Less Than Zero & More Than Anything

While on an awesome eleven-day road trip with hubby, where there was no cell signal or wifi for the majority of the getaway, we watched television only once during the entire time, during which I received a revealing lesson in characterization and the character growth arc.

Our TV time consisted of the 1987 movie Less Than Zero, featuring a brilliant performance by Robert Downey, Jr. as Julian. The synopsis for the movie is that the friendship of three affluent, nightclub-hopping Los Angeles youths is thrown into turmoil over Christmas break from college when one of them begins to spiral downwards from excessive cocaine abuse. (Please note, mild spoilers might exist below!)

In addition to phenomenal acting by Robert Downey, Jr., the movie presented an overview of what a writer might want to accomplish regarding character story arcs, which makes sense since the movie is based on a novel by Bret Easton Ellis. (Note, the plots of the movie and novel differ greatly.)

In the movie, Julian is a drug addict on self-destruct. In the process of his self-victimization and self-sabotage, he causes a great deal of hurt and harm to those around him.

The growth arcs of Julian's friend, Clay, is that he goes from an absentee friend to caring about and attempting to help Julian. Clay's romantic interest and Julian's enabler, Blair, goes from being a drug addict to giving up drugs and finding love with Clay.

Julian, however, is an out-of-control drug addict who will do anything for his next hit. His growth arc goes from in-it-for-fun drug addict to wanting to get clean and change his life, until the inevitable setback hits.

The characters go from being less than zero toward what they want more than anything during the duration of the movie. More than anything, these friends want to survive and for their friendship to survive, but as in real life . . . .

The story arc of Goal, Motivation and Conflict (GMC) includes:

• Goal: What does the character want more than anything.
• Motivation: Why do they want what they want (external and internal motivation).
• Conflict: What prevents them from getting what they want (external and motivation).

For instance, Clay's GMC in the Less Than Zero movie includes:

• Goal: To reconnect with Blair and Julian.
• Motivation: Current life is empty, Romantic interest in Julian, Misses them, Loneliness, etc.
• Conflict: Blair and Julian's drug use, drug scene, drug dealer, Julian's desperation, Frustration, Uncertainty, etc.

For Clay's Story Growth Arc, he goes from Disconnected Friend to Reluctant Enabler to Friend set on Intervention (Disconnected Friend > Reluctant Enabler > Interventionist Friend).

From less than zero to what we want more than anything -- awesome writerly and life lessons indeed.

Today I Cried

Today, I wrote a scene that was difficult because the action was emotionally painful to write. I wrote, finished the scene, then cried.

The scene was so discomforting that I wrote the scene in short stints. In between the writing, I took time out to breathe, to pace, to stretch out the tightening muscles in my neck. During the writing, I focused on the action and the character's heartfelt reactions to the action. For the character, the scene was both heart- and gut-wrenching. When I finished the scene, I was heartbroken and hurting because of the character's plight and the character's reactions to adversity.

My primary job as a writer is to evoke emotion in my readers. If my writing does not elicit emotion within me, how can I expect my readers to emotionally connect or engage with my characters or my story?

My character is in dire straights. He's in deep trouble. He's hurting, sad, scared, lonely and alone. He is a child who has been yanked away from his normal world, is in far over his head, and is suffering.

These are my characters, therefore, I care. Why should anyone else care about my character's plight?

As a writer, my job is to give the reader something and/or someone to care about, by combining:

• Purposeful action, which moves the story forward
• Stimulus and response scenarios that makes sense
• Showing, instead of telling
• Relatable, realistic plight, conflicts, and challenges
• Character true to traits and self
• Growth arc true to the character
• Story arc proceeds in line with character arc

This scene made me cry, from compassion toward and caring about the character. I connected with the character. Isn't connection what most of search for our entire lives? You Can Write a Novel by James V. Smith, Jr. discusses Participation. I, as a reader, want first and foremost to connect with and to participate emotionally and mentally in the story and the characters journey.

Today, I wrote and I cried.

Getting Your Mad On (Sharing the Darkest of Emotions)

The final chapter of Book #1, Series #1, is filled with anger and grief. During the book, a five-year-old goes from a happy-go-lucky child to a willing destroyer, and in that last chapter, she destroys everything in sight.

Coming from a family where negative emotions were considered far too negative and were not to be experienced (don't cry, don't get angry, don't be upset), not pulling back from these emotions in order to share them is a challenge.

Reader's read for emotional connection. It's the primary job of the writer to make the reader feel. For writers, experiencing and facing dark emotions must proceed sharing those emotions. Bottom line, you can't share 'em if you don't feel 'em.

Fear, Anger, Hurt, Revenge, Grief, Vengeance, Hopelessness, etc., are all part of the real full-spectrum of human emotions, which includes these dark feelings despite attempts to ward them off by not living through them or acknowledging them.

When things happen, we experience the full range of emotions. Taking away the "dark" ones robs us of the ability to feel the "light" ones. (Sadly, we can't pick and choose between experiencing one type or the other.) So, we wind up with two choices: feeling or not feeling.

In the final chapter, the main character embraces her anger and grief, and get's her mad on, and when she does, bad things happen. Hmm, maybe in this case, warding off those emotions might have been a much better option, especially for those that get in her way.