Tag: writings tips

Pulp Fiction and the Art of Non-Linear Storytelling

May 20, 2019 / Kyle A. Massa

Movie script

Pulp Fiction is a great film. I don’t think I’m alone in thinking this.

One reason I dig this movie is its non-linear narrative style. Rather than employ a traditional cause-and-effect plot, writer/director Quentin Tarantino sequences Pulp Fiction out of order, on purpose. If each scene is a card, it’s safe to say Tarantino shuffled his deck. Or, more accurately, he stacked it.

Non-linear storytelling is challenging. Nonetheless, the payoffs are quite strong when it’s done well. Here are three benefits to using non-linear narratives.

Satisfying Complexity

While conventional storytelling is often made better by trimming complexity, non-linear stories work in a different way. Deciphering them is half the fun.

For example, you’ll remember a scene in Pulp Fiction in which Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) pays Butch (Bruce Willis) to lose his next fight. In that same scene, Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winfield (Samuel L. Jackson) enter the scene wearing faded t-shirts and boxers. It’s a little odd, especially considering the previous scene in which they wore sharp suits. We don’t discover what happened until later in the film: Vincent accidentally shot a guy in the back seat of his car, making a bit of a mess. Those nice business suits had to go.

This is one advantage of non-linear storytelling. You can present an intriguing element in your timeline, then explain how it happened later.

Intersecting Characters

In non-linear stories, the main plot can often be divided into smaller subplots. This presents myriad opportunities for character arcs to intersect.

Take, for example, Honey Bunny (Amanda Plummer) and Ringo (Tim Roth). They’re the first characters we encounter in the film, and by the end, we’ve almost forgotten they appeared at all. Yet when Vincent and Jules enter the diner in the film’s final scene, we realize that all four characters were in the same place all along. We just didn’t know it yet.

It’s these intersections of plot that I just love. They’re super interesting, and they create a puzzle-like wonder for the writer. Where do these plots intersect? How do the paths of these characters cross?

Time Distortion

I think one of the coolest and weirdest parts of Pulp Fiction is the scene in which Butch kills Vincent. Whoops, spoiler. Anyway, I love that scene.

It’s cool and weird because Vincent is kind of the star of the movie. So there’s a big “What just happened?” moment when he’s killed in such an inglorious way. And yet, as mentioned earlier, Vincent’s death doesn’t preclude him from appearing once again in the film’s final act.

This departure from the linear plays two parts. For one, you get a jolt of confusion, especially if it’s your first time watching the film. When Vincent reappears after his death, you might ask yourself, “Wait a second…didn’t he get shot?” Then, as the scene plays out, we realize we’ve actually jumped back in time. And we finally find out where the t-shirts came from.

Also, the time shuffle adds a hint of sadness to that final diner scene. Because even though the film ends with Vincent and Jules walking off into the sunset, so to speak, we know that Vincent will later be killed. Sure, he’s a hitman. But he’s a likable hitman.

Non-linear storytelling is endlessly fascinating, and Pulp Fiction proves it. If you’re looking for a master class in the form, I highly recommend it.

Kyle A. Massa is a speculative fiction author living somewhere in upstate New York with his wife and their two cats. His stories have appeared in numerous online magazines, including Allegory, Chantwood, and Dark Fire Fiction. His debut novel, Gerald Barkley Rocks, is available now on Amazon Kindle.

Sympathy for the Titan: Thanos & How to Create a Good Bad Guy

May 29, 2018 / Kyle A. Massa

In Avengers: Infinity War, Peter Quill calls Thanos “Grimace.” Funny insult, but Thanos is anything but a cartoon character.

Thanos

Thanos, played by Josh Brolin, is the central villain of Marvel Studios’ latest blockbuster. If you’ve seen the movie already (I’m assuming you have, otherwise, why are you reading this?), then you know he’s an excellent villain. In fact, people all over the internet are raving about him. Some have even called him the Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s best villain, full stop. (I think that distinction belongs to the Mandarin, but that’s just me.)

Thanos is indeed an excellent villain. Why is he so compelling? Why are audiences responding so well to such a bad dude? And for writers like you and me, what can we borrow from Thanos and share with our own villains?

Thanos is Tragic

Thanos’s life is a sad story. He’s an outsider with no home, and he’s pretty much the worst dad ever. He believes half the universe must die so the other half may live; this mission has left him utterly alone. Imagine having a calling for your entire life, which no one has ever agreed with or understood. That’s Thanos. His life is a tragedy. This is a significant reason why audiences respond so well to him.

Furthermore, the events of the film hit Thanos harder than any other character. Just after he’s collected all the Infinity Stones and his plan is finally set in motion, there’s a brief, somewhat hallucinogenic scene in which Thanos approaches a young Gamora, his adopted daughter who he sacrificed earlier in the film (told you not to read this). She asks if he accomplished what he said out to do; he answers yes. And when Gamora asks what it cost him, he says, “Everything.”

It’s these moments of humanity that make the character so resonant. It’s easy to write villains who commit terrible acts simply because the plot demands it. What is much more difficult, and ultimately more compelling, is a villain who earns our sympathy. Thanos does exactly that.

Thanos is Actually Kind of Right

Remember when I mentioned that Thanos has no home? It’s not because he’s been evicted. Rather, it’s because his home planet of Titan is dead. The cause of said death: overpopulation. In Thanos’s estimation, the resources of the planet could never sustain its demands. As a result, everybody went the way of the dodo.

