Spoiler Alert! This film was released in 2011, meaning that it’s been around for a while. In fact, a lot has happened in the MCU since the Captain first came on the scene. Obviously, it’s impossible to talk about a movie’s structure without giving away the ending, and this example is no different. There will be spoilers.

Okay, let’s dive into our analysis of Captain America: The First Avenger.

PROLOGUE: The story begins with a prologue of sorts. Scientists discover a wreckage buried in ice and call in the military. As they explore the inside of the strange vehicle, they come across Captain America’s shield.

Next, we flash back to 1942 Norway, where an old man is hiding in an ancient stone church protecting something. Uniformed officers from Hydra burst in with a tank, knocking down a wall. They are looking for the mysterious thing the old man is protecting (the Tesseract). Johann Schmidt, the head of Hydra, finds the Tesseract hidden behind a secret panel in the wall, and takes it. The old man warns him that he cannot control the Tesseract’s power, but Schmidt kills him.

ACT 1: In New York, Steve Rogers is rejected from enlisting because of his small stature and many health problems. He wants to be recruited and serve in the war like his father did. (His dad served and died in World War I.) He is so desperate to be recruited that he has tried multiple times and has even lied on his recruitment forms.

Rogers and his best friend Bucky go to the World Exposition of Tomorrow the night before Bucky leaves for Europe. Bucky tries to set Rogers up with a girl so they can double-date but Rogers isn’t interested. He’s holding out for the right girl. He wanders away from the group and goes to another recruitment office. At the recruitment office, Dr. Abraham Erskine of the Strategic Scientific Reserve allows Rogers to enlist in a special program.

FIVE PROMISES: The five promises of act 1 get answered early in the story.

Character: Steve Rogers is our protagonist. He is physically small and weak, but he desperately wants to fight in the War.

Voice: As with most movies, there isn’t a voice per se but a mood. In this case, even while some parts of the film can be dark, the mood is largely optimistic. 

World: The bulk of the story takes place in 1942-1943, during World War II. While the story is set in the past, a lot of the Hydra technology feels futuristic.

Problem: Rogers wants to fit in the war, but he keeps getting rejected because of his health and small stature.

Event: The day before his best friend leaves for the War, Rogers finally gets recruited for a special, secret program.

ACT 1 (Cont’d): Meanwhile, in the mountains, Dr. Zola and Schmidt try to harness the power of the Tesseract. They are able to stabilize it and realize they can use it to power Hydra technology, changing the course of the war.

Back in the US, Rogers is in training and meets Agent Peggy Carter and Colonel Phillips. Rogers fails most of the physical challenges of training, but shows intelligence and strength of character. Eventually, Col. Phillips is convinced that he should be the one selected for the procedure to become a super soldier.

The night before Rogers is going to have his procedure, Dr. Erskine visits him in the barracks. Rogers asks why he was chosen and Dr. Erskine says: “Because a strong man, who has known power all his life, will lose respect for that power. But a weak man knows the value of strength and knows compassion.” Erskine also tells Rogers about Schmidt, the first man to take the serum, and how that serum amplified his evil qualities.

The next day, Rogers is taken to a secret lab where Dr. Erskine and tech genius Howard Stark have rigged a machine to give him serum and turn him into a super soldier. At first it seems Rogers can’t tolerate the procedure and they almost shut it down, but then he protests so they continue. When the machine opens, Rogers has transformed from a scrawny, weak guy into a superhero.

RULE OF 3:  Rogers gets tested three times before he receives the serum, and all three times he shows strength of character despite his weak body. The first test is when he meets Dr. Erskine, who asks him if he wants to kill Nazis. Rogers replies that he doesn’t want to kill anyone, but he hates a bully. This answer shows Rogers’ principles and his motivation to protect others.

The second test occurs when he is in training. He and the other recruits are running past a flagpole and the drill sergeant challenges them to climb it and get the flag. All the other men try and fail. Rogers then loosens a pin at the base of the pole and it falls down, allowing him to get the flag easily. This moment demonstrates Rogers’ intelligence and his ability to see past the obvious answers.

The last test happens when Rogers and the other recruits are at back the camp doing calisthenics. Col. Phillips takes a grenade, pulls the pin and throws it at the men. Everyone ducks and hides except for Rogers, who throws himself on top of it. This action proves that Rogers will do anything—even sacrifice himself—to protect others. This is the moment that convinces Col. Phillips that Rogers is the best candidate to receive the serum.

PIVOT POINT 1:  Just after Rogers has his transformation, a man posing as a government official sets off a bomb and shoots Dr. Erskine. He grabs the one remaining vial of serum and runs. Dr. Erskine dies, and Rogers goes after the man. The external event at this pivot point is the bomb going off. The internal choice is Rogers’ decision to pursue the man.

A chase through the streets of New York ensues, and they end up at the docks. The man tries to escape via a Hydra submarine, but Rogers swims after and catches him. When Rogers throws the man up on the docks, that last vial of serum breaks and the man swallows a poison pill. He dies saying “Hail Hydra.”

ACT 2:  Meanwhile, back at the mountains, some of Schmidt’s superiors come to his secret base and criticize his work. It turns out that Schmidt has been planning a mutiny all along, and he kills them all.

After the chase with the Hydra operative, the US government assigns Rogers to help raise money for the war effort. Dressed as Captain America, he performs to packed theaters and also on screen. The show involves a lot of dancing girls and the Captain punching a guy dressed as Hitler. The civilians find his show entertaining.

Eventually, Rogers ends up performing to boost morale at an army camp a few miles from the front in Italy (1943). The soldiers are not interested in his show and throw tomatoes at him. Agent Carter stops by the camp and tells him after the show: “You were meant for more than this.” She tells him that these men have seen it worse than most in the war and that the majority of their unit has been killed or captured. Rogers learns that this is the same unit his best friend Bucky joined. He thinks Bucky may have been captured.

Col. Phillips refuses to plan a rescue mission, so Rogers decides to do it himself. With the help of Agent Carter and Howard Stark, he parachutes into enemy territory and takes on the whole Hydra base on his own. He releases the prisoners being held captive, but Bucky is not among them. As the rest of the men fight their way out, Rogers looks for Bucky. Dr. Zola and Schmidt are in the facility and they set off a self-destruct sequence. Just after Rogers finds Bucky, they run into Dr. Zola and Schmidt. Rogers and Schmidt fight briefly and then Schmidt pulls off his mask, revealing that he is Red Skull. Dr. Zola and Schmidt get away but Rogers and Bucky are cornered. Bucky is able to cross to safety via a wobbly beam, but the beam collapses and Rogers has to use his super soldier strength to jump.

Back at the camp, Col. Phillips and Agent Carter believe Rogers has been killed in action. At that moment, Rogers leads the freed prisoners into the camp, and everybody cheers for Captain America.

MIDPOINT: The rescue mission involves two temporary triumphs with the moment of self-reflection sandwiched in between. The first temporary triumph is when Rogers frees the prisoners and then finds Bucky. It feels like a triumph because it seems that Rogers has succeeded at his mission.

The self-reflection is implied during the scene where Rogers confronts Schmidt (who has now fully stepped into his Red Skull persona). The latter says: “You are afraid to admit that we have left humanity behind. Unlike you, I embrace it proudly, without fear.” The implication is that, because of their extraordinary abilities, he and Rogers are superior beings and the future of humankind.

Like with most movies, we do not have a true moment of introspection because we can only know what Rogers is thinking based on his dialogue, actions, and body language. That said, Red Skull’s words suggest that he is what Rogers could turn into if he allows his power to corrupt him.

The second temporary triumph is when Rogers arrives back at the camp, leading the prisoners. He offers to turn himself in for disciplinary action, showing his continued humility, but Col. Phillips lets him off the hook.

ACT 2 (Cont’d): While rescuing the prisoners, Rogers caught a glimpse of a map showing the various Hydra weapon factories. Co. Phillips puts Rogers in charge of destroying all the Hydra factories. Rogers assembles a team including several of the prisoners he rescued and his friend Bucky. Howard Stark gives his shield an upgrade.

With his team, Rogers starts taking down each of the Hydra facilities one by one. As Agent Carter and Col. Phillips watch video footage of their attacks, we see that Rogers carries a compass with a photo of Agent Carter tucked inside.

Rogers and his team plan to sabotage a Hydra train because they have intel that Dr. Zola is on it. It turns out to be a trap, and it seems like Rogers and his team are outmatched. Bucky falls from the train and into the ravine below. The team eventually takes the train and captures Dr. Zola.

PIVOT POINT 2: Rogers tries to drown his sorrows, but because of his superhuman abilities, he can’t get drunk. He blames himself for Bucky’s death, and Agent Carter tries to convince him that it’s not his fault. Rogers says he’s going after Schmidt and won’t stop until all of Hydra is dead or captured. The external event for this pivot point is Bucky’s death, and the internal choice is Rogers’ decision to go after Schmidt.

ACT 3: Schmidt’s secret base is in the Alps. He plans to cross the Atlantic in a giant, futuristic plane, using his Tesseract-powered weapons to attack the United States. Rogers and his team make a plan to storm the Hydra base. 

CRISIS: Rogers rides into the base alone on his motorcycle and for a minute it looks like he might be able to take on all the Hydra troops himself, but he is eventually outnumbered and is taken prisoner to Schmidt. While Rogers confronts Schmidt, the rest of his team storms in, which had been the plan all along.

Schmidt runs off, and Rogers goes after him while his team takes the base. Grabbing the Tesseract, Schmidt boards his spaceship-like plane and sets a course for New York. Rogers runs after the plane but can’t catch up until Col. Phillips and Agent Carter pull up in Schmidt’s fancy car. They drive Rogers right up to the plane, and before he leaps aboard, Agent Carter kisses him. The plane takes off with Rogers, Schmidt, and a few Hydra troops aboard. Rogers fights some of the Hydra troops and destroys a few smaller attack planes, then goes to the main control room.

CLIMAX: Rogers finds Schmidt in the control room, and they fight. During the altercation, he throws his shield at the Tesseract apparatus and breaks it. Schmidt picks up the Tesseract with his bare hand, and it slowly disintegrates him. He is destroyed by his own hubris.

Ending Type: Rogers starts out wanting to stop the global bullies (Nazis and later Hydra). He ends up destroying Red Skull (Schmidt) and thwarting Hydra’s attempt to take over the world. In other words, at the end of the film, Rogers gets what he wants, and he still wants that thing, so it is a happy ending.

