Symmetry In Writing.

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  • Symmetry In Writing.

    All things in nature are balanced. They possess across the board a symmetry-- simple, elegant and clean. All things weâ€TMre attracted to instinctively have symmetry; great works of art, symphonies, and two thousand year old feats of Egyptian architecture. These things are mathematically â€correct.â€



    When you watch a classically trained ballet dancer, they move in a way thatâ€TMs balanced. When you listen to classical worksâ€-Beethoven, Mozart, there is a balance and symmetry. These things are pleasing to us instinctivelyâ€-all of us. Itâ€TMs a part of our inherent makeup, and comes from the farthest reaches within the halls of time.



    When I look at great works of art in any form or even â€great works of nature,†I see this balance. And, (gasp) I see it in great scripts. From the overall story, to the structure, even to the way the writer strings the words together in action. There is a rhythm to the way it reads. And like music, the notes are never offâ€-causing us to stop in midstream. Itâ€TMs almost like listening to â€musicâ€â€-this legendary writing.



    All of us feel this phenomenon when we read the scripts of others. Even newbieâ€TMs know when somethingâ€TMs off or not. They may not be able to explain why, but like tasting fine wineâ€-they know.



    The strange thing is reading our own work. We are too closely linked to it, and love is blind. We become tone deaf, and acclimated to the â€sounds†of our own written words. What may â€sound†pleasing to us, is off key to others. We only realize when we return to a story after time has passed.



    Is it possible then, like being tone deaf and aspiring to be a rock starâ€-some us just donâ€TMt possess the â€gift†to create balance in our OWN writing? Or would you rather say there is a formulaâ€-and everyone can learn to write masterpieces, as in a â€mathematical†sense. And by formula I meanâ€-for masterpieces.



    Gauchita


  • #2
    Re: Symmetry In Writing.

    Is it possible then, like being tone deaf and aspiring to be a rock starâ€-some us just donâ€TMt possess the â€gift†to create balance in our OWN writing? Or would you rather say there is a formulaâ€-and everyone can learn to write masterpieces, as in a â€mathematical†sense. And by formula I meanâ€-for masterpieces.

    Yep. There is a formula. but it varies from writer to writer and from story to story. There is no "one" way to write a great story. for every element you can say "must" be there, you can find another masterfully told story that completly ignores it.


    and that's the key, knowing when to include an element and when to discard it. That's something that can't be taught, but it can be learned.

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    • #3
      Re: Symmetry In Writing.

      Absolutely. A few weeks before school let out, I was asked to read, edit, and comment on a junior's research paper. This girl was in my journalism class and her articles were consistant - not great, but effective. I of course tore her paper a part, was was generally pleased to find the overall product entertaining, interesting, and fluid. It was definitely balanced. Pleased with the way I had helped her, she asked if I could please read and edit her friends paper, who I also knew. This girl had been in one of my math classes and was at the top of the class...extremely gifted. Plus, her brother is a good friend of mine and is a junior at Berkeley while her other brother, in the same year as me, just turned down Berkeley and opted for Davis instead. In other words, I had understandably huge expectations. Oh. My. God. I have never read anything that was so painful. There were incomplete senteces, random periods and commas, no sign of an understanding between the difference between "its" and "it's." And the paper was all over the place. Had her paper been a ballet dancer it would have toppled over and shattered an ankle. Luckily, it would probably never be able to dance again. So while she was extremely gifted in math, she cannot write a research paper. So no, I don't think there is a general formula that anyone can learn to write a masterpiece.

      As for knowing our own work lacks symmetry...I think we can. I've pointed out to myself more than once when something doesn't balance itself out, or when something was a bad move on my part. I think we are capable of knowing when there isn't enough balance in our work; the question is: are we open to knowing there isn't enough balance?
      ~* Kelsey *~

      http://kelseytalksaboutmovies.blog.com/

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      • #4
        Re: Symmetry In Writing.

        I'm attracted to art that could best be described as "off-kilter" and often find myself drawn to stuff that makes me feel uncomfortable. I dig films that are raw, unpolished, and hard to watch. That aren't "seamless." (Songs From The Second Floor, The Saddest Music In The World, Eraserhead, Persona, etc.)

        I understand what you're getting at, but I can't say I agree with your assertions/generalizations about art appreciation.

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        • #5
          Re: Symmetry In Writing.

          "Even newbieâ€TMs know when somethingâ€TMs off or not. They may not be able to explain why, but like tasting fine wineâ€-they know."

          If you are not conscious of artistic forms, then you must rely on unconscious endeavors that will have you writing forever just to come up with some decent material. But a conscious understanding of artistic forms, and as it applies to the screenplay, can save you years of writing in circles.



          Much writing craft can be learned. But the natural desire to be a writer perhaps cannot be learned. That's why you see a lot more story analysts in Hollywood who do not write, but who do understand form to various degrees, than you see writers who must put that analysis of form to use. The latter is much, much harder to accomplish.



          As compensation to the writer, however, when job cuts come to Hollywood (especially if box office receipts don't pick up from this historic slump) the story analyst will not be able to write his way back in.

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          • #6
            Re: Symmetry In Writing.

            Spelling, grammar and punctuation are learned. Story structure is learned. Screenplay formatting and all the little bugger aspects of it is learned. All aspects of making characters, learning what makes good dialogue is learned.

            However, creating unique characters in a familiar or new world and contriving interesting situations that will take the reader/viewer on a rollercoaster ride of emotions with great sequences of action, interaction and emotionally relevant or humorous dialogue - that's a gift. If it's learned, it would take a good part of a lifetime.

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            • #7
              Re: Symmetry In Writing.

              Wow, do people really think about symmetry?

              Unreal. What other academic BS barometers do you guys use to measure a script beyond the characters, storyline, premise, structure?

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              • #8
                Re: Symmetry In Writing.

                The Spielberg Method.

                "What is the audience feeling NOW?"
                my webpage
                my blog

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                • #9
                  Re: Symmetry In Writing.

                  Oh, come on! Can't you see what I'm trying to do here? This is the entertainment business we're in-- so it's only natural that--

                  I can't help but start weird threads.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Symmetry In Writing.

                    they say that beauty is linked to the symmetry in your face; meaning how far your eyes are from your nose. if you split your face into two, right down the middle, what is the math involved in that.

                    it's true, the more symmetry your face has the better looking you will be.

                    i like to talk symmetry when i'm having sex, i like to have both women exactly the same distance apart.... badump/

                    vig

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                    • #11
                      Re: Symmetry In Writing.

                      In your dreams, vig.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Symmetry In Writing.

                        Gimme a call, Vig. I have one of them fancy calculators.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Symmetry In Writing.

                          gauchita

                          you can learn to write perfectly, but only in the technical sense. a technically perfect (with all the elements, turning points, etc, in the right place) script is easy to write. easy. piece of cake. i could write a million of them. anybody that applied themselves could. the hard part is writing a story which is entertaining

                          mozart was great, but there were hundreds (yes hundreds) of composers that lived in the 18th and 19th century whose work we'll never hear. not because it's full of tech errors, it's not, it's perfect. because their music is not entertaining

                          that's where the talent or gift thing comes in. mozart had massive talent, those other guys did not. pretty harsh, huh?


                          zilla

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