Notes: Lecture One [201006]

Proper Writing Format
Assignments in this class will use:

♥ Present tense – to create an immediate feel
(as though the same events are going on at the moment) – like sitting in a movie theatre watching it

♥ 3rd person (he/she/it/person’s name)
[editorials/scripts/news casters in 3rd person present tense]

♥ Active voice

The 3rd person / present tense
♥ Screenplays use this format
♥ It presents a more immediate and urgent feel to the material.

E.G: “Mark picks up the gun and holds it in his hand. It begins to tremble, as if alive.”




Passive vs. Active voice
Passive Voice

♥ Uses weak verbs
♥ Tells rather than shows what’s going on
♥ Distances the reader from the story

E.G: “The sky was blue with a lot of white clouds” (tells rather than shows)
[subject of the sentence is at the end]

E.G: “Mark was angry at Jane for tricking him into helping her.”

Active Voice
♥ Uses strong action verbs
♥ Shows the action
♥ Uses an immediate sentence structure
♥ Conveys the story in a lively manner
♥ Gives subject something to do/start sentence with subject
♥ Creates a visual image of what character needs to do




Tips for Writing
♥ If you have a work in progress, never stop for the night if you’re stuck.
♥ Always solve the problem and keep going until you are in safer water. A good night’s sleep is important. Sleeping on problems is a myth.
♥ If you can’t get started on a project, start writing anyway. To do this you have to have some words to type.
♥ It doesn’t matter what you write. You’ll soon begin to think and move in your own rhythm/pace.
♥ Note down questions you were asking yourself as you wrote it
– Whose story am I telling?
– What is the point of this story?
– How can I engage the attention of the audience?
– Role of writing the story?




Assignment
♥ Reflection
♥ Write 12 opening statements, ones that should let people feel creative in their writing.
– James paces around the empty hallway…
– Karen opens the envelope. Her hand shakes…