Where Writers Go Wrong With Story - Mark W. Travis

BUY MARK W. TRAVIS’ BOOK - DIRECTING FEATURE FILMS:
The Creative Collaboration Between Director, Writers, and Actors
amzn.to/2v7nx9K
BUY THE BOOK - FILM DIRECTOR’S BAG OF TRICKS: How To Get What You Want From Actors And Writers amzn.to/2SmMTKA
In this Film Courage video interview, Director/Author Mark W. Travis on Where Writers Go Wrong With Story.
MORE VIDEOS WITH MARK W. TRAVIS
bit.ly/2loqKcu
CONNECT WITH MARK W. TRAVIS
www.markwtravis.com
thetravistechnique.com
/ markwtravistechnique
/ markwtravis
BECOME A FILM COURAGE MEMBER
/ @filmcourage
CONNECT WITH FILM COURAGE
www.FilmCourage.com
#!/FilmCourage
/ filmcourage
/ filmcourage
/ filmcourage
BUSINESS INQUIRIES
bit.ly/22M0Va2
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FILM COURAGE KZbin CHANNEL
bit.ly/18DPN37
LISTEN TO THE FILM COURAGE PODCAST
/ filmcourage-com
PROMOTE YOUR MOVIE, WEBSERIES, OR PRODUCT ON FILM COURAGE
bit.ly/1nnJkgm
SUPPORT FILM COURAGE
/ filmcourage
Stuff we use:
CAMERA - This is the camera we have used to film 90+% of our interviews (over 200 interviews and counting) It continues to be our workhorse - amzn.to/2u66V1J
LENS - Most people ask us what camera we use, no one ever asks about the lens which filmmakers always tell us is more important. This lens was a big investment for us and one we wish we could have made sooner. Started using this lens at the end of 2013 - amzn.to/2tbtmOq
AUDIO
Rode VideoMic Pro - The Rode mic helps us capture our backup audio. It also helps us sync up our audio in post amzn.to/2t1n2hx
Audio Recorder - If we had to do it all over again, this is probably the first item we would have bought - amzn.to/2tbFlM9
LIGHTS - Although we like to use as much natural light as we can, we often enhance the lighting with this small portable light. We have two of them and they have saved us a number of times - amzn.to/2u5UnHv
COMPUTER - Our favorite computer, we each have one and have used various models since 2010 - amzn.to/2t1M67Z
EDITING - We upgraded our editing suite this year and we’re glad we did! This has improved our workflow and the quality of our work. Having new software also helps when we have a problem, it’s easy to search and find a solution - goo.gl/56LnpM
*These are affiliate links, by using them you can help support this channel.
#writing #screenwriting #screenplay

[@sirazazeloflowkey6424]

This is how Death Note writer wrote a whole episode that was extremely tension filled and had rising and falling tension, but as far as what physically happened was ; two people walking along a quite street and speaking a few words here and there. Most of the actions and shifts in tension happen inside the thoughts of the two characters trying to psychologically figure eachother out.

[@roninyasuo4301]

Brilliant

[@gistar22]

Wait...I saw that class, Just Write Kinda shit

[@morningcoffee1111]

Is this an instructional video you’re talking about or a tv series? How do I watch it?

[@eclecticdreams]

@@morningcoffee1111 Death Note is a Japanese manga (comic book) and anime. You can watch the anime of Death Note for free (probably with ads though) on a lot of websites (or apps) such as CrunchyRoll, Vudu, and Tubi. Or if you have a subscription with Hulu or Netflix it's probably available on those platforms as well.

[@jesuspena8870]

Which episode is that??

[@codacreator6162]

For those of you writing characters that don't actually resemble you, I like what Lawrence Block, award winning mystery novelist, once said about character creation: (paraphrasing) They aren't me, but they are who I would be if I were them. This has allowed me to see characters through my own eyes and experience without necessarily imbuing them with attributes they might not naturally have.

[@owensanfordstuff]

If ur writing a character who is a soldier would be a perfect example for this

[@johnmaxwell1750]

Thank you for this suggestion. I am currently writing a female who isn't me. I see a way to figure her out now.

[@chrisjfox8715]

That’s a dope quote!

[@vishalpuri3842]

My god! That's powerful.

[@IndyAtlanticCity]

Thank you 🙏🏽

[@Amelia_PC]

"The story happens inside the character". So, we can say the events/plot/storyline trigger the story inside the character.

[@AstralMarmot]

And also, the events/plot *reflect* the story inside the character. The story is projected out through the character in the form of speech and events, and as they play out, they change what's happening in story. It's inextricably interlinked.

[@Amelia_PC]

@@AstralMarmot Agreed :)

[@Amelia_PC]

@@ridethelapras Haha true! A literal example of it: "Identity" movie. In the end, everyone was part of a multiple personality disorder patient's mind. Nobody exists outside of his head. It was an interesting plot twist.

[@ismaelsilveira2316]

Does that mean "Inside Out" has a perfect story?

[@Amelia_PC]

@@ismaelsilveira2316 Don't know. I'm not sure if there's a "perfect story" concept. The entertainment industry and Art are so abstract that it's hard to establish the parameter to consider something perfect. But it's just my opinion :) (Taking the movie you've mentioned as an example, I didn't like this movie. Pixar's quality is undeniable, but it doesn't mean I like it. Same for Marvel movies. I don't know if taste is a parameter to consider. Haha I bet it's a good theme for an academic article).

[@RossOzarka]

I went to a seminar taught by this guy, I used what I learned in my next short film, and then I won my biggest film festival win so far!

[@capuchinosofia4771]

That's amazing!

[@JairBPena]

Congratulations!

[@purika8324]

Congratulations!

[@navdeepmanaktala4618]

Where can we see your movie?

[@John_winston]

Yo name of the film ?

[@johnterpack3940]

That explains what's wrong with most modern films as well as the book I'm working on. Lots of scenery, plenty of events, but no story to be found.

[@MEDIAMANIACHUB]

thats' the recent case, when a hollywood connected person argued wih me on film joker and how i told him why it was a bad movie.......noopne teach you story develiopment.....writers are busy correcting their creative writing issue and never come up great because they dont know anything about story development. I'm conducting a series of lectures on screenwriting and currently on story development ( for hindi/urud) speakers but i'm conisdering it for subtitling because even big writers I have seen lack the art of story development.

