Most New Writers Struggle With Conflict - Tony DuShane
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 31 окт 2021
- Tony DuShane is the author of the semi-autobiographical novel Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk. He adapted the screenplay for director Eric Stoltz, and the film is now available on Amazon Prime. His journalism and essays have appeared in The Los Angeles Times, Mother Jones, Penthouse, The Believer, and other media outlets. DuShane has hosted the author interview show Drinks with Tony since 2002. He just finished his next novel Dream Casting and is seeking a happy home for it.
MORE VIDEOS WITH TONY DUSHANE
bit.ly/3mFoq28
CONNECT WITH TONY DUSHANE
www.tonydushane.com
drinkswithtony.podbean.com
/ tonydushane
(Affiliates)
►WE USE THIS CAMERA (B&H) - buff.ly/3rWqrra
►WE USE THIS EDITING PROGRAM (ADOBE) - goo.gl/56LnpM
►WE USE THIS SOUND RECORDER (AMAZON) - amzn.to/2tbFlM9
►WRITERS, TRY FINAL DRAFT FREE FOR 30-DAYS! (FINAL DRAFT) -
SUPPORT FILM COURAGE BY BECOMING A MEMBER
/ @filmcourage
CONNECT WITH FILM COURAGE
www.FilmCourage.com
#!/FilmCourage
/ filmcourage
/ filmcourage
/ filmcourage
/ filmcourage
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FILM COURAGE RUclips CHANNEL
bit.ly/18DPN37
LISTEN TO THE FILM COURAGE PODCAST
/ filmcourage-com
Stuff we use:
LENS - Most people ask us what camera we use, no one ever asks about the lens which filmmakers always tell us is more important. This lens was a big investment for us and one we wish we could have made sooner. Started using this lens at the end of 2013 - amzn.to/2tbtmOq
AUDIO
Rode VideoMic Pro - The Rode mic helps us capture our backup audio. It also helps us sync up our audio in post amzn.to/2t1n2hx
Audio Recorder - If we had to do it all over again, this is probably the first item we would have bought - amzn.to/2tbFlM9
LIGHTS - Although we like to use as much natural light as we can, we often enhance the lighting with this small portable light. We have two of them and they have saved us a number of times - amzn.to/2u5UnHv
COMPUTER - Our favorite computer, we each have one and have used various models since 2010 - amzn.to/2t1M67Z
EDITING - We upgraded our editing suite this year and we’re glad we did! This has improved our workflow and the quality of our work. Having new software also helps when we have a problem, it’s easy to search and find a solution - goo.gl/56LnpM
*These are affiliate links, by using them you can help support this channel.
#writing #screenwriting #writers
:30 - 1:51 is exactly how I write. I’m constantly looking for the pain and the beauty. I often start the idea for a novel with a painful, horrible incident that includes loss. Then I expand upon it with beauty, peace, conflict, messy life struggles. Then I get into backstories and it just writes itself.
This is exactly what I need for doing NaNoWriMo! Thank you so much💓
@@candellina6 so glad I could be of some help!
Great strategy. Thank you for sharing it.
Writing is the best drug ever invented.
Dude it actually is. I'm so hooked. That dopamine pathway
This.
*reading.
Writing is a grind. If you're looking to publish.
God, I wish that were true for me.
@@ComandaKronikk Chasing dopamine is what keeps me from writing. Would be so nice if the two went hand in hand.
Conflict: Free with every day of life
Conflict in story: stumped!
Never read a more accurate statement 😩
In other words, if your scene/sequence is not working, look at your characters' worldview/goals/backstory that is pushing & pulling them through the story, and how they align, contrast or contradict the other characters, or even how each character contradicts themselves depending on situation/person (e.g. polite to their neighbour and cruel to their sister, or timid at work and wild at night)
This is the fun part. Writing, having different eyes go over it, rewriting. When u have a team, its better. I used want to be the MAN and create this masterpiece but that just slowed the process. Creating these worlds is fun and it doesnt hurt to have others be a part.
100% agree. I struggle to hurt my characters.
Wow! He is making me fall in love with screenwriting and filmmaking all over again. 🥺
Thanks FC! 🙏🏼✌🏼
One of my professors said all stories need is conflict. I was like wow, that's actually true. True story.
Yes, I love making backstories and really getting into characters that don't really exist in my screenplays (or do to a very small degree), so that these things help flesh out the motivations of the characters that I am focusing on and their relationships/backstories.
Screenwriting is like playing God. You’re the creator, your characters are your creatures, you determine their fate, you give them freedom, you kill them, etc.
No wonder some of us have a god complex...
@@Thenoobestgirl in a complex called Hollywood
Does that mean God believes it takes conflict to make real life interesting?
