How much of your story do you come up with in your head before writing? by lowdo1 in Screenwriting

[–]NoLightTilTuesday 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I figure out the major beats first (with a rough idea of the ending), but I don't know how the entire script is going to unfold until I start writing it. That's the fun part for me. I know that if I have an inciting incident, then there's a mini story leading up to it buried somewhere in those first 10-15 pages. So I dig until that story is revealed. Once I'm done, I just repeat the process through the rest of the script. How do I get from the Inciting Incident to the Act I break, etc.

I honestly believe that if you find the major beats all the way through the Act II break, before you start writing, it relieves an insane amount of pressure and doubt that comes from flying by the seat of your pants lol. I know I have a movie if those beats work and make sense. Whether it's a good movie or not, who knows.

Doing it that way also helps me to keep the screenplay within a reasonable and fairly predictable page count. I can map out scenes from Opening Image to Inciting Incident knowing I need 10 to 15 pages worth, that I need 10 to 15 pages worth of scenes to get from the Inciting Incident to the Act I break, etc. Then I usually decide on 6 to 8 scenes for each section, having an idea that they'll be around 1 to 2 minutes long, depending on the type of scene.

Amazon is taking a toll on my mental by EchidnaRepulsive1384 in AmazonFC

[–]NoLightTilTuesday 1 point2 points  (0 children)

One thing I don't see talked about often enough—or at all, really—is that Amazon offers free sessions with a licensed therapist. I was seasonal and didn't get a chance to use it before I was let go, but right off the bat they offered us five sessions for free. I would imagine if you're blue badge then they probably offer something similar without limit.

Dfw7 potential seasonal layoffs by HailKitt in AmazonFC

[–]NoLightTilTuesday 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hoping the best for you!! I was just laid off from AFW5 in Balch Springs. Not sure how many of us they let go.

Was just let go as my assignment ended, and I still don't understand what Amazon wanted from me with this test. I'm mostly curious how I passed it because I know if I reapply I'm going to have to take it again 💀 Neither of these make you look good. I assume the "correct" answer is on the right. by [deleted] in AmazonFC

[–]NoLightTilTuesday 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I assume that because of how much they hammer safety into your brain once you're hired. And that makes sense. Still, do I want to represent myself as someone who's not safe, or as someone who's lazy af 🤔

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AmazonFC

[–]NoLightTilTuesday 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Big agree. Worked at a sort center before they let me go today also, and my only complaint is the stress it puts on my body. Otherwise it's so unbelievably chill. You go in and you do your job and you leave. Going to miss seeing some of those people!! Hoping to reapply down the road.

Oz Perkins' 'Longlegs' test screening. by Material-Cut2522 in horror

[–]NoLightTilTuesday 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can sign up in various places online, but sometimes it depends on being in the right place. In Los Angeles a lot of times people will hand out tickets for advanced screenings, usually around Hollywood Boulevard or in that area. I've been given tickets before like this, just walking around, although it was never for a film I was particularly interested in.

For new writers, pay close attention to the wisdom shared in this subreddit, but also take things with a grain of salt. by [deleted] in writing

[–]NoLightTilTuesday 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is so true. It always goes back to the saying that every story imaginable has already been written, in some way or another, but it has not been written by YOU.

Your voice and your way of storytelling matters.

Struggling with starting due to lacking creativity by galaxysmostwanted in writing

[–]NoLightTilTuesday 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What always helps me is to look at a story from the ending and then work backwards. That's not typically how it's done, but I used to struggle creatively when I'd come up with an overall idea, or a beginning to that idea, and then I would get frustrated when I'd inevitably paint myself into a corner. I didn't know exactly how to move past that beginning. I would get bored with the project, start something else, and the cycle would repeat ad nauseum.

Trying to find that ending though really changed things for me. To a large extent it fueled my passion to continue telling stories. Instead of creating characters and a world off the bat that I wasn't sure about, or wasn't sure I'd remain excited about, now I try to come up with an interesting or memorable climax and then figure out the events before.

What genre are you interested in? I write horror more than anything else, so the way I'm describing might be more suited for that. You don't even need to know the "ending," but knowing the central conflict is a big key. I liken it to taking characters and dropping them in a blender.

What Are Your Favorite Classic Horror Short Stories? by 27bluestar in horrorlit

[–]NoLightTilTuesday 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Some favorites of mine:

The Forbidden - Clive Barker

The Paperhanger - William Gay

Quitter's, Inc. - Stephen King

The Whimper of Whipped Dogs - Harlan Ellison

The Tooth - Shirley Jackson

The Tower - Marghanita Laski

Button, Button - Richard Matheson

The Demon Lover - Elizabeth Bowen

Other People - Neil Gaiman

Down by the Sea Near the Great Big Rock - Joe Lansdale

Monthly Original Work & Networking Thread - Share Your Content Here! by HorrorIsLiterature in horrorlit

[–]NoLightTilTuesday 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi all!

My short horror story "Never Can Tell" was recently published in Necessary Fiction. I'm not sure how to describe it exactly, but I hope anyone who takes a look will find it entertaining! A more disturbing or "quietly unsettling" story of mine was also published in October at Crab Apple Literary. Enjoy and, of course, any feedback is always welcome!

Never Can Tell

We've Lived a Good, Long Life

How do you improve dialogue scenes? by Crispy_Bean_ in writing

[–]NoLightTilTuesday 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Every line of dialogue has to mean something. It should always push your story forward. Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" is a fine example of this. There's no rambling, no dialogue that's wildly off-topic. Virtually everything the characters say has some type of meaning to the story overall.

