Describing the mental movie

We talked about bookmovies before, but before we develop our book for the screen, we need to accurately describe the mental movie in our heads.

This is so much harder than it sounds. How do we create the emotions we feel when we think about our story? How do we capture its atmosphere? How do we get readers invested in our story as much as we are?

Here are a few tips for describing the mental movie:

Be the director – It’s all up to you to communicate your vision to the reader. Think about scenes like a movie director. Which is the best angle? Who is the dominant character? Who is the submissive? Do their body positions reflect this? What symbolic colors, sounds, and objects can you incorporate in the scene to reiterate the theme?

Don’t rely on the plot – The stories that make the most impact are the ones where we witness the transformation of a character. What occurs in the plot doesn’t have any impact if we don’t care about the characters who are part of it. Focus on your characters’ inner struggle. What do they want? What do they fear? What’s keeping them from getting what they want?

Create a playlist – All the best movies have epic soundtracks that we remember all our lives. Whenever we hear the song, we’re reminded of the film and how it made us feel. Music is a powerful and quick way to immerse your brain into the mental movie of your story. Make your own soundtrack in your favorite music app and listen to it before you begin writing for the day. It will give continuity to the mood of you story.

Happy Writing!

–Christa