Duking It Out

A few years back, after coming out of a summer blockbuster, my Mom threw up her arms and asked: "Why does every action movie basically come down to a fist fight?  It seems like the past ten movies I've watched have a scene where two guys just punch each other.  It's getting boring."

After thinking about it for a moment, I realized that she was right.  A lot of action movies, while technically and visually impressive, are pretty downright boring story-wise.  A professor of mine once said, "Fight scenes put the story on hold until they're through."  So how does one craft a good action sequence without falling into that same trap?  Since a few of my stories have had action scenes in them, I watched some of my favorite violent movies to see what the masters did right.  Here's what I came up with:

1.  The battle can't be the only focus of the scene.  It's a broad and vague rule, but pretty damn essential.  Remember the amazing final bare-knuckle boxing match in the movie Snatch?  Some of the greatest, and most hilarious, things happening in the scene are going on outside of the ring.  You have two sides backing each fighter, and both have alternate plans for Brad Pitt's character.  Both sides are wondering (and fearing) what exactly Mikey the Pikey is up to in that ring.  The result of the battle affects all of the characters in the room, and even a ton more offscreen.  If the scene had just been about Brad Pitt fighting a scary-looking boxer, it definitely would have still been cool, but not nearly as memorable.

The rule doesn't just apply to movies, either.  Author Bruce Jones once did a run of The Incredible Hulk comics, and crafted an epic showdown between the Hulk and archvillain Abomination.  The battle itself was amazing, with the two monsters chucking crushed semi trucks at each other and trying to beat one another senseless with an uprooted tree trunk.  Hulk's line: "Did I... ever think... ABOUT THAT!?" still gets me to this day.  Yet amazing as the fight itself was, it was only a small part of what was going on.  Abomination's ex-wife was involved, as well as a sniper perched high up on a helicopter, a nefarious super-secret shadow organization hell-bent on getting Hulk blood, and the mysterious Mr. Blue trying to aid Bruce Banner from afar.  The remains one of my favorite comic book battles ever, and to boot Jones also utilized rule number two...

2.  The battle has to come from somewhere, so set it up properly.   Just the other weekend, I was watching a popular animated action film that was made a few years back.  While my eyeballs were definitely treated to a visual feast, the movie ended with me ultimately unimpressed.  Many cans o' whupass were opened... but why, exactly?  The only real lead-up I got was the main character saying something like, "Brace yourself... I can sense now that there is a battle coming." or something of similar ilk.  Okay, cool, there's a battle coming.  But again, why?  What are the heroes and villains risking their lives over?  If the readers or audience aren't clear on the reason, they aren't going to be fully behind the scuffle.

Again, Bruce Jones rocked this aspect in the Hulk comic.  The readers could understand EXACTLY why Hulk and Abomination would want to beat the living hell out of each other.  I was once working next to someone reading the comic, and I heard her go, "Oh daaaamn..." while reading the build-up to the fight.  I'm sure this would have been music to Jones' ears had he been present.

3.  Keep the pace.  I'm a firm believer of this rule, and it really applies to all aspects of your writing.  Escalate the pace throughout your story, and your action scenes.  I hate it when a book or movie starts off great, then slowly dwindles away into a disappointment.  The prisoner transport/semi truck chase scene in The Dark Knight is a perfect example of brilliant pacing; it builds and builds and never lets up.  Block out the beats in your mind or in an outline, and have a trusted friend read it.  Watch their reactions as much as you listen to what they have to say.  Body language can be very revealing; if the readers or audience seemed coiled in upon themselves, that's a good sign.

