Structure Ain’t Nothing Without Emotion

I believe in story structure. It holds everything together. Good structure is like gravity – you don’t notice it until it’s gone. 

Yes – I hear the anti-structure people cry, “formulaic, mechanical, predictable, and dull” and I agree. When structure is the only tool a writer uses, the end product is usually very predictable and therefore dull. 

I don’t believe in rules – except one – DON’T BORE ME. (the reader or the audience). But I do believe in proof and when something works, you go with it. 

Oscar-winner Akiva Goldsman (Cinderella Man, I, Robot , A Beautiful Mind ) says, “Screenwriting is like fashion: All clothes have the same structure. A shirt has two sleeves and buttons, but not all shirts look alike. Most classes and books teach you that a shirt has two sleeves and buttons and then expect the student to come up with a designer’s shirt.” 

Once upon a time I believed in strict structure, but after years of writing and reading and watching films, I realize that if you only practice structure you may end up with a perfectly tailored shirt, but it’s so bland, or boring, so predictable that nobody wants to buy it.

So what’s the problem? 

Structure is great as a guideline, but in order to stand out in an ocean of basic structure you must write something that moves people, starting with your reader. Oh – and if you just said, “but I’m going to shoot it myself,” then please keep reading because you don’t have the luxury of a reader and chances are you’re going to spend a lot of time and money, and other people’s time making a film nobody wants to watch. Just because you know how to write a script doesn’t mean you should make it. For crying out loud. And if you don’t believe me, just look at Amazon. Youtube. Even Netflix. 

From professionals to amateurs, there are so many badly made films I want to cry. A few years ago I sunk into a horrible depression over the sheer amount of crap being made. So much crap! What happened to great storytelling? I would settle for good storytelling at this point.  I imagine social media plays some role in it – but that’s a topic for another day. Back to the point….

What’s the problem? 

Most films follow a structure and still they suck. 

Why? 

They do not engage the reader/viewer.  There it is.

Why?  Good question. Glad you asked. 

In their haste to make their masterpiece, they forget that they have to actually engage someone in the real world, not just the biased fool living in their own head. 

They miss the fact that movies are emotional vehicles. I’m going to repeat that – 

Movies are emotional vehicles. 

They are designed to give the reader or viewer an emotional experience, otherwise, I could just watch the news. 

If you walk away with only this message I would be satisfied – the craft of writing is understanding how to evoke emotion in your READER or VIEWER.  Good writing is good because it has an emotional impact. It’s why we can watch a three hour film and not get bored.

It’s that simple. 

Well, not really. 

It is that simple, but that’s not to say that it’s a simple thing to craft a story that evokes emotion. 

Got me? 

If you’re working on a story – script or novel – prioritize that structure, but remember, if you want an audience, then engage us emotionally. 

To craft an emotionally exciting story, there are dozens of techniques a writer can use and I’ll discuss those techniques in future videos and articles. For now, let me give you this key piece of information that will improve your writing immediately. 

A writer I admire described three types of storytelling emotions; voyeuristic, vicarious and visceral. 

Your story should try to engage your audience with all three, but just start by focusing on one. 

Voyeuristic emotions come from our desire to know things – to discover things – to uncover secrets – to seek out new worlds – got it? We’re curious and nosy creatures. Use that to your advantage. 

Vicarious emotions give us the chance to imagine ourselves in another person’s shoes. When we connect to a character, we have that chance to understand human nature a little better, which means we have the beautiful chance to understand ourselves at a deeper level. If you can’t give me that for two hours, why am I watching? 

Visceral emotions are the bomb. These types of emotions keep us transfixed and excited. Do you know how to create tension? Surprise? Shock? Anticipation? Well, you should know if you want to entertain people with your writing. It’s not just about creating a jump scare or killing somebody. It’s about using storytelling techniques to build tension and keep your reader or audience reading or watching. 

There is nothing new or cutting edge in storytelling except for your ability to string together a series of unique and interesting scenes in such a way that the reader has an emotional experience. Now go do it.