The emotional story pattern of a Romantic Comedy goes something like this–
Two people are thrown together or “meet cute” unexpectedly. They don’t get along. They are completely different. They don’t particularly like or accept the other.
Over the course of the film, being forced to interact, they develop a grudging respect for each other. Perhaps. they gain skills from each other, the insights each bring are helpful to the other, and they begin to form a bond. They become a team or form a real relationship.
Each changes to accommodate the other. They grow as individuals through their interaction but they face the question: how much must I compromise or adapt to be together? AND How much can I demand the other change or compromise to be with me. Ultimately, each asks: How much can I alter myself before losing the essence of who I am?
That’s the story of immigration and assimilation. The immigrant does not particularly want to come to a new place– but war, lack of opportunity, impossible political or social conditions at home drive them to a new place. The current residents don’t particularly welcome these newcomers.
Both are forced by circumstances to accommodate each other. Each learns from the other. Each change. The immigrants bring new skills, new food, and new cultures. The residents require a certain amount of assimilation to adapt. They both wrestle with issues of identity. They find a compromise and both are richer for it.
Imagine America without General Tso’s Chicken, Pizza, Sushi, or Taco Tuesday. American dining would be so much poorer without these immigrant foods.
Imagine England without Chicken Tikka Masala, Chinese Stir Fry, Kebabs, or Peri Peri Sauce. Impossible!
Romance Writers know this instinctively. This is from a website called The Conversation
Welcoming newcomers
Faced with rejection and ridicule from other writing groups in the 1970s, romance writers formed their own professional association, Romance Writers of America. It now has some 10,000 members.
From its start in 1980, the group embraced newcomers. Unlike other major author groups – and most professional associations – this one welcomes anyone seriously pursuing a career in the field. Newcomers may join once they’ve completed an unpublished romance manuscript….
…Unlike Romance Writers of America, most traditional guilds, unions and trade associations only admit established professionals.
These barriers to entry can stultify and stagnate industries, especially with today’s transitions. Network theorists Walter Powell and Jason Owen-Smith, for instance, found that the most successful biotech companies in the 1990s formed strategic alliances with newcomers.
This phenomenon isn’t new.
Political science professor John Padgett of the University of Chicago found that upper-crust families in Renaissance Florence who allied themselves with new, upstart families prospered, while members of the elite who shunned newcomers lost influence over time.
Time to put out the welcome mat!
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I hope you’ve been enjoying Writing Advice Wednesday for the last few months, but I’m trying something different for the rest of the year’s posts. As well as a relevant video essay I’ve found, I’ll be giving you writing exercises to try if you’re keen to think about your character romantically or need the motivation to get unstuck.
It’s exercises like this that form part of my One Hour Screenwriter course, which will help you write an entire feature film script in 22 weeks. You can purchase it at the shop here. You can also read testimonies here that show my methods have worked for a variety of writers.
This week, you’ll be writing about what makes the world go around:
Describe your first kiss
Take a moment and remember your first romantic stirrings. Who was the object of your affection? What did that person look like? What made this individual so attractive to you?
How old were each of you? Under what circumstances did you first notice this person? How did you meet? Who made the first move? How did that first kiss happen?
Describe as completely as you can all the circumstances leading up to your first kiss or first romantic encounter. How did you lose your heart to this person? Why did this person seem entirely unique and wonderful to you?
Were you both equally entranced with each other? Was it a surprise you didn’t expect? Or was it a long- time secret crush?
How did that early romantic awakening feel? What was it like physically? What was it like emotionally? Were you nervous? Excited? Scared?
Describe the steps leading up to the physical romantic encounter. Where there false starts or mixed signals? How did you feel afterward? Did the magic moment meet or exceed your expectations? Did it somehow disappoint?
Was it a chance or unexpected encounter? Or did you spend time dreaming, plotting, planning and fantasizing about how to make it happen? What, if anything, did you do to take the initiative?
