Fixating on locale. Advice, please!

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  • Fixating on locale. Advice, please!

    Hi guys,

    One of the main characters in a pilot that I'm currently writing is supposed to be a self-made man, a "big fish in a small pond" kind of a dude.

    Well, I'm stuck as to what his actual vocation is because I can't settle on a locale for this project, i.e. Pacific Northwest (owns lumber yard)? Deep South (owns everyone in town)? New England (top lobster guy)?

    I would love your suggestions/advice for just pulling the trigger and getting on with it. What do you do when indecision keeps you for doing anything?

    Thank you.

  • #2
    Re: Fixating on locale. Advice, please!

    Get REALLY creative - and far outside the box... past Twin Peaks even.

    All you need is a placeholder - unless the story takes place in this locale... then you need to almost treat it as a character.

    Avoid cliches and start his bio/backstory - just might tell you exactly where he fits.
    "The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely." ~Jung

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    • #3
      Re: Fixating on locale. Advice, please!

      Pick a place you know well or want to research so you can give it an authentic feel. Then let the character's vocation put it on it's head.

      Use the contrast for drama or comedy.

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      • #4
        Re: Fixating on locale. Advice, please!

        Thanks a lot, guys.

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        • #5
          Re: Fixating on locale. Advice, please!

          Seems important. Maybe it would be best not to use a placeholder for this one but to make a decision. Even a small decision can prompt other decisions. Everything is about character. For this _what_ may be more important than _where_ (especially if where is not inspiring you to anything specific).

          A self-made guy coming up, starting from the bottom -- what do you want for this character?

          Maybe some resonant image or bit may occur to you if you do some mental what-ifs: a physically dirty and exhausting job? A job that is about gamesmanship and getting over on people? Way back, coming up, was he an artisan, office gopher, fish scaler, home appliance salesperson, home appliance repairman, part-time college student? Was there a union when he was coming up, or an old-school single-person operation? Did he have to wash his hands with lava soap after a shift? Did he see something new coming before others could react? Or did he lower his prices and cheat his customers with the fine print until the competition faded?

          You know what he is now, or you need some trajectory for your character in this story, what are some of his skills and habitual ways, that serve the drama, and how could he have come by them? Does he value loyalty or does he pit his employees against each other? Annual company picnics or just bonuses? Paternalistic, impersonal or something else? Etc.

          Researching real people from the areas that interest you may also be helpful.
          Last edited by -jam-; 07-29-2013, 04:43 PM. Reason: typo

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          • #6
            Re: Fixating on locale. Advice, please!

            How much of his vocation would you expect to see during the series and why?

            Could his vocation clash with someone else's?

            Is his vocation something that nobody would guess upon meeting him for the first time, or is it something that is obviously very "him"?

            Think about which locale you could write with the most specificity and authenticity while making it a source of fascination and entertainment for whoever is watching.

            But the vocation doesn't have to be so cliche -- there are lumber mills in the South, people who own whole towns in the Northeast, fishing operations on the West Coast. IMO it's more important to make sure the character's vocation matches the aura you're imagining when you think about him at this point. You can find an equivalent to anything anywhere, yk?
            "You have idea 1, you're excited. It flops. You have idea 99, you're excited. It flops.
            Only a fool is excited by the 100th idea. Fools keep trying. God rewards fools." --Martin Hellman, paraphrased

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            • #7
              Re: Fixating on locale. Advice, please!

              I agree with Jam. Definitely take the time to get the details right. It could change your whole story!
              The Screenwriter's Toolbox: Learn the 15 essential techniques every writer must know before beginning their screenplay
              http://amzn.to/16oqehn

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              • #8
                Re: Fixating on locale. Advice, please!

                Great advice as usual, guys. You've given me a lot to think about.

                One thing that's been hanging me up: The dreaded "pushing of the envelope." Just had a producer friend tell me that "to even pitch an idea these days, you have to go much further."

                Crafting a great story and giving it that twist that will sell it. That's the tough part imho. Making that twist seamless, as opposed to something shoehorned in for shock value. Does that make sense?

                I mean, how do you "go much further" than a "Breaking Bad," for example?

                Thanks, again.

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                • #9
                  Re: Fixating on locale. Advice, please!

                  Originally posted by MargoChanning View Post
                  I mean, how do you "go much further" than a "Breaking Bad," for example?
                  Is that the audience you're aiming for?
                  "You have idea 1, you're excited. It flops. You have idea 99, you're excited. It flops.
                  Only a fool is excited by the 100th idea. Fools keep trying. God rewards fools." --Martin Hellman, paraphrased

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Fixating on locale. Advice, please!

                    Originally posted by WaitForIt View Post
                    Is that the audience you're aiming for?
                    One that would watch that show, as well as "Justified," "Mad Men," "Magic City," "The Hour".... like that.

                    Maybe I'm over-thinking this when I should be writing.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Fixating on locale. Advice, please!

                      Originally posted by MargoChanning View Post
                      One that would watch that show, as well as "Justified," "Mad Men," "Magic City," "The Hour".... like that.

                      Maybe I'm over-thinking this when I should be writing.
                      If nothing feels right yet, then you're not overthinking IMO. But I hate writing before I've got everything figured out. YMMV.
                      "You have idea 1, you're excited. It flops. You have idea 99, you're excited. It flops.
                      Only a fool is excited by the 100th idea. Fools keep trying. God rewards fools." --Martin Hellman, paraphrased

                      Comment

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