Latest / The Imperfect Impulse w/Bree O'Connor / S 2 Ep 16 Kill Your Darlings

Transcript

S 2 Ep 16 Kill Your Darlings · The Imperfect Impulse w/Bree O'Connor

• 0:01
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to The Imperfect Impulse with Brie O'Connor.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Brie O'Connor.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: Here we go.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yet another week.
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  And today I want to talk about something that is critical for
• 0:15
  you writers out there.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: Today's topic is kill your darlings.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: That's right.
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  SPEAKER_00: When you mercilessly slaughter every repetition,
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  SPEAKER_00: boring phrase,
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  SPEAKER_00: things that stick out as incongruous to the rest of your narrative,
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  that's what we're talking about today is what is that decision
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  when you sit down
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  SPEAKER_00: with your text to figure out what needs to stay and what needs to go?
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  SPEAKER_00: The first thing we need to talk about, our continuity of story.
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  As we walk through this story and we're questioning a
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  character's behavior or a
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  SPEAKER_00: plot point that doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the story,
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  SPEAKER_00: well,
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  SPEAKER_00: clearly,
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  SPEAKER_00: that's gotta go.
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  SPEAKER_00: Ah, but hold on.
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  Nixing a plot point or a particular behavior or action is like
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  unknitting a sweater.
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  It's like snipping in the middle of a finished sweater and
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  pulling on the threads,
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  SPEAKER_00: hoping the damn thing will still be a sweater when you get done pulling.
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  SPEAKER_00: That was pretty folksy.
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  SPEAKER_00: Pulling at little bits and pieces has a lot of effects,
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  and you have to gauge how important that piece is that you're
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  removing or shifting,
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  SPEAKER_00: and how it impacts things further down the line,
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  SPEAKER_00: and also the things that come before.
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  SPEAKER_00: is supposed to open the door,
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  which is going to allow him to walk in on his wife Susie with
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  the gardener Mac.
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  SPEAKER_00: What happens if you have him open the bathroom door instead?
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  SPEAKER_00: Well, that's complicated.
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  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you can put that whole trio inside the bathroom.
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  SPEAKER_00: And that's fine, but you've got some things to unpack.
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  SPEAKER_00: You've got some movements that you have to justify.
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  All kinds of small elements before and after need to shift to
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  accommodate whatever
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  SPEAKER_00: behavior change makes sense.
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  If you've got to figure out why Chad came home early from work,
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  that's going to be a question.
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  SPEAKER_00: Those are things that you have to answer.
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  Aside from those obvious things that if a character action
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  feels incongruous with
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  SPEAKER_00: everything we know about the character.
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  SPEAKER_00: For example,
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  if Elmo from Sesame Street decided to pick up a chainsaw and
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  slash Big Bird,
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  well then you've got a whole lot of explaining to do that is
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  not what we know about
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  SPEAKER_00: Elmo.
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  So that's a totally different story than what we had assumed
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  from the get-go,
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  SPEAKER_00: from what we know about Elmo.
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  SPEAKER_00: These things are kind of obvious.
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  SPEAKER_00: Now we're going to get into...
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  some things that are a little bit less tangible i've talked a
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  lot about the
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  attention drift before when you are receiving the work either
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  as you read it or as
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  it is being delivered by a performer and you find yourself
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  drifting away from the
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  SPEAKER_00: narrative you find yourself tuning out or anxious to get to the next part
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  then that is a big red flag that that is an area that you need
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  to look at.
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  That area could be that you've overwritten and your audience is
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  way ahead of you
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  SPEAKER_00: and just wants you to move on with it.
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  Or perhaps you haven't quite gone deeply enough that you're
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  going over the same
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  SPEAKER_00: information over and over and over again without escalation.
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  SPEAKER_00: Let me explain that.
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  SPEAKER_00: Information without escalation.
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  SPEAKER_00: becomes tedious and dull.
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  SPEAKER_00: So you can have the same bits of information.
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  SPEAKER_00: In fact, this is a lot of what a mystery narrative is.
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  SPEAKER_00: You may examine the same moment,
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  SPEAKER_00: a death or a robbery,
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  SPEAKER_00: something like that,
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  and you examine that moment over and over and over again until
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  you find all the
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  SPEAKER_00: missing pieces.
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  That moment can be examined so many times until each moment is
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  given a new perspective.
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  SPEAKER_00: There's a new witness or there's a new clue,
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  SPEAKER_00: a new piece of information,
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  SPEAKER_00: a new object,
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  a new circumstance that sheds new light on the same incident
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  that you've looked at
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  SPEAKER_00: over and over and over again.
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  SPEAKER_00: So that's information with escalation.
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  SPEAKER_00: Sorry about that little beep there.
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  SPEAKER_00: I thought I turned this off.
