Some Pointers Direct From Pixar

Hello Folks!

So guess what? November's here, and with it the opportunity to do more. More writing that is :)

And not just novel writing (yes, yes, I'm still working on my novel, finishing it up--I'm shooting for the end of 2009 to get it completely done, till an agent or editor makes recommendations, that is), but other forms of writing as well. My goal is to work on a few short stories, and... screenwriting.

Yep, you read it right. Screenwriting. I'm excited and anxious to start on this project at the same time. Nervous because I've never seen a movie script before (though I've seen my fair share of movies) and have NO idea where to start (no worries, I'm gonna do a little bookshopping ^^ More quivers to my arsenal, you know?). Excited because I know I'm going to have a lot of fun writing this too and developing this story (remember the time I told you about this friend of mine who'd made fun of me, well, it's the idea that spawned off that!). Of course, I'll let you know how it goes, what I learn from the process and all that. Most definitely will be asking for help too :)

Ah-nyways, I just read this article which describes how the people at Pixar go about developing their awesomely-wonderful movies, and here are a few tips from the big guys themselves:

1. Empathize with your main character, even if you don't like all of his/her motivations or qualities.

2. Unity of opposites: each character must have clear goals that oppose each other.

3. You should have something to say. Not a message, per se, but some perspective, some experiential truth.

4. Have a key image, almost like a visual logline, to encapsulate the essence of the story; that represents the emotional core on which everything hangs.

5. Know your world and the rules of it.

6. The crux of the story should be on inner, not outer, conflicts.

7. Developing the story is like an archeological dig. Pick a site where you think the story is buried, and keep digging to find it.

8. Only tell what's vital.

And with this advice, I shall let you go back to your devices. Yay for writing! \(^.^)/

--The Writing Apprentice

Preparations to World Fantasy Convention

Good Evening Everyone,


Not much to say today, just got Very Busy. Now getting ready for the World Fantasy Convention coming up at the end of this week. I am both excited and anxious. I have no idea what to expect of this trip, I'm just hoping it's all good, or even better, GREAT!


One of the highlights will be that I will finally be able to meet Ken Scholes, the writer of the fantabulously contorted Lamentation, which I loved (I kept on trying to figure out what was going to happen only to get my theories flung back in the face--Awesome!).


I will let you know what happened, who I got to meet, things I got to do or not... When I get back. Which will be beginning November (already T^T time sure flies by, doesn't it?).


Until then, make sure you make plenty of good stories of your own (filled with laughter...laughter's always a must!).


--The Writing Apprentice

PS: If anyone has any tips or pieces of knowledge on this convention, please feel free to share them. I can tell you they'll be GREATLY appreciated :)

How to Stay Motivated?

Hello all. I know, I’m a day late. Apologies. Huh, looks like I’m doing that a lot lately. Well, to tell you the truth, this past month has been pretty hectic, what with me trying to finish my novel and . . . and that’s it. Sigh. It’s pretty sad, isn’t it?

Yes, the thing is, I’ve realized that motivation comes to me in cycles, and not all of the same length. Which makes things pretty difficult.

Granted, that’s a nice way to say that I have a major Lazy Gene that’s part of my DNA, and I’m having the toughest of times eradicating it (I mean, seriously, how can ANYONE resist watching Korean drama, huh?).

But now it’s back on, and right on time to put the (I hope) final touches to my bebeh before the World Fantasy Convention. Yep, I am pretty much looking forward to that one.

But let’s get back to our sheep, shall we (sorry, couldn’t resist doing a literal translation of a French expression a teacher of mine used to say all the time, back in the olden days) . . .

Motivation. That one’s a slippery suckah. If I don’t concentrate, it just escapes me and I have to hunt for it all over again.

But there are some tricks to catching it (Motivation is a Very Wild Beast, I have found, and thus not easily tamed), and I figured I’d share a few of them with you:

1) Think about the final goal you want to achieve and break it down into smaller parts that are easily and realistically manageable. Then you won’t feel so Sisyphus-sy.
2) Find a point about the task at hand that you find really exciting and focus on that.
3) Think of the hard parts as mini challenges and you are a mighty night of the round table about to bring that beast down. Boo-yeah!
4) Surround yourself with positive people who give you energy instead of taking it--this step is VERY crucial and constantly plays a major role in my life. (Yes, I thank you ALL so very much for being so supportive!).

Well, that’s all folks for today. If you have any other ways you can come up with that help keep you motivated, please share in the comments section.

--The Writing Apprentice

PS: I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted a “research” article in here. It’ll come, but probably not till November as I find these Quest Posts way easier to write than the others (I take it it probably means these are also a lot easier to read, huh?).

For those of you who are stellar procrastinators, like me :)