Jill here. I took a screenwriting workshop a few weeks back and learned something new and fascinating. At least I thought it was fascinating. Before we dive in, I want to remind you all that THIS Saturday, October 24 at 5:00 p,m. Pacific, Stephanie, Shannon, and I are going to host a Go Teen Writers virtual event. It’s going to be pretty casual. We’ll answer your questions and celebrate Shannon’s new book release (Whoo hoo!), and talk about the upcoming release of Go Teen Writers: Write Your Novel. I hope you all can join us. The event is FREE and you can sign up by clicking here. Those who sign up will receive an email on Saturday morning with login details.
We’re also looking for a teen to moderate (host) the event. We would supply you with all the things you’d need to say, so it would be no pressure. If you’re interested, please let us know when you register.
We are SO EXCITED to hang out virtually with all of you!
Okay, now on to my new and fascinating information.
The Recurring Moment.
A few weeks back, I tuned in to a screenwriting workshop hosted by Max Timm, who is the Director of Education for the International Screenwriters’ Association. I highly recommend the ISA and their courses if you’re looking to learn more about screenwriting or storytelling in general. They have excellent workshops. In this class, Max was talking about character development, about how it’s important to show in Act One how your character is flawed. He also said that you need to set up a strong Recurring Moment, or an ongoing situation, that will happen again and again in the movie until the character learns. These moments show us what is holding the character back from evolving and growing in some way through the course of the story. It’s that THING that is not allowing your character to be the best version of himself. It is introduced in Act One, and it recurrs throughout Act Two. Yet in Act Two, we also see the character try to get away from experiencing the Recurring Moment. And in Act Three, the character will triumph over the Recurring Moment.
Max gave the example of Marlin, the dad in Finding Nemo. Marlin’s Recurring Moment is that he is unable to let go of Nemo and his fear that something bad will happen to his son. So the movie makes Marlin face that moment over and over until he learns to let go of that fear.
This made me think of Blake Snyder’s Six Things That Need Fixing from his book Save the Cat. I wrote a post about this a few years back, and you can read it here. Generally, it’s the concept of making a short list of character flaws that you will reveal in Act One, show throughout the movie, then allow your character to overcome by the end of the story.
Let’s take a look at one of the examples I used in that post—Gracie Hart from the movie Miss Congeniality. Let’s see how the concept of the Six Things That Need Fixing is related to the Recurring Moment in her story.
In the movie Miss Congeniality, Gracie Hart is just one of the guys. She is 1. nerdly, 2. socially awkward, 3. has no manners, 4. has no real friends, 5. is considered ugly by the men in her life, and 6. is a klutz. These are her Six Things That Need Fixing. (It doesn’t have to be exactly six things, by the way. You just need a few things.) Also, I want to point out that there is NOTING WRONG with being nerdly or socially awkward. Um, because that’s me 100%. Hello! Plus, many of us have seasons in life where we have no friends, so that’s just part of life, sometimes. And the manners thing everyone could probably stand to work on some. Anyway, for the purpose of this story, these are the obstacles Gracie needs to overcome (or learn to accept) to find contentment in her life.
In the movie we see hysterical and sad scenes that display these attributes. We see the guys at the precinct make fun on her. We see her eating alone at home. We see her snort when she laughs. We see that she can’t walk in high heels. We see her trip and drop things. And most importantly, we see that she is unhappy and lonely living this way. She wants change, but she doesn’t know how to get it. She is stuck. And that “being stuck” is the recurring moment of this film. We see Gracie face obstacles again and again and fail. She is stuck in a recurring cycle.
Her Recurring Moment, or that ongoing situation she is living in her day-to-day life, is keeping her from happiness. And if you look at that list of six things, you’ll see they’re related. Gracie’s problem is that she doesn’t know how to be feminine. She tries, and it’s just not working. But in Act Two of the story, a mentor comes along to help her. And she will fight him because he’s asking her to change everything about herself—to be someone she is not.
Yet at the end of the movie, she lands somewhere in the middle. She’ll never be a pageant queen. It’s just not who she is. But she did learn to embrace her feminine side and find a comfortable place for her. She became the best version of herself.
So, how can you use the Recurring Moment in your story? Here are a few ideas:
- Make a list of flaws for your main character.
- Study that list and identify your character’s core problem. What is keeping her from being the best version of herself? What is holding her back?
- Brainstorm a list of scenes, situations, dialogue, etc., that show your character being stuck in that Recurring Moment. These can be some of your Six Things That Need Fixing, but you can also list ideas for scenes or situations and lines of dialogue that come to you. Things people say to her and things she might say of herself.
- Find places to work into your story the things you brainstormed in #3.
- Have a plan to help your character learn and grow. This often happens with the help of a mentor who teaches your main character something valuable. This knowledge could also come from another side character like a friend or a love interest. It can also happen through plot events.
