Day 5 – What I learned …

[Isti Madarasz]

This is a masterful scene, a fantastic example of visual storytelling. Take after take, the tension creeps under your skin without a word being spoken. Everything is created and set up to constantly generate tension. Where are the riders going? What is this long underground tunnel? Why is this wall so huge and what is it protecting against? What could be out there in the winter wilderness where these riders are heading? When the rider sees the smoke, which could mean other people, friendly company, yet he immediately throws himself to the ground and crawls closer… danger is out there and it’s getting closer every minute.

I’ve learned that creating atmosphere, slowly feeding in information and mood setting elements is the most exciting thing that can happen to a story.

[Deb Johnson]

What I learned rewriting my scene:

Words are not necessary to set up the intrigue in my story. I wrote an entirely new open that utilized the techniques I observed in the scene from “Game of Thrones.” I Introduced layers of questions, created a character specific mystery, and used images (instead of words) that have strong visual impact. Finally, I included a misdirection to create surprise and made sure that there were a few set up’s that would pay off later in the story.

[Mary Dietz]

I thought about writing a specific scene using this technique but chose instead to introduce a few of my scenes that involve a change of venue–completely foreign to the protagonist. Seeing the environment, people, and cultural action from the eyes of the protagonist will give the viewer a chance to make their own interpretations and ask their questions before any dialogue fills in answers.