How to write a story | John Dufresne | TEDxFIU

Summary

This script is a masterclass in storytelling, emphasizing the necessity of sitting down to write and creating conflict. It illustrates the journey of characters Grady and Alice, who face the devastating loss of their daughter, Hope. The narrative explores themes of grief, marriage, and redemption, guiding the writer through the process of developing characters, plot, and setting. The story unfolds as Grady seeks to mend their broken marriage, battling despair and the struggle to understand their daughter's choices. The script encourages embracing the writing process, including the inevitable revisions, to craft a compelling narrative.

Takeaways

• 💺 The first command in writing fiction is to sit down and write, as thinking about writing does not create a story.
• 🔍 A central character should be in a desperate situation, facing obstacles and taking measures that the writer themselves would not want to face.
• 📖 Writing involves exploring the inexpressible and embracing the nervousness that comes with it, as every story is a potential failure.
• 🛤️ A writer must trust their imagination and the writing process to guide them through the story, even if they don't know the end at the start.
• 🤔 Writing is about questioning and exploring rather than providing answers or solving problems, which is more engaging for the reader.
• 📚 A plot is essential for a story, as it gives narrative shape and drives the central character towards a meaningful goal.
• 👥 The story often revolves around a central character who wants something intensely and faces opposition in their pursuit.
• 🏠 Details about characters and their environment can provide insight into their lives and contribute to the story's themes.
• 👁️ The act of writing is like archaeology, where every detail can offer a deeper understanding of the characters and their world.
• 📝 The writing process involves creating scenes that are vivid and intimate, using 'showing' over 'telling' to engage the reader's imagination.
• ✍️ Revision is a crucial part of writing, as stories are not written perfectly in the first draft but are refined through rewriting.

Q & A

What is the first command in writing fiction according to the script?

The first command in writing fiction is to 'sit your ass in the chair,' emphasizing the importance of taking action and actually writing rather than just thinking about it.

Why is it important to put obstacles in the way of the characters you love in a story?

Putting obstacles in the way of beloved characters is important because it creates conflict and tension, which are essential for driving the narrative and making the story engaging.

What does the script suggest about the inevitability of failure in every story?

The script suggests that every story is a failure in the sense that no story is perfect, but this should not deter a writer. Instead, it should make the writer fearless and open to the writing process.

What is the significance of the central character's struggle in a story?

The central character's struggle is significant because it provides the driving force for the narrative. It's through this struggle that the character grows and the story progresses towards its resolution.

How does the script define a plot in terms of the central character?

The script defines a plot as the journey of one central character who wants something intensely and goes after it despite opposition, resulting in a win or loss that shapes the narrative.

Why is it crucial for a writer to know the details of the setting in which their characters live?

Knowing the details of the setting is crucial because it provides insight into the characters' lives and personalities. These details can be used to enrich the narrative and make the story more vivid and relatable.

What role does the character's physical appearance play in the story development?

A character's physical appearance, such as scars or accessories, can reveal important aspects of their backstory and personality, contributing to the depth and complexity of the character.

How does the script discuss the importance of the theme in a story?

The script discusses the importance of theme by illustrating how themes like vision, healing, and loss emerge from the details of the characters and setting, guiding the direction of the story.

What is the significance of the character's actions and dialogue in the script?

The character's actions and dialogue are significant as they reveal their emotions, motivations, and conflicts. They are the primary means through which the story unfolds and the characters' relationships develop.

How does the script differentiate between 'showing' and 'telling' in storytelling?

The script differentiates by stating that 'showing' engages the reader's imagination and emotions through vivid scenes, while 'telling' provides a distant and efficient summary of events.

What advice does the script give on the writing process and the role of revisions?

The script advises that stories aren't written perfectly in the first draft; they are rewritten. It emphasizes the importance of having a draft to revise and refine, suggesting that the writing process is iterative and involves multiple drafts.

Outlines

00:00

📝 The Essence of Writing Fiction

This paragraph discusses the fundamental principles of writing fiction. The author emphasizes the importance of sitting down to write rather than just thinking about it. The narrative focuses on creating conflict and obstacles for the characters, especially the central character, to drive the story forward. The writer is encouraged to embrace failure as a part of the process and to trust their imagination. The paragraph also touches on the significance of not knowing everything about the story at the outset, which fuels the writer's sense of wonder. It concludes with the basic structure of a plot, involving a central character with a strong desire, opposition, and a resulting win or loss.