Take 10 to 15 minutes to complete this exercise. Do not censor yourself; write whatever comes to mind. Don’t worry about being articulate, artistic or even interesting. Just write.
Let your memories flow. Make your descriptions as detailed and personal as possible.
Now describe the same event from your character’s perspective. How is he or she chasing someone in the story? How is your character trying to seduce someone?
This may or may not be a romantic chase or physical seduction. It may be a psychological dance between two male rivals in a business deal. What are the actions or maneuvers the character takes to win over the other person?
Next, describe the same event from your antagonist’s perspective. What is the antagonist’s psychological dance with the protagonist? How is the antagonist chasing or seducing your character?
Remember: Writing exercises are like priming a pump. They are meant to get your inspiration flowing. They help you gain additional insight into yourself and your character.
You may or may not be able to use any of this material in your story. Right now, don’t worry about what is useful.
Enjoy the process. Expand your imagination. Have fun! Takes risks. Play with your characters and story!
Video Essay of the Week
I’ve done some work with Pixar University in the past, and they continue to produce some of the best storytelling and character work in Hollywood. This is a great examination of emotions, like love, involved in the movie Inside Out:
Let me know what you think of this week’s writing exercise by emailing me at [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you as we go forward with these writing exercises. The next few articles are going to be holiday-themed. When we return, we’ll be discussing, well, discussion…
Until then, remember- all you need to do is Get Started and Keep Going!
– Laurie
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The Mating Season is a good old fashioned Power of Love story in the best sense of the word.
Ellen McNulty (Thelma Ritter) runs a hamburger stand that’s underwater with the bank. She can’t afford the payments and it’s not worth what she borrowed. (Some things never change.)
Her son, Val (John Lund), has been asking Ellen to come live with him. She hitchhikes from New Jersey to the Midwest, where her son has a good job in a large manufacturing company (some things have changed drastically).
Ellen’s son, Val, is an upwardly mobile junior executive (Power of Ambition) who has recently married Maggie (Gene Tierney). His new bride is not rich but grew up in the diplomatic corps and has very wealthy and important friends and political connections.
Val hires a maid to help Maggie with their first big dinner party. In the meantime, Ellen arrives unannounced. Maggie, her daughter-in-law, mistakes her for the maid. Ellen (Power of Love) wants to spare Maggie embarrassment, so she doesn’t reveal her true identity. Instead, Ellen decides to make herself useful and to just go along pretending to be a maid.
Ellen convinces Val that she will only be underfoot if she lives in the house as a mother-in-law. She knows Maggie needs help as a young wife and convinces Val to continue the ruse. Although Val loves his mother, there is something inside him that is deeply embarrassed about his humble beginnings and his unsophisticated mom.
Maggie’s drama queen mother (Miriam Hopkins) arrives for a visit. She is a (Power of Idealism) snob who doesn’t think Val is good enough for her daughter. She is more impressed with the boss’ son Kalinger Jr. (James Lorimer). Jr. is a playboy and a cad (Power of Excitement), who is also in love with Maggie. Jr. is also passing off Val’s hard work and ideas as his own.
During the negotiations of an important contact, Maggie (Power of Conscience) takes exception to the rudeness and snobbery of the main client’s wife (Cora Witherspoon). After confronting the woman, Maggie storms out of an important social outing surrounding the deal. Val, realizing that the client’s wife carries a lot of influence, forces Maggie to apologize. Maggie does so unwillingly, leading to another fight between the newlyweds.
Ellen skillfully intervenes in the angry aftermath. The young couple make-up with a romantic duck into the closet (the only place they can really be alone). Ellen’s friends arrive at the door unexpectedly and Ellen’s ruse is exposed.
Maggie is furious with Val for hiding his mother’s identity from her. She and her mother leave for a hotel. Maggie later confronts Val at his office. She tells him that he has become a snob and that she is leaving him and is moving out of the country.
Mr. Kalinger Sr., who has fallen for Ellen, arranges for Maggie to meet him at hotel bar for a good-bye drink. Val proudly introduces to Ellen to the important clients. Maggie sees how much Val loves his mother. Her heart melts.
