New Skillshare Class
Storyboard like a Coach

Storyboard like a Coach

by | Apr 2, 2019

Storyboard Like a Coach

Run a few quick scenarios for your idea and then choose a game plan.

Style

Special Agent

Skill

Structuring Ideas

Time

15 -30 mins

THE WORKSHOP:

Storyboard Like a Coach

Imagine yourself in a locker room with a white board, going over game play with your coach. In this version of storyboarding, you sketch your possibilities out as quickly as possible, and then snap a photo of what you think will work better. You don’t have to know all the specifics, just the general movements across the field. Plus, you can plan for the surprises that might pop up along the way.

When should you storyboard your manuscript? There are a number of times in the writing process where working with a storyboard can be useful.

After idea generation, storyboarding will help you structure energetic brainstorming into a solid plan for your story. For me, the right moment is after I’ve done some full-plot brainstorming, and after I’ve drafted at least two or three scenes.

When drafting, storyboarding is an excellent get-unstuck tool. You might play a game or two to shake up your ideas and then use a storyboard to help you plug your new ideas into the plot. If you’ve already created a storyboard, you can play around with the variables to see if a change here or there might unstick your stuck moment. If not, a storyboard will give you increased clarity.

When revising, storyboarding is a powerful shortcut to help you see the effect of changes. Rather than trying to hold your entire plot in your mind while you experiment with possibilities, swap elements into and out of your storyboard to see how each change will impact your plot. Using this simplified view, you’ll be able to problem-solve with greater perspective and speed.

Materials

How to Play

  • Timer
  • White Board
  • Dry erase markers
  • Camera

1. Set a timer for three minutes.

2. In that short time, mentally play through your story.

  • How does the story begin?
  • What key things happen in the middle?
  • Where and how does the climax take place?
  • Why does this problem or opportunity matter to your character?
  • How does the story resolve?

3. Once the time is up, it’s time to storyboard. Grab your dry erase markers. Decide how long you want to spend on the storyboard today. Save three-five minutes at the end of your work session to capture any thinking you haven’t captured on the board and don’t want to forget. Set your timer accordingly.

4. If this is your first draft of the storyboard, draw out a simple map of your story on the board. Use simple symbols, as a coach would (think x’s and o’s), and labels where they’re helpful.

5. If you’ve already created a storyboard for this project, reference your past material. You might have a photo or the actual board. You can use those pieces of info to help sketch this map.

6. When you reach problem spots, or gaps between one major scene and another, think like a play-maker. If this problem arises, how might I bypass it? How might I use it to my benefit?

7. Depending on how much time you’ve allotted for this activity, you can spend time now experimenting with variables, or just capture the givens for a scene and plan to play with possibilities later when it’s time to draft that scene.

8. Wrap up your storyboarding session by writing yourself a quick set of notes. What is left to be considered? Are certain sections of the plan weaker than others? Note whatever you don’t want to forget and keep those notes with your photo of the completed white board.

Try On Other Creative Styles

Storyboard Like a Detective

FOR INVENTORS

Define the scenario, collect clues, and ultimately, resolve your questions. Capture your thinking on your storyboard.

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Storyboard Like an Animator

FOR COLLABORATORS

Use the Hero’s Journey to structure your storyboard discussion with a collaborator.

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Storyboard Like a Reporter

FOR ARCHITECTS

Structure your thinking about a project with a reporter’s questions. Use your discoveries to shape your storyboard.

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And Down the Stretch They Come

And Down the Stretch They Come

by | Apr 2, 2019

And Down the Stretch They Come

Choose the frontrunner issues and tackle them head-on with a quick-listing exercise.

Style

Special Agent

Skill

Applying Feedback

Time

20 mins

THE CAFE:

And Down the Stretch They Come

As a Special Agent, your strong intuition is likely to kick in before a feedback session is even done. Chances are high that you already know which problems are the front-runners.

Play to those strengths and tackle the big issues first. You know that 20% of the effort achieves 80% of the results, so focus on those areas where your efforts will pay off most. As far as solutions go, take that same approach. Go with your gut, and remember that you think and write fast. For you, writing a scene and then, if necessary, writing it again, is much faster than procrastinating in the decision-making process.

 

Materials

How to Play

  • Feedback
  • Timer
  • Paper
  • Pen

 NOTE: Once you receive feedback, you may choose to process it with a collaborator, or to take it to a quiet place where you can think it through. Both approaches can be effective as part of your Cafe toolbox.

 

1. Review the feedback you received. You may have your own notes, written thoughts from someone else, or you might be quickly jotting down feedback you just heard.

2. Set a timer for three – five minutes, depending on how long you’d like.

3. On a clean piece of paper, list the top three issues you see highlighted in the feedback.

4. Set the timer again, this time for three – five minutes per issue. Quick list a variety of solutions for each of these three problems.

5. Even if you come up with a strong idea first, keep listing. Remember that a little ahead-of-time thinking can save you time later.

6. Choose your solutions, make a quick plan of action, and make sure to start solving the first problem right away. Momentum is your friend!

Try On Other Creative Styles

Pin the Heart on the Problem

FOR INVENTORS

List the issues raised and then use “Why …?” to narrow in on the heart of the problem.

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The Question Queue

FOR ARCHITECTS

Line up your questions and address them one by one in this structured revision approach.

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Scramble and Sort

FOR COLLABORATORS

After collecting feedback, scramble and sort it into new categories so the group can help the writer choose a starting place for a revision.

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Improvise the Highlights

Improvise the Highlights

by | Mar 20, 2019

Improvise the Highlights

Use this quick-thinking improv game to identify key moments in your scene and shortcut the experimentation process.