05:02

🏠 The Dynamics of a Bereaved Home

The second paragraph delves into the details of setting the scene in a story, specifically the living room of the Bell family, who are mourning the loss of their daughter, Hope. The author highlights the importance of understanding the potential of the room and how every detail can reveal insights into the characters. The paragraph describes the physical and emotional state of the parents, Alice and Grady, and their interactions in the aftermath of their daughter's funeral. It also discusses the significance of showing rather than telling in storytelling, and how the writer should engage the reader's imagination and emotions through vivid descriptions.

10:05

👥 The Central Character's Quest for Redemption

This paragraph explores the development of the central character, Grady, and his quest for redemption. It discusses the importance of having a clear motivation for the character's actions and the struggle against obstacles. The author contemplates the choice of narrative perspective, whether it should be from Grady's point of view or a third-person narrator, and the implications of each choice. The paragraph also outlines the progression of the story, including Grady's attempts to reconcile with his wife, Alice, and the escalating conflict between them. It touches on the themes of vision, healing, and the struggle against personal despair.

15:11

🔍 Unraveling the Layers of a Story

The final paragraph focuses on the process of uncovering the layers of a story and the characters within it. It discusses the importance of understanding the characters' desires and the obstacles they face, leading to a resolution of the ongoing conflict. The author reflects on the potential outcomes of the story, whether it ends in reconciliation or separation. The paragraph also emphasizes the iterative nature of writing, suggesting that the first draft is a starting point for revision and refinement. It concludes with the idea that stories are not just written but rewritten, highlighting the writer's ongoing engagement with the narrative and characters.

Keywords

💡Writing Process

The writing process refers to the series of steps a writer goes through to create a piece of work. In the video, it is emphasized as the act of sitting down and beginning to write, even when faced with the challenge of expressing the inexpressible. The process is depicted as one that involves struggle, exploration, and the willingness to face failure, which is central to the theme of creating a story.

💡Character Development

Character development is the process by which a writer creates and evolves characters within a story. The script discusses the importance of understanding characters deeply, including their desires, flaws, and the obstacles they face. For example, the characters Grady and Alice are explored in depth to understand their motivations and the impact of their daughter's death on their marriage.

💡Plot

A plot is the sequence of events that make up a story. The video script discusses the necessity of having a central character with a clear desire and the struggles they face to achieve it. The plot is what drives the story forward and is essential for engaging the reader, as seen in the story of the Bells and their journey through grief and marriage troubles.

💡Theme

A theme is the underlying message or meaning of a story. The script mentions considering themes such as vision, healing, and loss, which are explored through the characters' experiences and the story's events. The theme helps to unify the story and gives it depth, as seen in the exploration of the characters' grief and their attempts to find redemption.

💡Conflict

Conflict is the struggle between opposing forces in a story, which drives the narrative. The video emphasizes the importance of conflict in storytelling, such as the internal and external struggles Grady faces in trying to save his marriage and come to terms with his daughter's death.

💡Setting

Setting refers to the time and place in which a story's events occur. The script uses the setting to provide context and to reflect the characters' emotional states, such as the Bells' living room, which is described in detail to reveal insights into their lives and the impact of their loss.

💡Point of View

Point of view is the perspective from which a story is told. The video discusses the choice between first-person and third-person narration and how this choice affects the reader's access to the characters' thoughts and feelings. The decision on point of view can also influence the reliability of the narrative.

💡Obstacles

Obstacles are the hindrances or challenges that a character must overcome in a story. The script describes various obstacles that Grady encounters in his quest to mend his marriage, such as Alice's resistance and the painful memories associated with their daughter's addiction and death.

💡Redemption

Redemption is a theme often associated with a character's journey to make amends for past mistakes or to regain a sense of self-worth. In the script, Grady seeks redemption for his perceived role in his daughter's troubles and the subsequent strain on his marriage.

