I have found as a writer and an avid reader there are several ways to tell a
story, but when using classic principles to illustrate the trials and
tribulations of our characters we learn to see our narrative in three acts.
In the first act our protagonist is minding his own ordinary business and
something happens to him that changes his life or his outlook on life forever.
Perhaps his wife leaves him, or he wins the lottery, or someone he loves is
murdered or dies. Nevertheless, the event changes him and he will never be the
same person he was before the event occurred.
When we meet our character again in Act II he is trying to figure out where
he stands in his "new world," what he can do about his new reality,
and how he is going to cope with his new understanding of the world around him.
He investigates. In the case of a murder mystery he might begin to look for
clues, following the signs to the truth behind the mystery. Ultimately in
search of justice; closure so he can move on, peace. A new degree of
"ordinary".
One of my favorite writing teacher authors, James Scott Bell calls Act II the "muddle in the
middle". He likens the three act structure to a suspension bridge or two
doorways of no return with a long stretch of road between them that we must navigate
successfully to become the hero.
Once you past the first concrete pile-on or step through the first doorway
you enter act two. Then comes the hero's quest, the middle of the story, the
muddling around, where our character figures out who he is in the midst of his chaos, he puts the puzzle pieces together and he is propelled past the second
pile-on of the suspension bridge, or through the proverbial second doorway of no
return towards resolution.
This last doorway is a culmination of events that leads him into act three.
This doorway raises the stakes a little higher but it eventually leads him,
maybe at the cost of life or limb to the truth, reconciliation, understanding.
In the murder mystery plot this is when he finds the last salacious clue, he find
out who did it, confronts him or her and in act three they are brought to
justice.
As a writer, I am always considering this formula, and how my characters
have been placed and react to the stakes I have raised for them to rail
against. I know it's cliche to refer to life as a three act play but in my
own project I am in the midst of rewriting and editing Act II and it donned on
me that in the journey of writing my novel, emotionally I am also in Act II. I
realized we are all "muddling in the middle" of some problem or life
experience we have faced that has pulled us down to the mat or slowed our personal growth to a crawl.
My church calls this time of year "ordinary time". I'm catholic so whenever it is mentioned or I read it
somewhere at church it strikes me as odd and I feel a guttural response to stand
up and shout what the heck is so ordinary about it? It doesn't feel ordinary to
me at all! I am working on a novel that has consumed my every thought for the past
four years. Ordinary seems strange to say when I have friends struggling to
find work, or overcome illness. Women are having babies, husbands are getting
promoted, there's flooding and hurricanes tormenting the middle of the country,
I could go on and on. Good or bad, tragic or joyous these moments of our lives are
far from ordinary, they are indeed extraordinary if we really stop to notice.
Aren't we just trying to uncover the clues, find peace within the chaos,
strength to rise above? Our lives are several intertwined stories, with
numerous sub-plots, infinite problems needing solutions, some big, some very small, all happening at once. If you are a writer or an artist of any kind or perhaps simply a student of life, the "muddle in the middle" is life itself! Finding ways to cope and overcome adversity, helping others in their journey; we are all in search of success over our particular experience in Act I. Not only is it what we write but it is why we write.
So keep writing!
-JC Beichner
Monday, October 31, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Dear Diary
This time last week I was headed to the airport for a weekend in Los Angeles to attend author James Scott Bell's "Novel & Screenplay Intensive" workshop. I was ready. Up to that point I had been making slow progress on my re-writes for my civil war novel. All last year I had worked with my editor Paul in honing an outline for the book that took into account plot, subplot, character development, suspense and credibility. When we had looked at every possible angle for creating a story with all these elements skillfully aligned, we cut the cord between us and this aspiring author was then sent to go it alone and begin re-writing and implementing all the new and exciting changes I had created with Paul leading me through the finer points of classic storytelling. Of course, I thought I would fly through theses changes and be done within a couple of months with a brilliant completed novel ready to sell to the highest bidder. Let's put it this way, my enthusiasm for life is such that I am a horrible judge of time. How's that for a positive spin?
