Inneresting 77
issue 77
November 19th, 2021
Showing Process and Progress
To get from idea to execution fast, a traditional montage sequence shows the process and the emotional highs and lows along the way. In The Martian, astronaut Mark Watney moves from discovering an old rover to turning it into a crude communication device in a sequence of short scenes.
A demonstrative montage focuses less on the emotion and more on the process. Like a how-to video that doesn’t necessarily narrate the steps. Laura Kampf makes videos like this one showing how she built an automated coffee grinder from salvaged parts.
But it’s not just about montages: Repetition of actions in a story lets the audience pick up on the differences and can connect the dots. In That Thing You Do! each time the titular song gets played it showcases changes in the band’s sound and interpersonal conflicts.
A garage rehearsal, played as a ballad where the band feels out their dynamic
An early performance, where tension over tempo creates an explosive reaction on the dance floor
A later, polished performance where the song is at its best, but the band is at its most fragile
Thinking like you’re explaining the instructions to the audience can help. Writing Commons gathered some guidelines for writing effective instruction manuals, and Ian McKenzie shares his list of tips for giving effective verbal instructions.
Taking Things Step By Step
What happened if your characters encountered this problem all the time? What kind of checklist would they have for their next actions?
It can help to remember that a surprising problem for the audience might be just another day at the office for your hero. One of the cards in the Writer Emergency Pack asks you to consider when there may be a standard procedure for the extraordinary.
For more on the Writer Emergency Pack, check out the site, or find more regular writing prompts via Instagram or Twitter.
Previously on Inneresting…
In case you missed it, our most clicked link was to a short video from screenwriter Michael Arndt sharing what he learned about writing a good beginning from his work on Toy Story 3.
Other Cool Things
Tim Requarth explains how a debunked study on seatbelt use created a misleading idea of risk compensation that damages public health policy.
Libraries don’t own e-books: Daniel A. Gross looks at the business of selling lending rights for e-books to libraries.
Amanda Shendruk analyzes the gender representation of over 34,000 comic book characters.
And that’s what’s inneresting this week!
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