7 Ways to Get Your Brain Doing Shit

We all know how hard it is to come up with an idea for something. Hell, I haven't had a good idea in weeks. So here I have some useful tips to help you get going.

1. CAFFEINE

I cannot put enough emphasis on how helpful a cup of coffee, tea, or even a glass of Pepsi can do to your brain. caffeine, like nicotine and Ritalin, is a stimulant. It jogs your brain into motion, so if you're exhausted, or even just a little fuzzy, a boost will really help you crank out some really ingenious ideas.

2. Eat

It could be chocolate, carrots, or chicken nuggets--I don't care. Eating something will get your brain and your body working faster. You'll be able to think, and write at a better speed than you might have otherwise.

3. De-clutter

When it comes to creating a productive writing space, less is sometimes more. Clean up your desk area, and close out of unnecessary tabs like Tumblr and Buzzfeed. Okay, yes, they're necessary because my life revolves almost exclusively around these two websites, but this is writing time. When it's writing time, you can't be distracted by Supernatural gifs or cute videos of corgis. I know, it's hard, but I'm sure you can do it.

4. Get somewhere quiet

Okay, so you might love your friends and family and social media. But when you're writing, it's usually best to be as far away as possible from people who might try to engage you in conversation. Your quiet place could be anywhere--a coffee shop, a library, a park, or even somewhere in your own home. This is another way to cut off distractions, and feel free to tell that chatty friend who reeeeeeaaaaaally wants to tell you what happened on The Bachelor last night to shut the fuck up.

5. Listen to music

Find your jam and bury yourself in it. Music is a great way to help you concentrate, and can also help drown out all of those stupid, annoying distractions like your social life. You can listen to music that fits what you're feeling, or fits what you're writing, or whatever the heckle deckle you feel like listening to.

6. Listen to soothing sounds

I don't know what relaxes you. Rain, ocean waves, whale sounds, what have you. But playing something soothing as white nose either over your music or instead of it really helps the brain relax. There's also a really great website, Coffitivity.com, which plays mundane coffee shop sounds that do miracles for your creativity.

7. Exercise

Ew, exercise! If you hate it, don't worry. So do I, as well as probably most of the human population. But as much as it sucks to be sweaty and moving, and not sitting on the couch watching reruns of Doctor Who, getting up and getting your wiggle on releases endorphins, which we know not only makes us happy, but boosts our concentration. Don't believe me? That's okay. I cited a real professional on this:

First rule of Elle Woods, Elle Woods is always right.

So there you have it. Seven quick and easy ways to help get your brain doing shit.

Ethos, Pathos, and Logos: Why They're a Pain, and Why We Need Them

Let's talk characters.

Characters are, in my opinion, the most important part of any novel, TV show, movie, comic book, video game, and so on. A character can make or break a project. A lot of people argue that there are things more important than characters, like genre, appeal, and so forth. I'm going to tell you right off the bat that if you have a good idea, but really flat, flimsy characters, the entire project is going to be a flop.

A writer's job is to tell a story, but it's also our job to make the audience actually feel something. We want to connect with our readers, you know? And the best way to do that is by creating well-rounded, dynamic characters. To get a point across, and to get people to listen, you have to give them some form of comfort, and familiarity. Humans, although we're all different, experience the same ranges of core, human emotions (even if we don't always react to them in the same way). Humans connect with each other, and we crave that connection. So, really, the key to a successful masterpiece is to create characters that are so human that they could be anybody; we see ourselves in other people, and that helps to expand our understanding of others, and of ourselves.

So, what are some of the most basic ways that we can use characters to appeal to people in the outside world? I'm sure some of you have heard of ethos, pathos, and logos, but if not, I'll digress into a mini lesson. Ethos, pathos, and logos are the so-called "Three Appeals", an idea coined by the ancient philosopher Aristotle. These strategies are most often taught in English language, composition, and rhetoric classes, and not as often in terms of literature. But whether you're writing a news article or the next Great American Novel, having an understanding of the three appeals is a big help. They're also called the "Methods of Persuasion", but I prefer to call them the Holy Trinity of AP English Compisition Nightmares, because as useful as they are, sometimes they can be a huge pain in the ass.

So, picture a triangle.

At the top of the triangle, we have Ethos, an appeal to authority. Ethos isn't as important in fiction as it is in essays and journalism, but it's still pretty useful. Ethos is defined as the use of an appeal to ethics and authority in order to establish the credibility of the speaker. Ethos is used to persuade people into trusting you, and believing that you know what you're talking about.

Ethos is tricky. Let's do an example.

Say you're hiring a babysitter. If you don't have kids, or aren't planning on having any, then pretend the babysitter is a dogsitter, catsitter, fishsitter, housesitter, or plantsitter. They're sitting something. It's your choice what it is.

So you're hiring someone to look  after your precious darlings, and you're in the middle of an interview with two potential candidates.

The first says, "Yeah, I don't really have too much experience with kids (or dogs, cats, plants, and so on), but I'm pretty dedicated and stuff."

The second says, "I've been looking after kids for a couple of years. I've looked after my brothers and sisters, I nannyed for Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes's kids, I have a degree in early childhood education, I'm first aid certified, and I love arts and crafts."

Okay, a really extreme example, but what babysitter would you choose? The one who's inexperienced? Or the one who has a stellar resume and knows what they're doing? This is an example of ethos, because the second babysitter is showing that they're credible, experienced, and trustworthy.