As anyone who has ever written a novel will tell you, after so many months of nailing down in outline who your characters are, why they do what they do and what lies in store for them, you naturally have to spend some serious time in contemplation watching the movie of them in your head. It was crucial for me to sit and think about everything I had developed and what it looked like in my mind's eye so that I would later me able to put pen to paper. If I didn't spend time under the thinking tree how would I know what to write? Here's the catch, all of a sudden I was napping under that tree and not spending very much time "with butt in chair" actually working.
I had begun to procrastinate and then allowed everything in my life to over run my time, leaving me with no energy left to write. I lost my balance. Now mind you, I was completely aware that I was doing this, I could see a small snowball in my head rolling down hill, picking up speed, growing in size, consuming everything in it's path. Occasionally, I would stop it's forward motion and jot down a few notes that I would not trust my mind to commit to memory, just to slow down the inevitable crash. But I was not giving my passion enough attention or importance, and soon I began to mentally punish myself for my laziness and lack of service to the priority that is my novel. I became mad that I was not Bradly Cooper's character in "Limitless" who could sit down and finish a best selling novel in a weekend, never mind he was on drugs (I never should have seen that movie). What ever my personal insult, I started to contrive a story that this lack of progress was just a part of another past failure that was going to dictate the future of my book because their was no way I was going to have the strength to break the vicious cycle and show the world what I had to offer!
Now after a weekend in LA focused soley on my passion, I am in a completely different space and I am seeing how truly unkind I can be to myself. If a dear friend came to me with the same angst I have just described for their own work and progress and a desire to be DONE yesterday, I would tell them how completely unreasonable they are being and that anything worth doing is worth doing right. Adding that where ever they are in their process is exactly where they are supposed to be. So this is how I test my rationale. Am I taking my own advice? If the answer is no..which up until recently has indeed been the case then I stop and admit that this speed bump in the road is where I have some work to do.
James Scott Bell's workshop last weekend was a brilliant new jumping off point for me. He is a divinely talented teacher and creative doctor. I am humbled beyond belief that I have found so many amazing writers along this literary path to show me the way and share their experiences, helping me bring my first commercial novel to fruition. I have read Bell's books on writing, and attended a webinar on his plot and structure theories but what has impressed me the most about him as a teacher is his ego; he doesn't have one. He is truly a servant to writers of the written word and the art of bringing those words to life on the page or screen and how we can best survive the roller coaster journey without beating ourselves up for what we think we don't know.
We can always improve and as a testament to that we had at least two prolific authors in our midst taking notes along with us and contributing to the conversation of growth throughout the weekend. Their humble presence reminded me that we never stop learning or wanting to improve and it is entirely up to us whether or not we let our past dictate our future.
Sitting in this workshop I realized I am much further along than I thought and not only am I close to being done but I am nailing my structure and character development! Where I have faltered? I can fix it! I have all the tools I need and in the end, time is truly relative. My only deadlines are self imposed and most of the time judgemental and unreasonable and do not serve my faith that God has big plans for me.
One of the best pieces of advice that I gleaned from Mr. Bell's workshop was a bit he passed on about keeping a novel journal. He suggested as he had learned from another successful author, that in keeping a diary of your novel's journey you can vent on paper all your built up angst, nervous energy, emotional baggage as well as side bar conversations with your characters and ways to attack problems in your story. Doing this each day before beginning your novel writing clears your mind and sharpens your creativity to begin the real work on your art. Interesting, a novel journal is kind of like a blog isn't it?
Thank you Mr. Bell and welcome to my novel journey-I mean journal!
-JC Beichner
"Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, I will try again tomorrow" - Mary Anne Radmacher
As anyone who has ever written a novel will tell you, after so many months of nailing down in outline who your characters are, why they do what they do and what lies in store for them, you naturally have to spend some serious time in contemplation watching the movie of them in your head. It was crucial for me to sit and think about everything I had developed and what it looked like in my mind's eye so that I would later me able to put pen to paper. If I didn't spend time under the thinking tree how would I know what to write? Here's the catch, all of a sudden I was napping under that tree and not spending very much time "with butt in chair" actually working.
