LOST writing class #16: The Black Moment
All is lost. There’s no light at the end of the tunnel. And it truly is darkest before the dawn.
That’s what the Black Moment is all about. You bring your character to a time when he thinks that his goal is not only in sight, but he can brush his fingers against it then you TAKE IT AWAY. Yes, you love your hero, but you need to make it seem impossible for him to reach his goal.
This is a point of your story where your heroine needs to dig down deep and figure out if her goal is worth it. She needs to sift through her reasons for doing what she has and find the strength to keep going. Or if she finds her goal is not the right one for her, the strength to walk away from it.
Why would you do this? It’s all about the drama. Your reader has been on a roller coaster ride that you’ve created, but they need one last thrill before the grand finale. Give them a moment where they think there’s no possible way for a happy ending, and they will be even more satisfied when that’s what you give them. But don’t leave too much room between the black moment and the finale. Too much room gives the reader a chance to catch their breath too easily. You want them hanging on, not giving up.
How does LOST handle those black moments? Let’s take a look at another of my favorite Ben episodes, “The Man Behind the Curtain” (season 3, episode 20). Locke has demanded answers from Ben about the Island, so they travel to see Jacob who Ben says will explain everything. What is Ben’s goal in this episode? To control Locke and (potentially) get rid of him. What complications have we seen? Mikhail arrives giving Ben a perfectly good out, but Locke beats the Russian senseless and removes that excuse. Later, Ben’s own daughter gives his nemesis her gun (which means Ben’s plans for getting rid of Locke seem even more impossible). They finally get to the cabin where Ben is convinced that Locke will not only be very disappointed for not meeting Jacob but leave him with an opportunity it re-establish his control. So what happens? Locke hears “Jacob” and things go haywire in the cabin. Definitely NOT a part of Ben’s plan. This leaves him shaken and uncertain about what to do next. This is his black moment, the moment where he has no idea what to do or where to go (we learn later that he does come up with a plan and leads Locke to his “grave”). It takes him a little while but he is able to bounce back and come up with a plan to regain control and power over Locke. In fact, it’s the very next scene (again, not giving the viewer too much time to give up on the story).
Black moments are necessary. Not only for the plot of your story, but thematically it gives you the chance to highlight what the story is about. Use this as a means of pointing out why you’re telling the story. Make the hero’s struggle at this point where you can show the story’s purpose without being overhanded or melodramatic about it.
Next Wednesday, I’ll be flying to Denver for the annual ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) conference where I’ll be learning more about this wonderful craft of writing. But I’ll be posting about those grand finales and what makes an ending great.
That’s what the Black Moment is all about. You bring your character to a time when he thinks that his goal is not only in sight, but he can brush his fingers against it then you TAKE IT AWAY. Yes, you love your hero, but you need to make it seem impossible for him to reach his goal.
This is a point of your story where your heroine needs to dig down deep and figure out if her goal is worth it. She needs to sift through her reasons for doing what she has and find the strength to keep going. Or if she finds her goal is not the right one for her, the strength to walk away from it.
Why would you do this? It’s all about the drama. Your reader has been on a roller coaster ride that you’ve created, but they need one last thrill before the grand finale. Give them a moment where they think there’s no possible way for a happy ending, and they will be even more satisfied when that’s what you give them. But don’t leave too much room between the black moment and the finale. Too much room gives the reader a chance to catch their breath too easily. You want them hanging on, not giving up.
How does LOST handle those black moments? Let’s take a look at another of my favorite Ben episodes, “The Man Behind the Curtain” (season 3, episode 20). Locke has demanded answers from Ben about the Island, so they travel to see Jacob who Ben says will explain everything. What is Ben’s goal in this episode? To control Locke and (potentially) get rid of him. What complications have we seen? Mikhail arrives giving Ben a perfectly good out, but Locke beats the Russian senseless and removes that excuse. Later, Ben’s own daughter gives his nemesis her gun (which means Ben’s plans for getting rid of Locke seem even more impossible). They finally get to the cabin where Ben is convinced that Locke will not only be very disappointed for not meeting Jacob but leave him with an opportunity it re-establish his control. So what happens? Locke hears “Jacob” and things go haywire in the cabin. Definitely NOT a part of Ben’s plan. This leaves him shaken and uncertain about what to do next. This is his black moment, the moment where he has no idea what to do or where to go (we learn later that he does come up with a plan and leads Locke to his “grave”). It takes him a little while but he is able to bounce back and come up with a plan to regain control and power over Locke. In fact, it’s the very next scene (again, not giving the viewer too much time to give up on the story).
Black moments are necessary. Not only for the plot of your story, but thematically it gives you the chance to highlight what the story is about. Use this as a means of pointing out why you’re telling the story. Make the hero’s struggle at this point where you can show the story’s purpose without being overhanded or melodramatic about it.
Next Wednesday, I’ll be flying to Denver for the annual ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) conference where I’ll be learning more about this wonderful craft of writing. But I’ll be posting about those grand finales and what makes an ending great.
Labels: Lost, writing class
posted by Syndi Powell @ 9:00 PM
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