Without a doubt, branding is a controversial topic for writers.  On one hand, you want to be free to write whatever you choose.  On the other hand, you want to be known for your unique voice.

There is nothing wrong with either perspective.  But since this philosophy is about breaking into the movie business, I feel obligated to include branding as part of it.

If you hate branding, my apologies.  Please don’t read any further.  But if you really want to create a career, this is going to be a breakthrough day for you.

Branding for Top Writers

Let’s start at the top, because that is where we want to end up.

Christopher Nolan is a brand — complex, dark, psychological thriller.  Diablo Cody is a brand — fringe sassy.  J.J. Abrams is a brand — multi-layered puzzles.

Think of other writers you know — Aaron Sorkin, Quentin Tarantino, Nora Ephron, John Grisham, and J.K. Rowling.

Don’t they all have a brand that you can instantly identify?

Find Out What Makes You Incredible

There are two very exciting things about branding for the writer.  The first is discovering what makes you stand out from the 100,000 amateurs trying to get Hollywood’s attention.

It is good to know all the basic screenwriting skills, but to be truly incredible as a writer, you’ll need to find your speciality — that one thing that separates you from everyone else.  Some people call this “finding your voice.”  Whatever you call it, getting in touch with your own magnificence (Tip 4) can really help your career.

Let me ask you an important question:  What are you best at as a screenwriter?  This is about you discovering your own diamonds (Tip 3).  Once you know what you’re best at, focus on that one thing, and continue to improve it until you truly stand out.

Let’s say you’re best at comedy.  Most people would stop there.  But instead of that, what if you use Kaizen (Tip 8) to improve that area every day?  What if you kept improving until you were 100% or 200% better than you are today?

Wouldn’t you become pretty amazing at your comedy?  And if you kept elevating your talent in this area, at some point, wouldn’t you become one of the best in the world at it, right?

Branding = Specializing to Gain Expertise

I’m not asking you to ignore other areas of screenwriting.  Those are important, also.  But the key is to specialize in order to gain expertise.  The easiest way to specialize is to start with the area where you are already most talented.  Then improve that area.

The process is easy to articulate, but requires some real thought about your writing.

1.  Find your true advantage — the one thing you’re currently best at.
2.  Focus your attention in that area and learn all you can.
3.  Become one of the best in the world at that specific thing.
4.  Promote yourself through that advantage.

Step 4 is about how you introduce yourself and how your agent sells you.  The moment an agent or producer asks you about your writing, you simply answer with your advantage.  By then, you’ve honed that advantage and have it down to one or two powerful sentences.

Lead with your brand and move right into a pitch for your current script.

Branding is About Creating Opportunities

The second exciting thing about branding is the opportunities it creates for the writer.

When you break into the movie business, you’ll find a whole other level of how things are done.

Agents want to know how to sell your specific talents to studios.
Managers want to know what area to develop your career in.
Producers have to pitch you to funding sources.
Studios want to know your speciality.

And suddenly, you realize that they need to know your brand to hire you.  These are opportunities that don’t come to the “generalist.”  No one is looking for a “Jack of all trades, master of none,” because that is a very hard thing to sell.

The moment you become one of the best in the World at any skill, the demand for your work increases ten to a hundred fold (Tip 13) as important doors open to you.  Industry professionals will seek you out to collaborate (Tip 14).  Projects will be based around you.  And your credits move up to the front of the movie.

Luckily, you drive this story (Tip 1), so you’ve taken the time to create your own brand…and Hollywood will love you for it.

ACTION: Find out what you are best at.  Open one of your scripts that you truly love.  As you read, make a list of your own “Top 10″ things you do best, and see what the list implies.   Hand your writing to three other writers and ask them to tell you what they feel you are best at.  If you love it, specialize in it. QUESTION: What part of screenwriting could you become so good at that no other screenwriter could touch you?