I had begun to procrastinate and then allowed everything in my life to over run my time, leaving me with no energy left to write. I lost my balance. Now mind you, I was completely aware that I was doing this, I could see a small snowball in my head rolling down hill, picking up speed, growing in size, consuming everything in it's path. Occasionally, I would stop it's forward motion and jot down a few notes that I would not trust my mind to commit to memory, just to slow down the inevitable crash. But I was not giving my passion enough attention or importance, and soon I began to mentally punish myself for my laziness and lack of service to the priority that is my novel. I became mad that I was not Bradly Cooper's character in "Limitless" who could sit down and finish a best selling novel in a weekend, never mind he was on drugs (I never should have seen that movie). What ever my personal insult, I started to contrive a story that this lack of progress was just a part of another past failure that was going to dictate the future of my book because their was no way I was going to have the strength to break the vicious cycle and show the world what I had to offer!
Now after a weekend in LA focused soley on my passion, I am in a completely different space and I am seeing how truly unkind I can be to myself. If a dear friend came to me with the same angst I have just described for their own work and progress and a desire to be DONE yesterday, I would tell them how completely unreasonable they are being and that anything worth doing is worth doing right. Adding that where ever they are in their process is exactly where they are supposed to be. So this is how I test my rationale. Am I taking my own advice? If the answer is no..which up until recently has indeed been the case then I stop and admit that this speed bump in the road is where I have some work to do.
James Scott Bell's workshop last weekend was a brilliant new jumping off point for me. He is a divinely talented teacher and creative doctor. I am humbled beyond belief that I have found so many amazing writers along this literary path to show me the way and share their experiences, helping me bring my first commercial novel to fruition. I have read Bell's books on writing, and attended a webinar on his plot and structure theories but what has impressed me the most about him as a teacher is his ego; he doesn't have one. He is truly a servant to writers of the written word and the art of bringing those words to life on the page or screen and how we can best survive the roller coaster journey without beating ourselves up for what we think we don't know.
We can always improve and as a testament to that we had at least two prolific authors in our midst taking notes along with us and contributing to the conversation of growth throughout the weekend. Their humble presence reminded me that we never stop learning or wanting to improve and it is entirely up to us whether or not we let our past dictate our future.
Sitting in this workshop I realized I am much further along than I thought and not only am I close to being done but I am nailing my structure and character development! Where I have faltered? I can fix it! I have all the tools I need and in the end, time is truly relative. My only deadlines are self imposed and most of the time judgemental and unreasonable and do not serve my faith that God has big plans for me.
One of the best pieces of advice that I gleaned from Mr. Bell's workshop was a bit he passed on about keeping a novel journal. He suggested as he had learned from another successful author, that in keeping a diary of your novel's journey you can vent on paper all your built up angst, nervous energy, emotional baggage as well as side bar conversations with your characters and ways to attack problems in your story. Doing this each day before beginning your novel writing clears your mind and sharpens your creativity to begin the real work on your art. Interesting, a novel journal is kind of like a blog isn't it?
Thank you Mr. Bell and welcome to my novel journey-I mean journal!
-JC Beichner
"Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, I will try again tomorrow" - Mary Anne Radmacher
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Inspiration
You know the rush you feel at Christmas time when there are so many things on your to do list you feel like your head will explode? I always try to stop myself, take a deep breath and get centered in the true meaning of the season before I press forward. Otherwise, I end up feeling like a cliche, another person lost in the rat race of life lacking the common sense to stop and smell the flowers. Feeling like the only reason why I am shopping and decorating for the holidays is because the TV told me to. For these reasons, there are several people, you know them as well, who pronounce during the holidays that they hate Christmas.
