Let’s Go to the Movies!

Let’s Go to the Movies!
by Glenn White

Popcorn and Keyboards

You’ve heard the writer's mantra, “Show don’t tell.” And that’s good advice for any writer. But how do you write the “show” and avoid the “tell” in your story? The best way is to “see” your story before you “tell” your story.

Before you write or as you write, take time and visualize your characters and the setting. Some writers feel comfortable visualizing the story as they write. Others like to see the story and then write. Whatever works for you is what you should do. It’s important you visualize your story or what someone has called “seeing the movie in your head.”

Practice immersing yourself into the visualization process. Think of your mind as a VCR, or I should say with our changing technology, a rewritable DVD, and start the movie. Let your mind run with your story. At anytime, stop, pause, or even rewind the movie in your head, just like a VCR.

Watch the movie over and over until you clearly see everything in detail. If it helps to get you in the mood, make some popcorn, grab a soda, and then watch the movie in your head. If you write while watching the movie, be careful! Greasy popcorn and spilled soda can ruin keyboards. But pen and paper works just fine!

WYSIWYG

“Watch You See Is What You Get” is WYSIWYG in the tech world. It is also true for the writer. The movie you see in your head becomes the story you write. If you see vague and shadowy images then the characters in your story will seem the same way. The answer to this problem is seeing your characters. Really seeing them!

Visualize everything about your characters. Imagine meeting your character for the first time. What is your first impression? We know first impressions are important so spend some time writing your first impressions of your characters. Why? The story you get will be the characters you see. Remember, WYSIWYG is also true for writers.

Make A Scene!

Here’s an exercise for you. Think for a moment of the movie, “The Sound of Music.” What do you see? If you’re like me, you see Julie Andrews twirling and singing against the beautiful background of the Alps. Yes, that’s quite a memorable scene. And that is the kind of scene you can create in your story. Watch the movie in your head again and pay close attention to the setting. Now, make a scene with your characters being themselves in this setting.

Reruns Worth Watching

Good movies and good television are worth watching over and over again. Every time I watch the “Wizard of Oz,” for example, I notice something I’ve never noticed before. There is a certain, almost indescribable, quality to a classic movie and that’s why we watch them again and again.

Of course, some movies and television aren’t worth watching the first time. The same is true for a good story. If you watch the movie in your head the first time and it’s not really worth watching again, then watch another movie. You have a lot of movies in your head so don’t get stuck watching the same stupid movie over and over. Go ahead…pop some popcorn, grab a cold soda, sit back and watch the great movie in your head! We can hardly wait to see what’s playing.

Glenn is editor of http://www.WriteToInspire.com and a freelance writer and editor. His work has appeared on http://www.dailywisdom.com , New Life Ministries, Joyfull Noise, Manna Cabana and other online writing sites. Currently, he's writing his first non-ficition book based on his experience as Executive Director of San Francisco Teen Challenge. You can contact him at: editor@writetoinspire.com