DENOUEMENT: After Schmidt is destroyed, Rogers gets into the pilot’s chair. He radios his team, and they want to help him bring the plane down safely, but it’s going too fast. Rogers realizes he has to bring it down before it reaches a more populated area. He tells Agent Carter what he’s going to do. She tries to convince him otherwise, but he’s determined. They say some tearful last words as he brings the plane down into the ice and the radio goes silent. As the ice breaks, the wreckage of the plane gets buried.

The Allies win the war. His team drinks to Rogers’ memory. Later, Stark is on a ship searching for Rogers and the wrecked plane. He and his team find the Tesseract at the bottom of the ocean, but there is no sign of the wreckage or Rogers.

Suddenly, Rogers wakes up in a hospital. It looks like he’s in the 1940s, but it’s all a ruse. He figures out that the hospital is fake, so he breaks out and runs into present-day Times Square in New York. Several secret agents go after him, and he’s cornered. Nick Fury steps forward and tells him the truth: that he has been asleep for almost seventy years. The movie ends, leaving room for all the rest of the Avengers series.

CONCLUSION: Captain America: The First Avenger is a great example of a story in which the protagonist shifts archetypes not once but twice. At DIY MFA, we believe there are four main character archetypes: underdog, disruptor, survivor, and protector. These archetypes come from looking at the character’s type (relatable vs. aspirational) and what they want (either to change or preserve). When we consider both parameters simultaneously, we get the following matrix:

In other words, the underdog is a relatable character who wants to change something in themselves, their circumstances, or the world, while the disruptor is an aspirational character who seeks change. The survivor is a relatable character wanting to preserve something in themselves, their circumstances, or the world, while the protector is their larger-than-life counterpart.

Rogers starts out as an underdog. He’s just a regular guy from Brooklyn who wants to do his part and serve in the War. While he is relatable, he shows hints of greatness in the tests that create the rule of three. We realize that while he is not physically strong, there is more to him than we might at first assume.

When he rescues the troops being held in the Hydra prison, Rogers goes from underdog to disruptor, shifting his character type from relatable to aspirational. He continues as a disruptor throughout the time he is taking down the Hydra factories. In fact, he stays in disruptor mode until after Bucky’s death, when he decides to get revenge on Schmidt and Hydra. At that point, he becomes a protector archetype.

Revenge is a preserve-driven desire because it stems from the feeling that something bad has happened and justice must be served. Bringing the bad guys to justice and restoring a sense of order are goals with preservation at their core. After destroying Red Skull, Rogers cements his role as a protector by sacrificing himself and crashing the plane into the ice.

As with most character shifts we see in books and movies, Rogers does not jump directly from underdog to protector, but instead makes lateral moves. This is crucial because a diagonal leap across the archetype matrix means the audience must make two cognitive shifts at the same time. By making lateral moves from underdog to disruptor followed by disruptor to protector, the character evolves more naturally.

A jump across the diagonal could potentially feel unrealistic to the audience, making the protagonist seem like they are behaving out of character. This film is a perfect example of a protagonist who shifts across the diagonal, but does so in a natural, step-by-step manner.

Until next time, keep writing and keep being awesome!

P.S. For more info on Gabriela Pereira, the founder and instigator of DIY MFA, check out her profile page.

The post Writer Fuel: Three-Act Analysis of Captain America appeared first on DIY MFA.

I’ve written about why scenes are so crucial in the past and how those four essential story elements contribute to the story’s scenes. In this Writer Fuel, I’m going to hone in on six scene-related pitfalls writers might run into.

1) No Agency

One of the most important aspects of storytelling is that the character must have agency. Your book can’t just be a series of random events buffeting the protagonist to and fro. These characters need to make choices, and those choices must influence the events of the story in some way.

This is why a key moment in every scene is where the character makes a choice. This choice does not have to be earth-shattering. Every scene doesn’t have to be like Katniss Everdeen volunteering to take her sister’s place in the Hunger Games. The choice can be small and subtle, but still needs to be present. A scene without the character making some sort of choice will feel rudderless and static, like the story isn’t going anywhere.

SOLUTION: Give your character agency by creating a situation where they need to make a decision and that choice moves the story forward.

2) Slow-to-Warm-Up Storytelling

Scenes where characters start off with pleasantries and small talk might seem realistic, but they slow down the pace of the story. Characters don’t need to talk about the weather or “how about those Knicks.” The scene needs to jump right to the things that matter to the story. This is why so many scenes (and stories overall) start in media res or “in the middle of things.”

Remember, you’re not trying to capture reality in your storytelling. Let’s face it: reality is often boring and slow. Stories are like reality but better. The reader gets a sense of verisimilitude (that the story feels real) but that doesn’t come from mimicking reality down to the letter. Instead, stories are like a heightened reality, like if reality left out all the boring parts and only consisted of the good stuff.

SOLUTION: Don’t hem and haw your way into a scene. Start at the moment where things get interesting. The reader will suspend their disbelief. 

3) Too Much Backstory

It can be tempting to load up a scene with tons of backstory. After all, we don’t want our readers to get confused, so we might be tempted to give them all the information they need to understand what’s going on. The problem with this approach is that not all of that backstory might be relevant in that exact moment, and loading too much of it into a scene can feel like an info dump. Don’t get me wrong, backstory is important, but it should be used with moderation.

There are some backstory techniques (like flashbacks, for example) that allow you to share backstory in the form of an actual scene. But even flashbacks can slow the story’s pace if they’re not well-timed. Plus, if the flashback is not executed well, it can actually be worse for your story than if you left it out altogether. The danger zones for flashback scenes are the transitions, so if you choose to use this technique, be careful in those moments where you flash back to the past and then again when you return the scene to the present.

SOLUTION: Keep your reader on a need-to-know basis. In other words, only give the reader information they need to know when they need to know it.

4) Lack of Subtext

Most people (and most characters) don’t say exactly what they are thinking. They filter their thoughts, often to preserve their relationships. Like if a friend asked you what you thought of their positively hideous hat, you’d probably try to find something nice to say about it so as not to hurt their feelings. This is called subtext, when the dialogue isn’t strictly on-the-nose and the reader must “read between the lines.”

We create subtext in our scenes by having the character’s dialogue at odds with their actions, thoughts, or body language. At DIY MFA we talk about the four main ways to show characters on the page (thoughts, actions, dialogue, and appearance, or the TADA acronym) and subtext occurs whenever two or more of these elements are in conflict with each other. Subtext is interesting because it makes the reader more engaged in the storytelling. When a character’s dialogue (or behavior, or appearance) are too literal, there’s no room for inference and the reader might lose interest.

SOLUTION: Add a little subtext by pitting two or more of the TADA elements against each other. Make the character think one thing and say something completely different. Have their actions contradict their demeanor or body language. This adds depth and interest to your scenes.

5) Endless Crescendo / Abrupt End

One of the key elements of a scene is the “crescendo” or the ramp-up to the crucial moment. Sometimes writers craft a scene that’s all crescendo and it never actually reaches that key moment. (This key moment is usually a choice on the character’s part.) This endless crescendo can make the scene feel aimless, like it’s not really going anywhere.

A counterpoint to the endless crescendo is the abrupt end, where the scene simply evaporates after the character’s moment of choice. This lack of closure can leave a reader hanging and it can make the transition to the next scene feel jarring.

SOLUTION: Give a scene direction by having the character make a choice, and deal with the consequence of that choice. This not only gives the character agency, but it gives the scene an arc and sense of direction.

6) Out Of Place Scene

Sometimes we write scenes that seem really great in the moment, but as the story evolves they become out of place. This is why it’s important in the revision process to evaluate not just the content of the scene itself, but whether that scene adds to the story.

When I work with writers, I’ll often ask them to do a scene inventory, where they list out every single scene they have written with a 1-2 sentence summary of what happens in each scene. As part of this inventory, they must also state the purpose of each scene and why it’s important to the story. If they can’t state a reason why the scene is important, that’s usually a good sign that the scene might not be necessary.

SOLUTION: Go through your scenes and for each one ask yourself: “What’s the purpose?” If you can’t think of a good reason why the scene is in your story, consider leaving it out.

ONE CAVEAT: Even if a scene doesn’t make it into your story, don’t erase it entirely. Save it somewhere, in case it becomes useful later. You may not use it in this book, but it could become a great companion story or a “DVD extra” you include as a bonus for your superfans or newsletter subscribers. Even if it doesn’t end up in the final book, it can find a new life in some other form.

There you have it, seven scene-related mistakes to avoid. As with most writing advice, my suggestion is not to take these points too prescriptively, or it may squash your creativity. Instead, write your scenes with abandon. Have fun and follow the passion. Then, when you get to the revision stage, that’s when you should be on the lookout for these mistakes and rework your scenes accordingly.

Until next time, keep writing and keep being awesome!

P.S. For more info on Gabriela Pereira, the founder and instigator of DIY MFA, check out her profile page.

The post Writer Fuel: Write Stronger Scenes by Avoiding These Pitfalls appeared first on DIY MFA.

What I realized was that this episode fit the three-act structure to a T, and this surprised me. I’ve done a three-act analysis of a TV show in the past (Murder, She Wrote) but there’s a key difference between that and The Office. Murder, She Wrote is truly episodic. Each installment is a standalone unit, with very few story threads carrying over from one episode to another. Of course, there are recurring characters and details, but if you watched a random episode of the show from the middle or end of the series, you wouldn’t need a lot of explanation to get up to speed.

The Office is different. Most of the episodes do have a main storyline that begins and ends within that twenty-two minute window, but there are also several threads that carry over across multiple episodes. Classic examples of this are the Pam-Jim romance or Jim’s evolving friendship with Dwight. These particular threads span the duration of the entire show, but there are also shorter story arcs that last only a season or a handful of episodes.

This is why it surprised me that even with these larger story arcs in play a single episode can still fit the three-act structure. Today, I’ll share my three-act analysis of “Office Olympics” with you, but first…

Spoiler Alert! This episode aired in October 2005, so I think the statute of limitations for spoilers has long since passed. But just in case, be aware that there will be spoilers. Note also that this episode is from the American version of the show.

Okay, let’s dive into our analysis of The Office (S2E3) “Office Olympics.”

COLD OPEN: The episode kicks off with a short scene before the opening credits. Sometimes these opening gags relate directly to later events in the episode, and sometimes they are completely separate. With this episode, it’s the latter.

In this cold open, regional manager Michael Scott is at the office before dawn and Ryan the temp comes in with a breakfast sandwich. He asks Michael why he needed him to come in early, and it turns out it was just because of the breakfast sandwich. Michael tells Ryan to enjoy having the office all to himself and Ryan replies that he’s going to take a nap in his car. This small interaction underscores how oblivious Michael is to the needs of his employees.