This past year over the holidays, I once again felt the "rush" and my body and mind pulled into the powerful energy that time is a wastin'. Once the holidays were over and the new year had begun with expectancy I noticed the rush did not seem to end. I started to wonder as life was speeding all around me if this level of energy was the new normal?
I asked a few friends, "Does it feel like we are still in the holiday rush to you?"
Every friend I polled seemed to say, "Yes, its unbelievable, I don't know where the days are going!"
Something I can't ignore about this new "rush" compared to the holidays, for me anyways, is I am experiencing so much synchronicity. Unlike during the holidays when you get sucked up into all that "craziness" and nothing seems to go as planned. Lately my schedule between work and play and seeing friends and family is falling into place with ease. I suppose the other difference would be that I am working out regularly and eating right instead of pigging out on holiday cookies and skipping the gym! (Thank God I got that part figured out in my perpetual holiday season). I find I am so eager to get up in the morning and start the day with my many projects in front of me, I struggle to figure out which one to start first. I just don't have enough hours in the day to finish them all.
So now I get up between 5-6am and start working on my civil war novel (now in the homestretch) until I hit the gym around 930am and then I come home and start working on my training business for the rest of the day. Around lunch time, I take a break and call my dear friend Gerri and check in with her on how she is doing with her book and its different business aspects and we usually talk about what has been the best part of our day so far. Sometimes I am eating my lunch while we talk just to get extra time on the phone with her (she doesn't mind). We talk about our daily triumphs, obstacles, marketing strategies, writing schedules, ideas for growing our businesses and what or who we need to say some prayers for in our lives. I have come to understand what the term "power lunch" really means. After lunch, it's back to the day job until dinner. Between dinner and bedtime, I relax with my husband and give all my attention to him and a few random household chores. This schedule or rather how I execute it, or succeed, is always challenged but I hold the vision of harmony and can always try again the next day.
Truly, I realize the difference is perspective. In this new flow compared to the old holiday rush, I have noticed I am joyful and excited. I feel consumed by spirit and my new favorite word is unstoppable (it sounds a bit corny, I know).
I will finish my novel in the next two months, teach numerous CPR & First Aid training classes along the way (my day job) as well as help others reach their writing goals (my editing/consulting side job). In cohesion with all of this, my husband and I will continue to nurture and enjoy our marriage, I'll sing in the choir at church and have meaningful time with my family, friends as well as enjoy everyday moments shared with strangers where only a kind word or a smile is exchanged. All of which fill me up and keep me motivated in the face of daily adversity.
Indeed it is all about perspective. You can see your life and everything in it as a wonderful adventure, full of high energy and blessings or a hectic time where you are in complete resistance fighting life every step of the way wondering when something good is going to happen.
I used to work in law enforcement many years ago so I know a little something about being a control freak. I loved my job then too but sometimes struggled to find a peaceful balance between policing everything whether I was at work or not or just going with the flow and enjoying life's ride. To survive any type of public service job whether its being a police officer, a nurse or a flight attendant you have to find a little "Zen" in every day for balance. What you do for a living isn't always who you are, it's just the beginning.
I always say that when I began to write is when I entered into "Type A Recovery", one of these days I will write that book (great title)! One of my favorite quotes that keeps me centered is from Souza:
"Dance as though no one is watching you, love as though you have never been hurt before, sing as though no one can hear you, live as though heaven is on earth."
If you try to search for Souza as source on the Internet, he is an enigma. The only information I could find referred to him as Alfred Souza, Alfred D. Souza or Father Alfred D. Souza and said that he was a writer, philosopher, theologian who lived in Brisbane Australia and died in 2004. It's too bad because this quote has given me and I'm sure thousands new perspective on life. Maybe Souza perferred anonimity or thought the credit should be given to a higher source?
I'm sure you have heard the quote many times before but my favorite part of the quote is the part about living as though "heaven is on earth." If heaven is on earth, than it is always Christmas!
In doing my research I found yet another Souza quote:
“For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.”
I think this quote is now my new favorite.