@@friendlyone2706 And makes the creatures better characters
@@friendlyone2706 , Even a diamond needs conflict before it shines at its best.
"Everyone is the hero of their own story" can never be said enough. Villains and antagonists who are just cartoonishly evil, cruel, or power-hungry simply for the sake of it don't tend to resonate. The audience sees them for what they are- not even real characters, but just obstacles that will inevitably be knocked down.
I liked the honesty 😎🎬👍🏼
and the color of the back drop
to answer the question, everything! loved everything. Film Courage tips are very nuanced and specific. Bravo as always.
Thanks Aly!
Conflict is not the be-all-end-all of screenwriting. "Dynamism" or "tension" or "friction" are more fitting and liberating terms than conflict. If you use conflict all the time, all movies start to look the same, sound the same and become predictible.
The term conflict can cover a large palette from character disagreements to explosive battles. Conflict is key.
Everything you listed is just another form of conflict. Conflict is the engine of good fiction, and any story without it is the equivalent of watching someone's vacation slides.
@@nikacola7319 Well, the last 20 minutes of 2001 a Space Odyssey (from the moment Dave is swallowed by the monolith) has no conflict, it is purely contemplative. That ending must be one of the best vacations slide ever made. It is 50 years old and books are still being written about Kubrick's vacation slide.
EDIT: The movie "Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles" (1975 ‧ Drama ‧ 3 h 21 m) by Chantal Akerman is regarded as one of Belgium's cinematographical masterpieces, and it has no conflict. The movie follows Jeanne through her daily routines. And that's it. That's the whole movie. Just watch the trailer. It's mesmerizing.
@@Sams.Videos "(from the moment Dave is swallowed by the monolith)"
Firstly, 2001 is full of conflict, even if it moves a slow pace, since Kubrick was a master of the craft, where the primates are at war with one another over resources, and HAL and Dave have different objectives. And this juxtaposition between primates discovering technology and jump cutting to men in space as an everyday experience asks the audience to question the relationship of these two sections. But regardless of that, citing a scene or sequence from a movie as proof of your argument makes no sense at all. We are invested in what happens to Dave because the story we have seen so far, and what we know. What keeps the audience engaged from the point of suspicion over HAL is how the conflict between the computer and Dave will be resolved. And what keeps the audience engaged from the moment Dave enters the star gate is 'what is happening and why and how is it going to end?' You can argue this isn't "conflict" by your strict definition of what conflict is or isn't, but it's irrelevant.
HAL and Dave don't agree. And we don't know the star gate is about. If we are warned ahead of time the star gate is fine and nothing will be a problem and it's all explained ahead of time, it would be dull.
What you appear to be against is 'mindless conflict' where antagonistic forces/characters engage in repetitive and episodic scenes/sequences. That's like saying nobody likes boring characters - well, no, they don't, it's obvious they don't. But what this video is saying is that understanding characters on a deeper level, even if implicit in the story, not explicit will create more conflict in the story in a believable and engaging way.
@@Ruylopez778 That is why I edited my comment and added the movie "Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles" (1975 ‧ Drama ‧ 3 h 21 m) by Chantal Akerman as an example of a featurefilm without conflict.
Really insightful. Great content!
Glad you enjoyed it Emmanuel!
thanks for the video
Good interview! Great insight!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks!
Hi Ian, Wow, thank you so much! We appreciate you supporting our work. More fascinating talk with Tony DuShane coming soon. Cheers!
I have trouble being mean to my characters. And, I was the oldest brother of five boys.
i'm the oldest sister of four boys and I love being mean to my character lmfao...maybe it's me letting out my frustration
I know a new writer who was told to add conflict and he wrote conflict in almost every line - wrong. The drama is the building to and aftermath.
to have friction between two characters with the same outcome
Good advice, dude.
I have definitely had problems adding enough conflict.
Thanks.
Call me...Automatic Conflict.
I took a writing class with Tony DuShane and I have never stopped writing.
Nice, sounds like the kind of teacher you want to have!
I took one of his classes as well
@@filmcourage he is a teacher that give you courage to write.
It's true. In my documentations I have notes and aspects of certain characters that explain why they say/behave/do certain things that will be hidden from the consumers. This is helpful because this lets you (as the writer) understand where the characters are coming from. You can put yourself in their shoes and thus understand exactly what they will feel/think etc. For example, even if a character's tragic background never will be known to the consumer, it will still explain why that character behaves and says the things it does etc. It's so cool.
Sir will you tell me how to connect my characters to the audience, because before we create the sympathy the connection is essential.
