Marvin V. Acuna

Christopher Vogler (CV) and I conducted a wonderful tele-seminar a few weeks ago, it was great fun.

We had a stimulating Q&A session. However, due to the abundance of questions and the limited time we were unable to take and respond to everyone’s questions on the live call.

But, I promised everyone on the call that they would get their specific question answered and emailed to them directly. At this point everyone has received their individual response from CV.  Cool, right?

Well, it occurred to me that it may be beneficial to share some of it with you so I have randomly selected and posted a handful of the screenwriter’s questions and CV’s response here.  Enjoy part 2 of 4.

My hope is that it serves you.

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Karen Quah-Sydney

It’s hard to look at one’s own work with objective eyes. When do you
know a story isn’t working? And at what point in a character’s journey
should a writer know that the character’s journey has strayed or isn’t
the right one?

CV: You must develop sensitivity in the organs of your body.  It
helps me to put my work away for a couple of days and then sit down
with a clear mind and read the whole thing through with new eyes,
pretending I am someone who has never heard this story before.  I
watch closely for reactions in my body – smiling, heart racing, throat
choking up – which indicate my story has touched my emotions.

And just listen to your mind as you read your own work.  If
something’s wrong, you will hear a voice that says “I’m not buying
this,” or “Why would she do that?”  Keep working until that voice
shuts up.

Kristin Anne Fieseler-Paderborn/Germany

Dear Marivin and Christopher: First I have to thank you for having
that opportunity to ask. How can I show the character’s need of
crossing the Threshold most impressive? Best Regards, Kristin

CV: Good question, shows you are thinking about how to emphasize big
turning points.  I would say put the character in the corner, blocked
at every turn.  Show the person trying to escape destiny and being cut
off until there is only one way left – cross the Threshold.

Alfie

Honour Leigh-Canberra, Australia

My hero fails the ordeal. What should replace the
celebration/reward/seizing the sword? Thanks Christopher. Forrest Gump move

CV: That depends on how grim or tragic your story ultimately will be.
If you really want to torment your failed hero, instead of seizing
the sword he or she might come to a situation where they desperately
need the magic thingy from the ordeal, only now they don’t have it and
are embarrassed or put into great danger.

A more positive spin would be that the failure causes a re-assessment
of values, a scene where the hero hits bottom emotionally and then

bounces back after realizing the root cause of the failure.

Stephanie Pasternak-Miami, Florida
When it is said that a starting writer should start with big ideas,
does it refer to the story or the structure like for example the one
in “Memento,” or both? Because it seems as if every subject matter of
history, life and current events have already been used and also no
matter how complicated some stories are, most end up being just a love
story.

CV: Complex question.  I don’t know who said “Start with big ideas”
or what they meant.  That’s true sometimes but what about intimate
little stories like “Little Miss Sunshine” or Seinfeld?  Quite true
that a lot of subject matter has been done, but you won’t get far as a
professional writer if you let that stop you.  I am sustained by the
need to see SOME KIND OF EXPRESSION of the movies I see in my head
when I read the stories of myth and history.