- JC Beichner
This past year over the holidays, I once again felt the "rush" and my body and mind pulled into the powerful energy that time is a wastin'. Once the holidays were over and the new year had begun with expectancy I noticed the rush did not seem to end. I started to wonder as life was speeding all around me if this level of energy was the new normal?
I asked a few friends, "Does it feel like we are still in the holiday rush to you?"
Every friend I polled seemed to say, "Yes, its unbelievable, I don't know where the days are going!"
Something I can't ignore about this new "rush" compared to the holidays, for me anyways, is I am experiencing so much synchronicity. Unlike during the holidays when you get sucked up into all that "craziness" and nothing seems to go as planned. Lately my schedule between work and play and seeing friends and family is falling into place with ease. I suppose the other difference would be that I am working out regularly and eating right instead of pigging out on holiday cookies and skipping the gym! (Thank God I got that part figured out in my perpetual holiday season). I find I am so eager to get up in the morning and start the day with my many projects in front of me, I struggle to figure out which one to start first. I just don't have enough hours in the day to finish them all.
So now I get up between 5-6am and start working on my civil war novel (now in the homestretch) until I hit the gym around 930am and then I come home and start working on my training business for the rest of the day. Around lunch time, I take a break and call my dear friend Gerri and check in with her on how she is doing with her book and its different business aspects and we usually talk about what has been the best part of our day so far. Sometimes I am eating my lunch while we talk just to get extra time on the phone with her (she doesn't mind). We talk about our daily triumphs, obstacles, marketing strategies, writing schedules, ideas for growing our businesses and what or who we need to say some prayers for in our lives. I have come to understand what the term "power lunch" really means. After lunch, it's back to the day job until dinner. Between dinner and bedtime, I relax with my husband and give all my attention to him and a few random household chores. This schedule or rather how I execute it, or succeed, is always challenged but I hold the vision of harmony and can always try again the next day.
Truly, I realize the difference is perspective. In this new flow compared to the old holiday rush, I have noticed I am joyful and excited. I feel consumed by spirit and my new favorite word is unstoppable (it sounds a bit corny, I know).
I will finish my novel in the next two months, teach numerous CPR & First Aid training classes along the way (my day job) as well as help others reach their writing goals (my editing/consulting side job). In cohesion with all of this, my husband and I will continue to nurture and enjoy our marriage, I'll sing in the choir at church and have meaningful time with my family, friends as well as enjoy everyday moments shared with strangers where only a kind word or a smile is exchanged. All of which fill me up and keep me motivated in the face of daily adversity.
Indeed it is all about perspective. You can see your life and everything in it as a wonderful adventure, full of high energy and blessings or a hectic time where you are in complete resistance fighting life every step of the way wondering when something good is going to happen.
I used to work in law enforcement many years ago so I know a little something about being a control freak. I loved my job then too but sometimes struggled to find a peaceful balance between policing everything whether I was at work or not or just going with the flow and enjoying life's ride. To survive any type of public service job whether its being a police officer, a nurse or a flight attendant you have to find a little "Zen" in every day for balance. What you do for a living isn't always who you are, it's just the beginning.
I always say that when I began to write is when I entered into "Type A Recovery", one of these days I will write that book (great title)! One of my favorite quotes that keeps me centered is from Souza:
"Dance as though no one is watching you, love as though you have never been hurt before, sing as though no one can hear you, live as though heaven is on earth."
If you try to search for Souza as source on the Internet, he is an enigma. The only information I could find referred to him as Alfred Souza, Alfred D. Souza or Father Alfred D. Souza and said that he was a writer, philosopher, theologian who lived in Brisbane Australia and died in 2004. It's too bad because this quote has given me and I'm sure thousands new perspective on life. Maybe Souza perferred anonimity or thought the credit should be given to a higher source?
I'm sure you have heard the quote many times before but my favorite part of the quote is the part about living as though "heaven is on earth." If heaven is on earth, than it is always Christmas!
In doing my research I found yet another Souza quote:
“For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.”
I think this quote is now my new favorite.
- JC Beichner
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