Adaptation

ADAPTATION

If you have, or haven’t seen “Adaptation”, it is a Charlie Kaufman scribe where the central character is a screenwriter. Kaufman, brilliant as he is, doesn’t proscribe to the central theme of every blog I’ve ever written about structure – that there is a structure, an underlining thread to all movies/story telling. “Adaptation” is about a screenwriter… STOP! Don’t even try to explain Charlie Kaufman (I fucking love that guy. If anybody can tell me what “Synecdoche, New York“ is about, I‘d really like to know).

Back to what my original thought…

I am in the process of reading the book, “Story” written by Robert McKee. He, in the circles of screenwriting teachers, wrote the “bible” on screenwriting. He sells out every seminar he does across the country, charging hundreds of dollars to attend his workshops. Dozens of the most successful screenwriters (not Charlie Kaufman) took his course.

In “Adaptation”, the protagonist attends one of his workshops (a mockery of sorts). It is brilliant how Mr. Kaufman does what he does (like no other), but I must disagree with him in that, I must say, Robert McKee’s book has enlighten me. His book has given me a new meaning of life. I believe in his genius.

On page 152 (one of the dozens excerpts I would like to highlight) from the book "Story", he writes about “Writing from the Inside Out.”

… “Why during the creation of a scene must we find our way to the center of each character and experience it from his point of view? What do we gain when we do? What do we sacrifice if we don’t?

Like anthropologists, we could, for example, discover social and environmental truths through careful observations. Like note taking psychologists, we could find behavioral truths. We could, by working from the outside in, render a surface of character that’s genuine, even fascinating. But the one crucial dimension we would not create is emotional truth.

The only reliable source of emotional truth is yourself. If you stay outside your characters, you inevitably write emotional clichés. To create revealing human reactions, you must not only go inside your character, but get inside yourself.”

Robert McKee
"Story"


I have always stayed on the outside of my characters. I knew they had pain (see my previous blog, “Lonlines… ) but I saw them, and every scene like I was looking over them in a dollhouse, moving their pieces around like I was better than them, that I saw what was best for them, even protecting there best interests. To all my protagonists, I’m sorry. I didn’t see what you were going through. I thought I knew you, but I wasn’t listening to you. (I wanted to ask the young man why he was crying. See my previous blog entitled, “More Thoughts.)

If you ever come to Portland, Mr. McKee, I want to attend your workshop, but I don’t think I can attend. See, those writing contests have taken all of my money (read my “Writing Contest” blog).

To Richard… I see your pain. I promise I will get back to you. I have not given up. (See my blog, “To My Friend, Richard“)