[@happylifegrace4674]

@@MEDIAMANIACHUB can you share movies or TV shows that I can study who do a good job at this story telling you are mentioning most major films miss or lack?

[@happylifegrace4674]

CAn you please help me know what films and tv shows I can study to get an idea of how they did storytelling right along with good scene shots etc ,plots etc?

[@Ignasimp]

@@MEDIAMANIACHUB yes, Joker was bad. I'm curious though to know more in detail why do you think it's bad.

[@MEDIAMANIACHUB]

@@happylifegrace4674 godzilla, contagion, battle: Los Angeles, Gravity, Non stop are films that all are situations. ( see they are great box office hits). films like Godfather, citizen kane,Die hard, parasite, The verdict, Jaws, twilight, the great gatsby and ofcourse many others are stories

[@issaqua]

Energy (emotion) versus events (actions) - simple and powerful truth

[@1973vanguard]

exactly. The little boy climbing the tree to get the golden apple is the event, the action. The story, however, is the journey the little boy is willing to take to get that apple.

[@happylifegrace4674]

@@1973vanguard you just simplified it for me to understand. Can you share more examples and or film tv shows that do this well that I can study? Would you consider the movie Rocky of doing this well?

[@1973vanguard]

@@happylifegrace4674 the best example, movie wise and, in my opinion, the best example, is the dark knight trilogy. If you haven't watched it, I highly recommend it. There is no better story in the comic genre that tells a beginning, middle, and end. As far as Rocky, I'd say Rocky 3 is an awesome example, where Rocky balboa thinks he's winning all these fights, but turns out his trainer, micky, has been arranging fights for Rocky with fighters that are not even in his class. Then comes Mr. Ts character, clubber Lange. The action, of course, is the fighting, but the ultimate goal is for Rocky to prove to himself that he has what it takes to best a fighter like clubber Lange.

[@bill2953]

@@1973vanguard Another way to put it.. What's the story about...vs What's the story really about.

[@jonettheonly]

Sitcoms work this way by default. They are just a bunch of events. Events are fun, but it can be hard to capture the same amusement of a sitcom in a book or a movie.

[@Halo_Legend]

In television series in general there usually is an overarching story that connects the loose events. Be it romantical interest, a bigger mistery or something else.

[@jonettheonly]

@@Halo_Legend For dramas, yeah, but I'm talking about sitcoms.

[@Halo_Legend]

@@jonettheonly Isn't there any romantic interests in Friends for example? Idk I never watched sitcoms.

[@jonettheonly]

@@Halo_Legend Yeah, I guess the romantic subplots could be a sort of storyline...? A lot don't have them, especially ones aimed at kids/young teens, Disney and Nick stuff.

[@tevinsamuel]

*ē jonē

[@saqlainalvi5485]

Great interviewer. Asked a great question. Didn't interrupt the interviewees flow. And in the end added her own thoughts not to sound clever or better than him but to expand and add to what was being said. Well done.

[@jauxro]

The most delightful parts of a story are what a character does when they want something very badly and emotionally

[@goldeneddie]

Karen, there are plenty of us KZbinrs here who have only ever heard your voice and can relate to that paperboy! I fell in love with the woman I married after hearing her voice first, just the music of her voice was enough, way before I ever met her. She passed away a few years ago, but I still remember that day, 37 years ago, when I heard her laughing and talking on the other side of a wall, and I thought 'Wow, that's the voice I could listen to for the rest of my life.' So trust me on this one Karen, you have a wonderful timbre to your voice and I'm sure you have many admirers just from hearing your interviews. And though you were probably right about the paperboy, I hope you can feel good about your admirers now, because sometimes falling for just your voice can be a wonderful compliment too.

[@filmcourage]

What a touching story! Thank you for sharing it with us. And for the compliments. We're sorry for your loss. But appreciate the time you took to let us know how you first met her. Hoping your story inspires a written story. Or maybe some memories are best kept untouched, left in a perfect state. Either way, thank you again for the comment and for watching.

[@goldeneddie]

@@filmcourage Thank you for such a lovely response, my pleasure to share. You do such a good job of this channel, so I'm glad my little comment can be a small contribution, Your videos have been and continue to be a great source of inspiration and knowledge. In fact, you've kept me going through the ups and downs of writing! So thank you for your good work too :)

[@vivthefree]

Sfdebris put this exceptionally well when describing Star Trek into Darkness: "there's a lot of activity, but not any movement".

[@magnusprime962]

vivthefree Hey, a fellow SF Debris fan! I agree, he had a great way of putting it, and Into Darkness was a great example. You have to balance the events and the reactions, which is something Orci & Kurtzman often fail at in their writing.

[@Ghost_Text]

Events are merely catalysts. The core of the tale is the internal wars that kick off inside the people they affect, how it manifests in their interactions with others, and how the main characters transform as a result.

[@Ghost_Text]

@@MrParkerman6 Yes

[@adammalkovich187]

Wow! I learned more from this than most film writers nowadays dream to get right. It's as simple as coming to KZbin and looking at a simple 8 minute explanation about movies and books that can change the outlook of how you write stories.

[@Halo_Legend]

In most cases I bet it isn't even the issue of film makers not knowing this. It is the issue of them choosing not to care too much. Money, big CGI budgets, a quarter of money going to ads and you have a one night hit. You don't care if people will see it ever again, you're just here to steal their money. They ofc can be oblivious to this story vs plot, but it is willful ignorance. Why would they bother to learn that? They're already making sick money.

[@StayFractalesque]

NO. you must shell out 50k for film school and make a mediocre short film with people who will without a doubt not go on to a career in filmmaking.

[@daradee5446]

Yas

[@noahbawdy3395]

Events are not the story. So true.

[@Infamous1892]

Think about how Stephen Kings says it, "Story over Plot"

[@0ctopusComp1etely]

This is exactly the realization I came to recently with my own work. I was writing a story, and I had a fair bit down, but I wasn't finding myself interested in my own plots events, or at least they didn't have as much impact as I'd hoped they'd have. Then I realized it was because I hadn't given the events enough weight to my actual characters. They all had reasons to be at the points they were at and take the actions they took, but I wasn't getting across the actual feelings of the characters in those moments. There was nothing for the reader to actually relate to. So I'm re-doing the script with trimming down some areas and expanding some others, namely internal thought processes. Hopefully it goes better this time.