@@babuwriter7994 Hi! Yes, that is true. I would say that the most important thing to do is to make them relatable, especially the main character. Then, another thing that also is important is to give them personalities that stand out. (If you have many characters it can be a good idea to have different personalities for them as well.)
Hope this helps a little!
@@4xzx4 yeah you are too close to clear my doubt sir, that is my doubt, that is the word. How to relate my characters,
I mean. Showing my character good at something. Is it enough. Example my main character drive truck well. Is it enough. Or showing the relatable things on screen I mean the general relatable things common on audience.
@@babuwriter7994 Oh, okay! I will be using your truck driver as an example. What is his personality? For example, is he a tough guy who doesn't show emotions? Is he very kind and empathic and thus emotional? Is he a just and honest person who strives to make the world a better place? Or is he malevolent and only thinks about himself?
How you can show his personality to the audience is by, for example, having him have monologues with himself (maybe when he is doing his job?), or by putting him in a sticky situation (like maybe he witnesses a robbery or he gets chased by the police - what does he do?) or by any situation really.
For me I have found it easiest to convey a character's, well, characteristics by them having monologues with themselves (like what they are thinking etc.) or by how they interact with other people or situations and what they say (and how they say it too). The personality has to "glow" on them all the time. That is what I think at least.
Hope I answered correctly haha.
I came here through Joe Webb, and I am grateful. You guys can also checkout his channel, he is really good at explaining things.
I LIKED EVERYTHING..
Great Vision..
I'd Marry this writer..
His Heart, Eyes.
Stan helsing the movie that taught me the importance of conflict. They got into so much trouble I was biting my nails
I am ok on my coming birthday November 6,2021,living a simple life****
This made me think of films 48 Hours & Rush Hour.
Conflict... sigh... yeah, it's the basis of a good story, but it's so lame watching every character have conflict with every other character in shows and movies. Over time it makes them unlikeable, especially when their primary purpose is simply to be at conflict with something else in the story. In effect you are just writing dysfunctional characters, and usually also functionally protracted adolescents. It's rare to see a core of characters that truly respect each other and behave in an adult manner, yet the group has conflict with people and events outside itself. When this is the primary conflict, the characters can grow and we can respect them. When the characters exists ONLY to have conflict with all other characters, it's a shit story nobody needs to tell because it just highlights the worst of humanity. We can find that everywhere. PLEASE start writing stories and characters that show behavior and attitudes worth resonating with. This "always conflict" thing has replaced all other functional mythologies for our society and it's ruining us all.
NAILED it. Very well stated. Thank you.
This is a specific type of conflict that's more obvious and part of the reason most fail to put conflict into their stories. They think it means people being antagonistic toward one another and they don't want to do that. There's a simpler version which is character wants something. Character is denied what they want.
For example, I come to you and ask, "Hey can you help me move my couch on Saturday?" You say, "Sorry, I can’t. I'm going to be in the Adirondacks this weekend What about next weekend? I'm free then."
I respond, "I have to get it out by Monday because that's when my lease is up."
There's no antagonism. Our conversation is civil and friendly, but I need someone to help me. You're my only option but you're indisposed. My want is thwarted. Your willingness to help me on a different day is thwarted.
You need a dose of iyashikei anime.
Recommendations:
- girl's last tour
- flying witch
- Aria
- yuru camp
@@MiguelCruz-oz7km there is also stories without conflict. Many east Asian fiction are like this.
@@orangeyellow9695 Do you have a title of a good one to watch? I'm curious to see how they operate.
I need advice..where can I go to meet other writers, maybe even partner up with someone to write.
I think of an old Buddhist saying "Life is to lick honey from the razor's edge" Then I start writing.
Not heard that before, but will never forgetit.
Good advice but unless a writer has connections with a producer or publisher, or matches the preferred demographic, great writing gets you nowhere.
I'd like to know how the guy being interviewed got his first writing gig.
more people unfortunately need to hear this.
What did you like about this video?
Subtlety is the best utility
I like all the questions you ask they are interesting and very insightful its questions like yours that im sitting here wondering about and you ask them.
RUclipsr tip for the suggestion box: pin your comment to the top for more active engagement with these questions 📌
So this video highlights a particular weakness I've identified as a writer. I try my best to turn weaknesses into strengths but in this case I often find myself stuck somewhere between agreeable and palpable tension. It's not about wanting to say nice things, or a fear of being too negative for me, it's more like, trying to capture realism without being over the top and then getting lost looking for the sweet balanced spot.
The other major area I've noticed is comedy, well, in my case lack thereof. I'm just not a naturally funny person and there's so much more to humor than just sarcasm. The only realistic solution for me will probably be to collaborate with other writers on that front. However the conflict thing is something I know I can fix myself with time & more experience.
