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Published on 2 Comments on War Is Ugly

This post originally appeared in 2013.

Our recent unseasonably warm winter was interrupted by reality, which means a perfect day for hightailing it to the movie theater. The hubs and I went to see Zero Dark Thirty, Kathryn Bigelow's infotainment ditty about the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

We had recently seen National Geographic's quasi-documentary on this topic (which was pretty good) and were looking forward to the cinematic version. ZD30 didn't disappoint, exactly. As with Argo, I often found myself wondering how much was fact and how much was massaged or fictionalized to enhance the storytelling. I am sure there are loads of websites more than willing to break it all down for you, like this article for example. The movie was basically well made, straightforward with the facts, and remained entertaining even though everyone knows before purchasing the ticket how it is going to end. And that's the tricky part, isn't it? The screenwriter and the director have to make the telling of the tale the thing, rather than relying on cheap pyrotechnics and nonsensical plot twists. I believe they succeeded. The last half hour or so when the mission is finally given the green light is gripping.

I am hedging a little on a ringing endorsement because either due to my middle aged hearing or the sound quality of the film, there were many instances when I could not understand everything that was being said. The film is pretty dialogue-heavy and expects the audience to keep up, so you definitely don't want to miss anything. This is a film I would gladly see again, or, even better, purchase a copy to watch multiple times to enjoy the nuances that I fear I lost the first time through.

Maybe I haven't read enough reviews, but isn't anyone else impressed that a young woman was the motivating factor, against the odds, behind the hunt for more than ten years? If the ratio of women to men in the film is an accurate representation of staffing at the CIA, why isn't the gender issue being talked about more? I would think the feminists would be taking this and running with it (in a good way! Go, Maya!).  When I think of CIA staff, I think either of paunchy, balding bureaucrats or James Bond-like operatives. This fresh faced innocent-looking young woman would look more at home riding herd on a kindergarten class field trip to the zoo than an international man hunt for a terrorist with a $25 million bounty on his head.

Lastly, a counterpoint to this review and others offended by the aspect of torture in this film and elsewhere. I didn't notice who the author was until I double-checked it for this post to see if it was male or female. I was disappointed to find it was Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone. I love his work and have been following him off and on for years. We usually agree on everything. But not this. Before I realized Taibbi was the author, I had a feeling it was a liberal female recent college grad (read: young and naive to the ways of the world). Sorry, Matt! But his comments on torture just ring so unrealistic IMO. So USA is supposed to take the high road and lead by example by abandoning our admittedly brutal interrogation techniques and instead treating our enemies with dignity and respect, because, hey, we all know they will be SO impressed they will immediately follow suit, stop torturing their own prisoners, stop attacking us at every opportunity, and invite us over to the campfire for hummus and Kumbaya (insert indignant snort here)?  If only it were so.

But it isn't. There are bad people out there who want to do us harm. Fancy technology can only get us so far. Do I wish we had a more effective way to elicit important information from our enemies? Sure. I even wish we didn't have any enemies. I also wish I was a trust fund baby, and that this blog actually paid me a living wage. But none of those things are likely to happen any time soon, so we must accept reality. It stinks, but it's better than the alternative, which if Mr. Taibbi and others had their way, would leave us as an international door mat, feeling oh so much better about ourselves that we are superior human beings as we become sitting ducks for the next terrorist attack. Thanks, but no thanks. Good manners during war time went out with the Charge of the Light Brigade. Cavalry units in immaculate uniforms have morphed into bearded men with explosives hidden in their shoes or underwear. The rules of engagement went missing long before two planes deliberately crashed into the New York City skyline. So man up, Mr. Taibbi. Bombs, drones, undercover surveillance, and yes, torture, are all part of the game.

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2

Published on 2 Comments on Story Grid Micro: Contact

Greetings, fellow story craft nerds! Last post, I did a macro analysis of the 1997 movie Contact, applying the 5 Commandments to the entire story arc. This time, I'll apply them to a single scene. (If you're new to Story Grid, check out my initial post on the topic. )

https://youtu.be/GZDT-FsO9Uc

I'm sticking with the scene I mentioned last time as a front-runner for my choice today. It's a great example of an Inciting Incident, and I haven't covered an II in this series of posts yet.