Ellen tells Maggie’s mother that it is time for both of them to leave the newlyweds to themselves. Ellen lands on her feet as the fully smitten Mr. Kalinger Sr. asks her to marry him.
No matter how high you rise, nothing is as important as family, no matter how humble or unsophisticated. It’s a timeless lesson.
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I am taking a sick day today because this allergy attack is the worst! So this will be very short.
Ladies in Lavender is a slight wistful film filled with yearning, jealousy and regret. Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie Smith give tender nuanced performances filled with love and longing. The film is firmly in the Power of Idealism camp.
Ladies in Lavender is set at the end of an era, right before World War II changes the world forever. The two spinster ladies, still living in the family home perched high on the Cornwall Cliffs, find a young man washed on shore. He is a talented violinist, on his way to America, before being swept off board. They nurse him back to health.
His presence disrupts the two sisters’ peaceful lives and disrupts the tight knit fishing community in which they live. His unique gifts, and his second language German, set off building envy and suspicion. A younger woman, a painter, spirits him off to London (“like a witch in a fairy tale” one sister says). There he finds fame and fortune as a violinist and has one last brief encounter with the two sisters.
This is a lovely period film with fine strong female performances– Just what the doctor ordered!
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I am not particularly a fan of The Bachelor but I was struck by this article on the current season. It’s such an apt description of the Power of Love character.
These Character Types are the ultimate seducers. They believe if they make themselves indispensable and/or irresistible, the other person will need them and will be obliged to love them.
On a paper valentine it says simply, firmly and powerfully “Be Mine.” Possessiveness and passive/aggressive domination are the hallmarks of these characters.
They manipulate by focusing the attention on the other person or love interest. Power of Love characters lavish their attention and affection on others in order to exercise control, prevail or gain dominance.
That’s what it sounds like Brad Womack’s seduction strategy is as discussed in the article below:
]]>Ratings for Brad Womack’s comeback season on The Bachelor are down, and he’s been scorned as a featureless, psychobabbling Ken doll. But beneath his boring exterior lies a highly skilled (even brilliant) Romeo…
…According to Robert Greene, author of The Art of Seduction, Womack is the modern equivalent of Benjamin Disraeli, one of the greatest seducers of all time. It was Disraeli, after all, who as prime minister of England in the late 1800s seduced the socks off Queen Victoria by appealing to the stodgy royal’s femininity and deeply buried sexuality.
Disraeli affectionately (and with irreverence that shocked everyone but la reine) referred to Victoria as the “Faery Queen.” He sent her political reports that were essentially love notes, filled with juicy gossip about her enemies (one of whom was wittily described as having “the sagacity of the elephant, as well as its form”). But the essence of Disraeli’s genius as a courtier was his ability to make it all about her. (And thus gain control of the relationship.)
Enter Womack, who constantly deflects attention from himself to focus on the needs and whimsies of his potential brides. On his first date with Jackie, a 27-year-old artist who lives in New York, he brings her to a luxurious day spa. “Can I help you with this?” he says as he gallantly helps her into a robe. He then tells the camera how excited he is that the date “solely centers on pampering Jackie.”
Later on, when he whisks Jackie off to a private dinner and concert at the Hollywood Bowl, he toasts his by now totally smitten date by saying: “Here is to what I hope is as close to a perfect day as possible for you. I’m glad it’s you.” And throughout the night, which concludes with a private Train concert, he frequently murmurs, “I hope you’re happy.”…
…The only time Womack ever seems flustered is when a woman disrupts his flood of attention and turns the focus back to him. Womack clams up and is visibly thrown off his game. (When the attention is on him he loses the advantage and can’t control and manipulate the person or the situation.)
