Takeaways from the 2017 Willamette Writers Conference
A few lessons from the 48th annual conference in Portland, Oregon.
A few lessons from the 48th annual conference in Portland, Oregon.
I am preparing to fly back to Chicago after an inspirational weekend at the 2017 Willamette Writers Conference. While it was my first time here, I didn’t feel like a stranger because I met dozens of writers who follow Go Into The Story or have taken Screenwriting Master Class courses with me. Also caught up with several folks who work in Hollywood. Plus I had great fun reconnecting with two of the original Quest Initiative members: Waka Brown and Sandy Leviton.
The primary focus, however, was my presentations of which I did three:
Create a Compelling Protagonist
Pixar and the Craft of Storytelling
Each was a 90 minute session. Each session was packed.
Upward to 100 writers for each presentation. Writers of all types: Old, young, screenwriters, novelists, documentary filmmakers. For the Pixar session, several participants in the Young Willamette Writers group — ranging from 5th grade up into high school — attended and I enjoyed meeting each of them.
As far as the content was concerned, I provided PowerPoint driven distillations of three of my one-week Craft classes. It was an interesting experience preparing for the conference and I actually learned a lot in that process, as well as through the presentations themselves and in conversation with participants afterwards. Here is one takeaway from each session which really seemed to resonate with attendees:
** Every event and every character in a story in some way services and supports the Protagonist’s journey. That insight was driven home by this observation I delved into by Carl Jung:
“The psychological rule says that when an inner situation is not made conscious, it happens outside, as fate. That is to say, when the individual remains divided and does not become conscious of his inner contradictions, the world must perforce act out the conflict.”
The idea that the Protagonist’s transformation, typically from Disunity to Unity, actually informs the architecture of the plot and structure of the relationships with each of the story’s key characters… that just blew peoples’ minds. All during the weekend, I had people stop me in hallways and meeting rooms to tell me how that concept connected with them.
** If the Nemesis can be seen to be the physicalization of the Protagonist’s shadow, then a writer can create a powerful psychological connection between these two pivotal characters. Again this idea arises from Jung:
“It is a frightening thought that man also has a shadow side to him, consisting not just of little weaknesses and foibles, but of a positively demonic dynamism… let these harmless creatures form a mass, and there emerges a raging monster.”
The potential of working with a Nemesis character who somehow echoes the deepest fears of the Protagonist connected with a lot of session-goers. In fact, a number of them came up to me after that particular presentation to say this insight alone had helped them resolve a vexing problem in their story.
** A writer must zero in on the emotional truth of the story. This arose from some observations in an interview I did with Mary Coleman, senior development executive at Pixar Animation Studios:
“We spend a lot of time in research delving into whatever the world is and digging into whatever character we’re exploring, laying a foundation… In that period we’re really trying to articulate what is the heart of the story.”
There’s a lot of aspects involved in writing a story, however it’s imperative we remember this: At the end of the day, a book reader, movie-goer, or TV watcher wants to feel something when they engage a story.
Those are just three takeaways among many which resonated with people who attended my sessions.
Let me add one takeaway I got from the weekend: A writers conference can be an empowering and uplifting experience. Surrounded by like-minded people who know what it’s like to create something out of nothing using mere words, who understand the ups and downs of that lonely vigil from FADE IN to FADE OUT, whose bliss is to follow their creative instincts… it’s a special experience being in that environment.
Lucky for me, I’ve got three more such events coming up!
London Screenwriters Festival (September 15–17, 2017)
Black List Feature Screenwriters Lab (October 8–14, 2017)
Austin Film Festival (Oct0ber 27–29, 2017)
Hope to see you there!
For more information on the Willamette Writers Conference, go here.
Many thanks to all of the staff and volunteers in helping to put on the Willamette Writers Conference and especially for Waka Brown for inviting me to participate. I hope to do it again next year.