Feel free to join us on Friday, February 18th, at 6 PM Pacific Standard time on Twitter to discuss this week’s tips.  I’ll be chatting from http://Twitter.com/ScreenwritingU

You can track the discussion by using #ScriptTip or watch it at http://TweetChat.com/room/ScriptTip

NOTE:

Please post any comments, insights, or breakthroughs on Twitter using #ScriptTip

or post on Facebook (on the ScreenwritingU page or your own).

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In the beginning, there was you and your idea.  The idea evolved into a screenplay.  You took your baby to the market, and it was snapped up by a big production company.  What followed was a whirlwind of activity, and then you were invited to the premier of your movie!

But it seems like something is missing from that story.  Oh yeah, collaboration.

When the movie business works at its best, your movie gets made, and that changes your life.  For that to happen, many people have to collaborate — producers, agents, directors, actors, finance people, studio execs, distributors, and more.

And this all starts with you — the first collaborator in the chain that gets the movie made.

Collaborate?  On What?

Let’s start by looking at how most of the money is made by writers in this industry:

- Selling a spec script, which often involves making changes.

- Rewriting a script a producer owns.

- Writing a script based upon a producer’s idea.

- Pitching an idea to a producer, then developing it together.

- Writing a book adaptation for a studio or producer.

Now, notice this:  They all involve collaboration with producers and/or other parties.  If you are going to succeed, you will be collaborating.  The real question is, how can you make collaboration work for you?

But before you break in, you can collaborate with other writers, filmmakers, local actors, and the communities who support your success.  At ScreenwritingU, our graduates of the ProSeries program become part of an Alumni that is highly collaborative.  The PSA group is constantly exchanging feedback, working together on projects, recommending the newer writers to important connections, and finding other ways to collaborate.

How Does Collaboration Work?

Simply put, collaboration is about two or more parties working together to accomplish a shared vision.  It is especially successful if each person is willing to collaborate (Tip 10) and brings his or her best to the table.

Think of the times you’ve done a great job of working with other people (Tip 7).  Somewhere in the midst of those experiences is your key to being a successful collaborator.  Empower yourself (Tip 4) to bring that into the business relationship.

Once you find the open door and step through it (Tip 13), it is all about getting that movie made.  Keep your focus there, and producers will love working with you.

Collaborate, my friend.  Collaborate.

ACTION: Practice collaborating.  Find someone within your circle of influence and work together on some task.  It could be anything — exchanging feedback, organizing a read-through of a friend’s screenplay, helping a filmmaker raise funds on KickStarter.com, or rewriting a low-budget script for a local director.  Pick a task, create a shared vision, and learn this process through experience. QUESTION:  With whom can you collaborate, and how can that collaboration make both of you more successful?

Feel free to join us on Friday, February 18th, at 6 PM Pacific Standard time on Twitter to discuss this week’s tips.  I’ll be chatting from http://Twitter.com/ScreenwritingU

You can track the discussion by using #ScriptTip or watch it at http://TweetChat.com/room/ScriptTip

NOTE:

Please post any comments, insights, or breakthroughs on Twitter using #ScriptTip

or post on Facebook (on the ScreenwritingU page or your own).

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But let’s be clear.  The vast majority of those people absolutely deserve their luck because they created it…and so will you.

Having said that, there’s the other side of the coin.  Some writers don’t want to accept luck as part of their model.  In fact, they’ll refuse a lucky break if they get one.  Either they don’t recognize it, or they don’t like how it is being presented to them, or they don’t want luck to be the reason for their success.  Whatever the reason, they have sabotaged their own success.  Don’t let that happen to you.

Creating Your Own Luck

This is all about driving your own story (Tip 1).  You can’t control the industry, but you can control the actions you take.  Here are some easy steps for creating your own luck:

1.  Make sure you’re prepared.

Overall, this entire philosophy is about getting you ready for a lucky break.  But you also need to do the work to have screenplays that are attractive to agents and producers (Tip 3).  You need to have a pitch that will instantly intrigue an industry player.  And you need the confidence (Tip 4) to present yourself as a professional.