💡Revision

Revision is the process of reviewing and refining a written work. The video script highlights that stories are not written perfectly in the first draft but are shaped and improved through multiple revisions. This process is essential for tightening the narrative and developing the characters and plot.

💡Imagination

Imagination is the ability to form ideas or images in the mind that are not present to the senses. The video emphasizes trusting one's imagination during the writing process, as it is through imagination that writers can explore the unknown and create meaningful stories, as seen in the exploration of the characters' lives and the unfolding of their story.

Highlights

The importance of physical presence in the writing process: 'sit your ass in the chair' emphasizes the necessity of committing to the act of writing.

Writing is an act of creation that requires facing the unknown and embracing the inexpressible.

The writer's role is to instill obstacles in the path of their beloved characters to create compelling narratives.

The concept of taking the path of most resistance in storytelling to evoke a sense of wonder and exploration.

The acknowledgment that every story is a failure, yet the writer must not be deterred by failure to maintain fearlessness.

The necessity of beginning a story without a clear destination but trusting in the writing process to guide the way.

The significance of not knowing in writing as it engages the writer's sense of wonder more than what is already known.

The importance of questioning and seeking over providing answers in the storytelling process.

The necessity of a plot and narrative shape for a story to engage readers and maintain their interest.

The definition of a story as having a central character with a strong desire, facing opposition, and striving for a meaningful outcome.

The use of a married couple's story as an example to illustrate the development of plot and character dynamics.

The exploration of themes such as vision, healing, and loss through the detailed descriptions of characters and their environment.

The significance of character details in revealing their backstory and contributing to the overall narrative.

The process of uncovering a character's secret life through the examination of their personal space and possessions.

The role of the central character's desire for redemption and the motivation it provides for their actions in the story.

The decision between using a first-person or third-person narrator and the impact on the story's reliability and focus.

The development of conflict and struggle as essential elements of storytelling to drive the plot forward.

The importance of understanding the obstacles a character must overcome to achieve their goals in the narrative.

The process of adding connective tissue and fleshing out scenes in the revision stage of writing.

The acknowledgment that stories are not written but rewritten, emphasizing the iterative nature of the writing process.

Transcripts

I

Want to talk about how to write a story?

And the first command command in the writing fiction is sit your ass in the chair

some of us need Velcro Pants

Thinking about writing is not writing the story doesn't exist before the act of writing

You're in your chair, but your central character will be at the end of [this] rope a desperate man taking desperate measures

Only Trouble is interested

And everything you don't want to happen to yourself or your family or your friends

Should happen to characters you love your hero, but you keep putting obstacles in his way

Writing a story is taking the path of most resistance

You dip your pen and the ink and you begin at the edge of a cliff you [said] and try to express

What's inexpressible and that makes you nervous?

You know that every story is a failure

But you also know the writer is the one who has not stalked or even fazed by failure

And that makes you fearless you begin not knowing where you're going to end up

But trusting in your imagination in the writing process to get you there you write about what you don't understand

What you don't know is more important than what you know because that's what engages your sense of wonder

[you] [sit] and you [insist] on meaning?

But not on answers the point is not to answer but to question

Not to solve but to seek not to preach but to explore and you also know this

that life is stranger than fiction because

has to make sense

No matter how luminous your prose how?

Fascinating your central character if you don't have a plot a narrative shape

If your essential character isn't striving to accomplish something meaningful

then the reader will put down your story and

The plot [-] every story is this

You have one central character who wants something?

intensely and goes after it despite opposition and as a result of a struggle comes to a win or

Lose so you take that definition, [and] you let the plot do your thinking for you

It'll lead you quite naturally to

Considerations of theme setting point of view and so on so let's say you begin

Let's begin with a married couple the belles and with the requisite trouble in mind

You open with the death of their child?

and you see if the marriage can survive

the agonizing Loss

the Bells 20 year old daughter [hope]

Has died now you don't have to use an allegorical first name, and you may decide that doing so is

Heavy-Handed and if you do you'll revise [your] [writing] [a] first draft nothing is carved in stone

The bells are home alone after [the] funeral after the burial after the distressing but obligatory

reception for Family and Friends

Here at the house

Alice is sitting on the sofa slumped in the corner

teacup in one hand

tissues in the other hand

Grady sitting in a ladder bat chair elbows on his knees staring at his folded hands

Grady believes if he had been listened to hope would still be with them now

And he wants alice to admit her role in what happened, and you wonder what did happen?