The Inciting Incident for this film, in my opinion, is the ten minute scene that catapults the main character out of what is known in Joseph Campbell/Hero's Journey lingo as their Ordinary World. It occurs about 34 minutes in. That works out to about 25% into the film, which is a little over two hours long.

There are a few different ways an Inciting Incident can occur. It can be an accident/coincidence. It can be the result of deliberate actions. Or, it can be nebulous, mysterious, unexplained until the end of the story (if at all). In this story, the II is a direct result of the main character's training, combined with her grit.

Dr. Ellie Arroway's Ordinary World is something many of us can identify with. She is passionate about her career goal (finding proof of alien life) and resents the time wasted by bureaucratic nonsense. But she hasn't made any progress on finding extraterrestrial life. In fact, her boss is threatening to pull the plug on her project.

However, Dr. Arroway is one tough cookie. She is not a quitter. One day she has her listening equipment set up away from her main lab, at a location that offers some welcome solitude. Externally, this helps her listen because it is quiet out there among the radar dishes. Internally, I think she's just a big ol' introvert and enjoys the time alone. In any case, she's out there alone with her headphones on, and she hears something other than the seemingly never-ending radio static she's used to hearing. She's a pro. She realizes immediately this is significant. She races back to her lab and gets her two staffers involved.

Fun detail: back at the lab, her coworkers have overlooked the red alert on some of their computer screens indicating a signal from outer space because they are watching a television interview with a trendy lifestyle guru (who also happens to be the same guy Dr. A had a brief hookup with a few years back) talking about how despite all the great new science and technology at our disposal, humans feel more alone than ever. Classic! I love it!

Once Ellie jerks their attention back to the signal, the three work feverishly to reject or confirm that this signal a) is not a natural phenomenon; and b) it is not coming from Earth or any Earthly technology in orbit such as satellites, space stations, and so forth. The film sets up a sense of urgency beautifully here with a couple of progressive complications. The signal stops. We wait breathlessly for it to start up again. This plants the seed of doubt that it could vanish at any time. The three astrophysicists also discuss briefly why they will need to rely on partners on the other side of the earth when the signal is no longer audible because of the orbital paths of the various celestial bodies involved.

As the three frantically discuss this incredible new development, they are deeply troubled by the many unanswerable questions that arise. Specifically, the apparent origin of the signal doesn't make sense to them. The pattern is clearly recognizable (all prime numbers) which makes them wonder if it's some kind of Earth-bound hoax. The Crisis in this scene is whether or not to report this event immediately, and risk even further discredit and disdain from their peers if they're wrong, or wait until they have fully validated their findings, and risk not being the first to report.

The Climax is Dr. Arroway's decision to announce their discovery, even though there are many unanswered questions. She feels she and her staff have done their due diligence. If they are going to be first, and validate their years of unappreciated work with this historic discovery, they must act immediately.

The Resolution unfolds in the following scene with government officials rushing to Dr. Arroway's lab to join in the heretofore ignored project to make contact with extraterrestrial life.

This is a very condensed ten minutes of film. The discovery of the signal changes everything, not only for Dr. Arroway but for her staff, her bosses, the government, the country, and yes, the world. It ushers us into the Middle Build of the story, which is a good mix of internal and external story progressions. If you haven't seen the film, I highly recommend. And I really need to read the book, just based on this article I stumbled across today while researching this post. Dr. Sagan, you are missed.

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Published on Leave a comment on Story Grid Macro: Contact

Previously I blogged about the Story Grid method of analyzing and understanding story structure. I plan on applying this method to some of my favorite books and films and posting them here about once a month. I'll do a macro first, and follow up by applying the same method to a single scene.

Have I mentioned that as a child of the 1960s, I'm a huge space nerd? This month's pick for a Story Grid analysis is the 1997 film Contact, one of my favorites. It's based on Carl Sagan's book by the same name. I haven't read the book, but I understand the film is a very close representation. Contact (the film) has been on my mind because our local book club recently read another of Sagan's books, Cosmos.

