Last night I emerged from the Alliance for the Arts & Culture in downtown Vancouver (938 Howe St.), my head bursting with the intellectual stimulation of the past two hours. Ian Weir, a multi-award winning writer of screenplays, television shows and stage plays, had just given an animated presentation at the January meeting of the Canadian Authors Association.
Ian's vast experience in screenwriting has given him skills that apply to any kind of creative writing. His thoughts about "what is a story?" were fascinating. Telling a good story can be summarized very simply, but that doesn't mean being able to do the actual writing is easy. Basically, in any story, there is one main protagonist, who is trying to reach a goal and encounters obstacles along the way.
This protagonist "is the heart and soul" of the story, no matter how many other characters may be involved. How do you decide who the main protagonist is if a novel has many main characters? Ask "Who is holding the centre in this story? Who is most purely reflecting the core themes? Who is facing the most difficult decision or dilemma?"
I was astonished to learn that Ian usually doesn't even know who the protagonist of his story is until he is working on his third draft. He said that he often misidentifies the protagonist, and it is only by the third draft that he fully understands what his own story is about. I questioned this. "Do you mean you start out writing a story without even knowing what your main idea is?" His answer was "If I know from the get-go what my story is about, it's probably a very thin idea or a cliched idea...Learning how to tell a story is a long process--you go to subterranean depths--you can't learn that from a three-day seminar on how to write a screenplay or a novel."
According to Ian, writing for the stage has been invaluable to him because it exposes any weaknesses in characterization. In a rehearsal hall, actors are charged with bringing the characters to life. They have to work with what the playwright gives them, so if there are gaps, they will be exposed. Ian commented, "With every scene you write, you need to be inside the head of every character in the scene." It's the same when writing a novel. Ian added that it's especially difficult for most writers to get inside the head of a character of the opposite sex.
Ian talked about a "writer's block" situation that often occurs, a moment when a character refuses to do or say what the author expects. Ian said this is a very difficult moment--the plot can be wrecked, large amounts of rewriting may have to be done--but he says it's a good moment, because this is when a character changes from being the author's "mouthpiece" to becoming a real, three-dimensional character. In any good story, said Ian, "all characters must have a transformative arc over the course of the story--they must change from beginning to end." He noted that one of his common pitfalls as a writer is to let his protagonist "go passive--stop actively moving towards a goal."
Ian was one of the fortunate few writers who was actively commissioned by an editor to write a novel. Chris Labonte at Douglas & McIntyre was keen about Daniel O'Thunder from the moment he saw the first one-paragraph description of it. Ian has only praise for Chris's support and guidance, and for the help of his editor, Ramsay Derry.
As a writer hoping to get work in the editing field, I asked Ian a few questions about how his five-draft writing process worked, with the help of Chris and Ramsay. Ian commented, "It's a marriage--the writer-editor relationship...When I was younger I need a much more hands-on editor, but as I've gotten older, I've got better at predicted my own pitfalls and digging myself out of them." As he wrote Daniel O'Thunder, Chris provided overall feedback after each draft was completed. Ramsay, who was Robertson Davies's editor, provided more constant help, particularly with the first draft. Most of the editing back-and-forth was done by long Skype phone calls.
Ian's presentation was not only valuable for his insights into the writing process and the basics of good storytelling. He was a great entertainer, reading parts of his novel with great relish. He responded to audience questions effortlessly and with enthusiasm. I couldn't resist buying an autographed copy of his book (only $15 for a high-quality trade paperback!)
I would highly recommend these monthly Canadian Authors Association Vancouver meetings to any students or writers for networking, support and education. Last night, there were about 40 people packed into a small room. Most were writers, either published or aspiring to be published. The atmosphere was casual and friendly. Admission for non-members is only $5 (or $2 for students.)
Ian's vast experience in screenwriting has given him skills that apply to any kind of creative writing. His thoughts about "what is a story?" were fascinating. Telling a good story can be summarized very simply, but that doesn't mean being able to do the actual writing is easy. Basically, in any story, there is one main protagonist, who is trying to reach a goal and encounters obstacles along the way.
