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WRITING EXERCISE: thread
I'm going to walk through a thing I do that I think a lot of people do, but not everyone.
I'm using GUNS AKIMBO as my example, but I must make it clear up front: THIS IS NOT TO IN ANY WAY DISPARAGE THE MOVIE OR ITS MAKERS. This is a critical look.
1/16
I'm going to walk through a thing I do that I think a lot of people do, but not everyone.
I'm using GUNS AKIMBO as my example, but I must make it clear up front: THIS IS NOT TO IN ANY WAY DISPARAGE THE MOVIE OR ITS MAKERS. This is a critical look.
1/16
As a longtime TV Tropes aficionado, as soon as I saw the title GUNS AKIMBO, I *knew* I had to watch this movie.
Then I saw the trailer. Harry fucking Potter. Well maybe I don't *have to*.
But as soon as it came out, I was there.
2/16
Then I saw the trailer. Harry fucking Potter. Well maybe I don't *have to*.
But as soon as it came out, I was there.
2/16
Now right off the bat, I want to say that Daniel Radcliff did an excellent job. He was great in every way.
The movie also introduced me to Samara Weaving. Because of this movie, I watched both The Babysitter movies and the hide and seek one. She was phenomenal in all.
3/16
The movie also introduced me to Samara Weaving. Because of this movie, I watched both The Babysitter movies and the hide and seek one. She was phenomenal in all.
3/16
But I didn't like Daniel Radcliff's character. I thought he was flat, stupid, whiny, and all around unlikable. I was rooting for him to die and for Samara Weaving to win. She didn't. I wasn't happy with that.
So if it wasn't the performance, it had to be the writing.
4/16
So if it wasn't the performance, it had to be the writing.
4/16
Personally, I don't enjoy a movie where the protagonist runs and hides for the first half. It's simply not compelling. Do it once for a laugh, then do something different.
Daniel Radcliff did a lot of running and hiding here.
So here's the exercise:
5/16
Daniel Radcliff did a lot of running and hiding here.
So here's the exercise:
5/16
I wanted to love GUNS AKIMBO. There are a lot of movies that I wanted to love but ended up hating (sorry, HEREDITARY). But I don't just blindly hate (btw, I didn't hate GA, I was just disappointed).
I think about why the movie didn't work for me. What went wrong?
6/16
I think about why the movie didn't work for me. What went wrong?
6/16
In this case, it boiled down to an aggressively passive protagonist.
And that got me thinking, what would I do differently knowing this didn't work for me? What do I loathe about this trope (anti-trope?)?
7/16
And that got me thinking, what would I do differently knowing this didn't work for me? What do I loathe about this trope (anti-trope?)?
7/16
Why do they always try to reason with the person shooting at them?
Why do they never think, "This person will kill me"? If the gun didn't do it, the shooting part should have.
Why is that important to me?
Because that is a *stupid* person.
8/16
Why do they never think, "This person will kill me"? If the gun didn't do it, the shooting part should have.
Why is that important to me?
Because that is a *stupid* person.
8/16
But you're not supposed to notice that, because "reasoning with people" is seen as an intelligent person thing.
So not only is he aggressively passive, he is fundamentally stupid. I can relate to the former, but not the latter.
How would I fix this?
9/16
So not only is he aggressively passive, he is fundamentally stupid. I can relate to the former, but not the latter.
How would I fix this?
9/16
You can run and hide exactly once in a movie like this. While you are hiding, you are talking yourself down from panic. You're reasoning with *yourself*. You're asking yourself critical questions and answering them honestly.
10/16
10/16
"This motherfucker's trying to kill me. Maybe I should talk her out of it. No, that won't work. She *needs* to kill me. I better do something" is not only smart but active.
Later, he hides behind a corner and bashes her with a metal object. She's down, and really hurt.
11/16
Later, he hides behind a corner and bashes her with a metal object. She's down, and really hurt.
11/16
He now has three choices:
1. Finish her off and end the game.
2. Run.
3. Reason with her.
NOW he can reason with her because he's at an advantage. Or maybe he realizes he has guns bolted to his hands and he can shoot her. But he can't because he's not a killer.
12/16
1. Finish her off and end the game.
2. Run.
3. Reason with her.
NOW he can reason with her because he's at an advantage. Or maybe he realizes he has guns bolted to his hands and he can shoot her. But he can't because he's not a killer.
12/16
But ultimately, he must choose to run. You can only do this once.
Now you have a real cat and mouse game, where he doesn't want to be in a position to kill her, and she doesn't want to be in a position to be killed. She doesn't want to corner a wild animal.
13/16
Now you have a real cat and mouse game, where he doesn't want to be in a position to kill her, and she doesn't want to be in a position to be killed. She doesn't want to corner a wild animal.
13/16
Now he can be in the active position of hunting down the bad guy. She can still hunt him, but THROUGH HIS CHARACTER that he showed earlier, she may now begin to sympathize with him, and join him at the end of Act 2 as a choice *she makes* as an active character.
14/16
14/16
But see how identifying a problem and changing it can open up a whole new world to improve your characters and (thus) story?
If a movie doesn't sit well with me, but I can see something in there that isn't fully formed in the finished product, I analyze it.
15/16
If a movie doesn't sit well with me, but I can see something in there that isn't fully formed in the finished product, I analyze it.
15/16
I don't dismiss it as "This sucked". I learn why, and I make my own improvements.
As an exercise, I fully believe it's made me a better writer. I recommend people find a movie they dislike beyond bad acting/directing/whatever but felt "coulda been".
Opinion, YMMV, etc.
16/16
As an exercise, I fully believe it's made me a better writer. I recommend people find a movie they dislike beyond bad acting/directing/whatever but felt "coulda been".
Opinion, YMMV, etc.
16/16