[@RoninXDarknight]

One exercise I engaged in was to ask myself "What would character X do in this situation"...the situation being the one I was currently in, no matter what it was. Even if it was something as simple as going to a coffee shop: What would this character order?; What would that character order?; What would they do after ordering? etc. etc. As the writer we need to know the answers to these questions even if none of those answers never make it into the story itself (and most of them shouldn't), our characters will be better for it.

[@aarkmish8087]

@RoninXDarkknight Thank you for sharing.

[@el_bamboo_third]

This is what anime and manga have achieved greater, making us transparent of what the characters think and feel at a certain situation

[@danyosuna7276]

I would say the antítesis to that is Cowboy Bebop, we never understand them but get to know them

[@LSDOvideos]

Anime and manga made you transparent?

[@LightningStrike1212]

No, most of it is just over animating people's faces without any subtlety and it's cringey af. You have to craft exceptional dialogue in order to convey both subtext and intended meaning.

[@paradoxacres1063]

Anime/Manga *steals* from Western Literature all the time so neither Japanese or Western Storytelling is superior to the other 🙂🤷‍♂️

[@Paddyhammer444]

While this makes sense to say in this context, I usually see the thinking out loud or audible thoughts shit as what makes anime so hard to watch. While there is value in communicating accurately what a character feels, the absolute worst way imaginable to do that is to explain it longform in words. Far better is to use body language, framing, literally anything else not only because it is more expedient and, at least for me, more effective but also because telling the audience someones thoughts is different to communicating how they feel. I'm usually more lost after hearing a poorly written soliloquy of the main character explaining to himself what he already knows than I was before when I was just intuiting how he must be feeling at this moment based on the story. I just finished Beastars and, while I enjoyed it for what it is, it's really exemplary of how making transparent the characters thoughts can confuse a scene and, more importantly, alienate the audience. I found myself wanting to rewatch every scene to make sure I wasn't missing anything in their garbled inner monologues when really just a drop of creative animation or one good line could have let us skip it all without missing anything important. Though if the inner monologues were cut the season would be some five episodes shorter, not to call it a crutch or anything. Bebop already being mentioned here is helpful because it really feels like the perfect example. Almost no thinking out loud, just good cinematography and intuitive visuals, you know what the characters are feeling without them telling you, y'know, like in good movies and good books. Honestly It seems to highlight that the anime style of monologging isn't good as an antithesis to plot=story , it's just the opposite type of bad to the event-based style being advised against in this video. Good media seems to do neither, in my experience.

[@DodaGarcia]

I don't think I'm smart or mature enough to understand this as deeply as I'd like to, but I think I get it to an extent. For example, a knock on a door is just a knock on a door. It's mundane, we see them all the time. But if it's a knock on the door when you're expecting someone you fear, or a conversation you fear, that mundane event takes on a much bigger scale because of what's happening in your head and how it relates to your fears and hopes. Am I in the ballpark here?

[@navdeepmanaktala4618]

And as a writer you should be able to project that on the screen

[@umalihorne8513]

On top of that, the intentions of the knocker and the person behind the door are most important. What they want and what they do about it is going to give that knock life.

[@billycasper3351]

Yes, you are. Another way to put is the way Christian Bale once said in an interview(referring to TDK trilogy), that bomb blasts in a movie are empty if they have no meaning to them. (not exact quote but his point was similar to what I wrote)

[@jeffoliver4038]

Her husband had been scheduled to work an all-nighter at the hospital, but he'd left with a look in his eyes Amy had never seen before. At 3 am, she awoke with a start to a knock on the door. Her heart pounded as she slipped on her robe and hurried down the stairs.

[@silverstarlightproductions1292]

This is why The Rise of Skywalker failed as a movie because it was just moving from one event to the next. We never had enough time to see what was going on inside the characters and how it influenced the way they responded to everything that happened.

[@AstralMarmot]

They were probably as disoriented as I was watching it....

[@MarvinFalz]

I just remembered that I bought one Star Wars book, following the events of Revenge of the Sith, specifically because of it being advertized as telling how Anakin gets accustomed to his new life in his suit and aboard his personal star destroyer. And I was so disappointed, because much happened in the book, many action scenes, previously unknown and uninteresting Jedi fleeing from the Empire, Vader pursuing them, light sabre fights, killings. But only about five sentences on Vader's new life and how he experiences himself. And also no interesting internal conflict anywhere, which the made the book completely forgettable.

[@AstralMarmot]

@@MarvinFalz Wow. What a missed opportunity. I could read a War and Peace sized novel that took place only inside Vader's helmet. Imagine a dialogue between what's left of Anakin and what's become Darth Vader. Both of them trapped in this suit, one ascending in power, the other desperately trying to find a corner of his own psyche to hide in just to preserve even a sliver of what he once was... like a twisted Star Wars version of Waiting for Godot. I had no idea how much I wanted to read this book that doesn't exist until now.

[@MarvinFalz]

@@AstralMarmot Yes, that book would be interesting to read. Imo it should have the serious tone of The Empire Strikes Back. Maybe that book should be split in two or three smaller books, each of them taking place between two movies, beginning after the story of Revenge of the Sith and ending before the story of Return of the Jedi. Each book tells how Vader reacts inside himself and slowly changes back from machine to human.

[@DaMaster012]

While that's not an entirely incorrect statement, it's only partially true. We never connected with the characters because there was nothing to empathize with. TFA was about MaRey Sue and her beta-orbiter getting dragged through the same story beats as A New Hope, while the reprehensible TLJ was about destroying absolutely everything that came before it (while wholesale stealing from what came before it, namely The Empire Strikes Back and a bit of Return of The Jedi). TRoS has nothing but events because there was nothing for it to have but events. The sequel trilogy is nothing but hack frauds and butchers pretending to be the original trilogy by wearing it's skinned face. I suspect that the civilization that will rise from our ashes will use The Disney Corporation's Star Wars sequel trilogy as a master class for how not to write stories.

[@greyfox4838]

Worth noting to those who are taking this as gospel: This is called psychological storytelling. There's also sociological storytelling which is not primarily focused on the story within characters but instead within groups. See Just Write's video on it to know more.