This protagonist "is the heart and soul" of the story, no matter how many other characters may be involved. How do you decide who the main protagonist is if a novel has many main characters? Ask "Who is holding the centre in this story? Who is most purely reflecting the core themes? Who is facing the most difficult decision or dilemma?"
I was astonished to learn that Ian usually doesn't even know who the protagonist of his story is until he is working on his third draft. He said that he often misidentifies the protagonist, and it is only by the third draft that he fully understands what his own story is about. I questioned this. "Do you mean you start out writing a story without even knowing what your main idea is?" His answer was "If I know from the get-go what my story is about, it's probably a very thin idea or a cliched idea...Learning how to tell a story is a long process--you go to subterranean depths--you can't learn that from a three-day seminar on how to write a screenplay or a novel."
According to Ian, writing for the stage has been invaluable to him because it exposes any weaknesses in characterization. In a rehearsal hall, actors are charged with bringing the characters to life. They have to work with what the playwright gives them, so if there are gaps, they will be exposed. Ian commented, "With every scene you write, you need to be inside the head of every character in the scene." It's the same when writing a novel. Ian added that it's especially difficult for most writers to get inside the head of a character of the opposite sex.
Ian talked about a "writer's block" situation that often occurs, a moment when a character refuses to do or say what the author expects. Ian said this is a very difficult moment--the plot can be wrecked, large amounts of rewriting may have to be done--but he says it's a good moment, because this is when a character changes from being the author's "mouthpiece" to becoming a real, three-dimensional character. In any good story, said Ian, "all characters must have a transformative arc over the course of the story--they must change from beginning to end." He noted that one of his common pitfalls as a writer is to let his protagonist "go passive--stop actively moving towards a goal."
Ian was one of the fortunate few writers who was actively commissioned by an editor to write a novel. Chris Labonte at Douglas & McIntyre was keen about Daniel O'Thunder from the moment he saw the first one-paragraph description of it. Ian has only praise for Chris's support and guidance, and for the help of his editor, Ramsay Derry.
As a writer hoping to get work in the editing field, I asked Ian a few questions about how his five-draft writing process worked, with the help of Chris and Ramsay. Ian commented, "It's a marriage--the writer-editor relationship...When I was younger I need a much more hands-on editor, but as I've gotten older, I've got better at predicted my own pitfalls and digging myself out of them." As he wrote Daniel O'Thunder, Chris provided overall feedback after each draft was completed. Ramsay, who was Robertson Davies's editor, provided more constant help, particularly with the first draft. Most of the editing back-and-forth was done by long Skype phone calls.
Ian's presentation was not only valuable for his insights into the writing process and the basics of good storytelling. He was a great entertainer, reading parts of his novel with great relish. He responded to audience questions effortlessly and with enthusiasm. I couldn't resist buying an autographed copy of his book (only $15 for a high-quality trade paperback!)
I would highly recommend these monthly Canadian Authors Association Vancouver meetings to any students or writers for networking, support and education. Last night, there were about 40 people packed into a small room. Most were writers, either published or aspiring to be published. The atmosphere was casual and friendly. Admission for non-members is only $5 (or $2 for students.)
Wow! Definitely a lot to wrap your mind around! I can really relate to the difficulty of identifying your main protagonist. I know I switched mine around, not to mention my plot setting has ranged from past, to present, to future... It's complicated.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm in the process of getting to know them all(characters) and learning their voices.
Something one of my writer friends said, was that it was really important to have your characters have individual voices, and that all of them need to be different from the narrator voice. It's hard for novice writers and something that I am struggling with at the moment.
I really do need to get my head out of the sand and attend some of these meetings! Thank you Nancy, for the article and the comment!
-Jo
Hi Jo,
ReplyDeleteIan talked a lot about characters. Surely this is a big issue that all writers must struggle with. It's a cliche that beginning writers often start with their "autobiographical novel" and they have difficulty creating voices other than their own. I know this is true for me. I seem to need to base characters on real people--even then, it's very hard to "get in their heads".
I think this ability to create full-bodied characters with unique voices is a special ability of the imagination that not all people (or writers) may have.
I haven't had the discipline to write anything longer than a few pages yet. I'm fascinated by this idea that plots and characters develop in ways that are unexpected for the author. It shows the role of the subconscious in creative work! I love the mystery of it.