4.  Important action scenes must have equally intense consequences.  I always find it hilarious when two characters in a movie or TV show get into a scuffle, beating the crap out of each other, and the only thing they have to show for it is a torn shirt, rumbled tie or slightly bloody lip.  If you've ever been in a fight or seen one, you'll know that fists leave... you know... MARKS.  Cracked cheek bones and swollen eye sockets aren't uncommon.  Similarly, a battle scene that you write should have a lasting impression on your script or story.  So two characters pummel each other, something interrupts them, and then the villain shouts something like, "Watch your back!  Next time you're dead.  DEAD!"  What's the point?  Many hours, words, pages, and efforts have gone into that scene for what purpose?  Before you launch into constructing a fight scene, think first what you want the result of that battle to be.  If there is no major consequence, then consider saving yourself the effort and skipping the scene altogether.  Think of the show "Dexter" for example.  The main character's actions -- and kills -- have consequences that ripple across several seasons.  Nothing in the show is done without an earth-shaking consequence following it.

...

Anyway, try out these guidelines and see if they work for your stories.  I hope they do wonders!

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Earlier this week, my cousin recommended the show "Californication" to me, which I had been meaning to see for a while now.  He's right: you must watch it.  Beautiful writing and performances.  I finished the first season in a few days (having watched it online on Netflix), deliriously happy that I had gotten a chance to watch the show.  I'm literally afraid to watch the second season, in fear that it won't live up to the great heights that the first one set. 

Publishing

So, every day I go through a few dozen articles from publishing sites, trying to glean away any applicable tips and tricks.  Usually, I come up with nothing.  Usually.

Aside from sparse info on submission packages, there are as many methods to getting published or professionally recognized as there are people on this planet.  Thus, what I post on this online journal, in regards for my attempts to get published, will most likely not be a fail-safe map that can be repeated to the letter.  The usual mantra that I hear, and believe in, is perseverance, networking, and simply taking pleasure in one's own art.

But we already knew that, right?

Sort of.  The perseverance part can be tough if external encouragement is sparse, and sometimes it's so easy to stress about what isn't happening that it's easy to forget to enjoy what is occurring... namely the awesome experience of just creating.  That's something I always try to remember when I'm writing: "Don't forget to just enjoy it.  This is your passion, so enjoy this."

There's also the vast array of technological aids at our disposal these days to think about.  John August just released his fast-paced short story, "The Variant", to purchase online, and he even describes on his website in detail how to self-publish online in the style he used.  I'm not sure if I would want to try this method for a full novel just yet, but it would be interesting to try it out on a short story like he did.  Again, it's something to mull over.

So even if the whole prospect of getting published sounds dreadfully intricate or intense, I'm starting to get a little excited about it.  This is something I love doing, and if some adventure, stress, and strategy are involved, then so be it.  I'm psyched either way.

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I always attempt to utilize my Netflix subscription to its full potential, and was recently pleasantly surprised by the film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.  It was unsettlingly beautiful and powerfully performed.  I recommend if you're a fan of gorgeous cinematography, subtle performances, or unique and odd films.  I wouldn't recommend it for everyone, but if you want something a little different, try it out for size.

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The next post might involve writing action scenes or description and pacing, but we shall see.  Stay tuned nevertheless!

Flying Around

I've just gotten home from a rather wonderful weekend in Ohio, and am currently writing this as I wait for the Chinese food I ordered to arrive, and the headache that sprung up mid-flight to scuttle away back to wherever it came from.  The weekend was great for three very important reasons:

1.  I got to see one of my best friends from Ohio get married to a beautiful bride.

2.  I also had the pleasure of spending time with my family and two very energetic doggies.

3.  After a week of barely getting to read more than a paragraph at a time, I managed to catch up during my flights.

It's really no wonder weddings are featured in so many movies.  The people you know who are involved in them are cast in such a dramatically different light.  They're so... vulnerable.  So exposed to hordes of people at one of the most life-altering moments of their lives.  I'd almost forgotten how touching the whole adventure is.

Anyway, the food hath arriveth.  I'll be sure to write more this week.  Cheers all!

Fighting The Fatigue

I'm sure you've been there.  Felt it and endured it.  I think we all have.