OPENING CREDITS: The credits begin with scenes of Scranton and the Dunder Mifflin building, followed by clips of the main characters at the office set to upbeat music. These clips are interspersed with b-roll footage of various office details like a copy machine, a water cooler, and a calculator. The credits emphasize that while this show might take place in a humdrum office for a paper company, shenanigans will ensue. And, of course, they do.  

ACT 1: The employees are stuck filling out expense reports—an activity that’s so boring, Jim keels over and “dies” at his desk. While Dwight is away from his desk, Pam and Jim throw things into his coffee mug. This is the first game that opens the doors to the whole idea of Office Olympics. Meanwhile, Michael needs to leave the office because he’s closing on a condo. While he’s out, the rest of the office needs to finish their expense reports.

The five promises of act 1 play out as follows:

Character: Michael Scott is the protagonist. He is an incompetent boss who thinks far too highly of himself and is clueless about the feelings or wants of his employees. While the show has several key supporting characters and later becomes more of an ensemble cast, in the early seasons, Michael is clearly the main character. 

Voice: This show is filmed in a “mockumentary” style, meaning that periodically the characters will break the fourth wall and speak directly to the camera in talking head segments. These interviews often lend context and commentary to whatever happened in the preceding scenes.

World: Dunder Mifflin is a mid-sized paper company. The show takes place mostly in the Scranton branch which includes an office and warehouse.

Problem: In this episode, the problem is that expense reports are boring and no one at the office wants to do them.

Event: Michael has to leave the office in the middle of the day, so everyone else is left to their own devices.

PIVOT POINT 1:  Dwight asks Michael whether he can go with him to the condo closing as his representative (external event). After some insistence on Dwight’s part, Michael finally agrees (internal choice). The primary storyline is Michael buying the condo. While there are several scenes that show what’s happening in the office while the boss is away, the important landmark scenes (pivot points, midpoint, climax) all revolve around Michael.

ACT 2: Jim goes to Oscar’s desk to ask a question and sees a scoreboard for a paper football game deskmates Oscar and Kevin like to play. He asks if there are any other games and finds out that Toby (the HR rep) plays a game called Dunderball in the office annex.

Note: The rest of act 2 includes scenes of Jim orchestrating various games interspersed with scenes of Michael at the condo. The scenes are woven together to create the feeling that both storylines are happening at the same time. For this analysis, some of the events from each storyline have been grouped together or rearranged slightly to avoid too many shifts back and forth. Keep in mind that both the condo and office storylines happen simultaneously with quick cuts from one thread to the other. That said, because Michael is the protagonist, the condo storyline is where all the key landmarks occur.

When Michael and Dwight arrive at the condo, Michael talks about what he envisions for his future. He wants this condo to be a home for a family. They meet the real estate broker and the head of the condo association. After Michael puts Dwight down for not understanding property ownership, we learn that Dwight owns a 60-acre beet farm.

It appears Dwight doesn’t think very highly of Michael’s condo purchase choice. When the broker asks Michael if he’s ready to sign, Dwight interrupts with various questions. When Michael shows off the bedroom with cathedral ceilings and cable readiness, Dwight warns him that the neighbors are loud and the walls are thin.

Meanwhile, back at the office, Jim tries to get his office mates to play games. Eventually, he and Pam come up with the idea for the Office Olympics. They have an opening ceremony using a scented candle as the torch and gold, silver, and blue yogurt lids as medals. Some of the members of the office want nothing to do with these shenanigans, while others are all too happy to participate.

SUPPORTING CAST: The Office is all about the supporting cast. While Michael Scott is clearly the protagonist, the humor comes from seeing the supporting characters react to his ridiculous antics. There are several supporting characters, each with their own unique quirks and personalities, but for the purposes of this analysis, here are a few key players:

Dwight: The top salesman in the office with a harsh attitude and a penchant for going overboard when enforcing the rules. He believes he’s second in command, but he has little true authority. He also frequently falls for Jim’s pranks.

Jim: A salesman who is a bit of a slacker, though he can be efficient when he wants to be. He is secretly in love with Pam and enjoys playing pranks on Dwight.

Pam: The receptionist who’s been engaged for three years. She has dreams of doing something artistic with her life. She sees Jim as a close friend and often contributes to the pranks on Dwight.

Angela: An accountant who is very conservative in her dress and opinions. She is also very judgemental and a stickler for following the rules. She does not seem to like Jim or Pam, but she is having a secret affair with Dwight.

Ryan: A temp who has not been working at Dunder Mifflin very long. We learn later that he is in business school and thinks he’s smarter than everybody else. Despite his studies, he’s a terrible salesman and knows very little about the practicalities of business.

MIDPOINT: Michael misunderstands the terms of his mortgage and begins to panic. Dwight continues to find things wrong with the condo. Michael starts to have complaints, like the condo ceilings are too low and there aren’t enough “hot people” in the housing development. He demands a price reduction or he walks. The broker says if he walks away he will lose $7,000.

ACT 2 (CONT’D): Back at the office, Jim and Pam orchestrate more games for the Office Olympics, like Flonkerton or “box of paper snowshoe racing”. Pam tells the camera that when Jim is really into something, he gets very motivated and does a great job. Unfortunately he works at this office so he rarely has reason to get that motivated. The officemates continue with their Office Olympics shenanigans, like competing to see who can hold the most M&Ms in their mouth. (Kevin wins.)

Back at the condo, Michael is sitting with Dwight on the floor of the bedroom, eating fast food. He says he’s glad he signed but it sounds like he’s trying to convince himself that he did the right thing. He tells Dwight that as a reward, he can move into the condo’s third bedroom and pay Michael rent. Right away, we can tell Dwight does not like this idea.

Back at the office, Pam asks Angela if she has a game they could play. Angela replies to say she often plays “Pam Pong” to see how many times Jim gets up from his desk to talk to Pam at reception. Pam is self-conscious about her friendship with Jim being misconstrued so she immediately backs off.

WORST: We can use the WORST acronym to better understand Michael’s motivations, not just in this episode, but across the entire series.

Want: What Michael wants more than anything else is for others to like him. On the surface, it seems like what he really wants is a romantic relationship and eventually a family, but when we look closer, we find that his deep desire to be well-liked, especially by his employees.

Obstacle: Michaels’ primary obstacle to being liked is his own personality. He is narcissistic, inappropriate, and completely oblivious to the feelings, wants, or opinions of others.

Risk: He is willing to do just about anything to be well-liked. In fact, he is so desperate to gain the good opinion of others that he often does things that make people less inclined to like him.

Stakes: He doesn’t have much of a life outside of work, so if his employees don’t like him, he will be all alone.

Transformation: In the course of this episode (and the first two or three seasons) Michael doesn’t change much. As the series evolves, we start to see him evolve from wanting the good opinion of his employees to becoming a better boss, falling in love, and eventually growing into a more confident and happy person. It takes about eight seasons (and Michael leaving the office) for this full transformation to take place.

PIVOT POINT 2: At the condo, Dwight gets on Michael’s nerves (external event) by acting like he will be a terrible tenant. They get into an argument and Michael rescinds his offer (internal choice).

ACT 3: Pam makes a surprise for the Office Olympics closing ceremony: a series of origami paper birds. On the drive back to the office, Dwight continues to bother Michael, who eventually loses his temper. Michael tells Dwight that beets are terrible and he should “grow candy” on his farm instead. Once they arrive back at Dunder Mifflin, Michael goes straight into his office. 

CRISIS: The Office Olympics disband and everyone goes back to work. Jim reveals in a talking head interview that he closed two sales at lunch and finished his expense report in five minutes, making this day as productive as any other. Ryan throws away his Office Olympic medal and Pam looks hurt. Jim comes up with one final idea and asks Pam to play along.

CLIMAX: Jim goes to Michael’s office to congratulate him on the condo and invites him out to the main office. He awards Michael a gold medal in the Office Olympics for closing on the condo. Michael is moved. Dwight gets the silver medal and Jim takes bronze.

Ending Type: This is a happy ending. Michael wants nothing else except to have his employees like him and in the end they award him the gold medal (even though he has no idea what that medal even means).

DENOUEMENT: As Michael, Dwight, and Jim stand on paper boxes that serve as a podium, the national anthem plays and Pam’s paper birds “fly” out on a string behind them. Michael asks Jim why they’re playing the national anthem and Jim says because the condo is in America. Michael then asks about the origami birds and Jim deadpans that those are the doves. The scene cuts to the closing credits.

CONCLUSION: Series like The Office can have both individual episodes and longer arcs spanning entire seasons or even the whole series. This means there are multiple layers of the three-act structure in play. There can be a three-act structure for a single episode, but there can also be a three-act structure for an overarching story thread.

Take, for example, the Jim-Pam relationship. Act 1 of their relationship shows them as friends at the office while Pam is engaged to someone else. The first pivot point is when Jim tells Pam about his feelings for her and she turns him down (external event). He then chooses to transfer to the Stamford branch of the company (internal choice).

Act 2 of their story arc begins with them apart in separate branches, but then the Stamford branch closes and Jim (along with a few of his new officemates, including his new girlfriend) move to Scranton. Pam has now ended her engagement and it’s clear she has feelings for Jim. By the end of that season, Jim breaks up with his girlfriend and he and Pam go on a real date. The rest of act 2 is the story of their romance. They get engaged, buy a house, find out they’re having a baby, get married (the midpoint), and then start their family. 

The second pivot point occurs fairly late in the series, when Jim begins to feel unhappy with his career and finds out one of his college friends has founded a startup (external event) based on an idea Jim had in college. Even though he and Pam conclude it would not make sense for him to join this startup, he decides to do so anyway without telling Pam (internal choice). What follows is a series of events that put strain on their relationship. Jim has to spend time in Philadelphia and their marriage begins to break down.

Eventually Jim chooses to come back to Dunder Mifflin fulltime to preserve his marriage, but Pam worries that he may resent her because she’s the reason he left the startup. Jim gets the documentary crew to put together a compilation of clips that shows how he feels about her and he gives her a card he had written for her all the way back in act 1 but didn’t have the guts to give her at that time (climax). Eventually, in the series finale, Pam decides to put their house secretly on the market so Jim can take his job back at the startup and their family can move to Austin—where the startup is now located—and start a new life together (denouement).

