Notes #5

Review exercise 4: Letter to the Past
>> Purpose of the exercise
-    The letter is a practical, personal example of how a character – YOU –undergo an inevitable process of change.
-    This process of change is an essential ingredient of any effective story.
-     In dramatic writing, the very essence is character change.
Storytelling tool 3: Experience
-    A storyteller should be concerned with the potential of every experience.
-    Everything about you – where you were born, what food you eat, the bump on your forehead – your experience are unique and irreplaceable.
-    Many of your experience are universal and translatable and can be used in any location.
Tip:
-    If you don’t know what to do with a character, make him yourself for a while.
-    See how the related to the world he has been thrown into.
-    PLUNDER (STEAL) YOUR OWN PERSONAL BACKGROUND!
The things that happen to you as you grow up and the things that are currently happening to you make terrific story sources.

EXERCISE 5: TRUE & FALSE STORIES
I had an older sister, but I have never got to see her. When I learn about her existence, I blame God for not allowing us to meet.  I could have experience love from an older sister, but I never did. If she was still around, I would probably hang out with her real often, doing shopping together, we could have done so many wonderful things siblings did together.
I am an adopted child. I thought my mum was joking whenever she said that she picked me up from the streets. Well, she did not literally did that, but she adopted me because I was her best friend’s daughter. My parents died when I was at a very young age, I never knew how they passed away. My current mum would not want to tell me anything about it, and only recently did I found out that I was adopted.

>> PURPOSE OF THE EXERCISE
-    a true story is not necessarily a good story
Good stories have to be worked and re-worked.
-    True stories do not offer neat and relevant endings
-    Life is unpredictable
-    In a story, we can and must control the events and sequences so that it gives the appearance of being like life.

Summary – Storytelling tools
1.    OBSERVATION people-watch
2.    MEMORY letter to the past, memory don’t have to be true
3.    EXPERIENCE true or false stories