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WRITING TIP

From the book - Writing Life Stories by Bill Roorbach

Writing About Scene – Rent two or three movies you’ve liked a lot and watch them, thinking about scene. How does the director manage scene? What exactly is the starting point of a given scene? Where does it end? Are there interruptions of any kind? If you were to convert the scene to writing, what would be necessary to provide a similar mood? What information comes from the actors? What from the cinematographer? What from the director? Try blocking out a favorite scene from a film on paper, then try writing a section of it in prose.
Now turn back to your own writing. How would a director (and her huge staff) film your scene? What directions would you have to give to have it come out just the way you see it? Try turning your scene into a film script, including not just dialogue but camera directions, advice to actors, and set notes. What’s needed? What’s extra?
Last-back to memoir mode-revise your scene to reflect what you’ve discovered.

Have a great writing day,
Linda
www.lindabarnett-johnson.com
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