Spoiler alert: if you haven't seen the film, I will be spoiling the main reveal in the paragraphs below. You have been warned.

Contact has two very strong story arcs. The external arc is a quest arc IMO. Dr. Eleanor Arroway is a brilliant astrophysicist. But because she has chosen to devote her career to the search for life on other planets, the science community largely dismisses her as a crank. When she discovers an intriguing signal emerging from deep in the cosmos, the narrative drive for the external arc is all about will she find something, or won't she?

The internal arc is more about Ellie's worldview. Although she is very book-smart, her interpersonal relationship skills could use some improvement. She's a classic left brain personality - just the facts, please. She's definitely not into what she thinks of as metaphysical mumbo jumbo, and she doesn't understand why so many people are. But after she makes contact with alien life forms, she finds herself struggling to convince others what exactly it is that she has experienced.

The film begins by showing us Dr. Arroway's Ordinary World. She's a brilliant scientist, but she's in a much-derided fringe specialty (SETI) with her merry band of SETI nerds, constantly struggling for funding to keep their project alive. We also learn through flashbacks that Ellie's mom died early and she had a very close relationship with her dad until he also passed away when she was young. Her father inspired her love of science and space. An underlying theme is her childhood wish to somehow use their family ham radio set to make contact with the spirit of her dead mother.

(I know what you're thinking, but this aspect of contacting her mother is very subtle, brief, and believable in the film, so that we don't stray off into a path of adult Ellie appearing as too much of a nut job.)

Flash forward to adult Ellie bouncing around from one research facility to another, splitting her time between listening for distant signals from space and soliciting funding from the private sector, neither of which have much success.

A romantic subplot is introduced. She has a one night stand (her choice) with a charming stranger. She enjoys his company, but when he brings up the topic of her dad, she freezes up and heads off to a new posting without leaving him any way to contact her. (See what I did there?)

Just when she thinks she's at the end of her rope career-wise, we arrive at what in my opinion is the Inciting Incident: she hears a clear, repeating signal originating from outer space. This signal is confirmed by fellow researchers. Suddenly the nutty professor now has some agency. Mentors who previously ignored her now want to get on board with her efforts. Funding appears. The press gets involved. If this film were set in present day, Dr. Arroway would be trending.

As the information from the alien signal is analyzed, Dr. Arroway and her much larger and better funded staff soon realize this is not just some random signal. Whoever is sending it is sending information to help whoever receives it create the machine to allow them to physically meet; to make contact. But there's only room for one.

It has to be Dr. Arroway, doesn't it? I mean, after all these years, and all her efforts, the lone voice crying out in the space wilderness? Who else could they possibly choose?

I'm waffling on what I've identified as the Turning Point/Progressive Complication. As you can see in my infographic, I've identified the scene where she learns someone else has been selected as the person to attempt to make initial contact with the aliens sending this signal. Ellie is crushed. And to add insult to injury, it's made clear the person they've chosen is just better connected, and has had the sense to pander to the interview committee's strong preference for someone with some religious beliefs; something Ellie is clearly lacking, and refuses to pretend otherwise.

My waffling is due to the very tempting choice of the scene when the very expensive, very complicated device built according to the alien specs is destroyed by an uber-religious terrorist. The scientist wonk that was chosen for the mission is killed. Although she is extremely disappointed to have been passed over, she still supports the mission. Ellie is devastated at this turn of events.

I would not push back much if you feel this should be the TP/PC. I just felt like the choice of a man, a former mentor, who did little to support Ellie's efforts until they showed some results and benefited him personally, was more of a gut punch.

But wait! There's another choice for our Turning Point! If you consider both the choice of representative and the terrorist attack Progressive Complications, one might argue this third option is the true Turning Point: Ellie learns all hope is NOT in fact lost. A second, backup device has been under construction. It is funded privately, by a quirky Howard Hughes-type billionaire she met previously while trying to drum up money for her research. He was impressed with her then, and remains so. He wants her to take a ride in his secret alien space thingy.

How does thing work, exactly?