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  SPEAKER_00: If you're going to keep bringing up the same information,
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  an escalation is necessary in order to bring tension and
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  excitement to that
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  SPEAKER_00: revelation.
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  SPEAKER_00: If you're just saying the same thing over and over and over again,
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  SPEAKER_00: well,
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  SPEAKER_00: it may just be superfluous.
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  SPEAKER_00: That may just be, I didn't realize I said that same thing several times.
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  SPEAKER_00: So you figure out which one you like best and cut the others.
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  SPEAKER_00: And what you like best about it may be particularly beautiful wording.
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  SPEAKER_00: It may be,
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  SPEAKER_00: I think,
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  that that piece of information is more interesting in this
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  section than it is in
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  SPEAKER_00: this section for various reasons.
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  But here's where I want us to go a little bit deeper when we
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  talk about these kinds
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  SPEAKER_00: of repetition because sometimes,
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  SPEAKER_00: as the writer,
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  you return to an image or to a need to explain a certain facet
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  of the story or
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  character over and over and over again because you're searching
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  for something.
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  am i just being forgetful and saying things that were already
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  said or am i looking
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  for new ways to say this because instinctually i feel like
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  there's something else
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  here something that i haven't gone deep enough on a motivation
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  a feeling or you're
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  SPEAKER_00: trying to
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  SPEAKER_00: describe something for the audience,
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  hoping that the description is enough for them to get a taste
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  of the emotional
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  SPEAKER_00: tenor of the moment.
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  In which case,
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  I would suggest that instead of killing all your darlings,
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  take a
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  SPEAKER_00: deep look at what those repetitions represent for you.
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  SPEAKER_00: Do any of them hit pay dirt?
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  SPEAKER_00: Are you finding that buried treasure that you're looking for?
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  SPEAKER_00: That color of emotion or that experience?
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  SPEAKER_00: Or are you continuing to search for the right language?
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  SPEAKER_00: If you're continually searching for the language,
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  SPEAKER_00: that you're just looking for that expression in the wrong place.
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  SPEAKER_00: For example,
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  SPEAKER_00: let's say you have a character who is,
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm coming up with this on the fly,
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  SPEAKER_00: so if I'm a little slow,
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  SPEAKER_00: be patient with me.
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  But let's say you have a character who is continually talking
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  about peanut butter sandwiches.
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  And every time there is an emotional height that triggers this
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  thought of peanut
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  SPEAKER_00: butter sandwiches for this character,
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  SPEAKER_00: and you keep doing it over and over and over again,
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  SPEAKER_00: the image of the peanut butter sandwich is starting to,
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  SPEAKER_00: pardon the phrase,
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  SPEAKER_00: but get a little stale.
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  Then the question is,
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  is what is the peanut butter sandwich really about?
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  Because maybe it's not about the peanut butter sandwich itself
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  or the image of the
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  SPEAKER_00: peanut butter sandwich,
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  but there might be something in the emotional weight of the
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  peanut butter sandwich.
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  I know it's a little hard for me to keep a straight face as I'm
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  coming up with
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  SPEAKER_00: these simplistic examples,
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  but what I mean by the emotional weight of the peanut butter
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  sandwich is what does
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  SPEAKER_00: the peanut butter sandwich represent to that character?
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  SPEAKER_00: Is it a paternal or maternal care or lack of care?
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  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it could be care if the peanut butter sandwich is about
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  There was always a peanut butter sandwich with the crust cut
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  off waiting for me
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  SPEAKER_00: when I got home from school and that made me feel wonderful.
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  Or it could also mean my parents were never home and all I
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  could eat was peanut
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  SPEAKER_00: butter sandwiches because I didn't know how to cook anything else.
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  SPEAKER_00: See the same object.
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  SPEAKER_00: can represent different things to different people.
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  SPEAKER_00: In which case, what is the trigger point for that peanut butter sandwich?
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  Does the character think about these peanut butter sandwiches
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  when they feel
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  SPEAKER_00: particularly lonely or when they feel very cared for?
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  SPEAKER_00: In which case,
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  SPEAKER_00: or,
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  SPEAKER_00: sorry,
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to interrupt myself here,
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  or are they feeling this need to talk about peanut butter
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  sandwiches because they
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  SPEAKER_00: want to provide information
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  SPEAKER_00: that sense of care for someone else.
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  In which case you have a much deeper emotional connection to
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  the peanut butter sandwich.
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  What you want to focus on is the behavior that that image
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  conjures for the character.
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  You're going to want to talk about when they think about this
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  peanut butter
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  SPEAKER_00: sandwich,
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  SPEAKER_00: does it make them pull inward?
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  SPEAKER_00: Does it make them shrink themselves and try to hide?
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  SPEAKER_00: Does it make them feel snuggly and affectionate?
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  SPEAKER_00: Does it make them feel rageful?
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  SPEAKER_00: Does it make them
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  SPEAKER_00: want to lash out?
