Sunday, October 2, 2011

Is it always there when you want it?

...or am I just variously blind? A little of both, I suspect.

I've been working on my new workshop, or rather--a new take on the first workshop I ever did, way back in 2008, when everyone thought I was more than a little crazy and stayed away because it might be contagious. Totally in-person, way not-fun and totally not what people were expecting. The last in-person workshop I did was way better, although I have the feeling I still wasn't what people were expecting, lol.  Admittedly, a year ago now--maybe it's time to take my show on the road. I dunno. Something to think about.

I suspect the emotional structure workshop is going to be one of my favorites, since it seems to be a missing piece of core events. Organic structure/core events > the transformational arc > and emotional structure. Whatever happens, at least I'll have more material for my tome.

Recently, I was talking to Vicky Gresham, one of the people (like meham), I'm going to blame for my ever-growing obsession with powerpoints. We were troubleshooting the structure of the short story workshop--God, it's nice to have a sounding board--and she started talking about powerpoints. She's got a good, level head on her shoulders and it helped anchor my randomness. She brought up a brainstorming idea that I love, but that would take way too long as a traditional workshop because not content with being random, I've also got a short attention span.

While I messed around, thinking of A) ways to shrink it and B) where to put it, I stumbled across an answer to a question that'd bothered me for years--how people put downloads on their blogs. I figured it was a wordpress thing. But it turns out for blogger, it's a google docs thing. I uploaded the powerpoint I did for Running in the Dark, and I hope it works.

Free to anyone who wants it, as long as you give me credit ( 'cause I'm still growing the material) and maybe say something nice if it helps you, lol. I'm pretty proud of it. Oops, had to rework the link. Apparently I uploaded as a google doc format when I wanted it to remain a powerpoint. It's fixed now and looks better, but to get the animations to run you're going to need to download it and run it as a slideshow.

2 comments:

deanna said...

I downloaded and watched the 15 slides. Cool. I need the teacher's interpretive help on some, but I get the general idea. :o)

I was reading someone who helps memoir writers, and she said she refers to her "helpee" as the story's protagonist. It might be that if I can distance myself by thinking of me as protagonist, I can find my own core event to work from. This is a little exciting...

Unknown said...

hmm...that's an interesting thought. The protagonist is always the person at the center of the story (even if they're also their own antagonist, lol)

I know you'll find your own core event, Deanna. :) And I hope you do write your memoirs, it'll be a beautiful book. (and I mean that. Just something about you floating along the river would be good, too)