Writing as a Naturalist, Or Letting Characters Breathe on Their Own

Its no secret that I'm not a naturalist. Quite the contrary. However, I've been mulling over something that I feel could be of some interest. I'm writing a screenplay (well, several screenplays at the moment) that I've begun with no small feat. I, as a Christian Theist, am writing this -- as the title suggests -- from a more naturalistic point of view.

There are several reasons as to why I've chosen to write this way.

One, I believe it honors the exploration of truth, especially within the context of worldview determination. I don't want to give away spoilers (I'm known to be quite bad about that), so I won't divulge much, but if you know me personally, I came up with the idea in my Advanced Screenwriting Class while at Biola University, and finished the draft in two weeks. I got an A, obviously. Being the teacher's pet helps.

But in this way, I've begun a major rewrite with naturalism in mind. Its been enlightening to create a character who is (possibly undergoing a gender switch from male to female; this isn't part of the story, just wrestling with the idea of making the protagonist a women) a pure naturalist. There is nothing out there save for the wind in my eyes and the blood under my nails. The realism sans super (or extra) natural is the driving heart of the story. Exploring this idea is not only new to me, but also very interesting.

Two, I believe its a unique mental and spiritual exercise. This is a sub-section of point 1. Partially, I believe I want to honor my good friends and colleagues (mostly in film) who differ with me. What better way to do so by accurately representing a point of view I don't subscribe to? Partially, I think the more pressing point is that I was once a naturalist and in some way, it is a helpful reconstruction of a part of my life that I don't entirely recall. Either way, its a marvelous exercise to write about characters with whom are living and capable of writing themselves.

Three and finally, because I think it is the best way to tell this kind of story. This is not to suggest that I don't write Christian characters with happiness, but that if one can construct a world and a character who speaks on their own to the point of disagreeing with the narrator, well, then you've done something unique and helpful. Let the characters and the world breathe on their own. Step back. Engage and just copy down where they go.

This is by no means exhaustive, or even entirely coherent. Its simply an exercise for me, and hopefully an experiment that someday makes it (legally or illegally) to the small screen.

Thanks for reading this mild musing.

--Nick

A (Fictional?) Meta Conversation Between an Atheist and a Christian

              ATHEIST
     So tell me about God.

              CHRISTIAN
     You already know who He is.

              ATHEIST
     Did you just capitalize -- never mind.
       (Beat)
     So read my mind and tell me what I already know.

              CHRISTIAN
     Well, He’s the best you could ever hope to have.

              ATHEIST
     So He is a thing?

              CHRISTIAN
     No silly! He’s a person. Well, three of them. 

              ATHEIST
     So are we talking Norman Bates or something else.

              CHRISTIAN
       (Sigh)
     Sigh.
       (Beat)
     Do you accept what you already know?

               ATHEIST
     I don’t know what I know, how would I know what --

               CHRISTIAN
     So is that a no?

Beat.

               ATHEIST
     Yes?

               CHRISTIAN
     Don’t worry. You’ll still be handsome in hell.

               ATHEIST
     Is that supposed to scare me?

               CHRISTIAN
     Yes. Bet you feel hot right now.

               ATHEIST
     Well I do feel something ...

In case it wasn't obvious, I wrote portions of this down when I heard it in the coffee shop. I tweaked some parts and added a clarifying line here and there. Largely true.

As someone who identifies as a Christian, this is hard to stomach.

--Nick

You Know, I Learned Something Today. . .

Last Sunday, I wrote roughly 20,500 words of my novel. The reason I don't post more about it is because I haven't finished it and I prefer being intentionally coy. Plus, I like writing the word coy.

I've never scheduled a writing session like that before. Everything from eating breaks to 5 minute intervals of cracking both back and neck was a rarity with me. I usually write roughly from 8pm to 11pm before calling it a night and maybe I write 8-12 pages of script or 1-2,000 words of my novel. It's a fun way to do it, as everything from the day coalesces into one purpose:

You know, I learned something to day and I'm going to write about it. Well, not really, but using such experiences to bolster the way the day went helps a lot. It clears my mind, adds words and creates an atmosphere that is palapable for me.

I have written roughly 26% of my actual novel, with maybe 10% of it being written in that entire day. I'm a quarter of the way done and I did a healthy chunk of it that day. Thinking about it just makes my neck hurt.

The consequences were a sore neck, a sore throat and a bad attitude for about five minutes. That is, until I got up and meandered around the house, complaining to the cat because no one else was awake. Then I felt better and successful.

So, all in all, I learned that pushing yourself can result in a pained body but a happy ending. In terms of story.

