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More Scene Problems – Solved

In Scene and Structure, Jack Bickham suggest other problems that might arise in a scene. Here is my take on the problems he lists.

1. Cast of thousands. The most dramatic conflict comes when two characters go head to head. More than two and the conflict starts to be diffused. Whenever possible, concentrate on just two characters. If you must have more around, keep them slightly off stage, or else make it very clear where the main conflict lies. It’s like making sure a subplot stays a subplot. Keep the tension as clear and unblocked as your story allows. Crowd scenes? Isolate the two main people somehow, even within a crowd.

   On the other hand, in Thanks, But This Isn’t For Us, Jessica Page Morrell says,”Avoid too many two-character scenes. They tend to box in the story.” Solution? Balance the scenes with some limited to two people, some with more than two participating, and some with thousands, but isolating the main combatants.

2. Senseless banter. You want conflict, not senseless banter. Don’t fall into a trap of “Did not/Did so” type of exchange. Send characters into a scene with attitudes that are at tangents to each other. They agree on some things, but disagree on the major things. That prevents the senseless chatter and gives you a solid conflict.
3. Unwanted interruptions. Don’t clutter scenes with cell phones ringing, babies crying, doorbells ringing. Bickham says some people try to add these things to make a story seem more realistic. Sorry, it doesn’t work. Don’t put a smoking gun into a story unless you intend to use it. Each element should be included because it adds to the story in substantial ways.
4. Getting off track. Focus, focus, focus. Restate the scene goal, give characters internal thoughts about their goal, write out cards with a scene goal succinctly stated and tape it above your computer. Do whatever you need to make sure the scene is focused on the goal that fits your plot.
5. Inadvertent summary. Ah, please, give us a blow-by-blow of the action in a scene. Scenes are not places for summary; instead put that in the transitions between scenes. How do you know if you’ve done this? Look for places where you use these words in a scene and make sure you revise to omit them: Later, after a few minutes, having thought it through, when they finally got back to the subject, meanwhile. Even if you need to fill story time, you still need to do it blow by blow. “The grandfather clock’s tick-tock filled the hallway, the seconds passing wi
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The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells was just one of those classics I felt I had to read. And I'm glad I did. It had me laughing the whole way! I'm not sure if this was Wells' intention, but that's surely what happened. I just couldn't stop imagining this man running around naked because he'd be seen if he were wearing clothes! I can't imagine how frustrating that must have been for Griffin, the invisible man. He thought up this great idea of how to turn himself invisible, but he can't be invisible completely unless it's a sunny day or pitch dark night....and he's naked.

Aside from the fact you have to live life naked, if you do put clothes on, your face is still not really visible and that's a problem for the average person. So, you're a person stuck between two worlds: never able to fully belong to either (at least not comfortably or without freaking people out).

And if that wasn't enough, he starts to go mad because of this inability to live his life. The rawness of this character opens insight into the psyche of humans. What would any of us have done in the same situation? Unable to show ourselves as we truly are and unable to live a life of secrecy. Running from the world that wants to destroy you because you created something no one else can even imagine. The readers are swept up into a whirlwind of emotions from the side of the invisible man himself and the people affected by his actions. A true tale of what could happen if too much power is put into anyone's hands.

Inspired. It was an easy read, but it was entertaining, if nothing else. I'm not really a dater. If I meet a guy I like and we start going out, great, but I don't actively seek dates in bars or other social venues. But this book was still interesting to me. It provided fun insight into the world of men, which is a bit confusing to more than just a handful of women that I know. We all know that men and women are different; we just don't see things the same way or act the same way about almost everything. The challenge is differentiating between the bad guys and the good guys. He's Just Not That Into You does a great job of slapping you in the face with reality. It really does what has needed to be done for years! It even helped me realize that my most recent relationship wasn't as happy and perfect as I had thought even before he and I realized we weren't meant to be together. I was in it deeper than he was, and I was too blind to see it. I didn't want to see it, which is our biggest problem. We want every guy we are with to be Mr. Right, and it's tough to see that he's not, especially if we've been dating for a length of time longer than a month. We all assume the guy must love us if he's still around after a year of dating, but the truth is, he's probably just afraid to tell you the truth because he doesn't want to hurt your feelings. So, he sticks around and things start to crumble and then you finally decide things aren't where they should be if you're both happy, and you break it off. I recommend this book to men and women alike. For men, it could be a helpful guide to know what women are really thinking, so maybe they should think twice before acting like one of the guys described in the book. And for women, it is a helpful guide to keep you away from the guys who aren't treating you the way you should be treated in a loving relationship. For women, this book is an upper more than anything. It is very reassuring when it comes to complimenting women on their fun, sexy, amazing features that we don't get complimented on nearly enough times throughout the day/week/month/year. Everyone should read this book!

“Don’t go outside without a coat. Its Freezing! You’ll Catch A Cold!”

