Information Flow is the Thing!

I’m still feeling a little under the weather today. More feeling more tired than sick. By the evening, I was feeling more like my old self. Old and lumpy. But happy.

I set out to study the topic of Information Flow today by rewatching the first dozen or so videos for the Information Flow Class. I figured it would be a good refresher as it has come up in my mentor assignments at least twice.

I also started doing the exercise my mentor suggested. I had to order a novel by Robert Crais, (I didn’t already own that one), and type in the first and fourth chapters into my own manuscript. The idea is to load up your subconscious with great writing and build up some muscle memory. I also decided to type in the prologue of this book. As I was typing it, I noticed some things I hadn’t before.

My mentors teach you that you need to start every story with a character, in a setting, with a problem.

I noticed Crais’s first sentence told the reader who was in the scene and gave them a problem. The problem doesn’t need to be the impetus for the main story. It can be as simple as if they want some coffee. In Crais’ book he had the character annoyed by her phone alarm. The setting arrives in the second line. She is in a mobile home.

Then the character’s problem grows. She’s late for something. And then it grows even more. It’s her young daughter calling, she was supposed to pick her up a while ago.

All that from the part I wasn’t supposed to type in.

I’m looking forward to diving back into this tomorrow. Information flow is such a complex subject to learn as it involves so many different aspects of writing. Pacing for example. You can’t really separate the two.

My stepson had elective surgery last Thursday and had to go for a follow-up visit to make sure everything was okay. He came back with a clean bill of health which is wonderful to hear.

In the morning, I made myself some breakfast and decided to give Star Feet Academy another chance. There was a new episode available on Paramount.

It was a pretty cringe worthy episode centering around the holographic character S.A.M. Most of it didn’t really seem to make much sense. If it had a redeeming quality, it was that it rehashed the character of Benjamin Sisko from Deep Space Nine. It went more into his lore as a Bajoran Prophet. Sadly, the best parts of the show were the call outs to the other series in the franchise. There was a touching thankyou to Avery Brroks, the character who played Sisko.

I think this show is in deep trouble.

I can’t see it getting a second season unless they already greenlit it before they knew what this was going to turn out like.

But most of the show’s problems seem to be with the story. I’m not sure if modern day TV writers are being strongarmed into producing weak and lazy scripts or if they haven’t learned from those who have gone before them. It’s one of the reasons I sought out a mentor with a vast amount of experience. And why I type in established authors novels. To learn from those who came before, those already far down the path I want to take.

Books are starting to look like a better investment to use my limited entertainment time on.

Sometimes when I am writing a story I listen to original soundtracks or classical music. But I am very particular about what classical music I’ll listen to. I am a big fan of Han Zimmer, and if you ever get a chance to see him play live with his orchestra don’t miss it!

Today I came across a piece of music by Max Richter, “The Nature of Daylight”. It’s a lovely and haunting piece. It has a feeling of inevitability that some things cannot or should not be changed. It’s the sound of grace accepting defeat, her head held high. It’s the moment of acceptance, a turning point along the road of what must be.

Great for the kind of work that needs vast amounts of concentration. Give it a listen and take a moment out of your day.

You deserve it.