I will not push back much on this choice, either. But I like it better for the Crisis. When Dr. Arroway learns about this second machine, that sets up her Crisis: should she trust her life to this project that has gone on behind the scenes? Who knows who was involved building it? After all, this rich guy is a little nutty. She knows very little about him. Definitely not part of the government space in-crowd. This could get her killed.

As with so many Crisis points, though, there is really not much of a decision to be made. We know she will go.

As an aside, my SHEG (Super Hardcore Editing Group - inspired by this Story Grid blog post) writing group was discussing this aspect of the Crisis recently. How important is it that we wonder/are unsure what choice the character will make? Or do we okay with pretty much knowing what they will do, and want to get on with the action we know will follow the main character's choice? Something to ponder.

Anyway - back to our 5 C's. The Climax of this film occurs when Ellie survives the surreal transport to the alien meeting place, interacts with the alien(s), and returns home safely. Suffice to say, her mind is officially blown.

Which brings us to our Resolution. It's one of the best examples of a Win, But Lose ending I've ever seen. Ellie achieves her life goal of proving there is life on other planets. She is chosen to make first contact with them. She survives the very dangerous journey, and lives to tell about it.

But what does she tell? And who will believe her? Turns out the alien device which transported her to the confab did some wonky stuff with time. To the scientists monitoring her progress on Earth, Ellie did not appear to have traveled anywhere. The machine seemed to have failed. When Ellie tries to explain what she experienced, yet again she is written off as a kook.

Thankfully we are shown enough of a conversation among the government wonks that indicates they know full well SOMETHING happened to support Ellie's claims. But for the usual government conspiracy reasons, they choose to stay mum about it.

Also in prime Story Grid fashion, even though the external arc is something of a downer, Ellie's internal arc ends more positively. Earlier in the story, her paths cross again with the charismatic stranger from her one night stand. He is now a well-known spiritual adviser and becomes involved in the project to make contact. Although she doesn't share his religious beliefs, she now better understands why people choose to believe in something that is difficult, if not impossible, to quantify. He supports her; believes her. She's had a rough go, so this means the world.

If you haven't seen Contact, I highly recommend. Next time we will apply the 5Cs to a specific scene in the film. Top consideration now is the scene where Ellie discovers the alien signal. Stay tuned to see if that's the one I stick with. There are so many good ones to choose from.

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Published on Leave a comment on Story Grid Micro: Scrooged

Greetings and happy holidays to all! Last week, I did a macro analysis of the 1988 movie Scrooged, applying the 5 Commandments to the entire story arc. This time, I'm applying them to a single five minute scene: the Turning Point of the Ending Payoff.

In this scene, the Ebenezer Scrooge character known as Frank Cross is visited by the last of three ghosts who are attempting to show him the error of his selfish ways. One, in the form of an insolent cab driver, has shown him incidents from his own past that have shaped who he is today. A second ghost, an impudent and slightly deranged fairy, showed him situations from his present that he is unaware of, and that are the direct result of his thoughtless actions.

But this third ghost, yikes.

The Ghost of Christmas Future looms menacingly, garbed in a wardrobe from Grim Reapers R Us. Anguished souls are held captive beneath the folds of his flowing black robes. He has some less-than-glad tidings for our boy Frank. First, he shows Frank the fate of Frank's assistant's disabled young son, locked in a padded room presumably because Frank's demands on the boy's mother have reduced the amount of time she is able to spend with him. Frank is strangely silent, but appears taken aback.

Next, the ghost shows him a ladies lunch event that includes his old flame, Claire. In their youth, when they were young and in love, Claire was the soul of kindness and generosity. But in this vision, she has become callous; hardened. Frank is dismayed by the change in her, especially when she quotes Frank to her lunch friends and attributes her change in attitude to some advice he gave her long ago.

As an aside, whoever did Karen Allen's makeup in this scene did an excellent job of communicating 'harsh' with her look, especially as it contrasts with her fresh-faced earnestness in the rest of the film.