[@lilaclunablossom]

There's nothing inherently "psychological" about the themes that would be expressed in a story like this. It could be philosophical, or, actually, as you denied, it COULD be sociological. This man is merely talking about meaningful "story," which is the only time the word "story" should ever be used, since "plot" is what HAPPENS in a story, not the purpose of the piece of art to exist. Meaningful works of art make up less than half the garbage that gets pumped out most of the time. Quit trying to add to the problem. This is much better to "take as gospel" than ANOTHER KZbin CHANNEL that uses "psychological" incorrectly, especially when actual "psychological" stories are literally the rarest thing in art. Philosophy and sociology are tackled MUCH more often, and, no, this doesn't necessarily change the style of storytelling. You're objectively wrong, and just spouting shit you heard from another KZbin VIDEO

[@cdarklock]

​@@lilaclunablossom It's not psychological because of the themes. it's psychological because it is based on driving the story with individual psychology: the story within EACH person. As opposed to a sociological approach, which is less concerned with what individual characters are thinking because it favours the similarity in thoughts among multiple people. It's not necessarily about what Unga Bunga the great hero thinks, it could be about what the collective warriors of the Bungari tribe think as a whole. Depending on the story you are trying to tell, one of these may be preferable to the other. The story will certainly be different depending on which approach you choose. And while there are KZbin videos on both these things, they are part of the vocabulary of storytelling in general, not the exclusive domain of this video and that video. This video is correct: you can tell a story this way. It is a good way to tell a story. Many good stories are told this way. Similarly, THAT video is correct: you can tell a story another way. It is also a good way to tell a story, and many good stories are told that way. The videos are not in competition and do not represent an argument over which is the "right" way to tell a story. There is no "right" way to tell a story. There is no "objectively wrong" way to tell a story. There are many ways to tell many stories, and YOU should choose the one that fits YOUR story.

[@-._.-._.-._.-._.-._.-]

@@cdarklock Yep, absolutely!

[@ostinkortan5310]

@@lilaclunablossom who hurt you

[@Infamous1892]

No He's right. Most books, Shows, and movies are about the Plot and not the story. Plot is not a Story. Events are cool, but if you don't care about the characters or what they are doing you have a Plot driven story and they are weak. Story is internal, plot is external.

[@blitzgirl6522]

I'm working on a 1st person PoV fantasy story right now and this video made me feel much better. Basically, I saw the video thumbnail and got worried that my in-progress story WAS just "events", but hearing Mr. Travis explain what he means by that...phew! So at least I know I'm starting to do something right, and just need to ensure now that my side characters are better fleshed out. That feels hard to do, though, when it's written in 1st person and everything and everyone is seen from the protag's eyes.

[@madhavsanap6690]

He is treasure trove of storytelling. Many ideas got clear with his talk. Thanks.

[@aloknr2430]

Need more mark Travis! Hes a goldmine!

[@filmcourage]

Here are ones we have done previously - bit.ly/2vN6g7U and bit.ly/2SJA5iN

[@aloknr2430]

@@filmcourage yes I've seen it so many times! Even my direction professor in college showed us your videos with him and Michael Hague. Much respect for those two :) . Influenced me greatly.

[@wyvernharries4788]

That thumbnail alone makes me uneasy about decisions I haven't made yet, nor got to make. back to the drawing board I suppose.

[@eddyjuillerat835]

I don't know how you do it but every person you interviews is really intersting, smart, wise, and your questions are spot on the core of the subject. I don't want to sound flattering but it's really impressive how valuable these talks are.

[@XxSEETH3RxX]

I learned this the hard way. The several screenplays I wrote when I first began never had stories, arcs, or the things a story should have. It took reading 100's of screenplays and practicing and writing until it clicked and got it right. In fact it took until I wrote my 25th screenplay that it had what it needed. That you could say, this is a story. Writing them isn't easy and you need to prepare. But once you understand what makes a story it becomes easier. Not just events as stated in this video. It has to come out of your character.

[@MasterCrash123]

One fun exercise I do to practice writing is use a scenario I've used several times: a simple card game. Anyone whose watched the show Daria might remember an episode where she's having a hard time writing, and her teacher purposes that by narrowing your choices for a plot/event, you can really bring your characters to life. How does your character feel about playing a card game? Are they thrilled? Are they getting dragged into it? Or are they so in their own head they couldn't care one way or the other? I'd recommend trying this out, especially when you're fleshing out a new character. It can really help you hone in on what their personality is like.

[@YouKevo]

This was a great insight. No matter how much we think we know about writing, there's always something new to learn. I love that.

[@filmcourage]

Cheers!

[@snowyyzoe]

I like to think there's a story and there's the *story* The part that's just "a story" is the events that happen...but the *story* is about the characters and how the events affect them

[@StevenPJames-fl1un]

I love this. Effective character development is the bread and butter of good writing.

[@danieljackson654]

This episode is fantastic; a gem of a gift along the way to writing via self discovery. It is like walking through a forest and encountering a Guide in a forest hut who invites you to sit, have some tea, and answers your questions before you ask. Thank you again for this clip.

[@capuchinosofia4771]

I love how this guys explains. I just discovered this channel. 10/10

[@yappygm7433]

I learned more in these eight minutes than I had over the last eight years. Brilliant separation of plot and story.

[@UltimateKyuubiFox]

MrParkerman6 Plot and story, when they’re at their most convincing, are in alignment. They are not the same thing. You can confuse them as the same thing when they’re executed well. Watch something where they’re contradictory and it becomes very clear that the art isn’t working how it’s generally meant to. i.e. A doctor must learn the value of being compassionate to his patients and characters tell him this constantly to the end and the final scene is all about this idea, meanwhile the plot shows being compassionate gets worse results and creates unhappy patients-meanwhile the only patient thankful to the doctor in the end is the one who the doctor treated like a science project. The script says one thing but communicates another. But, at the end, if the Doctor treats it as a moral question instead of an effectiveness one, then the plot and the story can contradict and still function for its own purposes; I.e. staying the course in spite of the hardship because it’s the ‘morally right’ thing to do. The thing the script claims the story is about and what happens in it are not the same-they just generally SHOULD be.

