We’ve all heard that agents and editors don’t like prologues. This is because the majority are nothing but backstory, and most of it is unnecessary to understand the characters and the story. A wise writer will weave the vital information where needed (and avoid the prologue if it's not essential), which heightens the suspense and keeps the reader turning the pages. I don’t mind them, but that’s because the bad ones don’t make it into traditionally published books. The book either doesn’t get published, or the editor (or agent) tactfully breaks the news to the writer and she cuts it.
It’s not prologues that irritate me. It’s the preface some writers include, because they think it’s essential to the story, that often turns me off a book. They usually involve a page or two of the climax (or something like that), and hint at what’s to come. Except, I don’t know the characters at that point to care enough about what happens to them. Isn’t that why we’re told not to start the first chapter in the middle of the action? The reader doesn’t care enough about the main character at that point to want to keep reading. And when you start with a preface, it’s like a (false) warning:
Dear Reader,
I know the beginning of my novel is dull, but as you can see by the preface, the climax is very exciting. Please buy my book and you won’t be sorry.
Sincerely,
The Author
Do you like prefaces or do you tend to skip over them? If you see one in a book, do you keep reading or do you pick up a different book?
(No, The Hunger Games doesn’t have a preface (or prologue). I just can’t wait for the movie and had to include an image from it to tie me over until I can see it.)
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Due to spring break, I’m going unplugged from March 23rd to April 2nd. I can’t wait to catch up on everyone’s great news when I get back. *waves bye*
As some of you know, Laura Pauling loves to analyze novels and movies using the screenwriting book, Save the Cat, by Blake Synder. And as you might also know, in addition to being a fan of STC, I love the screenwriting book, Emotional Structure: Creating the Story Beneath the Plot by Peter Dunne. So we decided to analyze the movie Tangled using our fav screenwriting books so you can see the difference and similarities between them, as well as see ways to improve your own stories.
Notes:
1. The breakdown is based on the typical script length of 110 pages. For novels, you have to adjust the numbers based on the length of your manuscript. We have more flexibility than screenwriters do.
2. The points are from the charts in Emotional Structure.
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Act One: “Life as it was” (pages 1-25)
Page 1:
• Meet the protagonist: Rapunzel
• Establish point of view: Even though the movie is predominantly from Rapunzel’s point of view, and it’s mostly her story, the co-protagonist, Flynn Ryder, introduces Rapunzel’s backstory in the prologue.
• Establish emotional state and theme
• Great, gripping opening (no, duh!)
Pages 1-10: State problem. Life is boring with the same daily routine. Rapunzel wonders when life will begin.
Page 10: 1st problem: Rapunzel asks “Mother” if she can go see the floating lights that are released every year on Rapunzel’s birthday. She wants to know what they are. The answer is ‘no’. Mother reminds her that the world is a dangerous and scary place.
Between pages 10-20: Clash with co-protagonist. Thief Flynn Ryder escapes the “bad” guys by climbing into Rapunzel’s tower. She bashes him on the head and he passes out.
He wakes up. Rapunzel panics and knocks him unconscious again.
She wants to show him to Mother, to demonstrate that she’s strong enough to go outside without getting hurt (Apparent solution to 1st problem (page 20)).
Mother gets mad at Rapunzel for suggesting that she wants to go outside. Rapunzel decides not to show Mother unconscious man in closet (Solution disappears).
New Solution: Rapunzel asks Flynn to take her to see the lanterns and then return her home safely. If he does this, then she’ll give him back the satchel with the crown in it (she doesn’t know the crown is stolen).
Pages 20-25: Problem worsens and Major crisis. I was stuck on this one. Maybe it’s when he initially says no.
Goal must be set by mentor: Again, I was stuck on this one. I believe it was when Pasquel, her pet chameleon, wants her to leave the tower (he makes this clear at the very beginning of the movie).
Page 25: Moral Dilemma: As Rapunzel walks away from the tower, she’s tore as to whether she’s doing the right thing or not. Should she go back to the safety of the tower, or should she go against her mother’s wishes and continue her journey.
Act Two: “Life torn apart” (pages 25 to 85)
• Physical action helps create risks and danger
• Emotional resistance
• Fears are revealed and challenged: Flynn takes Rapunzel to a tavern—The Cuddly Duckling—which is filled with a bunch of scary ruffians. Of course after they break out into song and dance about having dreams (’cause this is Disney, you know), Rapunzel realizes not everyone is dangerous. This goes against what Flynn is after. He wants Rapunzel to give up on her dream so that he can get the crown and leave (co-protagonist feud)
• Suffer loss
• Route altered: Palace guards (who are after Flynn because he stole the crown) chase Flynn and Rapunzel. The two bad guys, who were chasing Flynn at the beginning, join forces with Rapunzel’s “mother”.
Page 55: Tent pole Scene. Flynn and Rapunzel escape the guards and ‘bad’ guys, but are trapped and almost drown. (Middle of movie)
Part two of the post (i.e. the second half of the movie) will continue on Wednesday.
Question: do you have any favorite books on story structure, or is this something you haven’t thought about much (like me until a few weeks ago)?
This post is a continuation of Monday’s. I’m going to list the elements that make up each section of the act, and illustrate them with examples from the movie Tangled. Laura Pauling is also continuing her post on structure and Tangled.
