1. Friday, August 2, 2013 Willamette Writers Conference Story Physics 101 Larry Brooks www.storyfix.com

2. The Writing Conversation Wherein we explore the conventional wisdom in search of unconventional insight.

3. The Six Realms of Story Physics Wherein we get to it.

4. Story Physics: Compelling dramatic premise Dramatic tension/arc Optimized pacing Heroic empathy (what we root for) Vicarious experience Narrative Strategy

5. Compelling Dramatic Premise Wherein we put character, purpose, conflict and context in the same room.

6. What is CONCEPTUAL about your premise? Your CONCEPT is the CONCEPTUAL source of energy and compelling allure to your story.

7. Dramatic Tension Heros quest… … facing obstacles … with motivating stakes (and possibly emerging stakes … creating opportunity for heroic resolution

8. Optimal Pacing Wherein we put the story into some sort of sequence… … according to given principles that OPTIMIZE pace.

9. Heroic Empathy Wherein we make is easy for our readers to ROOT for our hero on her/his quest. And… to root against the villain/antagonist (because fear is a terrific motivator)

10. Vicarious Experience Wherein we tap into the Secret Weapon of storytelling… by transporting the reader into a new time, place, experience, context and emotional state.

11. Narrative Strategy Wherein we choose how to tell the story. Tense, voice, POV, something fresh, something risky… … or not.

12. Story Physics - Compelling Dramatic Premise - Dramatic Tension - Optimal Pacing - Heroic Empathy (rooting) - Vicarious Experience - Narrative Strategy

13. The Three Stages of Story Development Wherein we figure out where we are in the process.

14. The Three Stages: The Search for Story Story Design Story Execution and Polish

15. Case Study Wherein we look at the most common missed opportunity (bordering on mistake) out there.

16. Four Key Questions: What is the concept that drives your premise, and why will it be compelling? What is your core dramatic question and arc (focus, unfolding exposition), driven by what your hero needs in context to the stakes attached? What opposes that quest, and how compelling (scary) is it? Is your First Plot Point functional, and is it where it needs to be?

17. Questions? Wherein we play Stump The Presenter

18. Story Physics: Harnessing the Underlying Forces of Storytelling