Masterclass.com course: Dramatic Writing with David Mamet
Day 8 Lesson #8 Plot:
“Plot is all that there is.” David Mamet
Lesson 8 was all about finding your plot. As you write, you teach yourself. The only way to learn how to find your plot, is to keep writing. It’s okay to start over after you finish your novel. The more lessons I followed with David Mamet, the more I realize that he follows the rule of keeping your writing simple.
A plot can have twist or the unexpected. Just don’t lose your audience by deviating with shiny objects or distractions that don’t belong. Your chapters should build and there should be an event the propels your hero forward. What inspires your hero?
David also goes on to say that every story has a point when your hero will have a mid-life crisis and ask why they’re on this journey. We get lost at some point, and so do our characters. When are they going to admit that they lost their way, or lost their inspiration.
What’s the difference? The heroes in our stories find a way to move forward. They don’t skip over the really problem. They have to face the den of lions. Our audience will know if we don’t solve the real problem. In other words, don’t gloss over the complexities in your stories. This is the same as leaving your hero dangle off the side of a cliff for the rest of the story and skipping to the end without an telling the audience how they got there.
Don’t expect every story to follow the same writing routine. It’s your job to explore and experiment. David made the point that every story is like starting all over again because each plot is different. We keep writing because it’s who we are.
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~Yoon Ju
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