The rest of the article is here: http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-02-20/bachelor-brad-womacks-hidden-brilliance/?cid=hp:mainpromo6
Humiliation Scenes
THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY: The scene starts with Ted Stroehmann (Ben Stiller) gazing out a bathroom window, it appears he is window peeping, he panics and then his zipper gets embarrassingly (and painfully) stuck.
MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING: The scene starts with Julianne Potter (Julia Roberts) stirring up trouble by taking Michael O’Neal (Dermot Mulroney) and fiancee Kimberly Wallace (Cameron Diaz) for a drink at a Karaoke Bar. Kimmy is pressed into singing possibly the worst Karaoke debut in history. She completely “owns” it and turns everyone’s groans into cheers. This is also a great example of a comedic turnaround.
BRIDGET JONES: The scene starts with Bridget (Renee Zellwegger) showing up at a party in an embarrassingly tight Bunny costume scene. No one else is wearing a costume. She was never told the party plan was changed.
Rejection Scenes
TOOTSIE: The scene starts with a montage of Michael Dorsey’s (Dustin Hoffman) audition scenes. He is told he is too short, too tall, too young, too old etc.
JERRY MACGUIRE: The scene starts as Jerry (Tom Cruise) is frantically watching the lights blinking out on his phone as all his old clients hang up and avoid him.
WITNESS: The scene starts as Det. Capt. John Brook (Harrison Ford) stumbles on Rachel Lapp (Kelly McGillis) bathing in her room. She drops her towel and he turns away. The next scene finds him in agony in his room.
Unfairness Scenes
ET: The scene starts with Elliot (Henry Thomas) spotting the strange creature E.T. No one believes him and his brother makes fun of him.
TITANIC: Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) is framed for stealing a jewel. He protests his innocence. No one believes him except Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) He is taken away in handcuffs.
HOME ALONE: The scene starts with Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) fighting with his brother. He is blamed for creating a mess, despite his protests, he is sent to his room.
WIZARD OF OZ: The scene starts with Mrs. Gulch (Margaret Hamilton) reporting Toto attacked her cat. Despite Dorothy’s (Judy Garland) protests Toto is taken away.
Abandonment Scenes
CASABLANCA: The scene starts as Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) is waiting for Ilsa. He gets a goodbye note from her and is left at the station to board the train without her.
ET: The scene starts as the Mother Ship leaves and ET is left behind.
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Personality
Power of Love characters believe if they make themselves indispensable and/or irresistible the other person will need them and will be obliged to love them. This might be stated: “I’ve done everything for you. I sacrificed and slaved for you. I made you who you are. You owe me.” Or in the case of a spouse or lover: “I gave you the best years of my life. You owe me.”
On a paper valentine it says simply, firmly and powerfully “Be Mine.” Possessiveness and passive/aggressive domination are the hallmarks of these characters. Power of Love characters often lavish their attention and affection on others in order to exercise control, prevail, gain dominance or conquer another’s heart.
They see their own value reflected in the eyes of their love object. Their philosophy might be stated: “You’re nothing without me. (And I feel I am nothing without you.)”
A character driven by the Power of Love is often a best friend, a mentor, an over-zealous parent, a beleaguered assistant or someone who tirelessly pushes another forward in a story. At their worst, these characters are stalkers, jealous lovers, crushingly caring parents, needy spouses, clingy codependents or self-pitying martyrs for love.
Although typically developed as a female character, a Power of Love character can also be a compelling male lead. These characters— often soft, gentle and compliant on the outside—are made of strong, even steely, stuff on the inside.
Character Examples
Betty Suarez in Ugly Betty; Marge in The Simpsons; Turtle in Entourage, Steve Brady in Sex and The City; Ray Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond and Phil Esterhaus in Hill Street Blues are great television examples of this Character Type. For more television examples see the Power of Love blog posts.
Film examples include Loretta Castorini in Moonstruck, Mama Rose & Gypsy Rose Lee in Gypsy, Dorothy Boyd in Jerry Maquire, Annie Wilkes in Misery and Robbie Hart in The Wedding Singer. For more movie examples see the Power of Love blog posts.
