I have studied outlaws for a very long time (as you may know, I'm related to a few). Recently, I decided I needed to study story telling, plot and structure. Here is my view this morning at the breakfast table a little after 6 a.m.:
Outlaws Plot & Structure
If we are truly what we think about then I have a problem. And it's driving me crazy. It's definitely driving me to drink. It may even kill me. Okay, it will most certainly kill me, assuming stress and lack of exercise and bad food can kill you, eventually. Or sooner. The bottom line is, I really don't know how to tell a compelling story. Of course, sometimes I do, or can, but it's usually an accident, or the byproduct of my childish penchant for showing off. The fact is I don't know the underpinnings of storytelling and I want to know the answers before it kills me.
In the meantime, there is a clue in this picture, written in the lower-right-hand corner, that I absolutely do not want to share with anyone. It involves a plot twist, a reveal (as they say in the business) and Mitt Romney's great-grandmother.
Intrigued? Do you want to know the answer?
If you do, this is a small part of successful storytelling. And, to be honest, this has all been an exercise in plotting and structure, directly from the book at the top of the photo. On page 33 it says:
"A plot is about a Lead character who has an objective, something crucial to his well-being. The major portion of plot is the confrontation with the opposition, a series of battles over the objective. This is resolved in a knockout ending, an outcome that satisfies the story questions and the readers."
—James Scott Bell (no relation) "Plot & Structure"
I'll reveal the answer to the Mitt Romney's great-grandmother question in the next exciting chapter of "Bob Boze Bell Finally Learns How to Tell A Compelling Story"
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