Style

Special Agent

Skill

Improvisation

Time

10 minutes

THE STUDIO:

Improvise the Highlights

As a Special Agent, improvisation may not be your favorite approach. If you already have a solid idea, why experiment with other options? However, if your ultimate goal is to be able to quickly draft from beginning to end of your book, improvisation can actually be your most powerful tool.

By trying out a few options before you start to write, you identify pitfalls and possibilities. You end up saving yourself time by avoiding sticky detours and the dreaded situation of writing yourself into a dead-end.

Materials

Improvise the Highlights

  • Space to move
  • Paper
  • Pen

1. Stand up. You’ll be much more engaged with the visualization process if you put your body into motion.

2. Strike a pose of your main character at the beginning of your scene as you’ve planned it. The more you physically engage with your character’s action and emotion, the more information you’ll gain from this exercise. Find two more poses for the middle and end of the scene.

3. Mentally rewind back to the beginning of your scene, and do a quick review of your strategy. What’s your objective in this scene? What information do you want the reader to take away from this scene? What feeling do you want the reader to take away?

4. Choose one element in your scene to shift in some way. You might exaggerate an action, add a new action, or try a setting that evokes a different tone.

5. Either use frozen poses again, allowing yourself to make as many as are helpful to take you through the scene’s sequence, or play through the action of the scene. Play through an active, emotionally connected summary of the scene (as opposed to moment-to-moment action).

6. Try a couple more run-throughs of the scene. You may want to try three vastly different options, or follow one idea, making it better with each iteration.

7. Even if you don’t use one of your improvised versions of the scene in your draft, you have quickly gained a large amount of information. Celebrate your progress, and then use that momentum as you head into your next drafting session.

Try On Other Creative Styles

The Who, What, & Where Experiment

FOR ARCHITECTS

Use this structured improv game to experiment with options for your next scene.

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Step Into Your Character's Shoes

FOR INVENTORS

Take on your character’s mindset and play through a scene in a variety of ways in this improv game for writers.

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Improvised Storytelling

FOR COLLABORATORS

Create a collaborative scene with a partner, using their questions to help you better understand your main character’s point of view.

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Frame Your Heart in Three

Frame Your Heart in Three

by | Jan 24, 2019

Frame Your Heart in Three

Choose three adjectives that focus your attention on the core of this project, and its importance to you.

Style

Special Agent

Skill

Finding the Heart

Time

5 mins

THE ATTIC:

Frame Your Heart in Three

Don’t let the simplicity of this exercise fool you. Taking the time to choose three adjectives that you’d be proud to use to describe your project when it is finished can give you a powerful focus. Your adjectives will help you avoid detours, and ensure that when you reach the end of your creative process, you land at the desired destination.

Materials

How to Play

  • Timer

  • Index Cards

  • Pen

1. Take a moment to picture your project when it is finished. Picture the circumstance in which you might you share it with a friend.

2. Imagine for a moment how you would describe the project. What kinds of words might you use?

3. Set your timer for two minutes and write one word per card, listing as many adjectives as you can think of that describe how the project will look and feel. Go for a variety.

4. Spread out your index cards and begin to sort them. Stack synonyms. Then, try to rank the words in order of importance. Your goal is to finish with three words that create a frame (think triangle) that show three key aspects of your finished work.

5. Post your three words somewhere where you can see and reference them often.

Try On Other Creative Styles

Freewrite Your Heart

FOR INVENTORS

Move your hand across the page speedily to bypass your critic and discover your heart.

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Share Your Heart with a Loved One

FOR COLLABORATORS

Choose a confidant and write a letter about your project. What is most important to you about creating this artwork?

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Zoom In On the Heart

FOR ARCHITECTS

Answer three key questions to focus your attention on the core of this project, and its importance to you.

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Choose One Expert

Choose One Expert

by | Jan 3, 2019

Choose One Expert

Focus on one expert in this strategic learning exercise.

Style

Special Agent

Skill

Choosing a Mentor

Commitment

Ongoing

THE LIBRARY:

Choose One Expert

 

Expert mentors are a particularly strategic shortcut, which makes them an excellent fit for Special Agents. You can stand on the shoulders of experts, past or present, and leap forward. When you’re considering a mentor, think expansively. Sometimes an author, podcaster, or other thought leader is the perfect person to guide you forward, even if you can’t meet with them and speak face-to-face.

An expert mentor can help you:

  • Gain new perspective
  • Better understand the landscape of your field
  • Discover resources or tools to help you bypass trial and error

Materials

How to Choose

  • Timer

  • Paper

  • Pencil
  • Computer (optional)

1. Set a timer for five minutes.

2. Make a list of questions related to your current creative project.

3. Once the time is up, review your list. Do you see any patterns?

4. Create a focusing question to guide your next learning and growth step. Start with “How might I … ?”

4. List any experts that come to mind who might shed light on your question. Think widely: visual artists, musicians, writers, entrepreneurs, researchers, etc.

5. Spend a few minutes on Google, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Amazon, Pinterest, or iTunes. Notice which experts top the lists when you search for articles, books, podcasts, and videos related to your question.

6. Using the information you’ve gathered, choose one mentor for the week. Soak in material by or about them. Listen to a podcast by or about them, read a book by them (or listen to a Blinkist summary about their book), or watch a video by or about them.

7. At the end of the week, review what you’ve learned. Can you transform any of your learning into a practical strategy to try? Would you like to continue learning from this mentor, or choose a new one?

Try On Other Creative Styles

Profile Three Experts

FOR ARCHITECTS

Use insight from three experts to lead you to the perfect-fit mentor.

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Assemble a Think Tank of Mentors

FOR INVENTORS

Identify one-of-a-kind insights by connecting wisdom from an eclectic group of experts.

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Create a Learner's Book Club

FOR COLLABORATORS

Collaborate with a few friends to gain the most out of your next mentorship experience.

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