We see this framework often in book series as well, where each book has an individual arc and then there are longer series arcs across multiple books. Sometimes the landmarks for the individual episodes  (or books) might coincide with a series arc landmark. Sometimes the arcs are completely separate. The key is to recognize that there are multiple layers to the story and to consider how the three-act structure applies at each layer. A show like The Office is a great study in how this type of story arc layering can work.

Until next time, keep writing and keep being awesome!

P.S. For more info on Gabriela Pereira, the founder and instigator of DIY MFA, check out her profile page.

The post Writer Fuel: Three-Act Analysis of “Office Olympics” appeared first on DIY MFA.

Like playing an instrument, writing requires practice. Sure, we can experiment and try things on the fly. We can repeat things by rote and hope something works. But if we really want to get good at our craft, we have to practice and we have to go about it in the right way.

There are four different components of practice—warm-ups, technique, repertoire, and performance—and all are essential for the practice to be effective. Let’s look at each of these components individually and how they translate to writing.

Warm-Ups

In music, these are the warm-up exercises you do to make your fingers limber and get them moving with elasticity. In sports, these are the stretches and routines you do to wake up your muscles so you don’t get cramps in the middle of the big game. Warm-ups are an essential part of a practice session because they get your body ready to engage fully.

In writing, we also need to warm up. Just as we need to get our bodies ready for music or sports, writing requires preparation of the mind. This might mean taking a few moments to think about the passage you plan to write that day or doing something to get your mind ready for creative work. For some, this type of preparation might be a sort of pre-writing ritual, like doing a few minutes of meditation, lighting a scented candle, or turning on a special playlist.

The key with warm-ups in writing is that we don’t just dive into the work cold. We take a few moments to prepare ourselves, therefore making our writing session more productive.

Technique

In sports, we do drills. In music, we practice scales and etudes. I remember when I was a teenager, I used to argue with my violin teacher. “What’s the point of these exercises?” I’d ask. “It’s not like I’m going to get up on stage at Carnegie Hall and play an A minor scale.” My teacher would just tell me to play my Bach. Of course, I would inevitably hit a tricky passage and start to stumble. She would then smile knowingly and say “There’s that A minor scale, Gabriela.” And, of course, she was right.

Contrary to popular belief, scales and etudes are not exercises in futility and they don’t just exist to irritate musicians (though sometimes it can feel that way). These exercises serve an important purpose because they allow us to isolate difficult techniques and practice them in a safe space. Then, when those same techniques come up in a difficult piece of repertoire, we’ll already have the muscle memory in place and the music will come more naturally.

The same thing is true in sports. You’re not going to perform a drill in the middle of a competition or a game, but if you’ve practiced that skill often enough, you’ll have it ready when you need it. The idea is to practice the skill in isolation first, until it feels natural and you can perform it on demand.

Writing also requires mastering techniques, and I am a firm believer in practicing those techniques outside the context of your work-in-progress. Why? Because if you use your current project as practice, you run the risk of breaking your book. Instead, I advise writers to use the Petri Dish technique. I’ve discussed this technique in the past, but what essentially boils down to is three steps:

1. Identify the thing you need to practice.
2. Do writing prompts that help you exercise that tricky technique.
3. Apply what you learned back into your project.

You can certainly use characters or the world from your current project in those exercises, but don’t put pressure on yourself to write something that will go directly into your book. Instead, give yourself the freedom to experiment and make a mess.

While musicians and athletes work on technique during just about every practice session, in writing we can get away with doing so a little less frequently. In fact, once or twice per week should be more than sufficient. Of course, if you run into a technique that requires more focused practice, you may need to increase the frequency of your writing exercises for a period of time.

Repertoire

This is an area that many writers neglect. They are so focused on whatever project they’re writing that they don’t think about broadening their repertoire. In music (and other performing arts), repertoire is a huge part of an artist’s development.

One of the most significant aspects of my musical education was the year I spent learning jazz theory and improvisation at college. Not only did I learn more about scales and arpeggios than I had ever learned playing classical music (and I played a lot of scales in my day), but it also stretched my mind in understanding how music is put together. I started hearing music differently because jazz gave me a whole new perspective. Playing outside of my comfort zone was one of the most impactful experiences of my musical career.

The same thing is true with our writing. We can sometimes get stuck in a particular genre or style and it can be good to shake things up a bit. I know several writers who do challenges or short story contests as a way to break out of their usual genre and try something new. And if writing in a different genre is not feasible, at least try to read a book or two outside your usual selections. The idea here is to broaden the scope of your writing so you’re not stuck on a single genre or style.

Remember, there’s a lot you can learn from genres outside your own. Romance and contemporary (book club) fiction are great for understanding character development. You can study mysteries to learn about plot, thrillers to learn about pacing, and horror to learn about tension and release. And, of course, when it comes to world-building, nothing beats science fiction, fantasy, or historical fiction. When you read outside your genre, you can see different techniques in action and apply them to your own writing.

Performance

Sooner or later, we need to put our words out into the world and to many, this can be nothing short of terrifying. Publishing our work—whether it’s an ebook, a newsletter, a blog post, or a freelance article—is a scary but necessary step if we want to build a writing career. Putting our stories out in the world is the writing equivalent of getting up on stage and playing a sonata.

The key with performance is understanding what kind of feedback to consider and what to ignore. In sports you might review the video after an important game and make mental notes on what to do next time. In music or theater you might study a recording of yourself so you can improve for the next performance. But in writing, things are a little bit different. Once your work has been published, once that newsletter has been sent or the magazine is out on newsstands, it becomes very difficult (if not impossible) to change things. 

One piece of advice I got early in my career was not to read my reviews, either good or bad. I think there’s something to that advice. Unlike watching a game tape or performance video, there’s not much we can get from reading reviews that will help us with the next project. When a work is pre-published, critique can be incredibly helpful. But once that work is out in the world, feedback becomes less useful because there’s very little we can do in response.

In sports and performing arts, performance gives us a goal and something to work toward. The same is true in writing. It’s important that we engage in performance by getting our stories in the hands of our readers and allowing our work to be read. At the same time, it’s also crucial that we develop clear boundaries on how to handle feedback and protect ourselves so we don’t derail our ability to produce more work in the future.

There you have it, a rundown of the four areas of practice—warm-ups, technique, repertoire, and performance—and how they apply to writing. When it comes to implementing these different components, I recommend a routine like this:

• Every day: Warm-up by keeping your hand in the game and spending at least a few moments thinking about your work. If you’re sitting down for a writing session, take a few minutes to prepare yourself and get in the zone.
• Every week: Try to do at least one exercise to help you build your technique. You can use characters from your work-in-progress if you wish, but don’t pressure yourself to write something that will definitely go into your book.
• Every month: Do one thing that pulls you outside of your comfort zone and expands your repertoire. This could be a flash fiction contest or reading a short story in another genre.
• Every year: Publish something. Depending on how you publish, it might be more often. For instance, if your main mode of publishing is a newsletter, your cadence might be more like once a month or every other week. If you’re publishing book-length work, once a year might be more your speed.

As with everything at DIY MFA, your mileage may vary. Try out the above routine and see how it works for you. If necessary, make adjustments. As we always say at DIY MFA, there’s no such thing as a “best practice,” only what works best for you.

Until next time, keep writing and keep being awesome!

P.S. For more info on Gabriela Pereira, the founder and instigator of DIY MFA, check out her profile page.

The post Writer Fuel: The Four Components of a Writing Practice appeared first on DIY MFA.

At the time of writing this newsletter, I had just spent an evening hanging out with a writing friend who was attending a big conference for the first time. Our conversation inspired me because it occurred to me that there might be other word nerds out there attending events this summer who may not know how to navigate them.

Fear not! Even if you’re a total introvert (like me!), writing conferences can be incredibly valuable and—dare I say it?—even fun. You just have to have a plan for the before, during, and after.

Before the Conference

You did it! You signed up for a writing conference, got your travel plans figured out and booked your hotel room. Give yourself a huge pat on the back and take a sigh of relief because the biggest hurdles are behind you. That said, if you want to get the most out of your writing conference experience, it’s good to have a game-plan going in. Here are a few things you can do to prepare:

Look Over the Schedule

Most conferences will give you a schedule when you arrive, but they also often post their schedules online. This way, you can see what sessions are being offered in advance and start mapping things out before you get there.

Look at the sessions being offered. A lot of conferences will have more than one track, which means you’ll have to choose between a few different options for each time block. I recommend having both a first and second choice. This way, if you get to one session and it’s not your jam or it’s over-packed and you can’t find a seat, you can easily go to the other session. I’m obsessed with office supplies, so if I were doing this, I’d print out a copy of the schedule and use colorful highlighters to mark up my first and second choice sessions.

Research Some Speakers

Some of the speakers might be familiar names. Others might be completely new to you. Take a little time in advance to read the bios of the speakers for the sessions you’ve selected so you can get to know them a bit. Most conferences post speaker bios online. This research may also help you decide between various options if you’re torn between multiple sessions.

If speakers have an online presence, you can follow the breadcrumbs to learn more about them, beyond what’s on the conference site. If they’re on social media, you can follow them there. If they have a newsletter, it might be worth checking it out. Take a little time to familiarize yourself with the speakers, so you can get a better sense for how they teach.

Connect on Social Media

Once upon a time, Twitter was the go-to place where most pre-conference networking would happen. Conferences would have a hashtag and you could follow that hashtag and see updates about the event and connect with fellow attendees. Alas, Twitter (I refuse to call it X) has gone sideways and much of the publishing world has exited to other platforms like Threads, BlueSky, or even Facebook or Instagram.

Some conferences (I’ve mostly seen this with online events) may have Facebook groups associated with them. In those cases, the conference will usually advertise the group in its pre-conference communications. If you’re on Facebook and the conference has a group, it can be worth joining. Sometimes speakers will pop in, and it’s also a great way to meet some fellow attendees.

During the Conference

The day has come! You’ve boarded your plane, train, or automobile and you’re on your way to the event. Now the fun really starts!

What to Bring

You’ll want a notebook and pens so you can take notes (trust me on this!). Some people bring computers, but not all conference rooms have tables (sometimes it’s just rows of chairs) in which case a laptop could be cumbersome. Plus you may not easily find a power outlet if you need to recharge your computer. Tablets can be a great, portable option, especially if your tablet has a keyboard case so it can double as a laptop. Personally, I’m a paper and pen sort of gal, so I just pack a notebook and my pen case and I’m ready to go.

Also not a bad idea to bring some cough drops (in case you get an annoying tickle in your throat), some portable snacks (like protein bars or trail mix), and a small bottle of water. Some conferences may offer coffee and snacks throughout the day but that’s not always the case, so be prepared. Also keep in mind that while some conferences have time set aside for a lunch break, others might have sessions back-to-back all day, in which case you may have to miss a session in order to grab lunch.