This is untrue. The Common Cold is a virus that is passed from human to human. It can be spread in hot and cold weather. What is true is that being cold lowers your resistance against viruses, but this doesn’t by any means suggest you will automatically catch a cold from being outside without a cold when it gets a bit nippy.

“Don’t crack your knuckles like that! You’ll get arthritis!”

This is also completely untrue. Believe it or not, there has been studies carried out on this. In a study carried out on 300 “knuckle crackers”, results found no evidence that this leads to arthritis. The strain put on your joints when you crack them are nothing compared to the normal strain put on them during everyday activities. In essence, it doesn’t do any damage at all, its just generally a very annoying habit.

“Eat up your carrots, you’ll be able to see in the dark!”

Unfortunately, eating carrots does not give you superhero powers. Just as - i suppose - eating runner beans does not make you an Olympic sprinter (see what i did there…?) Although carrots are rich in vitamin A, which are beneficial to eye sight, once again, there is no evidence at all that it helps see in the dark. This myth was started during WWII. Instead of telling the public that the British Intelligence were using radar, they said that they were eating carrots to help see in the dark. However, eating too many carrots does make you turn orange…. apparently.

“Dont swallow Chewing Gum! It doesn’t get digested. It will stay in your body forever!

Sorry, wrong again! There are so many myths about chewing gum - this is just one of them. As chewing gum contains a laxative, chewing gum may be passed through the body even faster once swallowed than other foods. Although it is not harmful, I still find myself not recommending it. It is only dangerous in abnormal doses, and obviously, if choked on. Other rumours include the idea that chewing gum makes a hole in your stomach. This is - apparently - caused by the acid in your stomach. This is also untrue. Two other rumours are that if you swallow gum, and you fart, you blow your bubble out your backside, and that it makes your guts all stick together. I’ll leave you to make your own informed decisions on those two.

“An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away”

Well this one is a bit vague. Most people will argue that it depends on what you do with the apple. If you throw the apple at any approaching doctors, it should do the trick. However, if you eat it, most scientists would say, not much will happen. However recent studies have shown that eating apples can prevent the risk of breast and colon cancer.

“Eat up your crusts, they are good for you!”

Finally a proven, true fact. Although on the surface, this appears to be another tale told by your gran, crusts contain eight times as many antioxidents as any part of the bread. Interesting eh? So if you are that bothered, eat up your crusts!

“If you keep pulling faces, one day the wind will change and you’ll get stuck that way.

“

This one doesn’t even justify me wasting my time explaining why it is so proposterous. So I won’t.

“You only use 10% of your brain”

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong! The only people who only use 10% of their brain are the people who made up this myth. In many cases, it is hard to believe that some people are even using 10% of their brain. However, scientifically speaking, this is not true. Hi-tech studies have proven this. What may be true is that only 10% - or a figure around this - would be used at any one time, but all of the brain is used for different things at different times.

“Eating Low Fat foods help you lose weight”

No it doesn’t! Although it sounds about right, eating fat has nothing to do with your weight. There are good fats and bad fats. Good fats - monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats lower cholestrol, and actually have been proven to help lose body weight. Bad fats - saturated fats - increase cholestrol levels which can block arteries, higher blood pressure, and even lead to impotence. But it does not increase weight. This is all determined to the amount of energy - in terms of calories (Kcal). Unburned calories are turned into fat (body fat) which then in turn increases weight. Another myth is that high cholestrol is inevitable as you grow older. This is also untrue.

“I dare you to sneeze with your eyes open. I bet your eyes fly out our head!”

Firstly, and somewhat dully, we have nothing to worry about when it comes to losing your eyes in a sneezing fit. The truth is our eye balls are fixed tightly to our head, and  so aren’t likely to go anywhere, regardless. Another reassuring fact for those who are genuinely worried is that a reflex motion in our eyes makes it impossible to sneeze with our eyes open anyway. So thats all cleared up then….

So there you go. 10 myths about life, either proven, or dispelled. Stay tuned for part two of this guide. If there are any myths you would like me to dispel or prove, please leave a comment and I will add it to my next article - “10 common myths about life (Part Two)

Meanwhile check out my other articles -
* * *

Who was the best test batsman of all time? - http://sportales.com/cricket/best-test-batsmen-of-all-time/

Which is the best lottery game to play? Is there any skill involved at all? -

Premier League Statistics. The guide to win every sports pub quiz! - http://sportales.com/soccer/premier-league-statistics-you-never-needed-to-know-and-never-cared-that-existed/
________________________________________________________________________________________

“Don’t go outside without a coat. Its Freezing! You’ll Catch A Cold!”

This is untrue. The Common Cold is a virus that is passed from human to human. It can be spread in hot and cold weather. What is true is that being cold lowers your resistance against viruses, but this doesn’t by any means suggest you will automatically catch a cold from being outside without a cold when it gets a bit nippy.

“Don’t crack your knuckles like that! You’ll get arthritis!”

