(Alert: Spoilers) In my previous blog post, I highlighted the importance of finding the inherent structure in your documentary subject. I stated that the foundation of that structure is usually tied to an external goal of the main character in order to achieve the basic framework of a beginning, middle, and end. This concept is
One of my primary criticisms of movies today is either the complete absence of or the pathetic attempt to capture theme. A story's theme is the magic we take with us after the lights come on and we return to our mundane lives. Themes can offer us a new perspective that literally changes how we
Normal life has its dramatic moments, but most of the time our lives are pretty boring. The occasional exciting event is only amazing to us because it’s happening to, well, us. We each have the benefit of years of personal context leading up to that moment, but an outside observer’s emotional response would likely be
Every avid fisherman has the same goal: hook the big one. Some anglers never land that elusive monster, while others come close, having only a broken line in their boat or a mysterious shadow lurking in their memory to show for it. So what does this have to do with writing? Well, like fishermen writers
