David McMullen-Sullivan's Blog, page 8

Quote of the Day

"Drama is life with the dull bits cut out."

― Alfred Hitchcock

When in France

If you have french onion soup in France, is it just onion soup?

Dialogue: When Silence is Golden

Writers tend to overuse dialogue. It can be a crutch. But it isn't always needed. Take for example two characters having an argument. You don't need one character to tell the other how mad they are. You can just let them show it in an expression. That will communicate the point and follow the path of: "show, don't tell".

Your characters are the actors in your story. So, let them act. Let them emote. It will make for a more powerful experience for the reader.

Black Like Me

If you have idyllic attitudes of your family's heritage that you're holding on to, you may not want to get your DNA tested.

Case in point: A friend of mine, who has believed his whole life that he's Sicilian, did a 23andme DNA test and found out he's Greek. It was a shock to his self-identity. One day he's who he's always thought he was, the next day he's not.

I also, recently, got my DNA tested. It was a birthday present. For the record, I've always believed I was 50% Irish, 25% Portuguese with the rest being mutt (even having some Native American Indian in my background).

Well - no.

I am 65% Irish and 16% Portuguese. Then there's some minor Italian and German along with 0.1% Sub-Saharan African (there was no American Indian at all). The African blood was a surprise, but when I thought about it, it made sense. The Moors had been in Spain for 800 years, there had to be some mixing in the region.

Now, a DNA screening can't really tell you about your heritage. Feel free to look up the genetics of crossing over. But, it does tell you what your makeup is, and if you do it, prepare to be not exactly the person you thought you were (genetically speaking).

Cheers!

Poppin with Mary

Mary Poppins Returns comes 54 years after the release of the original movie, and watching it can make you feel nostalgic for the first film.

This second installment has great performances by everyone involved (still, I don't know why Hollywood lets Meryl Streep sing, it's not her strong suit); however, despite good acting, there is nothing memorable about the music. The genius that Sherman and Sherman lent to the Julie Andrews version is not here, and it's quite a loss for the film.

In addition, it has only a few scenes that contribute to the plot. The rest have nothing to do with anything and are strung together as song & dance filler to reach the 130 minute runtime.

There are some things to praise the movie for. Dick Van Dyke for one. It's amazing to realize he was 39 when he made the original, and 54 years later he is there to hoof it up and make jokes that circle back on the first film. The animation matches the 1964 film's style which is pleasing.

For all it's pros and cons though, kids seem to be enjoying the film, and that's all that really matters.

Inking a Joke

I have a friend who’s Catholic. He wanted to get a tattoo of the Ten Commandments, but the tattoo artist was a drunken foodie. So, now he has a pot roast recipe on his chest.

Tastes pretty good.

The Clever Subplot

Many stories have subplots, a secondary story told within the main one. You see this a lot in TV, for example. Most episodes in this medium have one main plot and one or two subplots. They can often stand alone, but I believe it makes for a better substory if it serves the main story line.

I'm going to use math to make my point. Don't worry though, no calculus will be involved.

First, take a look at the equation:

5 + 15 x 2 = X

If the subplot stands alone, it plays out in a linear fashion (and has no connection to the main story). In that scenario, you'd come up with X = 22. But let's look at the equation where the subplot is needed to force the story's climax and resolve the main plot. That equation is:

5 + (15 x 2) = X

If you see what's inside the parentheses as subplot, then you realize that it must first be evaluated before the final value of the main story line is revealed. In this case, X = 35.

Subplots that stand alone are essentially fillers, albeit, interesting ones that can offer character development. But subplots that play a role in the overall story outcome are more intriguing and satisfying for the reader.

But and Therefore

I hadn't heard this before, but I think it's good advice.

How do you know if you've got a story? Well, you can answer that question by using "but" and "therefore".

If you can follow each beat of your story with "and then", you don't have an interesting story. It's just prose strung together like beads on a string; however, if you can insert the words "but" or "therefore", then it's a better story.

The reason for this is because each scene and/or chapter must birth the next one, a sort of cause and effect. If you can apply "but" and "therefore", you've got the cause and effect you're looking for.

For example:

- Plot point A happens but plot point B occurs and throws the story in a new direction.

- Plot point A happens therefore plot point B occurs because of A.

It's a small tool, but one that can help to see where your story is falling short.

A Joke for Writers

What happened when past, present and future walked into a bar?

I don't know, but it was tense.

Quotes to Write by

"You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children."

― Madeleine L'Engle