As hurtful as Claire's confession seems, it's the final vision that in my opinion is the turning point in this scene. The ghost brings Frank to a room we soon learn is a crematorium. The coffin about to enter the flames has Frank's name on it. Only two mourners are in attendance: Frank's brother James and James' wife. He soon finds himself trapped inside the coffin. As the flames lick at his expensive shoes, Frank has a realization that he doesn't want to die just yet; that he wants time to repent and do right. This realization leads Frank to his Crisis, Climax, and Resolution in fairly short order.

Coming up with a micro analysis for this movie was a challenge for me for a couple of reasons. One was more about logistics. I needed a scene that aligned with the 5 Commandments scenes I had identified in last week's post that was also available in a video snippet so I could post it for you here. As a last resort I would've just described the scene to you, but I like it better if you can have something to watch. Another challenge was more about the process of applying the 5 C's in micro in these scenes. For some reason, I have more trouble with the micro, or beats, I suppose, than with analyzing the big picture - especially when the components pile on to each other relatively quickly, as I feel they do in this scene.

Do you agree about these 5 C's? Is there another scene that illustrates them more clearly in micro? I look forward to your input.

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Published on Leave a comment on Story Grid Macro: Scrooged

Previously I blogged about the Story Grid method of analyzing and understanding story structure. I plan on applying this method to some of my favorite books and films and posting them here about once a month. I'll do a macro first, and follow up by applying the same method to a single scene.

Frank Cross and the Ghost of Christmas Past

'Tis the season, so it should come as no surprise that I chose a holiday theme this month. My taste in holiday movies runs a little dark, so don't expect any Hallmark films here. It says a lot about me that last Christmas the hubs and I treated ourselves to a holiday screening of Die Hard at the fabulous Nickelodeon Theater in Columbia, SC. But that one's been done by the Story Grid folks. I've chosen another favorite: Scrooged, the 1988 remake of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, starring Bill Murray.

If you don't feel like clicking away to my previous post to see what this Story Grid 5 Commandments stuff is all about, you can get the gist by reading the infographic on the 5 Commandments below.

Gentle reminder there are no right or wrong answers in this process. I encourage you to join the discussion by leaving your opinions in the comments - especially if you disagree! Heck, I even disagree with myself sometimes when I'm poring over this stuff.

To recap the film: since it's one of many remakes of the beloved classic, you are probably familiar with the basics, even if you haven't seen the film. We have the Scrooge character in the form of modern-day television bigwig Frank Cross, played by Murray. We have the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. We have the failed relationship of his youth, and the deceased business partner, and the charming Tiny Tim-esque young boy.

Frank Cross is a selfish, competitive jerk fighting tooth and nail to claw his way to the top of the corporate ladder. He has insisted on airing a live production of A Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve, even though this means many will have to work on the holiday to get it done.

During this hectic evening, Cross runs into his boss. Nothing unusual about that, except the boss had recently died of a heart attack. The ghost boss warns Frank the job is not worth sacrificing the chance for meaningful relationships. He also says three more ghosts will visit him that evening. Frank assumes he is hallucinating due to stress about the job and the show, and ignores this bizarre event - until the next ghost shows up.

The classic Christmas Carol plot unfolds. Frank is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, who reminds him of a vaguely unhappy childhood; Christmas Present, who gives him insight into the lives of those close to him and how his actions affect them, and about which he has no clue until now; and Christmas Future, who scares the daylights out of him with the possibility of an unhappy end to a life filled with despair.

This final visitation convinces Frank he better get his act together. He does a complete 180 and to cement the deal, confesses his regrets to a viewing audience of thousands during the live production he has insisted occur on this night. No takebacks!

His heartfelt apologies help reunite him with his long lost love; initiate a closer relationship with his estranged brother; and even benefit the Tiny Tim character by inspiring him to speak aloud for the first time.

The cool thing about doing a remake of a classic is that you have a time-tested story structure with which to work. In this case, you even have three ghosts to align with the three act structure. I didn't have much trouble choosing my 5 C scenes this time. But I would love to hear if you have any alternatives, or if you think I've missed something.

