Inneresting 92
issue 92
March 11th, 2021
Examples of Betrayals and Hidden Agendas
(Almost) Everybody Lies: In Episode 151 of Scriptnotes, John and Craig discuss why it’s a good thing that most characters are liars.
The Job is to Pretend: Retired undercover FBI agent Dana Ridenour shares her picks for the best non-fiction about undercover law enforcement. Ruth Bushi looks at how pairing characters as mirror images in The Departed sets up its series of double-crosses. Rik Worth examines a fan theory about BlacKkKlansman and asks the question “When was Flip Zimmerman actually pretending?”
Shaving Cream Con: Trevor Kincy breaks down Jurassic Park to see how Dennis Nedry’s betrayal of John Hammond fits in the real world of corporate espionage.
Deceptive Dialogue: Dee Rees explains The Triple Bumper Theory on writing dialogue where characters disguise their true feelings and intentions. Tim Stevens pulls examples from Closer to show how the characters use language to deceive and hurt each other. Hunter Harris digs deep into one line from Closer, asking what it actually says about lying.
Finding Out Why: Julian Darius writes about Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy, and how it complicates a revenge story by having the antagonist hide why they want vengeance.
Changing Allies to Enemies
The Writer Emergency Pack card “What Would Indy Do?” suggests adding spice to your story with a dash of double-cross:
Find your Satipo. Is there an ally who can betray your hero?
It’s just one suggestion from the deck of cards designed to help get writers get unstuck when they hit a story problem.
To find out more, check out the Writer Emergency Pack site, or follow for more tips (and iconic film moments) on Twitter or Instagram!
Previously on Inneresting…
In case you missed it, in last issue’s most clicked link David Sims compiles a list of great films whose only Oscar nomination was for their screenplay.
Other Inneresting Things
Marie E. Leahy presents a study on how to redesign books for readers with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.
Kateyln Jetelina explains the difference between individual and collective risk when thinking about COVID.
Noah Smith suggests that while Universal Pre-K may not have direct improvements on children’s education, making sure parents and guardians have child care still makes a difference.
And that’s what’s inneresting this week!
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