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  SPEAKER_00: Is this something that the character is aware as a trigger for them,
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  SPEAKER_00: or is an important thing for them,
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  SPEAKER_00: or are they discovering its importance in their lives?
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  SPEAKER_00: These repetitions,
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  while you may need to get rid of some of them because they are
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  information without
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  SPEAKER_00: escalation,
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  you can still find out what it was that you were reaching for
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  as the author
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  SPEAKER_00: What were you trying to represent with that peanut butter sandwich?
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  SPEAKER_00: And does that manifest itself in character behavior?
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  SPEAKER_00: Does that manifest itself in an emotional outburst of some kind?
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  SPEAKER_00: And how does that impact how they interact with others?
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  SPEAKER_00: What is the clue in that repetition?
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  SPEAKER_00: Always look for spaces to go deeper.
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  SPEAKER_00: And when you find problematic areas in your text,
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  SPEAKER_00: yes,
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  SPEAKER_00: sometimes that means cuts,
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  SPEAKER_00: cuts,
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  SPEAKER_00: cuts,
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  SPEAKER_00: cuts,
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  SPEAKER_00: cuts,
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  SPEAKER_00: cuts,
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  SPEAKER_00: cuts.
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  SPEAKER_00: That is true.
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  SPEAKER_00: But before you start taking an axe to your narrative,
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  really explore if this is superfluous or if this is something
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  that is a clue that
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  SPEAKER_00: you need to go deeper.
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  deeper into your narrative sometimes i feel like these go
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  really fast and sometimes
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  SPEAKER_00: i feel like they go really painfully slow but today
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  SPEAKER_00: Feels like a fast one.
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  Let me give you a few show notes before we move out of this
• 11:19
  episode for this week.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: I need to tell you that tickets for Jerrypalooza are on sale.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_00: This is an exciting event.
• 11:29
  One of our writers group members,
• 11:31
  Jerry Polner,
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  has written 27 going on 28 plays.
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  SPEAKER_00: So as a celebration,
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: we are putting together a very special event that we call Jerrypalooza,
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  SPEAKER_00: and it's going to be at South Oxford Space in Brooklyn on March 6th,
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_00: featuring six excerpts from Jerry Polner's plays.
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  SPEAKER_00: Two of them
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: will be rehearsed and directed as proper ratings.
• 12:00
  Four of them will be cast on-site with volunteers who show up
• 12:06
  in our audience.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: Casting begins at 6.30 and
• 12:11
  Priority will be given to people who show up by 640 for casting
• 12:16
  purposes.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_00: There's going to be plenty of time to mix and mingle.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: If you've never been to a Playful Substance event,
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_00: it is a very familial,
• 12:25
  friendly event where we try and get people to interact with one
• 12:29
  another and play
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_00: with one another.
• 12:32
  Even if they're just sitting down and listening,
• 12:34
  you were invited into the conversation.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: It's a really fun, inclusive space.
• 12:40
  I hope if you are in the New York City area on March 6th that
• 12:45
  you'll come out to Jerrypalooza.
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  And if you are interested in tickets,
• 12:50
  it's a small room,
• 12:51
  so they will go fast.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_00: Tickets are $15.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_00: You can get them at our.show.com.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: Jerry-Palooza.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_00: That should get you some tickets.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to put the link in the show notes.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to join us on March 6th, I hope you do.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: Because it's going to be a great time.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_00: Jerry's an amazing writer.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know anybody who does.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to quote another writer's group member,
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_00: Tori Barron,
• 13:22
  who says that nobody writes bureaucratic fuckery quite like
• 13:27
  Jerry Polner does.
• 13:28
  and i think that is absolutely correct so yeah please come out
• 13:34
  to jerrypalooza also
• 13:36
  our website at playfulsubstance.com has some new features you
• 13:42
  can take a look at it
• 13:43
  and if you're curious about our writers group you can join our
• 13:47
  writers group hub on
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: playfulsubstance.com
• 13:51
  You'll find a bunch of stuff under artist services on
• 13:54
  PlayfulSubstance.com.
• 13:56
  And you'll find that we have things to offer both our New York
• 14:01
  locals,
• 14:02
  whom we absolutely love.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_00: We love our New York artists.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_00: But we also have space to reach out to artists who live elsewhere.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: We would love to meet you.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: Poke around on our site.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_00: Find out more.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: Ask questions.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_00: We're still building some of these features.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_00: We're trying to cater to theater makers,
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_00: multi-hyphenates,
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_00: our playwrights,
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_00: screenwriters,
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: directors,
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  SPEAKER_00: actors,
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_00: all of these marvelous people who make theater happen.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_00: That is it for this week on The Imperfect Impulse.
• 14:34
  We will talk to you next Thursday,
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  hopefully around noon,
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  but don't hold me to it.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_00: We'll talk to you next week.