@@Neomatrixology There are various techniques for using humor like the rule of 3, repetition, word choice etc. You could also try watching interviews with witty people, to see what behaviour they use.
Mamet would probably say something like characters don't exist, so there's no 'realism', I think. In order to write drama (i.e. something dramatic, for an audience) and be believable, I think Tony is saying it starts with character, and their worldview/agenda being different. I think believability is more important that realism for most audiences. And believability can be as stylised as Tarantino or as down to earth as Nomadland etc.
Four corner opposition is one way. Speaking of Tarantino, he often uses humor, detail and distraction to create tension.
The interviewer has such a steady calming monotone voice she should totally do asmr videos
For Me I trying to figure a new conflict of a tv show for 4 seasons. I don't want to drop the ball or milked out the show too dried.
Me too bro me too
If you want some more conflict, just look at the current state of affairs in today's world.
I feel like there's layers to conflict...the big picture... example...good vs evil...and the smaller everyday conflicts within the characters of the big picture...
Aww man I thought this was luke skywalker. Lol
Real life is mostly boring; actual reality TV is found on your Ring camera. Mostly blah. Grab the intensity and condense it. Conflict with rising tension. Arc. Unlike real life, fiction must make sense. Humans are a beautiful and horrible mix of potential.
It is not my idea. It is the kid idea.
Can anybody help with plot twist
I'm a writer and would like to ask other writers or those who just like to read a question. Do you need a deeper meaning to the stories you read? I honestly don't pay attention to that stuff. Like to me the story is just the story. I kinda couldn't care less if the author was trying to make some sort of observation on society today or whatever other kind of crap. I just like the story. Does anybody else feel that way? Or do you need there to be some deeper meaning?
Thanks everybody for the input. I kinda didn't think about that no matter what I try to put into my story or what other writers try to convey isn't always what the audience picks up. They will take what they want to away from it and there's really nothing I can do about that. I think my stuff does have that underlying "stand up for yourself" or "fight for what you believe in" kind of feeling already so maybe that will be enough. But thanks everybody!
I enjoy stories for escapism, not meta level social commentary on capitalism or smth I just like having fun
@@luck0717 thanks very much. I shall continue to write my stories for the sake of the story itself
It’s strange, when watching or reading a story unfold I like for a real deep lesson not to be connected because I just want an escape but when writing my own stories I like it to be there because then I have more of a drive to produce it.
I really like this question! I personally think it's a taste thing. A person who looks for deeper meaning in everything all the time will find them everywhere
I find it much more engaging when stories have some deeper meaning or theme, but I typically don't find things very engaging when they're done for the sake of making commentary on something if that makes sense. I usually find that the commentary is either "weak" or too ""biased"" towards one direction since everything within the story was created in order to support whatever commentary the Author wished to have, and that sometimes the theme/message comes at the cost of the story/characters. Though I suppose everything is ""biased"" to an extent if you view it that way.
But more importantly, I like it when stories' theme/message is super simple, like "Live your best life" or something along the lines of that, and then having the story be dedicated to showing various aspects of that simple theme/message. I feel when it's simple, the story/characters are prioritized over it, and I think those are the "core" of storytelling or something. Both are important though! Balancing the two sure is hard but worth it!
Well, when using the wrong pronoun is considered violence...
Let me guess. None of your characters are transsexual.
@@free22 You'd be wrong. I just don't like shallow, thin skinned, and immature assholes that bastardize a language that's already screwed up enough.
@@changer_of_ways_999 "They" being used as a singular pronoun is unclear writing and quite irritating.
@@williambartholmey5946 That too.
@@free22 This goes for any walk of life but the issue is compelling character growth requires the writer to understand character growth. People will change superficially or demand the world to change to fit their demands, but if you're unable to actually deal with the cruel, unfair, uncaring world with thicker skin, better humor, humility, and patience then what's the point. Bad characters are the ones that don't really change as a person. You either have a tragedy where the character flaws win out or a comedy where their flaws are overcome.
Too many people have such low tolerance for conflict nowadays that simple mistakes are perceived as an attack. God forbid they faced real threats like what the CCP has done against ethnic and religious minorities, rape, murder, organ harvesting, slave labor, forced abortions, subject to experiments, the world is full of real terrors and the coddled summer children of the first world are not prepared for what comes next and thus their stories are hollow distractions that don't prepare anybody for the inevitable turn of the wheel from prosperity toward war and chaos.
Bickering over a mean tweet is a "crisis" that the majority of humanity throughout the ages would have rather had to actually deal with. Ungrateful, spoiled, sheltered, naive little brats.
Screenwriter are so good to write cringe gung-ho females.