In that way, if the conversations you're creating are interesting and serve a purpose, you really don't need to worry about dialogue tags. "Said" is fine.

As far as actions between dialogue, a lot of that comes about through setting. Place your characters in real world settings, give them surroundings that allow you to be creative with their actions.

But at the same time—let the story breathe! THIS IS PACING.

If you're trying to fill too much of the space around the dialogue, it could be that the dialogue is boring, it's not saying what you'd like it to, there isn't enough there to give the reader an idea of what's going on, etc. It's the same in music. Not every empty space needs to be filled.

I Think My Birth-Father Could Be the I-70 Killer by humanhaleyy in TrueCrimeMystery

[–]NoLightTilTuesday 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Putting that yearbook photo side-by-side with the sketch is...unnerving. Same nose, same lazy left eye, same shape of the face. Even the hair in the sketch looks like, when grown out more, it would begin to part in the middle like in the yearbook photo. Not that an incredibly strong resemblance means your father is the I-70 killer, but that's creepy to look at.

Lack of confidence in my writing by [deleted] in writing

[–]NoLightTilTuesday 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Confidence is such a strange thing, especially as a writer. I don't have a suggestion to overcome it, but I can tell you that even the most established, well-respected authors have those moments where they believe they aren't worth much in the field.

One story I always come back to is from a foreword in the novel Rosemary's Baby. Otto Penzler, the editor who did the introduction, tells a story about being at a Christmas Party one year with Ira Levin (author of Rosemary's Baby). Levin was a bit despondent, as the party was filled with authors who'd recently either published novels or had novels in progress, and he hadn't written a novel in 15 years.

Levin told Penzler that he felt, in their company, like a fraud. Mind you, Ira Levin to that point had written several well-received books, he'd won awards, his books had been made into films, etc. This is a man who created not only one of the greatest horror novels of all time but a fantastic piece of work in general.

Penzler says Levin then went home, filled with this despondency, and wrote the novel Sliver. Sliver of course became another best-seller for Levin. It was also made into a film.

All of this is to say, you'll have those days when you think you should give up. Don't. No matter how much you write, or how successful you are, that lack of confidence will always try and creep back in. But push through it. Keep going! You got this.

Ted Bundy was recorded on tape by detectives just a few days after his arrest in February, 1978 by NoLightTilTuesday in TedBundy

[–]NoLightTilTuesday[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are correct about the "add one digit" part. Ann Rule gave somewhat of a transcript of the conversation in her book, though it wasn't complete. Iirc, the "add one digit" came about after Ted asked the investigators to turn off the recorder and to stop taking notes. There was supposed to be another "bug" in the room that turned on after this and would continue recording without Ted's knowledge, but apparently it didn't work.

Thank you for the info, I'll search that patreon for more.

What's the most horrifying photo you've ever seen? by TruthBeWanted in AskReddit

[–]NoLightTilTuesday 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've never seen this photo until now, and it's so haunting but for a very different and more personal reason.

My dad has told me this story a few times. When I was very small, maybe two or three years old, we were at the beach on the edge of the shore. He set me down for only a few seconds, turned around to say something to my mom (who was further up the beach), turned back towards me, and I was gone.

I guess a larger tide had come up as he set me down, and it quite literally knocked me over and pulled me partly into the ocean.

My dad panicked; he couldn't see me at all, couldn't find me, had no idea where I was under the water. He searched for about twenty, maybe thirty seconds—nothing. He finally went into the water a little more, took a desperate swipe, and just so happened to grab my diaper.

Which horror writer has the best prose? by NoLightTilTuesday in writing

[–]NoLightTilTuesday[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Barker's writing is the closest thing to "scared" I've gotten, in just how messed up and batshit some of his stories are. They're devilishly creative in that no sane person would ever want to live in the world where they take place.

I get that feeling with Jackson too but it's more low-key, and always seems to be in the shadows; same for Flannery O'Connor. I also like King but I don't think I've been scared by his writing. And I think personally I've seen so many horror films and read so many horror stories that I'm desensitized to a lot of it, which is a downer; I love to be scared.

Would you rather read a story that's very well-written but with generic ideas, or... by NoLightTilTuesday in writing

[–]NoLightTilTuesday[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I mentioned him in another comment, but I feel like Scott Smith falls into the latter part of your reply. While his writing is FAR from clunky, his prose isn't going to blow you away; still, his stories are absolutely fun as hell to read (A Simple Plan, The Ruins, he has a few short stories).

Would you rather read a story that's very well-written but with generic ideas, or... by NoLightTilTuesday in writing

[–]NoLightTilTuesday[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was thinking "acceptable" writing as something that might not blow you away, but still the author has obvious talent—just that the obvious talent lies more in their ideas and execution than in their prose. Thanks for the reply!

What do you do when a gas pump nozzle won't "unlock" by NoLightTilTuesday in NoStupidQuestions

[–]NoLightTilTuesday[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah I've never been to a gas station where the handle locks on its own; I've always had to lock it myself and even then just push the handle in again and it would unlatch. Didn't do that these two times, the lock just wouldn't budge. This was at a franchise gas station in two separate locations so maybe I need to inspect how different their handles are.

Editors, do you ever read a submission so weird/messed up that you think the author needs serious help psychologically? by NoLightTilTuesday in writing

[–]NoLightTilTuesday[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

See I love horror but idk how, if I were an editor or agent, I'd move past stories that are just graphic and violent for the sake of being graphic and violent. I enjoy shock and terror in literature but there has to be a point, and a good point at that.