[@JorgePrietoNYC]

My junior and high school years were the hardest, because of the secret I was keeping or rather desperately trying from others to find out. I was gay, I'm gay and I hate it because back in late '70's early '80's plus me being Latino, that was... shameful. I was slapped by my dad at age 6 for just acting gay. So, I retrieved, repressed all feelings. I was afraid to have male friends. I also had the secret that I was sexually abused at age 7 or 8, I blocked it. Thank God for writing, it saved my life. In my characters I could be anyone else, except the nerdy, gay teen, everyone picked on. It wasn't until nearly five decades later that I wrote my own story, my struggle with my own sexuality. I titled that screenplay, "Shared Scars" and in it there's me at age 16 , 17 and me as an adult in my first longtime gay relationship. So, yes I knew all these characters well, myself then, now, my parents then, now, and of course all my tormentors in school and at home, my own parents. The only thing I haven't been able to forget and forgive is the men who abused me, who is still alive, but someone who I have not seen since then, now over five decades. Great interview. Karen you are amazing!! Thanks, Sir, for your time here.

[@beebuzz959]

I am so grateful things are changing! And I am so sorry for what you endured! but here's to applying all of that pain and learning and growing to your screenwriting!

[@Joseph-bd3pk]

[@kota86]

Sharing your own vulnerability like this will do a world of good for people that can relate to your story. I, for one, really appreciate it as a fellow victim of sexual abuse. Gods bless you, friend; and the best of luck and power on your journey.

[@JorgePrietoNYC]

@@kota86 Grateful for your kind words...

[@Somespideronline]

I wish more people like you exists, the world would be a kinder place.

[@josephvanwyk2088]

You know, when I hear WISDOM like this I snap my fingers. Man I love American filmmaker ideology - writers/directors speak the truth when someone tries to learn from them.

[@filmcourage]

Do you get to know the characters in your stories as well as the people in your life?

[@lonjohnson5161]

I usually have to write a bit before I truly understand my characters.

[@JorgePrietoNYC]

Actually, I know my characters better than the people in my life. They often don't surprise me or betray me. I also, like someone mentioned, spend a few months with my characters, alone in my head. We have secrets, core wounds, dreams and goals, so this is a good starting point. I always know my ending and my beginning. It's my roadmap, what happens in the journey to my ending, that's the most exciting part, especially when the characters take over and surprise me. Good luck fellow writers and keep writing, creativity is a muscle that must be worked at least 2 to 3 times per week. A journal is good starting point.

[@Maazzzo]

Karen, you definitely should have felt weird, that was creepy.

[@ValdemarDeMatos]

I know most of my characters, but currently I’m struggling with one particular character that I’m having difficulty to enter in... When writing I really have the need to enter into my characters, live from their perspective, feel what they feel. Until I can’t do that their behaviors and reactions don’t feel convincing to me. I need to keep “living” into this particular character for some more time so I can really find his essence.

[@Maazzzo]

I know my characters better than the people in my life. It's the plot that I struggle with!

[@LowestofheDead]

"You can't control what happens to you, but you can control how you react to it" So story is all about your reactions?

[@Paddyhammer444]

An old writing truism is that protagonists should be reactionary. There are a lot of valid exceptions to this but it's usually a good way to think as a writer.

[@SarifaXionic]

It’s also important to find moments to be proactive and get ahead of what you can’t control to minimize the damage or prevent it all together.

[@coffeefrog]

I was actually confused by this. I keep hearing pros say to make the protagonist proactive, not reactive. I THINK Travis meant that ULTIMATELY all the actions we take are in response to other events, but I assume he'd agree with the other pros that the protagonist needs to drive the story, taking decisive action to drive the plot from one point to the next (in most stories anyway... There are some exceptions where the protagonist is mostly just reactive, but their lack of proactivity tends to be the point of the story, like in "Forrest Gump" or "A Serious Man"). If your protagonist isn't proactive, if they're not taking decisive action to reach their goal, if external events are just pushing them toward the finish line, then it begs the question why this person deserves to be a protagonist in the first place.

[@coffeefrog]

@@Paddyhammer444 I've never heard that one before.

[@atallguynh]

I'd say I can get to know my characters better than real people. I can dredge up and imagine all sorts of things that we normally keep hidden from one another.

[@oldproji]

I have always felt that the real "story" is in the growth (or destruction) of the protagonist from the beginning through to the end of the movie as a person. What did they take away from their experience that made them a better (or worse) person than before? Not every film has to have a happy, or satisfying ending. A happy ever after ending is not the way things usually pan out in reality.

[@maximgehricke3768]

This was fantastic! I feel enlightened! And Mark Travis managed to get this knowledge across so wonderfully

[@bobrobertson3558]

Great advice here for fiction authors as well. Sometimes knowing, and talking about, the characters in your story will, in itself, be a cure for any writer's block you think you might have.

[@BlueSpiritFire1]

This was really good for putting a 'name' to the feeling of a good story. It's why I love reading those introspective moments, and writing them even more. Thank you!

[@eugeneaniar7232]

Very powerful 8 mins crash course on character creations. Thanks bunches 💙

[@lauramccann18]

Beautiful, just beautiful.

[@michaeljenner2325]

“The protagonist is you.” Considering my protagonist is a ill mannered, alcoholic , detective bear, I’m inclined to disagree. But seriously I completely agree. Character is the no. 1 important thing in a good story.

[@zickeney7108]

He said that in the context of an autobiography.

[@michaeljenner2325]

Zickeney But it still stands for a novel.

[@OrangeFreeman]

So basically Disco Elysium protagonist?

[@michaeljenner2325]

OrangeFreeman I don’t know Disco Elysium. Here is a bit about him. Name: Vincent Rake Species: Brown bear Age: 41 Lives in: New York City Nationality: American German. Occupation: Detective PHYSICAL APPEARANCE He has ember coloured eyes and brown fur. He’s tubby but has a fair bit of muscle as well. His fur is untidy but clean most of the times as are his clothes. OTHER INFORMATION Vincent is one of the best detective in the city and has a reputation of getting the job done. Nobody knows much about him as he keeps his past to himself and is reluctant to talk about it. However what little is know is that he didn’t have a happy upbringing and has had one then one unhealthy addiction in his life. He’s also got the reputation of being hard to get along with and is known to have a major drinking problem. As one of his fellow cops has said, “He’s a smug, arrogant, foul mouthed jerk who seems to take pride in belittling other. I’d love to hit him with a bus.” He’s also known to enjoy cruel and rude jokes but draws the line at anything overly vulgar. Despite all this he has some good traits . He works hard to bring criminals to justice and he comes down like a tone of bricks on any kind of sex offender. He isn’t above taking a bash at females or members of other races (or species) but considers true racism and sexism both pathetic and plain stupid. He also spends a fair bit of his free time working in soup kitchens and helping the homeless. All in all despite his horrible bedside manner he is on the side of the angels. As he himself would say: “This city is a dump. I’m here to bring it to a better place. Now it can either come along peaceful or I’ll give it a sharp kick in the ding dongs and drag it there but one way or another it’s coming.”