Grady says to Alice

When you write a story you have two choices you can show or you can tell you're right seeing or summary

Scene is Vivid [an] intimate summary is [distant] and efficient

Seeing is where the writer engages the imagination and the emotions of the reader

everything important in your story should happen in theme and

this looming

expression of Grady's

Resentment is certainly that so you begin as close to greatest

Pronouncement as you can when everything but the action is [over] if this is a story [about] a marriage in trouble

You don't need years of prosperity and bliss

But before you can write this scene you need to look more closely at the stage that you is sediment

At the bereaved bells in their living room

Because when people speak they also act

And you need to know the potential of the room and every detail in that living room

Will tell you about the people who live there?

Running a story is archeology not

Every detail will make it to the page in Black and white

But more importantly every detail

Will afford you insight [into] the characters the details that make it will be those that are vivid and [significant]

So now you know your characters a little better you feel more confident to go back to the scene

Greatest blue tie is stuffed into the breast pocket of his jacket

You notice he has a scar [on] his left hand [his] left wrist

And you know that every scar tells a story?

But will this story be relevant to yours you'll find out

He has a Malaga ring a religious charm used for healing purposes and the shape of an eye

Pinned to his lapel. He bought it from an old woman outside a church in Shibuya, New Mexico

You decide Grady has Glaucoma

When he told a woman he wanted a Milagro for his daughter as well the woman said

What's wrong with her and he said everything?

Now if you hadn't stopped to get look more closely and grady and get to know him better

You would not have stumbled on [to] the themes of vision what we see and what we don't [in]

Healing and you're already writing about death and about marriage and about grief and about loss, and you haven't even started

and what about

Grady saying that everything was wrong

What did he mean by that?

You decide to find out so you write about hope in your notebook?

When you learn that hope was a drug addict who?

robbed her parents blind and

Died alone of an overdose in [a] vacant lot

you had dawned in

back to the living room

Alice's black here is bags streaked with Gray and held off her face with Turquoise barrettes

When the sweater slips from her shoulder you notice your left arm is

Tattooed with a flaming heart

on the coffee table is an emblem of their loss a

framed photo [of] Baby hope on a Beach blended

Floppy blue hat on our head zinc oxide on her nose

When you look past alice, you can see the staircase that leads up to hopes better

You know you'll be up there soon to try to uncover what you can of hopes secret life

Under the coffee table is a thread of gold you see it the bells

Don't it's a necklace and [you] [wonder] what role this piece of jewelry will play in the story?

Alice sets your teacup down on a copy of food and wine

There's a sleek black cat

Sitting resplendently on the Bookcase shelf on

The Windowsill is a potted lily

Which tells you it's easter

you know the irony you realize you could use the seat maybe

Season to set the tone for your story and now you've got the themes of renewal and rebirth to consider

Grady reminds alice that he was against throwing [hope] out of the house after her last relapse

You wanted her to hit bottom he says and she did

Alice feels like she's been clubbed in the face

What does she say?

What does she do?

You watch her?

Intently, and you wait

With a pen in your hand

She smashes the teacup

the cat blasts off [into] the kitchen

She calls grating the monster. She cries until she can't catch her breath you write all that down

Great. He knows he should go to her but he's frozen

with Anger and overcome with guilt

when alice runs to the doorway

He follows her and tries to calm her down. She pushes him away runs out to the driveway and screams

The neighbors peek out their open windows

She runs off

Your story's underway

But whose story will you tell them Grady's or alice's one

Central character remember the decision you make will depend on the themes you want to explore on the

Character who is more interesting to you perhaps the one with the most to lose, so let's say you decide

It's crazy story, and what he wants us to bring out his home

To heal the wounded he's open to repair the damage that

Hopes addiction and Death have done to the marriage he wants redemption

Now his desire to bring alice home has to be

Considerable motivation provokes action you can't write [about] a passive central character

so he [loves] her he

[can't] live without her he wants her forgiveness for absolution he wants redemption

Now you know he has sufficient reason

To try to save the marriage and every time he does

you'll write a scene in fact you can simply write the obligatory scenes all the way to the end for the

a cute moment of the story

Who's going to tell the story?