You're writing -- or creating any other type of art -- and things are going splendidly.  You're at the point where even thinking about your creation makes you excited.  Everything's awesome and there's a bright place that you can see in the distance.  It looked far away once before, but not so much anymore.  That incredible thing, Completion, is so very very close.

And then it isn't.

That's when it settles in.  Takes hold of your body and thoughts.  Ask anyone and they'll tell you that it really is a physical thing.  It's nearly a personified force that you can gauge and measure: The Fatigue.

It cements itself in your bones and you can feel it weighing down every step you take.  Just the thought of getting through the day, let alone investing time to paint a new picture or write another story, is shudder-inducing.  When you finally do get some time to yourself, even sleeping seems like an effort.  Lounging around, watching television (usually bad television), and generally wasting time tends to have a higher likelihood of occurring.  Before you know it, weeks or months have passed and that once luminous Completion is a forgotten, dusty thing tossed sadly into a corner.

So how does one, you know, fight The Fatigue?

First of all, understanding that it's not such an ominous, horrible force of nature is a giant step in the right direction.  Creating any type of art is usually an enormously involved task.  Artists put their entire body and soul into their work, so is getting completely exhausted that unnatural?  Not really.  It's just a sign that you're really working and thinking very deeply.  One gets achy and drained from intense exercise... and, I'm guessing if you ask any prolific published author, they will tell you that writing is most definitely a rigorous form of exercise.  So don't beat yourself up over feeling tired.  After all, it's symbolic of a good workout.

Second, let yourself rest a bit.  Watch some TV.  Go hang out with some friends or take a loved one out to for a walk or dinner.  The world's still spinning out there, and isn't it that very world that gave you your inspiration to begin with?

Sometimes that isn't enough, though.  When I was writing my last script, The Fatigue hit me harder than it ever had before in my life.  I could probably list a million reasons why, but I won't go into that here.  One thing that helped me get back on track, along with the much-needed encouragement of my cousin, was that I did something very simple and natural:

I got angry.

Anger can cause one to do some pretty stupid things, but that's what it does: it makes one... DO.  It causes people to fly into action.  And, if utilized and harnessed correctly, it can make you do some wonderful things as well.  So that's what I did.  I raged.  I was pissed that I had neglected my story for so long, made so many excuses.  I literally fought The Fatigue tooth and nail.

And guess what I found out?  Turns out The Fatigue isn't so tough after all.  It's just another thing that becomes trampled and forgotten.  An enemy that seemed so scary, but, almost disappointingly, wasn't.  "All that agony over that?"  You'll be amazed and happy how wonderful it feels to get back to work.

So if you ever feel that way like I did, try some anger on for size.  It's a start, right?  And sometimes that's all that we need.

Inspiration

Fearlessness.  Fearlessness inspires me.

Or, the ability to feel fear and to forge ahead anyway.

That would be my answer to the question of what inspires me as a writer.

Of course there are a multitude of authors and screenwriters that I look up to in regards to their talent.  J.D. Salinger, Philip K. Dick, Alice Sebold, Dennis Lehane, Neil Gaiman, Shane Black, Haruki Murakami, John Kennedy Toole, Lisa Carey, Ryu Murakami, David Brin, Ray Bradbury... the list is close to endless, but those who conquer fear top it.

... Like the teacher who faces a class of a few dozen, disinterested, hormonal students, and refuses to give up on them.

... Like the comedian who, alone on stage and under hot lights, presses on to find a connection between an audience of several dozen, or several thousand vastly unique people.

... Like the astronaut who travels into the harsh, vast reaches or space, or the student who risks everything to study in a country that holds a culture incredibly different to his/her own.

You know.  The brave ones.

Recently I came across this interview with Sasha Grey.  It's a pretty long clip to watch, close to an hour I think, but I couldn't tear myself away from it.  She was very articulate and candid about her career, to the point of being almost poetic at times.  Here is a person who set out a career plan for herself, and went after it intelligently and with the focus and drive of a homing missile.