2.  Put yourself in situations where luck/opportunities can occur.

Interact online with writer’s groups, filmmakers, and producers.  Go to events where you can network.  Don’t wait for opportunity to come knocking.  Knock on opportunity’s door!

Even if your script gets turned down (Tip 9), there’s still value that can come out of it.  You can build relationships with the production company.  Use the feedback to improve your script.  Then, learn from the experience so your next submission is more successful.

3.  Accept lucky breaks and take action on them.

The opportunity has shown up.  Don’t put on the brakes.  Just step forward.  Take the appropriate action.  If it is an important connection, build a relationship.  If it is a chance to collaborate with a production company, jump in.  If it is an offer, give yourself permission to make the deal (Tip 5) and move your career forward.

Very likely, you’ve created opportunities like this at some point in your life (Tip 7).  Thinking back on how you “became lucky” might give you insights into how to do something similar for your screenwriting.

ACTION: Create a plan RIGHT NOW to take action on the three steps listed above.  Don’t wait until later.  Design your future success today. QUESTION:  How can you set up your screenwriting career to create more opportunities and take advantage of lucky breaks?

NOTE:

Please post any comments, insights, or breakthroughs on Twitter using #ScriptTip

or post on Facebook (on the ScreenwritingU page or your own).

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When I listen to the reasons producers turn down scripts, the word “cliche” often shows up.  But right after insisting they don’t want cliches, the same producers will say they love “universal” stories.

How can both be true?

You could think of stories, characters, situations, and dialogue in these terms:

• Familiar
• Familiar, yet different
• Different, yet familiar
• Different

Studios are looking for “familiar, yet different” because they have to go out to a wide audience.  Indie producers often look for “different, yet familiar” because they want to push boundaries, but still need to be able to get funding.  Almost no one is looking for 100% familiar or 100% different.

Audiences want universal experiences that have some uniqueness about them.  In fact, many audience complaints come when the movie was either too familiar or too different.

How Does a Pro Solve Cliches?

Realize this:  Any concept, character, scene, action or line of dialogue could be written 50 to 100 different ways.  Often, writers think there is only one way to tell the story — the way it first popped into their heads.

Remember, that is a “first draft idea.”  Rather than defend it, make it your mission to rid your script of cliches.

Discover the essence of the concept or scene.  Work with it.  Develop it.  Brainstorm better ways to achieve your goals.  Bring it to a level that will be interesting to a wide audience.

Cliches are alright in early drafts, but with each draft, you want to move your script to a more professional level.  So your progress might look like this:

1st Draft:  30 cliches

3rd Draft:  10 cliches

5th Draft:  No cliches

Push yourself to find the cliches in your screenplays and make them unique in some way.  Be rigorous about this.  The more cliches you find and replace, the more your script will stand out as professional.

How Does This Relate to the Other Philosophy Tips?

First, this is a philosophy that every A-lister had to learn at some point (Tip 2).  Cliches are a great place to find the coal (Tip 3) and transform it into diamonds.  This is also an easy way to practice Kaizen (Tip 8) with your script.  And to answer the question, “What would Kurtzman and Orci do?” (Tip 10), they’d do whatever it took to make sure their script was both universal and unique.

If you want to create buzz about your writing, get really good at presenting universal experiences in a fresh and unique way.  Familiar, yet different!

ACTION: Look at each character and scene in your current script.  Make a list of everything that could be interpreted as too familiar.  One at a time, brainstorm each of them and find ways to elevate them to a new level. QUESTION:  What would happen if you became a master at creating universal experiences in a fresh and interesting way?  What could that do for your career?

NOTE:

Please post any comments, insights, or breakthroughs on Twitter using #ScriptTip

or post on Facebook (on the ScreenwritingU page or your own).

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Thirty seconds later, we began the interview, and with no preparation, I asked them how they got the job on “Xena.”  Almost immediately, I was taken aback by how much these two guys honored the show and the needs of the lead actor and director.

