So many video essays about how to get the 3 act structure right, the Hero's journey, analyzing films through this lens, etc. Dan Harmon is always yapping on about his "story circle"... it's like damn is writing really that bland?
I feel like adherence to these guidelines and the quest to find the perfect structure cheapens things and generally gets in the way of things. But I don't know anything about writing so maybe that's nonsense. What do you guys think?
As a writer, story structure and framework is helpful in creating your plot/story, but, ultimately, any good writer (including people like Harmon who are big structure guys) move beyond the framework/outline and improvise.
You've got to learn the rules before you break them. You need to know enough about fundamental storytelling so that, even if you go way outside it to an experimental degree, you know how the medium functions. A musician needs to know about scales/key, even if they end up going way outside the traditional song format.
Musician wise, uh, no you don't. I've been playing in bands for over a decade and have tours under my belt and have no clue what those are.
well not all writers learn or use story structure mechanics, just like not all musicians learn formal music theory. Nothing is an absolute, I was just giving an example of why it can be useful or beneficial. No one has to do any one method in order to make good art
Yeah, but I bet you know what it "feels" like for a song to return to the tonic after a passing dissonance. Or how to make the ending of a song "Sound religious."
You know the rules, you just can't name them (which is fine)
(Wesley Willis has entered the chat)
Just joshing you, I think that is a perfect comparison.
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Oh, writing is much closer to learning an instrument, than you might think! There is so much time spent going through the repetition of just getting words onto a page in a way that feels right when others read it.
Class and researching is a part of it, no doubt there amigo, but the same can be said for a music theory major or composer.
There were a handful of spuds in my creative writing classes way back in college who memorized the textbooks, but never actually wrote.
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Oh yes, you bet! You learn when to stop focusing on it eventually and also when to go back through and edit. That desire for details helps you get better as a writer.
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That skill will improve organically too! Do what feels best for you and is the most enriching for you! More than one way to sprout! 🍠🥔🌱