Author Crush Month: Art Holcomb

I’ve mentioned reading Art Holcomb’s articles on Storyfix a couple of times. I find them very inspirational. I’m sure you will, too.

The Continuum of Story:
a guest post by Art Holcomb

Let’s talk for moment about your current writing project and the Continuum of Story.

George Lucas, the creator and point-of-origin for all things “a long time ago and far, far away”, is a master of story.  The original STAR WARS film, released in 1977 (I was in college at the time), followed the three act pattern precisely, and you can go back now and easily apply all the principles of classic story engineering and structure to that film.  But as amazing a story as the first film was, fans were all a bit puzzled when the “roll-up” of words at the beginning of the film read “Episode 4: A NEW HOPE.”

It was the biggest tease in the entire film. Each cheering fan, as s/he walked out of the theater, knew that there was more Lucas-y goodness to come.

Of course, we would all have to wait three years for it to arrive. . .

Then, in 1980, we saw that A NEW HOPE really had been just Act I of a larger three act story that would soon include Episode 5: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (as Act II) and Episode 6: RETURN OF THE JEDI (as Act III).  True to form for every good serialized story, we were delighted each time to have these ambitious and fascinating characters back for further adventures.  And in the years between each film, the public’s love of STAR WARS was fed by books, comics, conventions and all manner of Jedi/Empire/Republic-related merchandise.

And even more was promised to a hungry public by the great Jedi Himself.

Of course, this time we would have to wait 16 years . . .
In this interim, we found out that these characters were always planned to be part of a larger arc of 9 films (some even have said 12). The original episodes 4,5 and 6 making up now a new Act 2 of the complete saga, Episodes 1, 2 and 3 back- flashing us into an Act 1 of this new paradigm and the three (as of this date) unreleased films (rumored presently to be entitled Episode 7: THE HIDDEN CIRCLE, Episode 8: THE REPUBLIC IN CRISIS and Episode 9: VICTORY OF THE FORCE) – and said at this writing to be in various stages of production and pre-production – as the Act 3 finale of perhaps the most ambitious single filmed story every told.

Now . . . why do I bring this up?  

For you who are writing or planning a book or film series with sequel and prequels, the lesson is clear. Chart the larger arc out first and then decide when you want to start telling the story.
Good for continuity – good for character development.

But I want you to think today about the story you’re currently working on.- the one you think of as a stand-alone piece.  Consider the effort you’ve made thus far: you’ve hopefully created powerful characters, used the building blocks for story engineering and structure to set them against substantial obstacles and will, in all likelihood, bring them all home safe and sound.  

That said, think for a moment like George Lucas and consider your story and characters now as part of a continuum. Although you probably haven’t written your characters’ back stories yet, you can probably imagine tales in their “past” or “future” just as compelling as the one you’re currently writing. It means that you now can look at back story less like a developmental exercise and more as a source of potential story

Consider it for a moment:  Your Main Character’s true beginning, and even truer End.  A timeline now stretches out before you: to your left is your character’s past, to your right, his/her future . . . and in the middle, directly in front of you is the story you’ve decided to tell.

My point here, though, is not to get you to create a novels series or a brace of related screenplay but to get you to look at each individual section of that arc and see which story therein really excites you. What really is the best tale for these characters to tell? There may be more than one, but there will certainly be one that really excites you, one that you can see bounding out of bed each day or giving up happily those hours in the evening and early morning to write about.

To do your best, you will need a story that holds your attention the way you want your prose to hold your reader. An exciting story means an excited and dedicated writer – which, in turn, gives you your best chance at reaching your reader in a powerful and memorable way.

Thirty-five years later, I can still see the original STAR WARS film in my mind, so powerful in impact it made. And the following movies, even though their quality varied, wove together a great tale – one that might not have been so memorable had Lucas started somewhere else in the saga.

So, give some serious thought to your current project and ask yourself:

Have I seen the entirety of my story?

Am I telling the best story within that continuum?  

Am I spending my valuable time telling the story in whose characters’ lives that I feel is most compelling?  

Will my interest in this segment of the continuum maintain the enthusiasm necessary to not only propel me to the end of the story BUT give me the excitement I need to do my absolute best work?

Because if this is not going to be the best thing you’ve done by far, why type another single word into this story??

Each writing moment is an opportunity.

To show yourself the breadth of your talent. To breathe skill and life into these great characters and make them come alive for your audience.

But your characters, your audience and you all deserve a story that propels you to that keyboard.. Respect the process and yourself enough to not spend your time on a weak and uninspiring plot. Find the greatness that lies within your creations and TELL THAT TALE!

Remember: your time is limited.  

And mark my words . . .

Do this once and your writing changes forever.

Art Holcomb is a screenwriter whose work has appeared on the SHOWTIME Channel and a comic book author of such comics as Disney/Marvel’s X-MEN and Acclaim’s ETERNAL WARRIORS. A number of his recent essays appear in the collection: Warm Hugs for Writers: Comfort and Commiseration of The Writing Life (Amazon Books US and www.storyfix.com). He appears and teaches at San Diego Comic-Con and other conventions. His most recent screenplay is 4EVER (a techno-thriller set in the Afterlife) and is completing a work book for writers entitled The Pass: A Proven System for Getting from Notion to Finished Manuscript.

He lives in Southern California.