They were focused on doing a high quality job, serving the story, and making the best career decisions they could.  By the time we were half way through the interview, I knew these guys were going to be big players in this industry.   Looking back, they were a perfect representation of the entire philosophy you are learning now.

As it turned out, the two writers were Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.  At the time, they were writing for the show “Alias,” and had just signed a deal to write “Mission Impossible 3″ for Tom Cruise.  Since then, they’ve written or produced “Fringe,” “Transformers,” “Star Trek,” and “The Proposal,” and have become two of the top writer/producers in Hollywood.

What is one of the big keys to their success?  They make great decisions.

Why Ask, “What would Kurtzman and Orci do?”

Yes, this is another metaphor.  But it is worth considering what a true professional would do in your situation.  This is the natural next step of Tip 2.  An A-list screenwriter was where you are at some point in their career, but did he or she make the same decision you are making?

This is a strong way to shift your destiny as a screenwriter.  Are you choosing to do what A-list screenwriters do?  Are you driving your own story (Tip 1) in a direction that will get your screenplays produced?

It is also one way to empower yourself (Tip 8 ), by learning better decision making for this business.

Listen, at any time, you can make decisions that move you forward as a writer.   But do you make the comfortable decision, or the one that will produce the most success?  What decision would Kurtzman and Orci make?

Your Own Possible Decisions?

There are decisions that improve your writing skills.  Do you:

• Write every day?
• Read produced screenplays?
• Solve the problems and elevate the quality?
• Get feedback from other writers or script consultants?
• Brainstorm what is beneath the surface of your story?
• Take screenwriting classes at ScreenwritingU?
• Apply what you learn to your script?
• Attend screenwriting events?

There are decisions that move your career forward.  Do you:

• Choose a marketable concept?
• Create characters that could lure A-list actors?
• Send query letters, pitch on the phone, or both?
• Use services like ScriptBlaster or Virtual Pitch Fest?
• Create a campaign with a series of marketing steps?
• Go to Indie producers or major production companies?
• Accept an “imperfect” option (Tip 5) from a producer?
• Work with an agent or manager, or both?

Some of your most important decisions will have a long-term impact on your career as a screenwriter.  Before Kurtzman and Orci got the job on “Xena,” they were already making decisions like a professional…and you can, too.

ACTION: Looking at my lists above, make your own list of the possible decisions you could make to further your goals as a screenwriter.  Then ask the big question below and brainstorm answers that Kurtzman and Orci might give. QUESTION: In your current situation, what would Kurtzman and Orci do?  What decisions can you make right now that will make you a better writer and/or move your screenwriting career forward?

NOTE:

Please post any comments, insights, or breakthroughs on Twitter using #ScriptTip

or post on Facebook (on the ScreenwritingU page or your own).

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Typically, when a production company or agency “passes” on your script (says “no”), they don’t usually give feedback.  You simply get a, “Sorry, it’s not for us” response.  That’s the bad news.

The rest of this philosophy tip is the good news.

Apply Your Philosophy

How you interpret a “pass” and what you do with it is totally up to you.  Before we look at some possible interpretations, let’s discuss how previous tips can apply to a pass.

You could realize that every single A-list screenwriter has experienced this multiple times (Tip 2) and therefore you are getting some valuable experience.  Or you could choose to empower yourself at this exact moment (Tip 4) and deepen your commitment to succeed.  Maybe you could think of times you’ve turned someone down when you didn’t mean any harm (Tip 7) and realize no real harm has come to you, either.

You might even use this experience to practice constant improvement (Tip 8 ) and focus on highlighting the diamonds (Tip 3) in your script.

You may already have discovered that this philosophy is designed to get you through the ups and downs of the movie business.  The more you apply it, the easier success will come to you.

But What About the Pass?

In reality, production companies pass on most of the scripts that come to them.  They are all looking for the diamond (Tip 3) that will be the next big hit in their market.  So they’re not rejecting you.  In fact, they are usually very friendly when they pass.

But let’s look at how the response is delivered to see what interpretations we can make.