Go to Sessions

Remember that beautiful schedule you mapped out before the conference? Now’s the time to use it. Go to the sessions you selected. Take notes and have fun! Chat with the people sitting near you and see if you can make a friend or two. If you’re sitting in on a session and it’s truly a dud, tiptoe out discreetly and go to the back-up session you selected (this is why you want to choose two sessions for each time block.)

Breakout speaker sessions are pretty straightforward to navigate. Speakers usually have slides or a handout so all you have to do is take notes. Panels are a little trickier because they can be somewhat unpredictable. You never know which direction the conversation will go. This is why I always recommend to writers attending panels: search for 3 takeaways and 1 action step. If you’re listening to the conversation, looking for key takeaways and an action step, you’re more likely to get value from that session because you’ll leave it with concrete information. (By the way, you can use this rule of thumb with individual speaker sessions as well.)

During the Q&A (either of a breakout or a panel), if you have a question, ask it! Just make sure you frame it in a way that’s productive for all the other attendees in the room. (I.e., don’t make it too specific to your own book.) If you have a more specific question, see if you can chat with the speaker(s) after the session. Some breakout speakers and panelists will hang around for a few minutes after their talk is over and that’s a good time to ask a more specific question.

Build In Some Breaks

I get it. It’s super-tempting to try to squeeze every last drop of value from an event. After all, you invested a lot of time, money, and energy to go in the first place. But make sure you pace yourself. If you burn yourself out on the first day, you could end up missing out on something later. This is why it’s so important to build in time for breaks.

Play hookey now and then, and just skip a session or two. Things to do with those breaks include: taking a nap, hanging out in the bookstore, browsing the sponsor booths, relaxing near the coffee or water station and chatting with fellow attendees. Open yourself up to serendipitous meetings with other folks at the conference. This can be a great opportunity to network and make some new friends.

Pitch Your Book or Meet an Agent

Some conferences offer pitch sessions or agent consults where you can either pitch your book or have a short sit-down with an agent. Every conference does things a little bit differently, but regardless of the event, it’s always a good idea to arrive with a strong elevator pitch for your project, in case somebody asks you what your book is about. Plus, if you’re attending a pitch session or meeting with an agent, you’ll need to have a pitch anyway. Practice your pitch at every opportunity you have so that when the chance to share it comes up, it’s ready to go.

After the Conference

You had a blast, but now the event is over. (Cue sad face emoji.) The after-conference piece is perhaps the place where most writers drop the ball. This means, if you get awesome at follow-up, you’ll immediately rise above the crowd.

Follow-Up with Your Contacts

If agents asked you for materials, send those materials as soon as possible. That said, do not send materials unless you have the full book ready in the wings. An agent might say “I loved your pages… send me the full” and it will be really embarrassing if you haven’t finished writing the whole book yet. So hold off on sending partial materials until you’ve got the manuscript ready, but get it ready as fast as possible.

If you made friends and met fellow attendees at the conference, the week or so after the event is a great time to send a quick note to say “hi” and keep that connection going. Some of these fellow-attendees could become great critique partners or accountability buddies, so don’t let those connections go cold.

Take Time to Debrief

Make yourself a nice cup of coffee or tea and give yourself a good hour or so after the conference to debrief. (The plane or train ride home is a great time to do this.) Go back through your notes and highlight any insights or key points. Remember those 3 takeaways and 1 action step you hunted for during the panels? Go over those and think about how you’ll implement what you discovered. The key is to turn all that great learning you did at the conference into practical tools and techniques you can put into practice. Knowledge is great, but it won’t help you make progress unless you take action.

There you have it, an in-depth guide on how to navigate the before, during, and after of a writing conference. If you do go to a conference or event this summer (or later this year) I hope it’s a blast and that this guide is helpful!

Until next time, keep writing and keep being awesome!

P.S. For more info on Gabriela Pereira, the founder and instigator of DIY MFA, check out her profile page.

The post Writer Fuel: How to Get the Most Out of a Writing Conference appeared first on DIY MFA.

The IDEA Method

This signature DIY MFA technique is based on the premise that creativity is not some mystical process. It’s not about magic bullet ideas that you simply pull out of a hat. Rather, creativity is like a muscle that you must exercise and strengthen through repeated practice.

The IDEA Method also posits that idea generation is only a tiny part of the creative process. It’s not enough to have a great idea, you have to know how to put it into action. Idea generation is fruitless without implementation.

There are four stages in the IDEA Method: Inspiration, Development, Evaluation, and Action. As you can see, these four stages spell out the word I-D-E-A. (You know we love our acronyms at DIY MFA!)

Inspiration

This stage is what most people imagine when they think of the creative process. This is the stage where you come up with fresh new ideas. The other stages are where you build out those ideas and put them into action, but the inspiration stage is where idea generation happens.

The key to inspiration, in my opinion, is play. Have you ever watched and paid attention to kids playing? They don’t ever run out of ideas. It’s like an endless font of creativity and they are constantly coming up with new possibilities. They start with those magical words “let’s pretend” and suddenly they’re reenacting all sorts of adventures and playing endless games. The key for us as adults to tap into an never-ending source of ideas is to approach creativity through play. One of my favorite ways to get inspired through play is with the Oracle. I wrote a whole article about this creativity tool here.

Development

This stage is where the rubber meets the road. If inspiration is that initial jolt of creativity, development is where we dig deep and bring that concept to life. There are three components of this stage: imitation, improvisation, and incubation (or what I call the 3i’s of idea development).

Imitation is perhaps the most overlooked part of the development stage, but often the most valuable. This is the reality that we learn and create best when we acknowledge that our ideas exist in context rather than in a vacuum. Most of what we create is going to be a partial imitation of some other work that has come before. In fact, some of the most prominent artists and creatives use imitation heavily in their work.

Consider the impressionist Edgar Degas. Best known for his drawings, paintings, and statues of ballerines, what you might not know is that he was also in the habit of copying his own drawings over and over with slight variations. I discovered this when I went to a special exhibit of his work at the National Gallery in London, where I saw rows and rows of his ballerina sketches, virtually identical to each other, almost as if he had traced and retraced his own work.

Similarly, Vincent Van Gogh painted “First Steps, After Millet” imitating the pastel drawing by Jean-François Millet almost identically, only in a different medium (oil-on-canvas) and with his signature bright colors and swirling brush strokes. Artists of all types are constantly borrowing from each other and writing is no different. Imitation can happen both with an artist imitating someone else’s work or their own.

The key with imitation is that sooner or later, the artist moves from copying other work to improvising and making it their own. And if we’ve tried imitation and improvisation and we’re still struggling for ideas, the best thing is to pause and do something else. This is where incubation comes into play.

Evaluation

Once an idea is sufficiently developed, it’s good to take a step back and evaluate it objectively. This is not about letting the inner critic derail your process. Instead, the point is to take your writing project to a point where you have a critical mass, enough of it that you can determine whether it’s working. Bring your inner critic into the process too soon and you will derail your creativity, but you also don’t want to get so far along with your project that then if you realize it’s not working, you have to go back to the drawing board.

For every writer, the evaluation process will be a little bit different. Some writers have critique partners who provide this type of feedback throughout the writing process. Other writers might get a third or half of the way through their project, then pause and give it an objective look. The goal here is for us to avoid investing hundreds of hours in a project before we realize we’ve written ourselves into a corner.

Action

Finally, after we’ve figured out if the project is working, we simply need a plan for putting those words on the page and getting to “The End.” Here is where I like to do a little writing math and reverse-engineer from the end goal to where I am now.

Suppose you’re writing a novel and you’ve written about 20,000 words already. For a typical novel, the typical word count for most genres and categories is 80,000. This means you have 60,000 words to go before the end. Suppose you want to finish this book in 4 months, that means you need to produce 15,000 per month which amounts to about 3,750 words per week. If you write five days per week, you just have to produce 750 words per writing session to reach your goal.

For some writers, 750 words per session might be easy, but for others it might be a stretch. If you’re in the latter camp, you might need to work your way up to that 750-word pace. This is where I recommend the ten percent rule. Choose a word count number that’s super-easy, so easy you could probably knock out that word count in your sleep. Suppose that easy number is 500 words. Take that number and add ten percent (so 550 words).

That extra ten percent might not seem like much, but it’s enough to make you sit up a little straighter and lean into your work a little bit more. It’s not so high as to set you up for failure, but just enough challenge to keep you engaged. Eventually that baseline-plus-ten-percent number will become easy. At that point, you simply add another ten percent (now 605 words). Keep adding ten percent as each new baseline feels easy until you reach the goal of 750-words per session.

The point of this exercise is to avoid setting pie-in-the-sky goals to motivate ourselves to work harder. The truth is, though, when we set those high goals, we’re just setting ourselves up for possible failure. By working our way up from an easy baseline to a more reasonable goal, we set ourselves up for success.

Conclusion

The creative process is so much more than just that initial bolt of inspiration. There are three other stages that are equally—if not more—important. There is so much more to the IDEA method than the concepts shared here today. If you’re interested in learning more, check out our on-demand webinar Don’t Wait for the Muse which is part of the HUB lessons archive. You can learn more about the HUB here.

Until next time, keep writing and keep being awesome!

P.S. For more info on Gabriela Pereira, the founder and instigator of DIY MFA, check out her profile page.

The post Writer Fuel: The IDEA Method: What to Do When You’re Out of Ideas appeared first on DIY MFA.

It has been a while since I’ve done a three-act analysis, so I thought one of my favorite Poe stories would be a perfect subject. Today we’ll do a three-act analysis of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Cask of Amontillado”

Spoiler Alert! If you have not read “The Cask of Amontillado,” it’s in the public domain so you can find plenty of copies online. In fact, you can download this copy from the DIY MFA site. I highly recommend reading the story (it’s only four pages!) before diving into this analysis.

Let’s get started with our analysis of “The Cask of Amontillado.”

ACT 1: In this story, act 1 is fairly short: only a few paragraphs. The first two paragraphs consist of Montresor justifying his need for revenge on Fortunato. The third paragraph gives us some background on the victim himself. Apparently Fortunato thinks himself a connoisseur of wines, so Montresor decides to use that against him.

While this  brief opening focuses mostly on Montresor’s justifications and Fortunato’s background, the five promises still come through loud and clear.

Character: Montresor is our protagonist. He wants to get revenge on Fortunato because the latter has wronged him. 