Next time we'll do a micro of one of the scenes from Scrooged. In the meantime, if you haven't seen Scrooged, check it out. It's usually on TV somewhere this time of year.

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Published on Leave a comment on Story Grid Micro: Aliens

based on the Story Grid series of blog posts, books, and podcasts by Shawn Coyne and Tim Grahl.

Welcome back to my continuation of applying the Story Grid method of story structure analysis to one of my favorite stories: the sci-fi/action/horror classic, Aliens.

Last week, I introduce the concept of Shawn Coyne's Story Grid in macro as it pertains to the entire, or global, story. I promised you a contrasting perspective this week, by applying that same method in a micro level to one of my favorite scenes from that film. We will see how it can be used at the smallest levels of story to help you analyze and troubleshoot your work.

I'll give a quick overview of the Story Grid approach here (if you want more details, check out last week's blog, or go strait to the source at storygrid.com). Stories that work typically have a solid structural foundation consisting of five fundamental components: the Inciting Incident, one or more Progressive Complications, one of which forces a Turning Point; the Crisis; the Climax; and the Resolution. See the infographic below for details on what these terms mean in the Story Grid universe.

The scene I've selected for this micro dive is one of the scenes I singled out last week as one of the 5 Commandments in the global story: the Crisis.

There's so much to love about this scene - where do I begin? Bill Paxton's panicked Private Hudson; Michael Biehn's resigned, ticked off, Corporal Hicks; and of course our fearless leader, Ellen Ripley not mincing words when she sets slimeball Burke straight about what's going to happen next. Click here to watch the two minute scene. It's glorious.

Just to recap: the elite military force sent to investigate mysterious problems on The Company's terraforming planet has just been decimated in their first encounter with the aliens. They are dumbfounded by this turn of events, to say the least. The survivors have retreated to the safety one of their fancy military vehicles to discuss what action to take next, since their original plan to show up, kick ass, and take names, has failed so spectacularly. Ripley and the remaining soldiers want to exterminate the aliens by any means possible, including destroying the terraforming facility from space using nuclear weapons. But Burke, who works for The Company, objects on the grounds they have much invested in this facility, and he urges them to consider other options. But they outnumber him physically, point out that technically he is not in charge, and decide to proceed with their plan to destroy the entire facility.

I chose this scene as a Crisis scene (in the Story Grid sense) at the global level because events force the characters to regroup and make a new plan of action. They each suggest options, laying out the various choices quickly and concisely.

Identifying important scenes from the 30,000 foot level may seem pretty straightforward (even though it's not, IMO). But what about the 3000 foot, or the 30 foot? It's tempting to feel like you're in a forest-for-the-trees situation. The trick is to view the smaller chunk as the entire story.

My other handy tip to help identify these components is to identify the most important/obvious one first, and work from there. For me, this is usually the Climax. Some find the Turning Point more obvious. Basically identify which Commandment hill you are willing to die on, and work from there.

Here's how I identify the 5 Commandments in this scene.

Inciting Incident: the expedition discovers the missing colonists deep within the aliens' lair.

Turning Point/Progressive Complication: many of the military force are killed, including their leader.

Crisis: several characters suggest their idea of a Plan B. Some are already thinking about what weapons they still have available and how they can be used. One suggests just leaving. One suggests a literal Nuclear Option. One argues for an option that would minimize the damage to the expensive terraforming facility.

Climax: all but one agree they should employ the maximum force necessary - "it's the only way to be sure".

Resolution: the group quickly prepares to take action on this new plan.

As I mentioned last time, and will mention every time when blogging about the Story Grid 5C's: even though they're referred to as 'commandments', they are definitely not written in stone. I'd love to hear your thoughts on where the 5C's of this scene are - especially if you disagree with me!

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Published on Leave a comment on Story Grid Macro: Aliens

based on the Story Grid series of blog posts, books, and podcasts by Shawn Coyne and Tim Grahl.

Anyone else out there a devoted fan/follower/cult member of a particular writing craft guru? If you peruse my bookshelves, you'll find writing craft books by several of my favorites. The usual suspects are in attendance: Kleon, Lamott, Barry, King, Brooks, Snyder, McKee. In an attempt to keep my book purchasing compulsion in check, I try to only buy a book if I find it so captivating and resonant, I can envision myself referring to it frequently.