What do you think about the concept of the Recurring Moment? Share in the comments a list of things that need fixing for your main character. And/or share what your character’s Recurring Moment is. And if you’re stuck, we can try and help you identify that Recurring Moment. Have fun!
Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms, and the author of several young adult fantasy novels including the Blood of Kings trilogy. She loves teaching about writing. She blogs at goteenwriters.com and also posts writing videos on her YouTube channel and on Instagram. Jill is a Whovian, a Photoshop addict, and a recovering fashion design assistant. She grew up in Alaska without running water or electricity and now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two kids. Find Jill online at jillwilliamson.com or on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.
Wow! I’ve never thought about character flaws like that! But I now realized that I was kind of doing it subconsciously. My MC, Bri, has a crush on this cute new boy, and when she, her brother, her best friend, and Cute Boy are all trapped in an abandoned insane asylum with a maniac, unstable ghost trying to kill them, Cute Boy is getting Bri’s nerves on end. Well, even more than usual, you know, with the murderous ghouls. She’s terrified Cute Boy will find her out and tell her that he likes Best Friend, and then clearly, her life would be over, because that’s just how it works. I’m mean, she’s not great at hiding emotions, and she toppled into him a few times. She’s actually like Gracie in a lot of ways. She’s a klutz as well, doesn’t fare well with heels, brutally honest, and a huge nerd about the most random things.
Thanks for the awesome post! I look forward to Wednesday’s every week!
Haha, Ally, we submitted comments at the same time!!! ? Anyway, I think Bri sounds really cool, and she’s like my MC, Colin, in the fact that he’s also a klutz. And I ALWAYS look forward to Wednesdays now. (And actually, I keep thinking that Tuesdays are Wednesdays, ’cause I’ll be like don’t Go Teen Writers have a post today, and then I have to come to the sad reality that it’s tomorrow.)
I am completely intrigued by your story! What a fun idea. It sounds like you know Bri really well and have a lot of fun moments in your story.
Oh, I like the idea of the “Recurring Moment.” I think I already have it going on in my current WIP. Because with this one, unlike the others I wrote, I did a lot of focusing on my MC. So, he’s got a lot of flaws (clumsy, awkward, attitude-problem, etc.) Really, the list goes on. And he has a lot of things that makes him unique. And he has so many attributes, I sometimes forget what all of them even are.
That’s awesome, Issabelle. Yes, I do think that this sort of thing can be something we intuitively know to add to our stories since we’ve read so many books and seen so many movies.
I think I see the Recurring Moment quite a bit in TV shows. Y’know, like you see something that the character did when they were younger, or at the beginning of the episode. By the end, they find themselves in more or less the same situation, but this time it shows how they’ve changed by the way they react to it. I have one sibling who loves to discuss that kind of thing when we watch shows as a family, so I guess that’s helped me in writing without me realizing.
In my story, one of the Recurring Moments that my MC has to face (because I found that there’s many) is his fear of heights. In most situations, a fear of heights wouldn’t be the end of the world, many people have that same fear. Near the beginning, he encounters heights, and he backs away because he’s too scared. By the end, if he doesn’t overcome his fear, things aren’t going to end well for his friends or family. So he has to make the hard choice, and you get to see the character growth.
Thanks for giving me this to think about!
I have siblings that talk during movies and shows! It’s more annoying though. But at the same time, it’s hilarious and insightful. Especially
when my older brother starts yabbering something about Leon’s in bushes when we’re watching The Dark Knight.
This is hysterical. I’m the talker in my family. I’m always saying things like, “Oh, come on! He wouldn’t do that. Bad writing!” And my husband is always giving me side glares. “Will you just watch the show, Jill?” 😉
Haha, Me too!!! My sisters have had to shush me many times! Glad to know I’m not the only one.
That’s so wise to use that fear near the end of your story by putting him in a no-win situation. He has to face his fear or he has an even worse outcome. That’s awesome!
First thing I want to say is: I LOVE Finding Nemo! That movie is so good.
Thank you for the post. It was very insightful. My main character struggles with self-doubt and at the same time is dealing with the death of his father.
Cant wait for the live event tonight! ?
Me neither, Ally!!!!!!!!
I know, Ally. I’m super excited!
THAT WAS AMAZING ?
Congrats to giveaway winners!
Ashie, Madelyn, Issabelle, Ryan, and Lacey!
Thank you, Ally. I enjoyed talking to you. I still can’t believe I one. 🙂
*won*
That was INCREDIBLE!!!!! I had soooo much fun. And thank you, Ally!
-Sage of Avenia
I love the event so much. Thank you for doing it. 🙂
You are ALL so welcome. Thanks for coming and hanging out with us!
I vote more live events.
I second the vote. ?
I third the vote!!!!!!! Let’s do this again!
-Sage of Avenia ?
Agreed! 🙂
New post tomorrow! ??????