The problem with the phrase "take your characters on a journey" is that it's been co-opted by the plebs. That nodding mong Davina used to tell each and every retard as they emerged from the House "Wow you've really been on an emotional journey". Even if they'd been evicted on day one and done nothing but eat biscuits.
Quote: Griff @ October 9 2008, 12:08 PM BSTThe problem with the phrase "take your characters on a journey" is that it's been co-opted by the plebs. That nodding mong Davina used to tell each and every retard as they emerged from the House "Wow you've really been on an emotional journey". Even if they'd been evicted on day one and done nothing but eat biscuits.
Don't knock the plebs. Susan Nickson's made a lot of money catering for them.
I used to have trouble with 'Character driven plots, not plot driven characters' - once I got the hang of this, I was a better writer.
Quote: Marc P @ October 9 2008, 11:12 AM BSTI wrote a book like that once, a serial killer type story, I figured if I didn't know what was going on the reader wouldn't either.
I'm a big fan of serial killer books. Have you come up with a new angle?
Quote: chipolata @ October 9 2008, 12:57 PM BSTI'm a big fan of serial killer books. Have you come up with a new angle?
I made the killer mad. That's why the murders take place.
Quote: Marc P @ October 9 2008, 1:01 PM BSTI made the killer mad. That's why the murders take place.
Mad as in a split personality? My God, that would be brilliant.
Quote: David Bussell @ October 9 2008, 1:05 PM BSTMad as in a split personality? My God, that would be brilliant.
No, just very, very angry!
Quote: Marc P @ October 9 2008, 1:17 PM BSTNo, just very, very angry!
Like that old Steve Wright character, Mr Angry? I look forward to reading it.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ October 8 2008, 4:09 PM BSTThe situation basically concerns diverse characters of a local community who are brought together. It's about how they interact with each other and includes flashbacks of the main character's previous dealings with some of the others. It's a little bit like watching a docu-soap (though it's certainly not a spoof) and there are some minor 'plots' (on the scale Griff was referring to in the Royle Family). For example someone tells a white lie to get out of a situation, which then later backfires on them and escalates. The bigger plots (romances, resolutions, etc) happen over the episodes.
The plan was to have a different person as the main character in each epsisode (with corresponding flashbacks), but following a timeline, so different characters' perspectives are seen but not simultaneously.
On a tangent, I was just wondering how you make it clear when you are in flashback, and when you're in the present day?
I read an interesting thing about The Sopranos and The West Wing, that they both use extremes of weather as 'texture' to show the difference when flipping between the past and the present. For instance, there was an episode of the West Wing where the events in the past took place during a massive thunderstorm (That bit of DC seems to be some kind of Hellmouth for thunderstorms, the writers just love a bit of meterological allegory), while the 'present' was on a farm in really sunny weather. Same characters on screen, same sassy banter, but it was immediately obvious whether it was the present or a fortnight previous.
The Sopranos also used Tony's HAIR to show a scene was in the past - in one episode you didn't realise it was a flashback until you spotted he was slightly less bald than usual. Much cleverer than a filter or a 'two years hence' caption.
Anyway, how do YOU do flashbacks?
Quote: willie garvin @ October 9 2008, 2:39 PM BSTAnyway, how do YOU do flashbacks?
She took too much acid in the eighties.
Quote: Marc P @ October 9 2008, 2:41 PM BSTShe took too much acid in the eighties.
I was going to correct you and say 90s, but sadly you're right. I was a wild child though. Those 80s raves...
Quote: willie garvin @ October 9 2008, 2:39 PM BSTOn a tangent, I was just wondering how you make it clear when you are in flashback, and when you're in the present day?
I read an interesting thing about The Sopranos and The West Wing, that they both use extremes of weather as 'texture' to show the difference when flipping between the past and the present. For instance, there was an episode of the West Wing where the events in the past took place during a massive thunderstorm (That bit of DC seems to be some kind of Hellmouth for thunderstorms, the writers just love a bit of meterological allegory), while the 'present' was on a farm in really sunny weather. Same characters on screen, same sassy banter, but it was immediately obvious whether it was the present or a fortnight previous.
The Sopranos also used Tony's HAIR to show a scene was in the past - in one episode you didn't realise it was a flashback until you spotted he was slightly less bald than usual. Much cleverer than a filter or a 'two years hence' caption.
Anyway, how do YOU do flashbacks?
I use 'Flashback' in the slugline. The scenes locations are different too.
Ah, so you just leave it to the director to decide how to show it's a flashback? How do you make it clear it's in the past, and not just a different scene? Are there 1994 Boyzone calenders on the wall?
(sorry to push, I'm just interested because I wrote 'CAPTION: SIX WEEKS AGO' in a direction, and have been wracking my brain since for a more subtle way to show it. Eventually went with one of the characters having dark roots in her hair in the present, none in the past, but that's not ideal.) If your script has millions of flashbacks, you could put some funny indicators of the time difference (RADIO: "...and that's The Macarena, still at number one...and doesn't Lady Di have a fat baby..." or something) Rather than rely on the director to just texturise it to look different. (Not that I'm telling you how to write, eek!)
Because the costume, set, etc is different. The flashback scenes also directly relate to dialogue in the present scene.
e.g
ANN
Have you met Bob?
JULIE
Just the once.
Scene 2
INT - DOCTORS CONSULTING ROOM - DAY - FLASHBACK
Julie is lying on the couch. Bob is pulling on a pair of surgical gloves.
BOB
Have you had a smear before?
-----------------------------------------
Then return to the original scene. I don't know if it's the right way to do it, but I think it's pretty obvious to the reader/viewer. I hope.
(p.s that example is not in my script.)
I'm on the edge of my seat though Dolly.
Ah, but is it enough of a story 
