the Chair and Read
- The more works and styles you're familiar with, the more ingredients in your writer's cookbook, the better your style will taste.
- Don't just Read Books, Read Life
- Real life serves as both an inspiration for authentic interaction, and a way to break uniquely from tropes. Study what people do/say as if you were trying to learn how they work so as to be a person.
- If You Can See Yourself Doing Anything Else, Do That Instead
- The societal rewards for writing are largely mythical, write because you are drawn to or have to do it, not for money, validation, lifestyle.
- Seriously, Sit Your Ass in the Chair and Write
- If you still will be a writer, then write.
Making This Book Work For You
Take this method with a grain of salt - use only what works for you, don't force your work to conform to the method. Remember the Vilppu Rule.
Style Notes
reader(s), viewer(s), audience - these are the same people, just depending on medium.
Does This Sound Eerily Familiar?
Robin's previous book, "Hamlet's Hit Points" uses this beat analysis, applied to TTRPGs.