This is also completely untrue. Believe it or not, there has been studies carried out on this. In a study carried out on 300 “knuckle crackers”, results found no evidence that this leads to arthritis. The strain put on your joints when you crack them are nothing compared to the normal strain put on them during everyday activities. In essence, it doesn’t do any damage at all, its just generally a very annoying habit.

“Eat up your carrots, you’ll be able to see in the dark!”

Unfortunately, eating carrots does not give you superhero powers. Just as - i suppose - eating runner beans does not make you an Olympic sprinter (see what i did there…?) Although carrots are rich in vitamin A, which are beneficial to eye sight, once again, there is no evidence at all that it helps see in the dark. This myth was started during WWII. Instead of telling the public that the British Intelligence were using radar, they said that they were eating carrots to help see in the dark. However, eating too many carrots does make you turn orange…. apparently.

“Dont swallow Chewing Gum! It doesn’t get digested. It will stay in your body forever!

Sorry, wrong again! There are so many myths about chewing gum - this is just one of them. As chewing gum contains a laxative, chewing gum may be passed through the body even faster once swallowed than other foods. Although it is not harmful, I still find myself not recommending it. It is only dangerous in abnormal doses, and obviously, if choked on. Other rumours include the idea that chewing gum makes a hole in your stomach. This is - apparently - caused by the acid in your stomach. This is also untrue. Two other rumours are that if you swallow gum, and you fart, you blow your bubble out your backside, and that it makes your guts all stick together. I’ll leave you to make your own informed decisions on those two.

“An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away”

Well this one is a bit vague. Most people will argue that it depends on what you do with the apple. If you throw the apple at any approaching doctors, it should do the trick. However, if you eat it, most scientists would say, not much will happen. However recent studies have shown that eating apples can prevent the risk of breast and colon cancer.

“Eat up your crusts, they are good for you!”

Finally a proven, true fact. Although on the surface, this appears to be another tale told by your gran, crusts contain eight times as many antioxidents as any part of the bread. Interesting eh? So if you are that bothered, eat up your crusts!

“If you keep pulling faces, one day the wind will change and you’ll get stuck that way.

“

This one doesn’t even justify me wasting my time explaining why it is so proposterous. So I won’t.

“You only use 10% of your brain”

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong! The only people who only use 10% of their brain are the people who made up this myth. In many cases, it is hard to believe that some people are even using 10% of their brain. However, scientifically speaking, this is not true. Hi-tech studies have proven this. What may be true is that only 10% - or a figure around this - would be used at any one time, but all of the brain is used for different things at different times.

“Eating Low Fat foods help you lose weight”

No it doesn’t! Although it sounds about right, eating fat has nothing to do with your weight. There are good fats and bad fats. Good fats - monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats lower cholestrol, and actually have been proven to help lose body weight. Bad fats - saturated fats - increase cholestrol levels which can block arteries, higher blood pressure, and even lead to impotence. But it does not increase weight. This is all determined to the amount of energy - in terms of calories (Kcal). Unburned calories are turned into fat (body fat) which then in turn increases weight. Another myth is that high cholestrol is inevitable as you grow older. This is also untrue.

“I dare you to sneeze with your eyes open. I bet your eyes fly out our head!”

Firstly, and somewhat dully, we have nothing to worry about when it comes to losing your eyes in a sneezing fit. The truth is our eye balls are fixed tightly to our head, and  so aren’t likely to go anywhere, regardless. Another reassuring fact for those who are genuinely worried is that a reflex motion in our eyes makes it impossible to sneeze with our eyes open anyway. So thats all cleared up then….

So there you go. 10 myths about life, either proven, or dispelled. Stay tuned for part two of this guide. If there are any myths you would like me to dispel or prove, please leave a comment and I will add it to my next article - “10 common myths about life (Part Two)

Meanwhile check out my other articles -
* * *

Who was the best test batsman of all time? - http://sportales.com/cricket/best-test-batsmen-of-all-time/

Which is the best lottery game to play? Is there any skill involved at all? -

Premier League Statistics. The guide to win every sports pub quiz! - http://sportales.com/soccer/premier-league-statistics-you-never-needed-to-know-and-never-cared-that-existed/
________________________________________________________________________________________

Not much to report today. The wife is down and out with back problems again. Things have slowed down a tiny bit as far as work goes, which has allowed me time to get some of my personal projects started...that, and lay around lazily. Nothing really changes around here.

I'm starting work on something new (that I can't really go into detail about just yet) and I decided to post one of my really early, really rough character sketches above.

Steve~

Quarteto em Cy - Quarteto em Cy (1966), for Elenco

Dynamite record cover for this female vocal group from Brazil. This is a great album. I highly recommend their 1972 Self titled lp as well.

Heres a video of Quarteto em Cy on the Andy Williams show with Marcos Valle. You might recognize the vocals at the beginning of the song. I believe Nicola Conte sampled it.

(via the excellent Loronix)

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