--Nick

The Stupid Writer Challenge Outline

It has been confirmed, oh joy of joys, that this Sunday is my free day to write. As I mentioned before, this challenge will take place on Sunday, December 2nd. Thus far, I have made no other plans to do anything but write.

This is a tentative outline of how this torturous rapterous experience shall commence:

9:00am: Wake up and put on my Diddy face.

9:15am: Eat some form of breakfast. Snap picture of word count and post to FB/twitter for witnesses and my own gratification.

9:30am: Begin writing. 

11:20am: Pause. Snap picture of progress. Upload photo to FB and twitter. Maybe use restroom or drink water.

11:30am: Resume writing.

1:45pm: Stop for lunch. Snap picture. Crack neck. Reform soundtrack.

2:15pm: Back to typing.

4:45pm: Snap picture to account for words written (or lack thereof). 

6:30pm: Eat something. Snack. Chips maybe? 

6:40pm: Write more? Yes please.

8:15pm: Survey damage done. Am I close to goal? Should I cave? Depends on result. Power onwards!

8:30pm: Either stop for day, or press on. This is a conditional point. 

8:35pm: Write on, or cease and enjoy the spoil of me rewards another day. 

10:00pm: This is the cut off switch for my day, the latest I can write.

And there you have my day, or how I plan on it going. 9:30am to the possibility of 10:00pm, with minor breaks here and there. I will shut off my computer's Internet (sad day) and only reestablish a connection once the allotted time is given (updates, photos, etc).

The ultimate goal: 20K words in one day. By my calculations, it is doable, but barely. If I achieve my desired goal, I get to crack open this beauty.

Hashtag: #stupidwriter20K

Appendages crossed.

--Nick

The Stupid Writers' Challenge Manifesto

Well, no one really challenged me to do something this dumb, but I figure I'd bite myself and see what happens. I'm always down for a chuckle.

CHALLENGE

To write 20,000 words of my novel in a single day.

CONDITIONS

I can write for as long as I like within the 24 hour period. I can take as many breaks as I like, and can drink what I want.

I must, however, keep myself accountable and post pictures verifying the word count within a few hours of each other.

I may not drink alcohol, as that would be a reward and maybe my only motivation. 

REWARD

See the alcohol comment. :)

SPECULATION 

According to chapters written versus chapters to be written, I'm 16% complete with the first rough draft. However, this is according to chapters and doesn't take into account the scope of individual.  chapters, which can be considerably longer than most.

If I write for 8 hours total, this means I must write roughly 2,500 words an hour in order to hit 20K. This is pretty intense. I once wrote 60 pages of screenplay in a night, but that was on no sleep with enough red bull in my system to flatten WC Fields. We'll see how this goes.

REASONABLE OUTLOOK

Likely, I don't think I can do this. In maybe three hours I wrote 3,000 words. But it will hopefully jump start my mind into something better than where it is. And give me a chance to crank out a decent percentage of the novel.

This may happen this Sunday, the second of December. I shall keep you all interested.

Fingers crossed that this actually can be accomplished.

--Nick

PS -- I may do a twitter hashtag to document my status there. Maybe like #writerchallengeaccepted or something like that.

Writing as Therapy

For some, they write because it brings them great job. For others like myself, I write because I can't afford therapy.

Seriously.

Its a quip that manages to get a few people to chuckle, but the odd truth is that without writing, I would probably be far more screwed up than I am currently. In my life, I tend to have a metal block when it comes to processing stressful or life changing situations. More often than not, I end up even more stressed because I quite frankly don't know how to approach the situation.

When something bothers me theologically or philosophically, I tend to call up my girlfriend and vent for about 20 minutes. It usually helps, but there is something to said for channeling intense feelings and experiences into something that someone else can fully understand.

Narrative has a way of bringing out the best and worst of our minds for someone else to understand and grapple along with us. It is not only therapeutic, it's also much cheaper than visiting Dr. Melfi. 

On my part, dealing with tough personal issues is often manifested in characters that simply speak my thoughts. In some odd way, it is a form of journaling, except I hope to sell my journals, have them remade into something not really worth anyone's time and completely weep into my $5,000 throw rug.

Or, just continue writing so the mental rust doesn't rupture a sprocket or something.

--Nick

The Personification of Concepts

Among my fondest memories of the early courtship I shared with my girlfriend Allison was when I showed her "Evil Angel," a short film I wrote and directed at Biola during 2008. In short, the film was about a cop and a serial killer locked in a room in a battle of wits. It was nominated for some award I think, but the film was pretty bad aside from some excellent acting on the part of my friends Chris and Rhodes and some stellar photography by my DPs. Despite my 'attempts' to direct them.