Voice: We are in a first person point of view with Montresor as both the protagonist and the narrator. The story is told entirely in Montresor’s voice. At one point, he breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the reader: “You, who so well know the nature of my soul.” It is almost as though he wants to convince us that his decision to murder Fortunato is justified.

Montresor is a somewhat unreliable narrator—though you could argue that any first-person narrator could be unreliable. He is not quite as unreliable as the narrator in “The Tell-Tale Heart” but we know from the outset that we cannot trust everything he says. 

World: We are in an Italian city during the carnival season. (We find this out in the fourth paragraph, just at the end of Act 1 when we meet Fortunato for the first time.) Acts 2 and 3 of the story take place in the catacombs of the Montresor family.

Problem: Montresor has an annoying friend (Fortunato) and has endured a “thousand injuries” from him.

Event:  Eventually one of these injuries crosses the line and Montresor vows revenge. But, he doesn’t just want to punish Fortunato, he wants to “punish with impunity.”

PIVOT POINT 1:  This pivot point is as long or longer than all of act 1. It begins with the external event where Montresor meets Fortunato (drunk) during the carnival time. He tells Fortunato that he has acquired a bottle of Amontillado but he is not sure of its authenticity. Immediately this piques Fortunato’s interest, especially when Montresor says he plans to ask Luchesi about the Amontillado. It becomes clear that Luchesi is a rival wine connoisseur of Fortunato, so when Montresor mentions him, right away Fortunato insists on seeing the bottle of Amontillado himself.

We have quite a bit of dialogue between Montresor and Fortunato. Montresor insists that the vaults are too damp and that he does not want to impose on Fortunato. He keeps mentioning Luchesi to provoke Fortunato, making him almost desperate to be the one to identify the Amontillado. The passage ends with a choice where Montresor takes Fortunato’s arm and—almost as though he is reluctant—takes his friend back to his home and wine vaults.

ACT 2:  This act begins with a bit of world-building. Montresor tells us that he left his home, giving his servants strict instructions to stay put in his absence, knowing full well that they will do the exact opposite and that his house will be empty when he arrives with Fortunato. This is important because it allows Montresor to commit his crime with no witnesses.

This tiny detail about the servants gives us a sense for Montresor’s world. It is clear that the servants do not respect him and yet he is able to use that lack of respect to manipulate them and have his house empty as he desires.

The rest of the story takes place in the catacombs where Montresor has his wine vaults.

SUPPORTING CAST:  There is only one true supporting character in this story and it is Fortunato. His name means “fortunate one,” which is ironic because as we find out at the end of the story, he is far from lucky.

We also have another character mentioned throughout the story—Luchesi—but he never appears on the page. Montresor brings him up multiple times as a way to manipulate Fortunato and make him all the more eager to be the one who successfully identifies the Amontillado. Luchesi’s sole purpose is as a mechanism to provoke Fortunato.

WORST: In this story, Montresor’s motivations are straightforward and we can map them easily onto the WORST acronym.

Want: Montresor wants to get revenge on Fortunato by killing him.

Obstacle: He needs to plan this murder carefully so that he may “punish with impunity.” He does not want to get caught.

Risk: There is a big risk that he might get caught, so he needs to be strategic about where he commits the murder and how he lures Fortunato to his death.

Stakes: If he doesn’t get revenge, he will be forced to endure a thousand or more future injuries from Fortunato. This prospect is likely unbearable, prompting him to come up with a permanent method of revenge: death.

Transformation: Montresor has a slight change of heart at the end, but it is not sufficient to prevent him from going through with the murder. Just before he forces the last stone into the wall, he says “My heart grew sick—on account of the dampness of the catacombs.” Clearly, he is having some second thoughts about his actions and is trying to convince himself that this feeling is a result of the dampness, not of the murder.

RULE OF THREE:  The rule of three appears twice throughout the story. The first is regarding Luchesi and the second is with respect to the nitre which contaminates the vaults.

Luchesi: There are three sections where Luchesi is mentioned. The first section is during the first pivot point, when Montresor tells Fortunato that he is planning to go to Luchesi to have him assess the authenticity of his Amontillado. During that passage, Montresor mentions Luchesi multiple times and it is clear that he is trying to provoke Fortunato into wanting to see the Amontillado for himself.

The second instance is early in act 2, when Fortunato has a coughing fit in the catacombs. Montresor pretends that he is concerned for Fortunato’s health and says they should leave the vaults. He ends by saying “Besides, there is Luchesi—” and immediately Fortunato insists that he is fine and that he “shall not die of a cough.”

The third mention of Luchesi is when they have reached their destination, the place in the catacombs where Montresor plans to murder Fortunato. It is a small, dark crypt and it is difficult for them to see anything in it, even with their torches. Montresor says “Proceed… herein is the Amontillado. As for Luchesi—” Fortunato cuts him off by calling Luchesi an ignoramus and steps into the crypt, at which point Montresor chains him to the wall.

The first two mentions of Luchesi are clearly taunts from Montresor. He is using Luchesi to manipulate Fortunato into coming with him to the catacombs. The third reference to Luchesi is more of a passing mention than the previous two instances, but it is that final straw that makes Fortunato step into the crypt, thus leading to his ultimate demise.

Nitre: There are three sections referencing nitre while they are in the catacombs. Note that there is a fourth passing mention of nitre before we get to act 2, when Montresor is insisting that Fortunato should not come with him. This mention is not as significant as the others, so for the purposes of this rule of three, I only consider the mentions of nitre that occur while they are in the catacombs.

The first reference to nitre is shortly after they have entered the catacombs. Fortunato notices the nitre in the vaults and asks Montresor about it, then immediately proceeds to have a coughing fit. Ironically, he only starts coughing after Montresor asks him how long he has had that cough.

The second mention of nitre occurs just after the midpoint. Montresor points out that the nitre is increasing and “hangs like moss upon the vaults.” He uses this moment to provoke Fortunato further, saying they should turn back because of his cough. Fortunato refuses and instead takes a drink of Medoc, getting further intoxicated.

The final instance of nitre is just after the second pivot point, once Montresor has chained Fortunato into the crypt. He says: “Pass your hand… over the wall; you cannot help feeling the nitre. Indeed it is VERY damp. Once more let me IMPLORE you to return. No? Then I must positively leave you. But I must first render you all the little attentions in my power.” At this point, Montresor is no longer trying to pretend. It is clear what he plans to do, and he is saying all this as a way to torture Fortunato.

MIDPOINT: The midpoint is the moment when Fortunato asks Montresor about his family’s coat of arms. Montresor replies: “A huge human foot d’or, in a field of azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel.” It is clear that Montresor sees himself as the serpent and Fortunato as the huge foot. The foot might crush the serpent but not before the serpent gets its revenge.

Fortunato then asks about the motto and Montresor tells him: “Nemo me impune lacessit” which means “No one provokes me with impunity.” The irony, of course, is that Montresor spends the entire story provoking Fortunato and his goal is to punish Fortunato with impunity. He is doing exactly what his motto threatens against. Note that we do not have a true moment of self-reflection at this point, but the midpoint instead serves as a foreshadowing of what Montresor is going to do.

PIVOT POINT 2: The second pivot point occurs when they reach the small crypt where the Amontillado supposedly is stored. Montresor taunts Fortunato by mentioning Luchesi and Fortunato steps into the crypt. Montresor immediately comes up behind him and chains him to the wall. The event at this pivot point is Fortunatio stepping into the crypt, while Montresor’s chaining him is the choice.

ACT 3: Most of act 3 is Montresor laying the bricks and closing off the crypt where Fortunato is chained. We get a detailed description of him laying each of the layers of the bricks, building up the tension. We can anticipate what’s coming and we know it isn’t good. 

CLIMAX: At the climax, Montresor has only a few more bricks to lay down and Fortunato starts laughing. He thinks the whole thing is a joke and that any moment now, Montresor will free him. He jokes that they will laugh about this at the palazzo over a glass of wine and Montresor replies with: “The Amontillado!”

Then he realizes that Montresor is not kidding and he begins to panic. Eventually he says: “FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, MONTRESOR!” and Montresor replies: “Yes… for the love of God!” After a few moments without a reply from Fortunato, Montresor calls his name multiple times and receives no answer.

There is a brief moment when Montresor hears a jingling of bells from Fortunato’s jester’s cap and his “heart grew sick” but immediately he shrugs it off as a result of the damp catacombs and pushes the last stone into position.

Ending Type: While this is a terrifying ending, according to our four-ending classification this would be a happy ending. After all, Montresor wants to get revenge on Fortunato, and he does so successfully.

DENOUEMENT: The denouement in this story is quite short: “Against the new masonry I reerected the old rampart of bones. For the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them.” This suggests that Montresor was, in fact, successful in punishing Fortunato with impunity because for half a century his crime has not been discovered. The story ends with a three-word paragraph: “In pace requiescat!” or “rest in peace.”

CONCLUSION: “The Cask of Amontillado” is a relatively simple story. Two friends meet on a street. They go into the catacombs to find a rare wine. One of the friends murders the other by burying him alive. Still, despite the simplicity of the plot and the constrained story world (we are in the catacombs most of the time) the story hits all the major plot points of the three-act structure.

The only place where “The Cask of Amontillado” deviates slightly from the three-act structure is at the midpoint. The event at the midpoint is neither a temporary triumph nor a false failure, and we do not have a true moment of self reflection on the part of the protagonist either. Instead, the midpoint acts as a moment of foreshadowing.

In fact, we have multiple moments of foreshadowing throughout the story. Early in act 2 when Montresor shows concern for Fortunato’s cough and Fortunato replies: “It will not kill me. I shall not die of a cough.” This, of course, is true. In the end, his cough is not the thing that kills him.

A little later, when Montresor produces a bottle of wine, they both give a toast. Fortunato drinks “To the buried that repose around us,” which is ironic because a short while thereafter, Fortunato becomes one of those buried in the catacombs. Montresor then replies “And to your long life.” This is, of course, further irony because Montresor knows exactly what he has in store and if he succeeds, Fortunato’s life will be far from long.

The midpoint with the coat of arms and motto is even more ironic foreshadowing. At that moment, Montresor is almost coming right out and telling Fortunato what he is going to do. Yet through it all, Fortunato is either too drunk or too oblivious to realize the hint.

The final hint comes a little later, when Fortunato asks Montresor if he is part of the masons and Montresor holds up a trowel, implying a play on the word “mason.” Throughout the story, Montresor hints at what he is going to do, yet Fortunato never figures it out until it is too late. It is only when we reach the climax, we the readers (along with Fortunato) realize the extent of Montresor’s thirst for revenge and just how twisted his motivations are.

