The Kilted Writer

I participate in a number of online forums about writing. Most of the time, I find good discussion about the craft and the nuances that drive writing from "good" to "great." Too often, however, I find interjections into the conversations that make me ask the question, "Are you serious ?" Sometimes, I actually have to back away from the computer (or even leave the room) to keep from posting a response I would ultimately regret. Here are just a few examples I'd like to bring to light. PLEASE, do not be these people. (Note: slight paraphrasing has been done to help hide the identities of the guilty parties). 1. The "live editor." This person says, " When you're publishing an ebook, you can submit updated content after each rewrite...I return to the book often, updating the file after each rewrite; but let at least a few weeks or months pass between each edit. " Yes, that is (slightly paraphrased) an actual comment from an act...

Mind, body, and spirit characters are often used in " based on a true story " movies and stories. Apollo 13 is no different. In fact, this movie includes two sets of mind, body, and spirit characters - one set in space and one on the ground.  I've covered why mind, body, and spirit characters show up in "true story" movies in previous posts (see above). In this post, I want to focus on "motivation." On the surface, each character seems like a mind character. They all have knowledge and share information freely and they all react to conflict, especially the explosion, with knowledge, information, and procedure. Even when the procedures no longer apply because of the disaster, they start to build new procedures. All of this is mind-related behavior. In order to see the character's true natures, you have to look a little bit deeper at the characters' motivations. For this analysis, I will focus on one key motivation for each cha...

Like others films based on true stories I have analyzed , The Great Debaters focuses on three main characters with mind, body, and spirit characteristics. This illustrates how prominent these characteristics are in storytelling, whether the story is purely fiction or based in fact. In my workshops, I emphasize three things when it comes to using mind, body, and spirit symbolism in character development. First is the character's introduction. I had one attendee ask if she was being too 'obvious' as to her character's type in her introductory description. I referred her back to the initial character descriptions in The Three Musketeers to show that it is better to be 'obvious' when it comes to describing your mind, body, or spirit characters. The second thing I emphasize is characters reactions to conflict. Each character type has their own unique way of dealing with conflict. Finally, I emphasize character's interactions with each other. Th...

When I was a kid, I had a skateboard, but I was never good at skating, mostly because I didn't put in the work to master the necessary skills. I wanted to be like the "Z-Boys" - the Zephyr skate team who were constantly highlighted in the skating magazines of that time. Stacy Peralta, Tony Alva, and Jay Adams were gods (and still are, in some ways) of the skating world. In previous posts , I've shown how mind, body, and spirit characters are used in stories based on real people and events. Lords of Dogtown continues that illustration. The examples given in this post are from the movie, and not necessarily on actual events. The Mind Character: Stacy Peralta (John Robinson) Stacy is a character study in practicality. Early in the movie, he is watching some of the older guys surfing when one of then wipes out and gets cut. Stacy suggests he should get out of the water because of the injury, a suggestion that is not taken kindly. Stacy is the only one ...

Here is another case of a true story being told using mind, body, and spirit characters . In this case, a fourth character is transformed by the other three. You can look back at my post about ' We Are Marshall ' and ' Rudy ' for more information about real-life stories and mind, body, and spirit characters. In this film, a number of different names are used for each character. For example, King George VI (Colin Firth) is also called 'Albert,' 'Bertie,' or 'the Duke of York.' For this analysis, I will use the royal names George (for King George VI), Edward (for King Edward VIII, George's brother), and Elizabeth (for George's wife - not his daughter, who became Queen Elizabeth II). The Spirit Character: Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) Elizabeth is depicted in this film as the perfect supportive spouse. At one point in the film, she describes how she refused George's first two marriage proposals because she didn't...

I mentioned stories based on true events in a previous post , and in others I've discussed the idea of mind, body, and spirit working to develop a fourth character . In 'Rudy,' the 1993 motion picture depicting of the life of Rudy Ruettiger (played by Sean Astin), these two concepts come together. The main character, Rudy Ruettiger, grows steadily throughout the film, but he must rely on the help of others to reach his goal of playing football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. As before, the comments here are based on the film and not necessarily on actual events. The Spirit Character: Father Cavanaugh ( Robert Prosky ) As I may have said before, spirit characters are often members of the clergy or characters who have deep religious beliefs. Father Cavanaugh gives Rudy hope when he's lost everything. His best friend is dead and his family ridicules him for his dreams. Rudy needs someone to help him once again believe he can achieve those dreams. Fath...

In November 1970, Marshall University lost its entire football team, most of its athletic staff, many of its boosters, and other prominent citizens in a devastating plane crash. Marshall's efforts to grow out of that great tragedy and begin its recovery are chronicled in the motion picture, We Are Marshall . Movies that depict real-life events, such as We Are Marshall , Black Hawk Down , The Right Stuff , and Miracle all focus on a small group of individuals who were involved in those events. In Black Hawk Down , for example, we are not introduced to all of the soldiers who were involved, just the ones that help propel the story. In Miracle , actors playing Eric Strobel and Steve Christoff enjoyed very little screen time compared to those playing Jim Craig and Mike Eruzione.  Also, in Black Hawk Down , some real life characters, like a certain group of Delta Force soldiers, were condensed into a single fictional character - Hoot. Inevitably, the characters on whom th...