What makes for good drama is a constant. To begin, we combine Siegal's "nine act structure - two goal" screenplay (very much like the Syd Field three act except that the "reversal" from Field's structure joins "Act 5" in Siegal's version) with the Field classic three act. The Two-Goal Structure, Siegal maintains, creates more dynamic plot tension due to the insertion of PLOT REVERSAL later in the story. We concur. NOTE: "Plot Point" is defined here as a major occurrence that emphatically changes the course of the story. In the genre novel as a whole, we see three to five major plot points depending on various factors: a first PP that begins the rising action, second PP defined by the first major reversal, a third PP defined by a possible second major reversal, a climax PP, and a theoretical PP residing in the denouement, i.e., we think the story is going to resolve a certain way after climax, but a surprise happens that resolves...
Awesome... Simply awesome.
ReplyDeleteWow, this was inspiring. I'm going to start my best seller today!
ReplyDeleteMitch Kaplan
I am trying my best to attend Meetup and writers groups. This video shows how I feel when 99% of them start speaking. Makes me friggin' crazy.
ReplyDeleteToo close to home, I have a gun in my car...click
ReplyDelete"Minus 13". hahahahaha. That needs to be the slogan for the upcoming workshop. Thanks for posting this. I'm guilty of some of the shortcomings (e.g., I don't read as much as I should), but I definitely do not harbor the mythic perspective illustrated here. And if I do, please slap it out of me!
ReplyDeleteA gem, a friggin' gem.
ReplyDeleteExcellent. This should be shown at the beginning of all writing workshops and conferences...Hysterical ....
ReplyDeleteHa ha, you got me...I'm laughing at myself.
ReplyDeleteWow! Love this!
ReplyDeleteDo many aspiring writers really think like this? I mean, all in one? I could see someone thinking they could directly approach a publisher or not being aware that so many people approach agents. But do many people think that you can just bang out a bestseller without effort and without some passion for reading, at least in that genre?
ReplyDeleteI had the same thought while watching this. All of my hesitation for trying to become a novelist is because I am acutely aware of the inherent difficulties... but then again, if you get your hands on enough self-pubbed novels... this seems like it might be hauntingly accurate.
DeleteOh...I was on a six month book tour and attended four book club salons. Torture. I was unable to repress my frustration at one of them. I "went Philly" on one woman.
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