If I'm honest, only about half of the craft books on my shelf get opened with any regularity. But there is one that I refer to, think about, mull over, and recommend far more than any others: Story Grid by Shawn Coyne.

I'm a proud Story Grid nerd and I don't care who knows it. I've found it tremendously useful, and I'm starting a series of blog posts about it because I hope you will find it useful as well.

Blogging about the Story Grid method certainly isn't original to me. They've got their own website, blog, podcasts, classes, you name it. I encourage you to check them out. It will be well worth your time. Just think of my efforts here as fan non-fiction.

Story Grid consists of a variety of concepts and tools developed by editor Shawn Coyne. Coyne describes his method as a 'pragmatic approach to solving the story creation problem'. He uses a variety of analysis tools, including a robust spreadsheet that serves as a combination story spine and editing tool; an overview of the various genres; and a checklist of recommended story components.

One of the Story Grid family of podcasts is devoted to applying the Story Grid analysis to well-known stories, usually films. I find these analyses extremely enjoyable as well as useful. So I thought I would jump on the bandwagon and add a few of my own.

Recently I attended a Story Grid Live event in Nashville. The presentations were great. But the breakout sessions . . . oh, my. As Shawn likes to say, that's where the rubber hit the road. During the breakouts, groups of a half-dozen or so of Story Grid nerds sat around discussing specific scenes from a masterworks. We worked on identifying the 5Cs and other important components. Sometimes we agreed. Sometimes, we didn't. It was glorious.

I do something very similar when my online critique group gets together via Skype every two weeks. But I'm thinking, you just can't get enough of a good thing. I could do this every day.

TBH, I sorta already do this every day. Every time I read a book or watch a show, I'm breaking it down into its Story Grid components. But when you do it in a group setting, the benefits increase exponentially.

Now, I regret I cannot meet with a bunch of other story nerds in person every day, much as I would like to. But thanks to the internet, we can do the next best thing: we can blog and comment. So without further adieu, here's my contribution to spreading the Story Grid wealth.

I'm starting with a film I love and am studying as a prime example of a well-crafted action story, which is the genre I'm currently working in as well. I've selected Aliens, the second film in the franchise.

In this blog post, I'm going to attempt a macro analysis that identifies the 5Cs of the global story/entire film. In a separate post, I'll do a micro analysis of a specific scene. I hope this demonstrates the versatility of understanding the concept of the 5 Commandments as a craft tool and how it can be useful in just about any phase of your writing project.

Before I dive into the 5C's of Aliens, it would probably be helpful to catch you up just in case you're not familiar. The 5 Commandments, or suggested components, of a successful story include the following.

The Inciting Incident something happens to upset the apple cart

The Turning Point/Progressive Complication we now have a different metaphor: the straw that breaks the camel's back

The Crisis the protagonist is now in a pickle and must make a decision

The Climax the protagonist makes their decision

The Resolution the results of this decision unfold

Easy enough to understand, amirite? The fun begins when we attempt to apply them to actual stories.

One more thing before we get to the analysis: it's kinda hard to give a wrong answer in this stuff. Story Grid nerds relish the opportunity to discuss the various options at length. My opinions below are just that: opinions. My primary goal in posting this stuff is to spark some vigorous discussions. Agree with me on these? Great! Disagree? Even better! Let's discuss!

Okay, enough of the prelude. Let's get down to business. Here's my analysis, in a handy infographic, of the 5 Commandments applied to the entire film, Aliens.

Pretty simple, right? Yeah, sure, it is now, after hours of sweating through the various options and rearranging and rethinking. For example, initially I had the Inciting Incident as when Ripley is rescued in outer space after 57 years in cryosleep. There are also several viable candidates for the Turning Point. And the entire film is full of what we can all probably agree is one crisis after another.

I look forward to your thoughts on which of the scenes in Aliens best fit the global 5C's. In my next post, I'll apply the same analysis to a specific scene, rather than the entire story.

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