Until next time, keep writing and keep being awesome!

P.S. For more info on Gabriela Pereira, the founder and instigator of DIY MFA, check out her profile page.

The post Writer Fuel: Three-Act Analysis of The Cask of Amontillado appeared first on DIY MFA.

But then there are those other times when the opposite happens. No matter how hard I try, the words just don’t come. I sit at the computer, stare at the screen, and I’m lucky if I can barely eke out a paragraph, much less a page or a whole chapter. Not gonna lie, I’ve been feeling very uninspired lately and the past couple of newsletters have been a challenge to write.

So, how did I get through it? After all, I must’ve gotten through it somehow or you wouldn’t be reading this newsletter right now. To understand how to get into a state of creative flow, we need to understand where creative flow comes from. Specifically, creative flow is based on four central concepts: the mind-work cycle, skill-based learning, practice, and community.

Mind-Work Cycle

The mind-work cycle is this notion that when we write we create a feedback loop between our brains and our writing. Our thoughts, experiences, and emotions (i.e., things coming from our minds) will naturally influence the words we put on the page. At the same time, when we write we process our thoughts and emotions and we also metabolize our experiences. This means that the very act of writing will in turn influence our minds.

Sometimes this feedback loop has a positive impact on our ability to find creative flow. For example, suppose you are writing a story loosely based on something that happened in your early life. By writing about this experience, you might work through some of the difficult emotions and maybe even “rewrite” how some events played out. This creates a positive experience at the page, which will make you more likely to want to continue working on that story. This feeds the mind-work cycle and increases your creative flow.

On the other hand, suppose that the memories and past experiences impact your writing in a negative way. This might make the writing itself more difficult and you may be less likely to want to continue with the project, thus impeding creative flow. Note that just because a project might bring up negative emotions does not automatically mean it will create a negative cycle. (After all, for some writers, sad stories can be more engaging than happy ones.)

The key here is to be aware of that mind-work cycle, to understand that our thinking impacts our writing but our writing also impacts our thinking. We want to keep track of that cycle so that when it’s going in a positive direction, we can ride that wave and be in that state of creative flow. But we also want to be able to step back and assess that cycle, to make sure we’re not moving in a negative direction and getting in the way of our own creative process.

Skill-Based Learning

One of the biggest fallacies about creativity is that it’s mysterious and amorphous, that there’s no rhyme or reason to it. As my high school English teacher would say: “Bull-honky!” Creative work—like writing—can be as technical and precise as other more scientific fields. And this technique doesn’t just apply to the craft, all those more abstract mindset-related components can be just as skill-based. The key here is understanding how skills are put together and for this I have two major sources of inspiration: Suzuki Method and Montessori Method.

The Suzuki Method was developed by Shinichi Suzuki as a method for teaching very young children how to play a musical instrument. It is based on the idea that all children are capable of learning music and that those skills develop in a similar way as learning language. One of the things that is central to the Suzuki Method is this idea of breaking skills down into their smallest components. Children aren’t expected to simply pick up an instrument and start playing. Each microscopic motion—from hand position to finger moments—is practiced in isolation first, then eventually strung together with skills building on each other. Progress may be glacially slow at first, but suddenly, you blink and the child is playing Bach.

The Montessori Method is also focused on skill-based learning. In this case, the emphasis is on children working at their own pace (often in groups of mixed ages) and using specifically developed Montessori learning materials. These materials are deliberately designed to help children explore various abstract concepts in concrete, hands-on ways. Students often work in a self-directed way, exploring different stations around the classroom. The hallmark of a typical Montessori classroom is how quiet it often is, with students sitting on the floor with mats rolled out in front of them, doing various activities individually or in small groups. These activities teach children specific skills, like how to do a pincer grip to hold a pencil. 

If skill-based learning can be used to teach very young children how to play a musical instrument or how to understand complex mathematical concepts, it can certainly apply to adults wanting to develop their creative flow. The key is understanding that creative flow is not magic. It’s a teachable, learnable skill. All it needs is practice.

Practice, Practice, Practice

I’ve talked about practice here and here, and I’ve also interviewed experts on the topic of deliberate practice. You could say I’m a little obsessed with the idea of practice. But how does practice relate to creative flow?

In the words of my late, great violin teacher: “Practice doesn’t make perfect, Gabriela. It makes things permanent!” She’d often say this to me after I’d spent a week practicing the wrong notes and had to spend the next two or three weeks un-learning and fixing the mess I’d made.

As writers, we often practice things without even realizing it. For example, I know a lot of writers who practice the art of not finishing a project. They get caught up in what I call Perpetual Chapter One Syndrome, starting project after project but not finishing a single one.

Other writers practice the art of procrastination. They get into the habit of pushing back and postponing their writing, which makes it that much harder to get back on track. Or, some writers even practice the art of not writing. They hang out together in coffee shops talking about their writing projects but they never actually get around to putting words on the page.

As creative people, we need to take a step back and look at our writing practice with objectivity. Have we created any writing habits that are not serving us? Are there aspects of our regular writing process that don’t seem to be working? Where have we practiced problematic behaviors and turned them into bad habits?

If we identify any bad habits, we need to find a way to break them, which often takes longer than it did to create the bad habits in the first place. This is why it’s so important to assess our own writing practice and try to avoid creating bad habits before they become too ingrained in us. It’s easier to avoid a bad habit than it is to un-learn it.

Community

This is a topic near and dear to my heart, and it’s one of the three pillars of DIY MFA. Community is an important part of harnessing creative flow. Social accountability makes us more likely to meet our goals, Positive peer pressure of writing in tandem can help us knuckle down and get to work. And having a community’s support can help us build resilience and bounce back from creative disappointments.

Interestingly enough, community is also an important part of the Suzuki and Montessori Methods. In a traditional Suzuki music school, students often participate in group classes where they all bring their instruments and play through the repertoire together. If one student doesn’t know a particular piece, they sit down and listen while their classmates play. This type of environment creates motivation, where students are excited to learn new pieces because they want to play with their classmates. And for the students who know all the repertoire, these classes are a space where they can reinforce their learning.

In the Montessori Method, classes often mix the ages of the students. This means you might have a preschool classroom with children of ages three through five together. From a developmental perspective, these are vastly different ages. Yet, having these children together in the same class serves a very important purpose. When the children work together in groups, the older students set an example for the younger ones and show the younger students how to do the activity. The younger child might be learning from the older child, but the older one is also benefiting from the collaboration because they reinforce their knowledge.

In this way, both the Suzuki and Montessori Methods use community to help students learn. But community is not just for teaching young children. We as writers can use community as a way to learn and grow as well. For example, when we see fellow writers succeed, that shows us what’s possible and can motivate us to keep working, even when we feel discouraged. Community can contribute to our creative flow in any number of ways, which is why it is such a crucial part of DIY MFA.

Conclusion

Creative flow is not some mysterious, abstract thing that you have to figure out through trial and error or guesswork. Creative flow comes from developing concrete, learnable skills and building them into our repertoire. To achieve creative flow, we need to be aware of the mind-work cycle and recognize that our creative work impacts our minds as much as our minds impact our creative work. This means, if we notice a negative cycle happening, we need to break that cycle and course-correct.

In addition, we need to be aware of what skills we are practicing in our creative work and make sure that they are serving us rather than hindering. Practice can make habits permanent, so we need to scrutinize our habits and make sure we are not developing any that might get in the way of our creative flow.

Finally, we need to understand the role of community in our creative process and find a way to use it effectively. Whether we draw on other writers to help us hone our focus, or we use social accountability to help us reach our goals, community can be a great motivator. It can also be a source of support when we run into creative obstacles.

Until next time, keep writing and keep being awesome!

P.S. For more info on Gabriela Pereira, the founder and instigator of DIY MFA, check out her profile page.

The post Writer Fuel: Where Does Creative Flow Come From? appeared first on DIY MFA.

Scenes are an essential component of storytelling because they are the fundamental building blocks of any story. Without scenes, all you have is a string of exposition (“this happened, then this happened, then this happened”). That does not create an immersive story experience for your reader. Scenes give readers the feeling that they are right there in the story, experiencing the events alongside the characters. If you imagine a story like a movie playing in your head, scenes are what create that feeling.

Why Scenes Matter

I like to think of scenes as the lowest common denominator of storytelling. A scene is the smallest possible unit that still contains all the essential elements of a story: character, plot, world, and theme. Any smaller unit than a scene—a paragraph or a sentence, for example—might contain a couple of those elements, but likely will not contain all four.

To me, scenes are the cellular component of the story organism. Just like an individual cell contains all the same DNA as the full organism, a scene contains all of the story’s “DNA” by representing all four storytelling elements. And just as different cells may manifest the DNA in different ways—a brain cell is different from a muscle cell after all—different scenes will highlight different aspects of the story, but they still contain all four of the basic components.

In other words, a scene taps into all of the five W’s: who, what, when, where, and why. The “who” is the character (or characters) present in that scene. The “what” is what happens, or the plot events of that scene. The “when/where” represents the world as it appears in that moment, and the “why” is the theme and how it is infused into the scene at hand.

I’ve had a lot of writers ask me: “How can I tell the difference between one scene and the next?” While this is not a hard-and-fast rule, I like to look at the 5 Ws, and when one or more W changes, that’s often a clue that the scene might be changing as well. For example, if a character enters or leaves the scene, if we change location, or if a new plot event comes into play, those are often possible indicators that we are shifting from one scene to the next. While this is not always the case, it’s usually a sign that we should take a closer look at the scene and see if it has indeed changed.

Scenes vs. Chapters

Another question that often comes up for writers is this distinction between scenes and chapters. For some writers, scenes and chapters are one and the same in that each chapter is a single scene. Still, it’s important to understand the distinction between the two, because they are, in fact, different.

If scenes are the smallest unit of storytelling, chapters are an artificial construct created by writers to deliver a particular experience to the reader. This means you can have many scenes within a single chapter or one scene spanning multiple chapters. Shorter chapters make the pacing feel faster while longer chapters can stretch out the pacing and increase suspense.

For example, in the novel Sweethearts by Sara Zarr, there are two timelines, one in the present and one in the past. The present-day timeline is paced with moderate-length scenes while the past timeline is one long scene stretched out over the entire length of the book. This creates a sense of suspense. The reader wants to keep turning pages to find out what happened in that intense scene in the past timeline.