Anyway.

Apparently, I impressed Allison with "Evil Angel." I had some vague notion of what I was doing. In talking to me back around that time in my life, numerous friends will attest to the fact that I hated talking about the Bible. I was more or less a borderline agnostic, or at least a lapsed theist in the loosest sense of both words.

What stood out to her, and what was more or less going on my own head, was that I gave eyes to a concept. Or, as another example, the "deep" or "abyss" in Genesis 1 is symbolized as an agent of chaos that YHWH tames or overcomes. This symbol of rebellion is given a literary hook that snags us and gives new meaning. This happens in the Book of Revelation with symbols representing the Roman Empire. Or like in No Country for Old Men, we see death in human form.

I think this is a powerful way of introducing metaphysical concepts in writing. Apparently I did this in "Evil Angel" as a subconscious assault on the need for some sort of foundational basis for morality. Although I had little interest in doing this explicitly, I realized that once the film was finished and Allison pointed this out, I had been struggling with theodicy for a long time.

And I had written about it without truly knowing it.

In talking to various screenwriters (theist or not) this has come up. This is hardly a new literary device so I won't belabor the point. But in writing my own material, I've noticed that I directly write about topics that bother or enlighten me. Eschatology is one such example. Sex, religion and redemption is another.

Both are projects that have been gestating for years. Both of them should be completed in the next few months (fingers crossed).

I don't really have a denouement for this post. Maybe realize as I did that giving concepts faces and lungs is often the best way to not only get inside the head of your character, but also inside the concept itself. For me, writing about the embodiment of evil certainly helps explain many unresolved issues, as well as identifying with the "evil ones" in the hopes of seeing where such a journey can go.

Who knows. You might solve something. Or you might realize that you are wrong. It's often the best way to reflect upon experiences and learning occasions. 

Or you might see another face in the crowd of ideas.

There. Denouement done.

--Nick

Pumpkin Beer, Words & Manuscripts

It's been a while since I've had such an in-depth writing session. I suppose I should clarify what is going on and what has happened to me in the past few weeks.

First, the most important part: go buy Hangar 24's Gourdgeous beer. Pumpkin pie meets a smoked strong porter. Amazing. Liquid Thanksgiving. 

I've decided to do a serialized e-book, and my manuscript is what has been first and foremost on my mind. Besides writing a feature for a friend of mine that is soon hitting production. This e-book, which I hinted at a post or two ago, deals with my three years in a movie theater (though there are fictionalized elements and material). I consider those three years foundational to who I am and what I am dealing with, as it is there that I first started fully learning of the world outside my own home.

The writing has been pretty easy. I've written over 3,000 words already including a preface, cold open and maybe the first 2/3 of the first chapter of three chapters. If one factors the outline into the work, then I easily have 5,000 words already done. I have 8 e-books roughly outlined and I think I could easily expand the series to something worthy of screen treatment.

A teaser: "Clerks" meets "Magnolia" if filtered through Judd Apatow. 

One of the most interesting things about writing is the idea of expulsion. I've noticed that once you begin to write, hit your groove and continue, it becomes easier. The words flow together, the syntax congeals and the world becomes tangible and effortless. Its like your mind takes over the narrative and it just keeps going.

I have a particular writing style my friend Jared once remarked up, dubbing it "docu-narrative." That is, I tend to write from the perspective of one character and I follow him around. Picture being a camera on a character's shoulder and that is all we see throughout the story.

This bothered me at first, but in hindsight it may be the most truthful thing about how I write. I tend to follow a character I've created and if he has enough personality, I let him walk and I just follow him.

It may sound odd, but for me it works. If I love my character, I let him do what he or she needs or wants to do.

In doing this, the character not only has to be interesting throughout, but has to also keep me satisfied. I dislike it when I start to write and I cannot stand my character. This prompts a few responses, with the usual one involving the abuse of the backspace key.

Or more often than not, I keep writing. Maybe that is the key. Just write. It becomes easier to go back and rework what is already there than it is to stare at a blank screen for a few minutes.

Expulsion. Just get it out and reflect later.

It gets easier, but it won't ever be as fun as knowing what you love, what you hate, and what works. Writing most often than not doesn't work. It simply doesn't.

But if we love something, we keep going. Or if we hate something, we keep going. Which makes me chuckle.

So, I look forward to this journey. Maybe it might lead somewhere fulfilling. Or maybe it will just help me sleep better.

Good night.

--Nick