Titan’s fate is essential to justifying Thanos’s evil plan. He’s not only claiming overpopulation is an issue—he’s actually witnessed its consequences. Likewise, the audience needs to see this as well. By observing the ruin of his home world, we as the viewers understand why he does what he does.

Furthermore, there’s a certain logic to his plan beyond the world of the film. Sadly, overpopulation is a real problem in the real world, as we know. Resources are not unlimited, at least not right now. So the film touches on a real issue, and works off a real problem.

Thanos is Positioned as the Film’s Protagonist

Thanos

Classic storytelling structure dictates a story’s protagonist strives to achieve a central goal. The antagonist, on the other hand, must prevent the protagonist from accomplishing said goal. We usually see protagonists portrayed as heroes and antagonists portrayed as villains.

Now let’s apply that framework to Avengers: Infinity War. The central goal of the film is Thanos’s pursuit of the Infinity Stones—which would then make him the protagonist of the film. And that would therefore make the Avengers the antagonists, since they want to prevent the protagonist from achieving his goal. Co-director Anthony Russo confirmed this notion by stating, “The moment I felt like we had cracked the movie creatively, was when we started to think about Thanos as the lead character of the movie.”

There you have it. Thanos is a great villain because in many ways, he’s not a villain. In many ways, he’s actually the film’s protagonist.

In my opinion, Thanos’s reputation as one of the MCU’s greatest villains is spot on. A great deal of care, time, and thought went into this character, and it shows. Who knew a big, buff purple guy could be so deep?

Kyle A. Massa is a speculative fiction author living somewhere in upstate New York with his fiancee and their two cats. His stories have appeared in numerous online magazines, including Allegory, Chantwood, and Dark Fire Fiction.

Are You Forgetting Your Setting?

February 26, 2018 / Kyle A. Massa

I’d like to share a brief scene with you. Here goes:

“Life,” said Silver, “is a collection of unrealized dreams.”

Tia groaned. “Well that’s uplifting.”

“My profound apologies.”

That was something Tia noticed about Silver in the short time she’d known him—he had his own way of saying everything. “Many pardons,” instead of “excuse me.” “Energetically insufficient” instead of “tired.” “Inventively predisposed” instead of “creative.” Or, in this case, “my profound apologies” instead of “sorry.” He never uttered the words with irony, either. It was just how he spoke.

“Silver,” she said. “People enjoy your movies. So maybe you don’t need to care what critics and reviewers and whoever say. Right?”

“Critics and reviewers are gravity. I am but a rock bound to Earth.”

It took a great deal of Tia’s willpower not to scream. “Silver. I know we haven’t known each other long. But this depressive artist thing. It’s a little much.”

I think this is a decent start to a story. We’ve got two fairly well-developed characters with distinct voices. We’ve got hints of conflict. We’ve even got the seeds of a story emerging.

So sure, it’s a fine start. But where’s the setting?

Remember the scene in The Matrix when they’re standing in a totally white space? That’s basically what I have here. No explanation of where we are, no details about the area within which these characters speak. Just Tia, Silver, and their dialogue. I’ve done it before, and I’ve read other manuscripts with the same issue.

As writers, sometimes we place so much focus on character and plot that we forget about setting. Big mistake. Setting is an essential element of any great story. To paraphrase a professor of mine, settings should be written such that one’s story cannot exist in any other surrounding.

So how do we make sure we don’t forget our setting? Here are some thoughts.

Incorporate Your Setting Into the Action

This method works wonders. Take our introductory scene, for instance. Let’s see what happens when we insert the setting into the conversation.

“Life,” said Silver, “is a collection of unrealized dreams.”

Tia groaned. “Well that’s uplifting.”

They huddled in a room too small for two people, a single flickering bulb serving as their only source of light. The smell of dust and some chemical aroma (Silver’s cologne, perhaps?) seemed to crowd the space further. Tia wasn’t sure how long she could stand it.

I like this version better already. As readers, we can visualize the conversation now that we’ve filled in the surroundings. Additionally, the setting description adds context to the scene: Tia is uncomfortable, Silver wears Axe body spray.

Draw from Personal Experience

This principle works for most aspects of writing, but it’s especially useful for writing settings. That’s because so much of a setting is based on sensory detail, so it oftentimes helps to write about a place that you’ve been before.

Take the ocean, for instance. You might describe the smell of it, the feel of the sand between your toes, the sound of the gulls overhead. Make sure your audience feels like they can visualize and imagine themselves within the space.

If you’re writing alternate-world fantasy, this task becomes a bit trickier. Still, you can do it. Even if your story takes place in a world you’ve never visited and never will, you can still draw on personal experience. Think back to the time you went hiking through the mountains, took a trip to Death Valley, or went cave diving. These experiences can inform your settings, even those of an alternate world.

Imagine Your Setting as a Character

This is my personal favorite method of building a good setting. Imagine all the care and thought you put into your characters. Now apply those same principles toward your setting.

For example, your setting, just like your characters, has little quirks and oddities that no other setting has. Use those. A good setting, like good characters, help to progress the story further.

Give these tips a try and see what happens. And make sure not to forget that setting!

Kyle A. Massa is a speculative fiction author living somewhere in upstate New York with his fiancee and their two cats. His stories have appeared in numerous online magazines, including Allegory, Chantwood, and Dark Fire Fiction. To stay current with Kyle’s work, subscribe to his email newsletter. He promises not to spam you.