Another example is the chapter break during the Reaping scene of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The first chapter of the book includes a few different scenes—Katniss and Gale hunting, Katniss and Prim at home getting ready, and the beginning of the Reaping scene. The chapter ends abruptly at the moment when Prim’s name is drawn from the tribute jar. The scene then continues into the second chapter, where Katniss volunteers to take her sister’s place. That chapter break (right at the height of tension) builds suspense with a cliffhanger at the end of chapter one. Readers want to keep turning pages to find out what Katniss will do.

As these examples show, while in some cases you might have scenes and chapters that are equivalent, chapters are an artistic choice and a tool that writers can use to create a desired effect in the story. Scenes, on the other hand, are a fundamental unit of storytelling, not an artificial construct. 

Scene vs. Exposition

If scenes are the “show” part of storytelling, then exposition is the “tell.” Many writing teachers hammer home the idea that you should “show, don’t tell” but I prefer to think of it as “show and tell.” The truth is that showing and telling are both essential parts of storytelling. Scenes and exposition both perform important functions and one is not necessarily better than the other.

Scenes, as mentioned before, have a certain immediacy to them. The reader feels like they are right there with the characters, experiencing the moment at hand alongside them. Scenes have an immersive feel to them and oftentimes we don’t even realize we are reading when a scene really pulls us in.

Exposition, on the other hand, is great for skipping time or zipping from one location to another. If scenes are like the basic cells in a story organism, I think of exposition as the connective tissue that helps to hold everything together. Exposition is what allows us to say “Five years later” or “The next morning in Timbuktu.” It allows us to skim over the less important (or less interesting) parts of the story, until we get to another section that merits a scene.

Consider this example. Suppose you have a character who walks to work every day by the same route. The reader doesn’t need to know about every crack in the sidewalk or every random stranger that crosses the character’s path. If it’s a regular, ordinary day, the story can just say “He walked to work that day” and then craft a scene when things get interesting.

But let’s suppose, on a particular day, something dramatic happens on the way to work, like they meet the love of their life. Now it makes sense to craft a full scene, so we can capture that dramatic moment. Exposition lets us skip over the mundane, everyday stuff, while scene lets us dive into an important moment for the character.

The Elements of Scene Structure

At DIY MFA, we consider scene structure as it relates to each of the four story elements: character, plot, world, and theme. I like to think of these story elements as mapping directly onto the four natural elements: fire, water, earth, and air. 

Plot, for example, represents water or the ebb and flow of the storytelling. The plot events are often a sequence of actions and reactions, where events happen and characters respond, prompting other events to happen, and so forth.

When you put the elements of a scene together, you end up with something akin to the image below. The bead-like shape is intentional because scenes are like beads on a string, each one building on the one before and helping the necklace take shape.

This four-pronged approach to scene craft is only the tip of the iceberg. In our signature DIY MFA programs (like Plan to Plot), we go much deeper into these story elements and how they intersect with each other. For example, key moments in the plot thread overlap with significant points in the character’s arc through the scene. This is not coincidental.

Do a Deep Dive!

If you’re curious about scene craft and structure, one of the best ways to understand the techniques is to do some close reading and analyze what you see on the page. Choose a scene from a favorite novel, memoir, or story and see if you can tease apart the four different elements.

What sections relate to the character’s arc through the scene? What components are the ebb and flow of plot events? How does the author ground the scene in place and time, and what symbols or thematic elements help bring the story’s theme to life? See if you can identify and analyze the different parts of a scene. After that, you’re well on your way to crafting great scenes yourself. 

Until next time, keep writing and keep being awesome!

P.S. For more info on Gabriela Pereira, the founder and instigator of DIY MFA, check out her profile page.

The post Writer Fuel: Scene Craft and How to Create Stronger Scenes appeared first on DIY MFA.

But there’s more to writing than just the writing itself. There are many elements that touch our writing but are not necessarily writing-related. Still, these elements can have a huge impact on how we get words on the page.

There are a lot of experts teaching about the craft of writing, but not as many who talk about the “other stuff” like resilience, focus, overcoming blocks, setting boundaries, and other such topics. This is why I created the DIY MFA FLOW Framework.

The DIY MFA FLOW Framework has four parts to it. These four components represent four different aspects of our creative lives. In fact, the word FLOW is itself an acronym. (And if you’ve been in the DIY MFA ecosystem for more than five minutes, you probably know we love our acronyms!)

• F = Find Your Focus
• L = Live Your Learning
• O = Overcome Your Obstacles
• W = Work Your Words

The idea behind the FLOW Framework is that all these ancillary skills which surround our writing are just that: skills. This means that they are teachable and learnable, not esoteric, amorphous concepts that are impossible to figure out. At DIY MFA, we believe that you can practice specific skills related to your creative life. Then you’ll have these skills in your back pocket, so you can implement them at crucial moments.

Find Your Focus

Focus is the foundational aspect of the FLOW framework, because without focus, none of the other FLOW components are feasible. In addition, focus is essential for getting words on the page and is a necessary first step to be able to write. No matter how many creativity hacks we might try, if we can’t focus, we can’t do our creative work.

Find Your Focus skills include how to:

• Set effective goals
• Find the right project that lights you up
• Make empowered choices
• Eliminate distractions
• Discern when to emphasize life vs. writing

Live Your Learning

As writers we are constantly learning. We like to learn new craft-related techniques. We also learn about our own subject matter so we can write compelling and authentic stories. In terms of the FLOW Framework, learning is the day-to-day maintenance piece. These are the skills we will draw on most often as we are living our creative lives.

Live Your Learning skills include how to:

• Determine our best writing process
• Handle failure and avoid guilt
• Use deliberate practice to learn new skills and techniques
• Develop ideas through imitation, improvisation, and incubation
• Structure your ideas and give them a concrete shape

Overcome Your Obstacles

Sooner or later, all writers hit bumps in the road. Whatever we might call it—writer’s block, resistance, “The Wall”—the result is the same. Sometimes we face a creative crisis and we need techniques to help us get through it. These skills are ones we may not draw on every day, but we want to practice them and keep them handy so that we have them when the need arises.

Overcome Your Obstacles skills include how to:

• Side-step obstacles by acting “As If”
• Use your creative identity to anchor you during tough moments
• Identify your creative monster and take away its power
• Craft a creative survival kit in case of emergencies
• Put together a Peace Corner to keep you grounded

Work Your Words

This element is the interpersonal part of the FLOW Framework. While the other elements address more individual aspects of the creative life, we must also accept that creative work exists in an ecosystem, and we must learn to navigate that system. This FLOW component is all about communication and using our words effectively with others.

Work Your Words skills include how to:

• Reframe language that does not serve you
• Use language for problem-solving
• Set boundaries with strategic word choice
• Ask for what you need effectively
• Redirect and deflect verbal attacks

Skill-Based Learning and the Importance of Practice

One thing to keep in mind with the FLOW Framework, is that the emphasis is not on vaguely understanding amorphous concepts. When I teach this framework, the main task at hand is for writers to learn specific, concrete skills, then practice them in a safe space—a journal, a worksheet, a virtual workshop—so that when the need arises, they have that skill ready.

This is not unlike how I teach the craft. Yes, there are certain aspects of writing that are very cerebral and abstract, but the goal is always to translate those amorphous ideas into concrete techniques that writers can implement right away. This is why so many of our programs at DIY MFA include a live classroom component, where writers can participate in real time.

It is difficult to practice skills in isolation, though not impossible. If you find you don’t have the opportunity to join a life workshop or take a class in real time, you can still learn techniques and practice them on your own. The key is learning to look at the work you do in practice with an objective outlook. There is one DIY MFA technique I find particularly useful for practicing both the technical aspects of writing and those ancillary skills represented in the FLOW Framework. It is called the Petri Dish Technique.

The Petri Dish Technique

The idea behind the Petri Dish Technique is that you identify the skill you want to learn, practice it in isolation, then put the technique back into context after you have solidified it. For example, imagine you want to learn how to write better dialogue. First you identify that dialogue is, in fact, the problem you want to solve. Next, you find some dialogue exercises online or in a book of writing prompts and you do those exercises until you feel like you’ve nailed down the dialogue. Then and only then do you go back into your work-in-progress and fix the dialogue throughout.

The reason this technique works so well is because it allows you to practice a technique outside the context of your current project. This lowers the likelihood of you tinkering your story to death and making your voice feel stilted and artificial. This is not unlike how scientists might take a cell sample from an organism, run tests on it in a petri dish, then infuse the cure back into the organism once they’ve solved the problem. The petri dish allows for a safe space to run those tests and not kill the organism in the process. The same is true with your writing.

But what about those ancillary skills from the FLOW Framework? How can we use the Petri Dish Technique with those?

In this case, we have to get a little more creative. Instead of doing writing prompts, we need to find some other safe space where we can practice those skills. I find journaling to be especially effective for this purpose. If I don’t have a circle of trust immediately handy where I can try some of the skills out on real people, I find that writing about the skill in a journal can be an effective alternative.

This is why, when I teach the FLOW Framework I like to have worksheets handy so writers can practice the techniques on the page. This is especially helpful because I find many writers to be introverts, and introverts don’t often want to practice techniques through roleplay or other more extroverted activities. For writers, processing concepts through pen and page is often more compatible with their introspective natures.

Reclaiming Your Creative Flow

If you’re having trouble finding your creative flow, start by using the FLOW framework to identify which area of your creative life needs the most attention. Is the problem that you feel scattered and can’t concentrate on your creative work (Focus)? Is it something relating to your everyday writing process (Learning)? Are you perhaps struggling with a creative crisis like writer’s block (Obstacles)? Is the issue one of setting boundaries or communicating your needs (Words)?

Once you have a sense for the overall cause of this lack of flow, look at some of the skills listed above and see if you can find one that might help address the issue. (Note: the lists of skills are by no means exhaustive, so you might identify something that’s not on a list. That’s okay!) After you’ve selected a skill, grab a journal and spend a little bit of time writing about it.

A great way to journal about this is with the “So What?” Technique. Start by making some sort of statement about the topic at hand, like “I don’t feel inspired to write.” Then write “so what?” Answer with another statement, then ask “so what?” again. Keep doing this for five or six “so whats?” until you hit on the core reason behind the lack of creative flow. After that, write a few paragraphs about what you’ve uncovered. The purpose behind the five or six “so whats?” is that they allow you to go deep and not stop at the most obvious answers.

There you have it: a step-by-step guide to reclaiming your creative flow, using the FLOW Framework alongside practical tools like the Petri Dish Technique and the “So What” Technique.

Until next time, keep writing and keep being awesome!

P.S. For more info on Gabriela Pereira, the founder and instigator of DIY MFA, check out her profile page.

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