Not to mention I was also amused by her thoughts on recent SpongeBob commercials in regards to sex-based advertising.  

In any case, I think this kind of fearlessness and relentless determination to follow through with her goals is essential for all artists.  In a world where people usually have no hesitation to be ruthlessly critical of others' projects, performances, and aspirations, one absolutely has to be gutsy to want to become an artist.  I think that's almost as important as loving what you do.

You love creating art?  Okay.  But are you ready for anyone and everyone under the sun to judge it, and to perhaps openly hate you for it?  It sounds dramatic, sure, but think of all the times you've talked about a movie and the other person says something like, "Oh god, I'm not seeing that.  I hate [insert actor/actress here]."

Have this person ever actually met the artist?  Usually not.  Yet he/she has no qualms with talking openly making assumptions about the person based entirely on a single performance, or sometimes even just celebrity gossip.  I admit I've been guilty of this too.

Now, I haven't seen any of Sasha Grey's movies, including Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience, but I can only imagine some of the venom some people may hurl at her due to her career as an adult film star.  Yet, she doesn't give the appearance of being the slightest bit perturbed by the prospect of this, nor does she clam up or become embarrassed when people ask her about her experiences in the adult film industry.  Think of any time you've been on stage, or had to give a presentation in front of strangers, or read your writing aloud to the class.  It can be scary, even when you don't have a career that some people may openly oppose.  Pretty daunting, eh?

Yet she doesn't seem daunted in the slightest.  And that, if I may say so, inspires me.

Louie

I've seen him countless times since I arrived in Boston, but one time in particular sticks out in my memory.

It was during a date last summer.  It was a sunny weekend, and I was walking down Newbury Street with the girl.  We were chatting pleasantly, on our way to the downtown theater when it happened.

"Mooove!  Mooove!  Mooove!"

Similar in beat and repetition to the bleeping noise a construction vehicle makes while in reverse, the warning noise was heading straight toward us.  The crowds began to part.  Tourists craned their necks towards the sound, and locals smiled and nudged their friends.

Flags rising from the rear of his tricycle, feet pumping in their steady and endless rhythm, he appeared, shouting his usual mantra.  When he got within ten feet of us, I waved and greeted him happily with, "Hi Louie!"

He stopped shouting long enough to nod sagely at me before continuing on his way, peddling into the distance.

The girl turned towards me in utter amazement.  She looked at me as if I had just randomly high-fived Hugh Jackman or shook hands with the president.  "You know him!?"

"What?  No, I wish," I replied.

"Well then how the heck did you know his name?  I've seen that guy riding around a billion times."

I shrugged.  "He has Facebook groups and fan clubs based on him.  He's famous."

And he is.  I just saw this neat video based on him.  Check it out to see a Boston legend.  Creds to the awesome filmmakers who put it together:

Short video on Louie

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It just goes to show that, again, stories are everywhere.  If you're ever feeling stuck, strike up a conversation with that person who catches your eye.  You know who he/she is.  After all, some of the best adventures start out with merely a simple greeting.

Terrorizing Children With The Power Of Reading

I think the best thing J.K. Rowling has done is compel children to read again. Before her famous series was published, I rarely saw a kid under 10 years of age read something consisting of 400+ pages. Nowadays it's almost become a fad to read about that boy with the scar on his forehead, and it's not uncommon for people to react in outrage against someone who hasn't read the books.

[Note: Details about the following story have been changed and altered for privacy reasons so that it won't come back to haunt anyone.]

When I was in elementary school, one year my grade attended a weekly reading class, held in a library and, surely enough, taught by the librarian. Some days the librarian would read to us, other days she would let us select one of the children's books off the shelves and read on our own for twenty minutes. Pretty cool, eh?

Wrong.