(Warning: there are spoilers in this post)
Act Two—continued
(This is part two of the second act)
Pages 55 to 65:
• Emotional defeat
• Loss of faith
• Most vulnerable
• Bonding with co-protagonist (commitment)
• Emotional union
• Changes begin
• Growth is painful
With each conflict, Rapunzel and Flynn find out more about each other. For example, Flynn reveals his real name, and Rapunzel tells him her hair has magical properties (perfect timing for this revelation, which ends up saving their lives).
Each conflict supports the notion that the world is a scary place, just like “Mother” said.
Rapunzel realizes her growing feelings for Flynn. But Mother finds Rapunzel and tells her that he’s only interested in the crown (which Rapunzel has hidden). Once he gets it back, he’ll turn his back on her. Because Rapunzel and Flynn have revealed a lot about themselves to each other, they are both at their most vulnerable.
When Rapunzel refuses to go back home with her, Mother challenges Rapunzel to test Flynn’s feelings for her by giving him the crown and seeing if he sticks around.
Rapunzel and Flynn spend the afternoon together and their feelings for each other deepen. They go out on the water to watch the lanterns being released into the sky (naturally there’s a love song at this point to emphasize this).
Seeing the lanterns makes Rapunzel realize that the world is not how she originally thought. She isn’t scared anymore, and both her and Flynn realize their new dream—a life together.
Pages 65 to 70
• Deepest fears are tested
• Emotional set back
• Break up and give up
• Willing to lose
Rapunzel gives Flynn the crown. He leaves her for a moment to give it to the bad guys. He’s no longer interested in it. He wants to be with Rapunzel.
Flynn doesn’t return. Instead, the bad guys go over to where Rapunzel is waiting and point to him floating away on a sail boat. It looks like he’s leaving, when in reality, he’s tied up and unconscious.
Rapunzel believes he betrayed her trust in him, and returns with Mother to the tower, thus giving up her dream.
Pages 70 to 80
• Rebuild or die
• Higher purpose
• Alone again but aloneness is sad—no longer a comfort
Alone again, Rapunzel knows she can no longer be happy knowing about the beauty and good that’s out in the world.
She realizes that she’s the missing princess. She also realizes that she spent her life hiding from people who would use her for her power, when it was her “Mother” she should have been hiding from.
Pages 80 to 85
• Facing death
• Commit to love
• Faith defeat fear
• Climax
Flynn realizes Rapunzel is in danger. With the help of his ruffian friends, he escapes from prison (where he had ended up when he was captured by the palace guards) and races to the tower, only to find Rapunzel tied up. Mother stabs him as he climbs through the window.
Rapunzel makes a deal with her mother. If her mother lets Rapunzel save Flynn, she’s stop fighting against her and won’t try to get away.
Act Three: “Life as it was” (Pages 85 to 110)
• The climax
• Victory over the antagonist
• Physical euphoria
• The resolution
• Letting go of old self completely
• Embracing co-protagonist
• The emotional battle is finally won
• Honestly facing feelings
• Honesty creates trust
• Trust creates love
• Boy gets girl
Flynn cuts Rapunzel’s hair, knowing it means he’ll die. Anything to save Rapunzel. With her hair cut, the power will die.
With the restorative powers of the hair gone, Mother turns into an old hag (because she was hundreds of years old, as told in the prologue). The old hag dies.
Rapunzel attempts to save Flynn. She sings, trying to get her hair to save him, but he dies. But of course, this being a Disney movie, her tears have restorative powers and Flynn lives.
Rapunzel returns to her family—the king and queen—and the kingdom rejoices, and all the loose ends are tied up.
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So, there you go, two different take on the movie Tangled, based on two different screenwriting books on story structure.
Emotional Structure also talks about the emotional journey of the story. Using Tangled as an example, I’ll be talking more about it in July.
What do writers do when we watch movies? Yep, we analyze them. And that’s exactly what I did last weekend when I took my kids to see Rio (loved it, btw).
According to one of my favorite writing books, Emotional Structure: Creating the Story Beneath the Plot (which I reviewed a few weeks ago), fear is an important element when creating characterization. The character must overcome his fear by the end of the story in order for character growth to occur. But you have to know what the underlying cause is, because this is what he will have to face in the end. This will also be the cause of some of the obstacles the character will face while trying to achieve his goal. His fear will dictate what he will do.
Okay, let’s go back to Rio. (Don’t worry, no spoilers here.)
Blu is the main character. He’s a blue macaw and the last of his kind. But unlike the typical macaw, he can’t fly. Why? Well, in the beginning (the prologue) his mama left him alone in the nest while she went off to get food. He watches a group of red macaw chicks get tossed out of their nest by their mama and start to fly. Something bad suddenly happens in the jungle and Blu knows he needs to escape, so he jumps out of his nest. However, unlike the other macaws, he doesn’t fly. He lands in a bush and is caught by humans.
So naturally, Blu never learns to fly and is scared to try. It’s his inability to believe in himself that leads to his fear of flying. By the end of the movie, he needs to believe in himself in order to succeed (character arc).
Do any of your characters (and it doesn’t have to be just the protagonist) have a fear they need to overcome by the end of the story?
