I need to write a backstory for Broadcast/Film Writing class. So the question occurred to me, how do you write?
First, pick a nice font. There’s something deep within me that like seeing my words, my organic words, typed out on the screen in the regulated forms of a font. Something about taking speech and representing it in physical form.
I need to come up with a story. Or a protagonist. I’m not really sure which comes first. I need to invent a story to tell. So I did the logical thing and asked Google…
What kind of books do you like to read?
Well, I don’t really read much. I’ve been known to read dictionaries, but I don’t imagine that would make a very interesting story. I also read textbooks. I guess the last real actual book I read was Lord of the Rings. I never got through more than the first 10 or so chapters. Oh right, I really liked To Kill a Mockingbird. And Gulliver’s Travels was pretty good too. Incidentally both have already had really well-done movies made of them. So, what genre are they, Google? Ok, so To Kill a Mockingbird is Southern Gothic and a coming-of-age story. And Gulliver’s Travels is satire. So let’s say I like satire, southern gothic, and coming-of-age stories. And I guess we might as well throw fantasy in for good measure.
What kind do you want to write?
Well I guess I ought to choose from the kinds that I’ve identified a liking for, eh? Alright. I can think of a few other Southern Gothic stories I like and social commentary comes with the genre, so let’s do that. I’d like to write a southern gothic story with some sort of social commentary. Now what?
Let’s try an exercise. Write down the titles of your ten favorite [insert genre] stories (or [insert genre] writers). Ask yourself what you like about each one and what they have in common. Then decide what you can (and can’t) learn from each one.
Gah, that’s a lot of steps all at once. Let’s break it down a bit more. Ok, the titles of my ten favorite stories or authors from that genre. Hmm, this is going to take some research, I tend not to remember the titles or authors of my favorite stories so much as they stories themselves. I wonder if I still have my english literature textbook around here… Ah, here it is: Literature. Obviously the editors weren’t the most imaginative bunch of people when it came to titles. But nonetheless here it is. 1,538 pages of writing ripe for the picking of. Oh look, here’s one in my other book. Cathedral by Raymond Carver. Turned out to be a really nice story actually. Enough reminiscing though. Here’s what I’m looking for, the other southern gothic writer that stuck out in my mind. Flannery O’Connor. Ok, so that’s 2 people. Ugh, this is giving me a headache thinking of people when I read so little. Let’s move on. What do they have in common?
Wait a second. I’m noticing a disturbing trend in what I’m liking. We’re supposed to write a backstory for both the protagonist and the antagonist. But none of these stories have a clear antagonist. And if they do, it’s not an actual character, it’s a thing. And I can’t very well right a backstory for a thing can I? Maybe he won’t mind that I don’t have a clear antagonist if the story is good enough. Or he could be like some of the other teachers I’ve had and deduct points for not completing the homework the way they want. I’ve come to find that some teachers, no matter how good the final product may be, will still give you a D if it wasn’t what they were looking for.
This seems to be the impasse I constantly reach when doing assignments, and my productivity drops to exactly 0. Do I continue with what I think will be good, and risk getting a bad grade because it may not be what the teacher wants? Or do I try to reshape what I’m doing to a somehow less perfect but more correct version?