Power of Love eBook
The Power of Love Character Type eBook explains how these characters are alike and how each character is made individually distinct. It will help you develop unique, original, evocative and authentic Power of Love characters that fully explore all the contradictions, reversals and surprises of a fully formed human being.
Discover the Power of Love character’s specific goals, unique emotional obstacles and very distinct responses and reactions to any opportunity, challenge or threat. Create this character’s Immediate Tactics, Long-term Orientation and Strategic Approach in a way that is recognizably “true” at every step of the story and during every moment of screen time. The audience will instantaneously recognize and relate to your character because your character is complex, three-dimensional and “feels real.”
This eBook is thorough analysis of the Power of Love Character Type in his or her many guises and roles as a protagonist or a member of a larger ensemble. It is packed with numerous examples from film, television and even real life! Examples from scores of scenes and dozens of quotes from film and television characters clearly illustrate this character’s motivations and psychological dynamics in a story.
Comprehensive Analysis
The Power of Love Character Type eBook illustrates exactly how to create and differentiate this character based on his or her:
(1.) World View (beliefs about how the world works) What are the essential core beliefs that motivate a Power of Love character’s ordinary actions?
(2.) Role or Function (position in the story or role in the ensemble) What do the other players look to a Power of Love character to do or provide in the story?
(3.) Values in Conflict (competing values that push the character to extremes) What opposing choices or goals establish the Power of Love character’s moral code? What is this character willing to fight, sacrifice or die for? And why?
(4.) Story Questions (emotional journey in the story) What personal issues, dilemmas and internal conflicts does a Power of Love character wrestle with over the course of the story? What does this character ask of him or her self? What is this character’s Leap of Faith in an emotionally satisfying story?
(5.) Story Paradox (emotional dilemma) What is the duality or the contradiction at the heart of a Power of Love character’s story struggle? How is the character’s internal conflict expressed in actions.
(6.) Life Lessons (how to complete the emotional journey) What must a Power of Love character learn over the course of the story to make a clear, satisfying personal transformation? What actions lead to this character’s emotional salvation?
(7.) Dark Side (this character as a predator or villain) What happens when a Power of Love character’s actions are driven entirely by fear? How might or how does the story end in tragedy?
(8.) Leadership Style (what defines and qualifies this character as a leader) How does a Power of Love character convince others to follow? How does this character act to take charge and command?
(9.) Film Examples (the Power of Love character as a protagonist)
(10.) Television Examples (the Power of Love character as central to an ensemble)
(11.) Real Life Examples (historical Power of Love figures on the world stage)
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It is rare that I walk out of a movie. I know the amount of work that goes into making even a mediocre film– so out of respect for the writer I stay put until the end. Not so on Saturday. I went to see New In Town and left after about 20 minutes.
I was looking for a cheerful Romantic Comedy for Valentines Day. It was like getting a heart-shaped box of chocolates filled with empty candy papers. The movie was disappointing, condescending and completely lacking in any emotional credibility.
Big city Miami corporate executive Lucy Hill (Renee Zellweger) comes to small town New Ulm, Minnesota, to cut the workforce and retool a food processing plant. She is set up as high-powered and ambitious but she does no background research on her assignment.
She doesn’t seem to know it is snowy and cold in Minnesota in the winter. She arrives without a coat or boots or even sensible shoes to wear on the plant floor. She is clueless about all the employees and completely ignorant about the union rep, with whom she will have negotiate to terminate the jobs.
All the townsfolk are stereotypically thick, simple and buffoonish. There isn’t an ounce of affection anywhere in the film for small towns or the people in them. Despite an impassioned speech near the end of the movie, it’s impossible to believe the filmmakers aren’t laughing at the local characters instead of allowing us to laugh with them.
The lesson here is make the world real. Keep your character credible or they won’t connect emotionally. Treat everyone in the film as a real live three-dimensional human being. If you want to see how it’s done, rent Local Heroes. In that film, the comedy comes from characters who seem real.
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