• Query letter or pitch with few requests: Problem with concept or query letter.  Improve it.
• Script passed without comments: Concept is good.  Improve the writing.
• Script passed, but they ask what else you have: Writing is good, but the script is not right for them.
• Script passed, but they ask you to do writing assignment: Writing is great.  Take the deal.

When you apply these interpretations, please don’t add any negative connotations.  Even top writers get these responses.  Strangely enough, this is a business in which you can have 30 production companies turn your script down and the 31st will make it into a blockbuster.

So never give up!

Getting Coverage Before Going to Agents and Production Companies

This is a smart idea.  What if you could know how a reader might respond to your script before you send it to production companies and agents?  Well, you can.  There are companies like Scriptapalooza that provide professional coverage from Industry readers.

Their readers will give you a rating (pass, consider, or recommend) and notes on how to improve your script.  If the script comes back with a “pass,” consider the notes and improve the script…NOW.  If it comes back with a “recommend,” you’ve got a winner.

A Few More Words About Feedback

If you are getting feedback from other writers, the best advice I can give you is to make it clear exactly what you need.  That means you should think about what you truly need and then express it clearly BEFORE they look at your script.

Mismatches happen often when a writer asks their feedback partner to “Be as critical as you can.”  Then, when they get lambasted on tiny issues, they are left dazed and confused.  Rather than suffering through that experience, be very clear on what you need.  You may be on a second draft and need structure and character feedback, not a lecture on tiny details and why the other writer thinks you’ll never succeed.

Before you hire a script consultant, ask the consultant what he or she does best.  Most script consultants have an area of speciality.  That is where they focus most of their attention.  So take thirty seconds and ask them.  Then have a conversation about what you need and get the consultant’s commitment to focus on that.

One Last Thing…

Whether you are getting feedback from a friend, a script consultant, or Scriptapalooza, take one more look at the feedback to interpret what it might imply about what you need to learn next.

Often, the “problems” they identify in your script are really learning opportunities.  Issues with your lead character could mean that you need to learn more about how to create characters.  Just assume that all feedback is about improving your writing and you’ll soon become a great screenwriter.

And remember, it’s never rejection…just friendly Hollywood feedback.

ACTION: Look back over your previous feedback and see what it implies about the direction you could take in your learning or in the marketing of your script. QUESTION: How can you turn feedback into an improvement in your screenwriting career?

NOTE:

Please post any comments, insights, or breakthroughs on Twitter using #ScriptTip

or post on Facebook (on the ScreenwritingU page or your own).

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Here’s the logic.  Improve by 1% a day, and next year, you’ll be 365% better.  Continue to improve every day for another year, and you’ll be 730% better, etc. 

Does it really work?  It turned around the entire economy of Japan and made Toyota a leader in the auto industry.   Since that success, Kaizen has been adopted by most major corporations throughout the world.  It has also become a standard practice for sports coaches, business consultants, and life coaches.

How Does Kaizen Translate into Screenwriting?

This is about improving as a writer each day, not about improving a single screenplay each day (although you could use it there, also).  Let me explain. 

Let’s say you’ve used the same rewrite process for the last four scripts.  Over the course of 5 drafts, it naturally improves your script by 50%.  So the script is consistently improving.  But in using the exact same rewrite process, have you improved who you are as a writer?  Probably not much. 

Instead of that, let’s have you improve your rewriting process (just attend our free Rewrite Teleseminar) and solve the major problem in your script — and that improves the script by 100% in one draft!  The big change in your script comes from improving the writer’s process, not the words.  

If you learn a new way to write description, every line of description in your script will benefit.  If you discover how to fill your characters with subtext, the entire script will suddenly gain depth. 

Improve the WRITER, and every script you write for the rest of your life is better.  Keep improving the writer, and you’ll soon be one of the best in the World. 

How Am I Going to Consistently Improve by 1% Per Day as a Writer?

Remember, the focus is on improving as a writer each day. 

