Philippa Dowding's Blog - Posts Tagged "robert-mckee"
Love your Middle-grade Monster
My new middle-grade horror story, Myles and the Monster Outside, is starting to pop up on blog posts and reviewing sites, many thanks to everyone who takes the time to read and review this strange, paranormal thriller for kids.
My #1 lesson learned from writing this book was how to be spooky without being too spooky, since this is for kids from ages 8-12.
The answer was pretty clear: LOVE your monster. Give it a personality, a quirk that the main character can count on (my monster has an eerie whisper which eventually becomes grating).
So yes, love your monster. This is a lesson I learned early in my career, when I was lucky enough to take a script-writing seminar with the great Robert McKee. http://mckeestory.com/
He talked about the moment in the movie Young Frankenstein, when Peter Boyle (Frankenstein's monster), looks in the mirror before taking the stage at Carnegie Hall, and tips his hat to himself.
There you have it: monster love. What's not compelling about a monster who loves his own reflection?
I'll be writing more about this in the weeks ahead, and the run up to Halloween and the publication date for my new book, but in the meantime, have a look at some of the fantastic monster-love from Shawna Daigle, who illustrated Myles and the Monster Outside:
http://phdowding.blogspot.ca/2015/08/...
And the book trailer features even more monster love!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oyVz...
My #1 lesson learned from writing this book was how to be spooky without being too spooky, since this is for kids from ages 8-12.
The answer was pretty clear: LOVE your monster. Give it a personality, a quirk that the main character can count on (my monster has an eerie whisper which eventually becomes grating).
So yes, love your monster. This is a lesson I learned early in my career, when I was lucky enough to take a script-writing seminar with the great Robert McKee. http://mckeestory.com/
He talked about the moment in the movie Young Frankenstein, when Peter Boyle (Frankenstein's monster), looks in the mirror before taking the stage at Carnegie Hall, and tips his hat to himself.
There you have it: monster love. What's not compelling about a monster who loves his own reflection?
I'll be writing more about this in the weeks ahead, and the run up to Halloween and the publication date for my new book, but in the meantime, have a look at some of the fantastic monster-love from Shawna Daigle, who illustrated Myles and the Monster Outside:
http://phdowding.blogspot.ca/2015/08/...
And the book trailer features even more monster love!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oyVz...