[@solitary2]

@@michaeljenner2325 " a sharp kick in the ding dongs"

[@sharonkadach6900]

Thanks for explaining this! It always frustrates me when films don’t bother to show how a character is feeling during an event, it takes me out of the movie and the magic goes away for a little bit

[@jonathangriffin8060]

I have currently written an "autobiographical" screenplay about my life and dealing with mental health issues and schizophrenia. Although the story is a fictional account of the protagonist dealing with schizophrenia and the symptoms and their toll on the protagonist, the events are also what I, myself, have gone through, as a person who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 23 in 1994. I was hospitalized and wrote my experiences in the four months I was in the hospital in recovery. I agree with Mark when he says that the events, don't make the story. I believe they are parts that make up the overall story; just like pieces of a puzzle. The puzzle is not completed if you only have a small number of pieces...or in this case, if you only have a small number of events when you are writing an autobiographical screenplay, you definitely need action leading up to those key events. This reminds me of the film "Prozac Nation" starring Christina Ricci. She played the part of Generation X writer Karen Wurtzel, who wrote the novel on which the movie was based. I have been in recovery from my bouts with schizophrenia. I still have it, but now I am a peer advocate for the mental health community and speak out against the stigma that plagues those in the mental health community.

[@danyosuna7276]

There are several ways of writing a great story, this is one

[@igodreamer7096]

Yeah, this was a nice explanation. Thanks, Mark

[@reelscreenwriting8940]

Thanks for this :) Always valuable content, I love it.

[@troydevolld9793]

Mark speaks well on all things writing/directing, always.

[@Showdax]

Hearing this spelled out makes perfect sense! Thanks!

[@matthiaskiefer]

Wow, thanks! Mind blown

[@dari.robertos]

Finally a name for the voice xD Karen, thank you very much for been a wonderful interviewer, your questions and the form you guide the interview its so helpful for us, the watchers of the channel. I, personally, can not help but aprecciate hugely your part in this channel. So thanks, really, thanks a lot.

[@filmcourage]

Thank you so much! I appreciate the kind words. Great to hear you are enjoying our videos. Cheers!

[@G-Blockster]

Internet gold right here!

[@TheGoddon]

Love this.

[@moniquenewman4889]

Brilliant !

[@merdemoiii-7589]

God this gets me so excited

[@jorabe9508]

Aaaand D&D were not able to feel the characters George Martin created. The result: Season 6-8 of Game of Thrones

[@kelmohror6960]

Insight to immediately put to work! Clear, concise revelation. Thanks! 🥇🥇🥇

[@filmcourage]

Glad it was helpful!

[@stiankallhovd7041]

Mark Travis is great, and I always enjoy listening to him. :) Since I completed my screenplay, I've been doing some research on how I might get it to a producer. From what I heard in an interview on here that I watched recently, production companies do not usually accept unsolicited scripts. This implies that the way to get a script to producer is through an agent. However, what I found when reading articles, is that agents nowadays have so many clients they can barely afford to take on any further. And as a result of this, a new industry has become very important. If we consider production companies to be a primary industry, and screenwriter's agents a secondary industry, a tertiary industry (I don't know for how long it's been around) is what is called screenwriter's managers. And perhaps the most important thing a screenwriter's manager does, is to help the screenwriter get an agent once "the script is ready." So the conclusion I've made, is that a screenwriter who has not yet sold anything or been recommended by others, should first aim at getting a manager. And this is something I'm surprised to see that none of the people interviewed at Film Courage (to my knowledge) has touched upon. That is indeed a very important thing for writers to know, and especially if you're outside the US (in which case you are even more unlikely to have connections). I'm not even sure if the word "manager" has been mentioned that much in the interviews. On behalf of others, I hope that this VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SCREENWRITERS will be conveyed by someone in a future interview. :) And also some info on how you know whether an agent or manager is legit. (From what I gather, they should *only* work on provision (10 % each) of what the writer earns -- they should only get paid when the writer gets paid.)

[@JorgePrietoNYC]

I have used INKTIP.COM, and have received three request, but nothing stick. The same with Stage32.com pitch services. No luck there, but good face experience pitching via Skype. I agree, when it comes to managers or agents, don't know where to begin. Acting for me, has become a more achievable path. Good luck to you.

[@filmcourage]

Hi Stian, we have covered it quite a bit. Here's one that many have found helpful - kzbin.info/www/bejne/gH-kdYx7edF2e8U

[@terrywitzu7874]

Don't forget to love your character's - all of them . I understand we're talking about plot versus story, but caring about all your character's will propel the story-line. It's like when you're watching a movie and a side-character of no REAL significance keeps popping up. Yet, you're always happy to see the guy/gal. The actor has taken the time to learn to love his character, and properly portray them. The writer has to do the same (well, more like something similar, but y'all know what I mean). P.S - Anyone else getting sick of every movie being about the Apocalypse, or an established super-hero? The Apocalypse has become the contemporary Western, which is fertile ground for new writer's, but both of these theme's have dominated for at least 20 years, now. Everything exciting becomes bland, eventually. I think we can do better. Time to clear the board, and start delving into...well, anything but! :) Happy writing, everyone.

[@vilmavega2689]

Wow this is so perfect. I’m a new writer. An as writing my own experiences, I notice that in writing the events I leave myself out. I kept thinking, so what Vilma? What about how do you feel? And the truth is that i feel a lot of resistance. But I know what to do. I go back in, to relive it all and be bare naked on the pages. So this video helps me understand what I was experiencing and validating that I’m learning something.