Just look at the problems you’re having when you write or pick a component of screenwriting you’d really like to improve (subtext, terse description, meaningful action, character development, etc.) and do some research for how you’ll improve it.  That could include taking a class, reading screenwriting articles/books/professional scripts, joining a screenwriting critique group, or searching the web for information and tips.

BTW, ScreenwritingU classes are set up to naturally cause Kaizen.  Each class is an "Expert Model" of how professionals write, and we only work with one skill set a day, so you are constantly applying what you learn to your own script. 
 
However you choose to learn professional skills, systematically apply them to structure, character, action, dialogue, etc. of your script.   Just make sure you use this process: 

1. IDENTIFY a skill to improve.
2. ACQUIRE new knowledge (read script, book, search net, take a class, etc.).
3. APPLY the new knowledge or improved skill to your script to cement the learning process.

Use this simple "Identify, Acquire, Apply" pattern every day to build your skills.

Add The Other Philosophies to This.

An immediate way to improve is at your finger tips: apply the philosophies.  Are you engaging in this process, or are you just reading it?  Each one of these philosophies gives you something you can improve today. 

Consider how much it will improve your screenwriting career to…

• Become a master at finding Diamonds (Tip 3) and focusing your script on them. 
• Constantly empower yourself (Tip 4) so you achieve more and take advantage of opportunities.
• Become better at deal making (Tip 5) so you naturally put together deals.

You can select any of these tips to instantly improve who you are as a screenwriter.  And we have 12 more tips to come!  If you take all of the tips on and turn them into action, you will succeed in this business in a big way.

Make Kaizen Part of Your Philosophy Now

The beautiful thing about Kaizen is that it is easy, and over a short period of time, you’ll start to see big improvements in your screenplays. 

And all you need to do is make the commitment and start taking action on it today. 

ACTION:  Make a list of the things you can improve in your writing, philosophy, and screenwriting business.  Don’t overwhelm yourself by thinking you have to do all of them today.  Just pick one and improve it today.  Then do it again tomorrow.  Soon, you’ll look back and be surprised at how far you’ve come. QUESTION: What can you learn today that you can apply to your current script immediately?

NOTE: 

Please post any comments, insights, or breakthroughs on Twitter using #ScriptTip

or post on Facebook (on the ScreenwritingU page or your own). 

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Many writers have expressed to me that they either don’t understand the business side of Hollywood or feel like it is not their kind of business.  They want their movie made, but they’ve heard discouraging or frightening things about doing business with Hollywood.

When most of what you see on the Net is either hype or myth, it is hard to feel connected to the Industry.  But as you gain more understanding, you’ll debunk the myths and begin to see how this business can work for you.

At ScreenwritingU, we provide articles, interviews, and classes that are all geared to having you understand this industry in a way that can help you succeed.  But there is another resource that is just as important — your own experience.

Today’s tip is Part Two of this part of the philosophy.   Part One (Tip  6) had you look into your own experience to find insights into life.  Now, we’re going to look into your experience to find insights about the Biz.

What Does Your Own Experience Have to Do With the Biz?

Again, the more you understand the movie business, the more comfortable you’ll be as you bring scripts to agents, managers, and producers.

The beautiful thing is that you have many experiences in your life that are analogous to how Hollywood and the rest of this business works.  If you access those, you’ll have insights into how people work in this industry.

Just to be clear, using metaphors is a useful way of learning and growing.  This metaphor gives you a way of seeing Hollywood through your own eyes.

Balancing Business and Creativity

For an unproduced writer, you are constantly doing a balancing act — giving your writing the time and effort it deserves while still maintaining your day job.   It is great to focus all your attention on your screenplays, but if it costs you your job or income source, you’ll be forced into “emergency action” just to survive.

Your challenge is to take care of your creative and business sides at the same time.

The same thing applies to production companies.  When you get on the inside, you’ll see a unique world where both sides of any project are constantly being worked on.  It is a dance where the conversation goes from story to business and back to story with every few sentences.

Just like you, production companies must maintain that balance.  Both sides are important, and both sides must receive due consideration.