[Grady] can talent or a third person narrator can tell it and grant us access to Grady's thoughts and

feelings and maybe to Alice

All First-person narrators are unreliable they have a stake in the outcome if you want Grady's

Reliability to be a part of the meaning of the story [then] [you'll] let him tell it

but if you want to focus more clearly

on his concerted efforts to save the marriage then you'll let a third person [narrator] tell it so

Now you have a central character. You know what he wants and why he wants [it]

And now he has to struggle against obstacles you can [write] about a passive central character, so you leap ahead

To the evening when grady goes to Ellis sisters condo and asked her to come home

She says her home was with hope he said she threw around when she needed us most and the argument escalates

Alice is not coming home grady went there to bring her back and drove her further away

But he can't stop oh, we have no story

Struggle Implies

protracted effort and

impassioned conflict your next scene

Alice agrees to go to lunch with grady

They're both back to work

He's an [admired] High School guidance counselor

He works with troubled kids

And he's always secretly believed that parents have allowed

Addiction to happen to their children and now you know the source of his [gil] in a sense of failure [at] the restaurant

Alice says

She's gotten an apartment. She's moving out of his place and into hers

Great is incredulous

Why did he know anything about this later when she comes by his house to get her clothing and some pieces [of] furniture?

Grady is helpful [and] understanding

Because he wants to persuade her to stay but she comes with a friend Austin from the radio station

Where she works and the move is over in 20 minutes?

Waiting ever gets to [randall] [alone] alone without us

now the only obstacle so far has been at us and you're wondering if there might be some other impediments and

so

One Day

grady sits at the kitchen Table

Poring over the photographs and the family album

You and he are trying to discern just what it was that his beautiful daughter

Decided enough with ballet and tennis. I'm going to be a [darrel] it

Great his heart is broken and his resolve is wearing thin

And there you have it

Will be given to us to struggle against his own despair

He won't give in and he calls alice

And he leaves a message on your voicemail asking her to come to marriage counseling and now you know the [next] scene

You'll have to run as he leaves the [mesh's] a keep message. He wonders if she's listening

You think she is?

He wonders if she's alone [you] think she's not

the plot thickens

At counseling grady says he wants to say

But with Dr.

Stroud ask alice what she wants she says a divorce [a] new life

She tells grady she loves him, but can no longer live with him

The ongoing conflict has to be resolved Grady can lose Austin losing with Alice

Make a note to get to know Austin better. He's an important character our grady can win [alice] comes home

After 23 years of marriage she knows whom that much at least [and] you'll end your story with a see

here's one possibility

Alice is on the sofa reading a book by lamplight, but she's been on the same page for an hour

When grady looks at her. He sees a halo around her head his glaucoma remember

He thinks Saint Alice

But he notices the book the photo is gone from the book coffee table

And he realizes she's holding it behind the book punishing yourself with the image of her loss and in that moment

Grady understands the time

Will heal some wounds and he will eventually get [over] the loss of balance

But in one case time will make no difference, and he will never recover from a shattering loss of his daughter

bringing alice home

Has shown grading the futility of their decision to live together?

Your draft is rough

But you'll smooth it out in revision because the truth is stories aren't written

They're rewritten you have to have something to rewrite [at] this first draft

We've been talking about to expect more from a first draft just to

Misunderstand the writing process [if] at first you succeed try try again

The plot Led you followed and now [you] have your causal sequence of events

And you have your essential beginning middle and end

And now you can go back and add the connective tissue of summary Flesh out the scenes

You've already written write the scenes that you discovered along the way like the afternoon

Outside the church in Chimayo the evening that grady discovered the brook the necklace that you've given his daughter on her 16th birthday

and you probably should do something with [that] marvelous tattoo of

Alice's, but what?

Well, you'll figure it out as you write because your ass still in the chair and just created a brave

New world and made up these people who never existed before and you're so excited. You can't get up