[@starwing2814]

I needed this! I'm having trouble choosing a protagonist, and I've been going back-and-forth. I realized that I don't realize that I don't understand myself.

[@circleofattention6021]

Super important nuance for anyone interested in telling a story. Think about this next time you retell what happened to you in any circumstance. Go inside!

[@TheSocialAlchemy]

Masterclass

[@tiffanypersaud3518]

Thanks Karen! Some useful stuff.

[@tylersimmons9002]

Hi Karen!! I’ve always wondered the name behind these wonderful interviews! Thanks!

[@BeinGiza]

AMAZING

[@NelsonStJames]

I think a lot of bad stories don't have a problem with the writers not knowing the character part, but that bit about how to convey what that character is feeling to the audience has begun to become a lost art. You've got a host of films now where we're told what characters are feeling, and a lot of pictures where they don't try, but just rush the film along action set piece to action set piece hoping that the audience won't notice.

[@DJM3D]

Really good.

[@isaacbarlow8247]

Yes...I do that all the time...

[@josephkelley8641]

Greatest single WRITING lesson I was ever blessed-with? Frank Daniel: "Story's are dramatized from WITHIN."

[@josephkelley8641]

a Hollywood writer/coach once told me I needed a car crash or drug sub-plot. (as mid point driver as they say). I said that's nonsense: "Story's are dramatized from WITHIN." (Frank's cynicism about adding car crashes/drug sub-plots... to pump up a dead script) Give it some energy. "Whether it fits or not." God Bless Frantisek Daniel - the greatest of them all.

[@alfredsams9059]

Film courage is awesome in that it goes to the heart of fiction writing. It reminds me of dissecting where students struggle to find the right nerve. In your videos you find the nerve of the storiy. I commend the astute interviewer and her technique I would call as nerve cracking

[@marcomazzini]

Fantastic! 😎

[@streettalk4thesoul]

thank you. 👍

[@filmcourage]

Cheers!

[@JohnMoseley]

This is getting at the marrow of it all as far as I'm concerned. I'm about to do Corey Mandell's class (remotely, I'm not in LA) because of his idea that you should tie your strong hand behind your back and work on your weaknesses. Character and dialogue are my strengths if I have any, and I'm very weak on structure. So I've been pushing structure, very much against my instincts, and it's allowed me to create what seems a pretty solid feature outline. But I'm champing at the bitt to get back to work like this because it's really the whole point for me. I just wrote draft 1 of a short and, as part of it, I did an interrogation of the main character, rather as Mark suggests in another video, though I got the idea from a screenwriting teacher here in the UK. It was my favourite bit of the writing process by far and a lot of what came out of it made it into the script.

[@andrewkulubi9919]

This guy gets it

[@paulbaker3465]

a good story is real. the truth you can’t make up,and the truth is enough and the truth just is.

[@squidsona8509]

As someone who wants to write and direct, the way i come up with ideas is always the characters first. Anyone else?

[@marcobencini9941]

it's the opposite for me

[@MadMax22]

Now do everything!, With the perfect ammount of sentences. Not too much not too little. That's what I'm working on rn.

[@MarketResearchReading114]

I think this as a philosophy is good, but sometimes you also have to know, that you don't need to build a tower from quarry to engineering to wall hangings to what is the view...sometimes you can just paint a nice view, and if that view is nice enough, they'll forget that you didn't build the tower brick by brick. There's a rule for doing everything if you need it, and when you need it, follow it.

[@SoldatDuChristChannel]

Hes talking about development. Yes characters can develop micro level, but also, on the macro level the world narrative can develop as well. You can tell one story about how one person develops as a result of events, but to add even more depth to the narrative experience is to describe how the world, or groups at large develop as a result of events

[@arturkot4108]

Ma man, what a guy

[@johndisco5280]

Keeping this in mind though, POV is very difficult to portray in imagery. So the scriptwriter has to do the next best thing. Either show it through dialogues or actions. Do not compare books with movies. Books allow the writer to write whatever thoughts characters are going through. Scriptwriting cannot, they have to rely solely on images. And some words cannot be expess in image and vice versa. Example: The book: character is feeling distressed as if the world is crashing down on them. Movies: shown through action, words or expression to show the character is in distress. If we want more characters in-depth, that would be adding voiceover thoughts in their head to see what they're thinking. Like anime. But let be honest here, who wants to watch movies hearing the character's thoughts?

[@andresnavarro5978]

A charecter should have options to choose from and make his desicions if your charecter does something because hes forced to then its just an event not a story

[@OcarinaSapphr-]

andres navarro Well, I’d expand on that; the balance between what characters are/ feel forced to do (for various reasons), what they *choose* to do- & _why_ they choose to do it, & then explore what those choices/ lack of choices (real, or sometimes perceived) result in- & what they mean to the character/s - not everything’s life or death, & motivation varies...

[@doctor7752]

Settings work with events, events work with characters and characters work with story. They're all important.

[@Infamous1892]

You characters why is the most important element. You have to get your audience to care

[@klausehrhardt4481]

How well you know your past is strongly related to how well you recall it. That is a serious problem, for we change along with our motivations and character. In the late bildungsroman (fin de sicle), the narrative of the events and facts serves to the sole purpose of reconstructing the development undergone by the main character, wich is the gideline of the plot, as for instance, in Thomas Mann´s Magic Mountain.

[@CaCriGuz]

Thank yoiu :)

[@luckyboypictures]

Great interview but something happened that usually doesn't happen when I listen to a lecture or interview, I started to look at my own life and started asking questions. "Who am I? And why am I here, at this particular time?" I started to look at my life as a character and started to ask questions, wow.

[@tensaantares]

@Thumbnail "Events Aren't Stories" Mainstream Comics publishers didn't get the memo.

[@jjj7790]

For real, though. There are so many comics out there that I have read and found completely boring, despite having the most outlandish situations because the entire thing it just feels like "the character isn't doing this because they want to or because it makes sense for their character, they are doing this because the writer wants scene to happen". They are honestly worse at writing plot than porn writers. They might as well just write "The Incredible Hulk is hanging out at home alone ordering a pizza, and Wolverine just happens to be the guy delivering that pizza".

[@tensaantares]

@@jjj7790 That's the unknown reason for Hulk Vs Wolverine. That time when Wolverine delivered Hulk a pizza...with PINEAPPLES on it!