I remember one snowy day walking down into that basement library to find the librarian staring at us, eyes bloodshot under hooded lids. The temperature in the room seemed chillier than usual that day, the lights slightly dimmer. The corners of her lips were tilted downward as she watched us silently file into our regular seating arrangements. The entire atmosphere screamed doom. I wouldn't have been surprised if a raven had croaked apocalyptic warnings to us upon entry.

We looked back at her, sensing already that this wasn't going to be a pleasant experience. "Okay," she finally began. "Today we're going to be reading a story about a cow."

Someone coughed.

"QUIET!" She roared.

Now remember, this was winter season, and we were kids. Kids are practically germ magnets during this period, constantly sniffling, coughing, and sneezing on each other to point where it basically becomes forgettable background noise. Later on when I was coaching kids who were this age, it seemed like at least 40% of my class was battling some type of minor virus or germ every single week of winter. So when our librarian seemed irked that day to the point of pure fury at each and every little cough, we were flabbergasted.

Even after we tried muffling our coughs into our shirts or sleeves, she had still been driven to the breaking point. Two pages into the story about the cow, she snapped the book shut and said: "Okay, this is getting ridiculous. If you have to cough, cough it all out now and get it over with. Because after I start this story again, if I hear one more cough... that's it. Storytime's over. I'll stop and you'll have to spend the rest of the period in Quiet Time."

No. Not that. Anything but the dreadful Quiet Time. At that age, being forced to sit in complete silence is the equivalent of throwing holy water on that girl in The Exorcist. So, hilariously, we obliged. We all started coughing, hoping that by hacking violently away then, that our germ reserves would be depleted to the point where it would take awhile for them to rekindle enough strength, hopefully waiting until after the story was done.

When we thought we were through, she gritted her teeth, re-opened the book, and pressed on.

I remember very little about the story. It had something to do with a spirited young cow who had somehow escaped her confinement to pursue a series of adventures. The cow traveled around, met unique personalities, and generally just kept on getting into trouble. I think.

The entire time I was fighting that familiar tickle in the back of my throat. I needed so desperately to cough to the point where my ears were ringing. My lungs ached and I had broken out into a cold sweat. I clamped my jaw down, willing myself not to break the silence. I looked over at another classmate and almost burst out laughing: he was trying so hard not to purge his lungs that his face had turned to the color of a grape. Veins popped out on his shiny forehead, and his eyes were bulging with the strain.

When we got to the point where the cow had managed to become trapped in the bottom of a well, someone broke; a muffled cough had managed to escape one student -- a shy, mousy girl in glasses -- who rarely talked. She immediately paled and lowered her head in shame.

"THAT'S IT!" the librarian bellowed. She slammed the book shut and shot us that hooded gaze once again. "Can't say I didn't warn you. We're stopping there."

A few students cried out that this wasn't fair.

This didn't sway the librarian in the slightest. "Not fair? Coughing occasionally is natural, but every few seconds? That's deliberate. It was your choice. Now we'll never know what happened to the cow, will we? How did she get out? Did they fill the well with water and have her float out? Did they pull her out with ropes? Or was she stuck down there forever?" She shrugged. "Guess it'll always be a mystery." At that she put the book away and left us to sulk in Quiet Time.

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And you know what? I never did find out what happened to that damn cow. All these years later and still no luck. The worst part is I don't know the title of the book, so I can't go look it up and find out. So if anyone reading this knows about that story or at least what it's called, let me know so that tale can finally be put to rest!

I didn't think on the incident too often back then (by then we were used to a few teachers bringing their personal problems to work), but the older I get, the more amazed I am at what happened. Stopping a story because of sick kids? Seriously? Seriously!?

I think it was Stephen King who said (maybe in his book On Writing) that in order to write, one must read. I agree entirely. Read often. Read from a variety of authors. If something in particular grabs your attention, pay attention to how the author pulled you in. Enjoy it.

Even if you are discouraged by a raging librarian having a bad day... read anyway.