Understanding Hollywood Players

With just a little thought, you’ll find experiences that help you gain an understanding of the people, business models, and situations you’ll encounter here, and you’ll be more prepared because of it.

How does your experience help you understand the different players in this industry?

Ever been in sales? Then you understand something about being an agent.

Ever worked for a corporation? Then you understand something about how studios work.

Ever been in business for yourself? Then you understand how a producer might make decisions to keep his or her business alive.

Ever sat through a meeting at work? Then you have some understanding of what it might be like for an assistant or creative exec to do meetings all day.

IMPORTANT: The more you find your own experience matching that of the industry, the more comfortable you’ll be when you start doing business here.  So, make sure you take 10 minutes to do today’s Action and Question.

ACTION: Make a list of the things you might have in common with producers, agents, and managers.  What in your life is similar to the movie business? QUESTION: What do you already know about The Biz that can help you feel more confident and build better relationships with producers, agents, and managers?

NOTE:

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If you look back over your life, chances are you’ve had thousands of experiences.  Your life is filled with stories, subplots, themes, situations, motivations, actions/reactions, and plenty of dialogue.  You may have experienced almost every genre in one form or another. 

It is quite amazing what you’ve been through and how it might contribute to your screenplays.

But it goes deeper.  Many of your experiences had subtext, ulterior motives, paradoxes, and layers of deeper meaning — some that weren’t revealed until many years later. 

Your life is a library of experiences that people will enjoy…if you represent those experiences in an insightful and entertaining way.

Dig Deep

The human experience is simple yet complex.  Often, remembered experiences are based upon snap judgements rather than true wisdom about what happened and why. 

"Are you able to look beneath the surface?  Go to the deep dark places and explore what is there.  Ask what’s beneath that?  And what’s beneath that?  Look for what is underneath your assumptions of life.  That’s where you find something that will touch the soul."
                          Barnet Bain — What Dreams May Come

Look into your own life for those insights that will touch the soul.

Let’s say you have a character who succeeds at the expense of another.  Chances are that you’ve been on both sides of that issue at different times in your life.  You’ve probably experienced it to different degrees of intensity — from uneventful all the way to tragic. 

Think about your experience of being on both sides.  What was that like for you to succeed while noticing another’s loss?  Or to be the one losing while someone succeeded because of your efforts?  Each side of this is valuable to understand. 

Now, what’s beneath that?

Next, think about your own motives.  What inside you might have caused you to allow yourself to be used like that?  And when on the other side, what motivated you to action even though it was costly for the other person?  There are many reasons people do things.

What’s beneath that?

There might have been an underlying psychological need being fulfilled.  It might be about the desire to be loved or showing you can stand on your own.  It could be about needing to feel powerful or resolving a loss in your life. 

And what’s beneath that?

Was there a statement about your identity?  Were you saying you’re a leader or a victim?  A winner or a loser?  Often, people make statements without even knowing it.

There is so much subtext in real life.  If you look deep into your own life in terms of understanding characters and situations, suddenly, you’ll find more insights than you can imagine.   Mine your past for diamonds. 

It’s Not What You Know, It’s How You Embellish It!

Now, here’s the tricky part.  You’ve discovered some very insightful experiences.  But how do you write them?  If you use "on-the-nose" writing, you take the risk of sounding preachy. So, you need to find the most entertaining way to present these insights about the human experience.

For the profound experience, apply imagination to present it in ways that will entertain large audiences.  For the emotional experience, look for unique ways to cause us to experience that emotion.  For a dilemma you might have gone through, extrapolate it to a new level. 

Use your experience as the basis of your characters, but elevate the experience to a level that will engage an audience. 

ACTION:   Start mining your experiences for your characters’ benefit.  What were the extremes in your life — conflicts, laughs, turning points, tragedies, moments of true love, etc.?  Pick an important situation your characters are in and find at least five times you’ve experienced something similar in your life.  How will those insights enhance your characters? QUESTION:  What insights from your own experiences can provide more depth for your characters?

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