[@iliveinsideyourhouse3943]

Which is why I recommend to read manga over comics.

[@BookClubDisaster]

Yeah I'm writing a semi-autobiographical novel with a fictionalized version of me in my mid 20's and I try to make sure I'm not imposing my current self onto my younger self. You really have to force yourself to remember hard and actually step outside yourself and see this person more objectively than you ever did at the time.

[@Vesnicie]

In order to write your own life, you need a good deal of self-knowledge in addition to literary talent. Those are two rare qualities.

[@RetirementIncomeAcademy]

This guy is brighter than other teachers is practical not a flake

[@wendellwilson7444]

Hello everyone. First let me say, thank you for this video! I am struggling so badly with a manuscript that I have written, for several reasons! I would really like to have someone read, and critique this body of work. To say this manuscript is important too me would be an understatement! A 12.000 word, fictional story that came to me at a time in my life where I had to write it down! I belive in this story! I belive the world we live in should hear, or even see, (on the big screen) this story. It saddens me that I'm stuck because of my lack of knowledge when it comes to computers, formatting, screenplay.......however, when I am able, I intend to submit this for the world to see on the big screen. Am I over thinking this?......maybe, but, I believe in it!

[@whoami8434]

People often neglect the power of imagination in story telling. It isn’t creative imagination, but the bare fact of presenting in your mind realities that don’t actually exist. Fiction is really just high resolution imagination. Also, if you want a fantastic example of what not to do in writing fiction, there’s a book called Seveneves that is literally just the transpiring of events in the world and it is so boring I can’t believe it. A story conveys an idea, and it does it through the actions of the characters. If you have nothing of significance to say, then you have nothing to write.

[@Sharath275]

Can u make an interview with k m weiland, author of character arc?

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

The event... A person got stuck, between a rock and the floor of a cave. Due to space, his friends couldn't just grab his foot (feet) and yank him out, so they went to get a rope, and came back to rescue him... It took a while, since the nearest rope was quite a distance away. AND so... pinned in place, he had to lay quietly and wait. Not so interesting... eh? Story: We'd been caving many times together. I knew everyone on the team, and we implicitly trusted each other... BUT this particular afternoon, they shouted up, "Go ahead and check that shaft".... SO I tried. I tried and only as the overhead rock pressed down against the middle of my back did I realize it was impossible. Squirm to the side, and the pressure gets tighter... Squirm the other way, and tighter still. It doesn't feel "right". It doesn't make any sense, and the little gal behind me can't help, so the group talks among themselves, and decides to go back for rope. Rope can get many hands on the job. BUT... we've been underground surveying for a few hours. There's two results from this... 1. We have neglected the batteries in our light sources. Not that we routinely just forget about them, but there are often spans of time when we just don't bother with them... 2. We've been way beyond the "traveled" part of the cave. There simply is NO marked path or directions about where the "stuck guy" is laying... SO I get pinned... At the time, it looked like a narrow (but do-able) shaft into the next space. Boy, was I wrong, and as I slid into the spot, and the rock pressed me down in the center of my back, I found myself growingly concerned that I couldn't move forward or back. The more I wriggled, the more stuck I seemed to get. Somebody came up with the idea of getting some rope, so we could get more than one pair of hands on my legs... SO they'd only be about an hour to get back to camp, and an hour to get from camp to me... Cool enough. Only about a half an hour of waiting, bored... and my light dims... the light on my hat is running out of power. It dims and flickers... and then runs out all together... AND I'm dropped into darkness. Who's really afraid of the dark? Right? I mean, it IS only darkness. It really can't hurt you... Can it? Spend some time, though... real time... in REAL dark, Surface dwellers don't really understand dark. Real dark is when you smash your hand into your face before you even know it's your hand. Real dark is when you don't have ANY thing to see or deal with, except the beating of your own heart, traveling through the rock so you can hear it. SO the light goes out... because I've screwed around with the guys and gals, and I have batteries, but I never bothered to change anything out... Ha... so I wriggle, trying to get to my ass-pocket... only to get tighter wedged... pressed harder into "cave sludge"... makes it harder to breathe... light gets dimmer... flickers... and suddenly (even that I know what's coming) goes out. Now, I'm laying there, hoping my friends know their way around well enough. I'm hoping we did our due diligence to get them back to the "base camp" and then to me, with our maps. There's nothing but blackness around me while I worry about these things... I listen to my heart beating while the cave mud gets everywhere it wasn't supposed to. AND then it strikes me... The light could help others find me! Only, as my light's gone out, there's no help. The others could walk right over me and never notice... They could completely miss me. OH SHIT! After the LONGEST two hours of my life, there was the most miraculous moments when the lights started flashing, flickering, glimmering about me. A world of my nightmares. became a world of light and love and society again... ...This is just a story about a guy in the dark. The events, such as they are... are a dude gets himself stuck, and has to wait for others to get a rope. It's really no big deal. There's no serious predators, either... Just darkness.... BUT elaborate well enough, and you have some story-craft. ;o)

[@Ep1cTV]

Even your second telling of the event was uninteresting. You put emphasis on the light for half the event, despite telling the audience it would take 2 hours to get the rope. Not exactly a tension filling timeframe. Your choice of ellipses and emphasis on words also felt awkward to read. Adding that it was unmapped parts of the cave was a good addition, you should have focused on that.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

@@Ep1cTV Kinda the point. You get a taste... TASTE... rather than the whole course... like I did. Trust me, you don't want that. It's the kind of thing I'd just rather f*** all up than stick to someone straight. It's the kind of thing I'd never wish on someone else. ;o)

[@fabwalk8133]

the group is lost in the dark, they cant find the camp, all of a sudden they hear hissing around , the hissing is getting louder and from multiple directions , the group panic , one of them manged to turn on a light, they find the ground lurking with snakes , a snake attacks one of them but misses, he managed to stump the snakes head with his foot .. the group starts running back to their friend ,, however this guy is a little delayed, he decides to pick up the dead snake before he runs .. they arrived to their friend .. they use the dead snake as a rope .. sorry for the crappy English

[@thac0twenty377]

ignore the comments

[@ricflomusic]

Gem stone 💜

[@fiifibaiden9149]

This is very good advice, but it's for a particular type of story, mainly psychological stories.