Script Writing: Week 1
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” — Scout (Jean Louise) “To Kill a Mockingbird”
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” — Scout (Jean Louise) “To Kill a Mockingbird”
1. First time novelist Harper Lee’s semi-autobiographical novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” is a story telling model we can look to for inspiration. Described in a simple logline as “A hauntingly nostalgic portrayal of childhood mischief set in a racially divided Alabama town in the 1930s”, the book sold more than 40 million copies and has become one of the most beloved and most taught works ever written by an American. To view the first chapter (pages 1 to 19) of this 1960 Pulitzer Prize winner and compare it with the corresponding section (pages 1 to 26) of Horton Foote’s 1962 Academy Award Adapted Screenplay click these buttons. Compare page 6 of the book with page 1 of the script so the differences between these two forms of storytelling.
2. “To be a person is to have a story to tell.” (Isak Dinesen). Your story like Harper Lee’s has and will involve many emotions including: Anger, Anticipation, Distrust, Fear, Joy and Happiness, Love, Remorse, Sadness, Surprise and Trust. Why do people around the world naturally talk to others after they have experienced an emotional upheaval? Why does keeping a dark secret interfere with sleep, health, relationships, and performance at work or school? And why do so many of us feel better after writing or talking about something that has been weighing on us? These are not esoteric or highly technical questions. Rather, they address issues we all face in our lives.
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” — Maya Angelou.
Recovery is a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives, and strive to reach their full potential (SAMSHA, July 2019). Recovery is not about getting rid of our loved one’s mental health or substance use problems but seeing beyond them, recognizing and fostering our abilities, interests and dreams. (Jacob, 2015). Recovery is about looking beyond these limits, real and imagined, and helping us become our “best self”. This concept of recovery can be illustrated through sharing your story.
Used purposefully, storytelling can contribute to inclusion and connection, build confidence, and bring about change. Writer Harper Lee’s semi-autobiographical novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” is a story telling model we can look to for inspiration. Described in a simple Log line as “A hauntingly nostalgic portrayal of childhood mischief set in a racially divided Alabama town in the 1930s”, the book sold more than 40 million copies and has become one of the most beloved and most taught works ever written by an American. To view the first chapter (pages 1 to 19) of this 1960 Pulitzer Prize winner and compare it with the corresponding section (pages 1 to 26) of Horton Foote’s 1962 Academy Award Adapted Screenplay click these buttons. Compare page 6 of the book with page 1 of the script so the differences between these two forms of storytelling.