After ethos, comes my personal favorite, pathos: the appeal to emotion. When trying to create a personable, realistic character, one of the most important things you can learn is how to make people feel what you want to. This doesn't just go for characters, this goes for everything. Mastering the use of pathos means that you're pretty much a master of mind control. You're telling people what to feel so indescreetly that they're actually feeling it. Mastering this skill pretty much makes you Professer Charles Xavier.

Pathos and logos are the ying and the yang of creating a convincing argument. They're polar opposites, and yet you can't have one without the other. So let's think of pathos as the right brain (in control of emotion, creativity, passion, a nd looking at the big picture), and logos as the left brain (which is the more logical, analytical, and verbal side of the brain).

The best way to understand the differences between pathos/right brain and logos/left brain is through this ridiculously humorous song by the singing comedian Bo Burnham, which I'll insert below. Sure, it's dumb and silly, but Burnham's duet between the two halves of his brain shows not only how pathos and logos work, but how you can't have one without the other.

This version of the song might not be in the finest quality, but if you enjoyed it, do try out his performance of "what.", which you can find on Netflix.

Okay, enough free advertising. Sorry, Bo.

So, pathos. The right side of our little rhetorical triangle. You can use pathos to appeal to any human emotion if you try, and I'm going to look a little closer into emotions later, and how people react to things in different ways. A website by the name of yourdictionary.com has a special section about the three appeals here  http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples/examples-of-ethos-logos-and-pathos.html

Let's look at some of the examples

• "If we don’t move soon, we’re all going to die! Can’t you see how dangerous it would be to stay?"

This appeals to the classic "Fight or Flight" instinct, which is another important thing we'll look at as we figure out how to develop dynamic characters. When you read this sentence, it gives you a sense of fear, intamacy, and haste. You feel rushed, and afraid, and the character is speaking to "you" directly. We often appeal to the instincts of fear and survival more than anything else because it's one of the basest of natural human instincts. This kind of fiction-induced adrenaline rush is the reason why action and horror movies have become so popular. Whether we think about it or not, we kind of like being scared, and on the edges of our seats.

• "I’m not just invested in this community – I love every building, every business, every hard-working member of this town."

Doesn't reading this just make you feel proud, and loved? This feeling of working hard and being appreciated, and proud, is most often used by politicians. You feel like this individual loves everything and everyone, and it makes you feel pretty special.

• "Where would we be without this tradition? Ever since our forefathers landed at Plymouth Rock, we’ve celebrated Thanksgiving without fail, making more than cherished recipes. We’ve made memories."
• "They’ve worked against everything we’ve worked so hard to build, and they don’t care who gets hurt in the process. Make no mistake, they’re the enemy, and they won’t stop until we’re all destroyed."
• "Don’t be the last person on the block to have their lawn treated – you don’t want to be the laughing stock of your community!"
• "You should consider another route. I heard that that street is far more dangerous and ominous at night than during the daytime."
• "You’ll make the right decision because you have something that not many people do: you have heart."
• "After years of this type of disrespect from your boss, countless hours wasted, birthdays missed… it’s time that you took a stand."
• "Better men than us have fought and died to preserve this great nation. Now is our turn to return the favor. For God and country, gentlemen!"
• "You will never be satisfied in life if you don’t seize this opportunity. Do you want to live the rest of your years yearning to know what would have happened if you just jumped when you had the chance?"

And then we come to the last corner of the triangle, Logos. The important appeal to the logic that supports your claim. This is where you give 'em the cold, hard facts, and the well-thought calculations. This is the left brain, so to speak, if you want to look at it from Mr. Burnham's perspective. Logos is the final way to make something reliable. You've showed off your references, you've tickled their heartstrings, and now you give them the evidence in the middle. I like to call logos the "Spock" of rhetoric. No emotion, all reality. Grounded, material, tangible. Let's look at some examples.

"The data is perfectly clear: this investment has consistently turned a profit year-over-year, even in spite of market declines in other areas."

These words show research, evidence, and pattern. This is the part where the lawyer makes their claim to the jury, showing off OJ Simpson's glove.

Some more examples are as follows:

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury: we have not only the fingerprints, the lack of an alibi, a clear motive, and an expressed desire to commit the robbery… We also have video of the suspect breaking in. The case could not be more open and shut."

"It’s a matter of common sense that people deserve to be treated equally. The Constitution calls it ‘self-evident.’ Why, then, should I have been denied a seat because of my disability?"

"More than one hundred peer-reviewed studies have been conducted over the past decade, and none of them suggests that this is an effective treatment for hair loss."

"History has shown time and again that absolute power corrupts absolutely."

"Private demand for the product has tapered off for the past three years, and this year’s sales figures are at an all-time low. It’s time to research other options."

"The algorithms have been run in a thousand different ways, and the math continues to check out."

"In 25 years of driving the same route, I haven’t seen a single deer."

"He has a track record of success with this company, culminating in some of our most acclaimed architecture to date and earning us Firm of the Year nine times in a row."

"You don’t need to jump off a bridge to know that it’s a bad idea. Why then would you need to try drugs to know if they’re damaging? That’s plain nonsense."

"Research compiled by analysts from NASA, as well as organizations from five other nations with space programs, suggests that a moon colony is viable with international support."

So there you have it--Ethos, Pathos, and Logos, the Deathly Hallows of literature. It might help to think of them as Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Harry is the Pathos.

He appeals to emotion, because we see everything through his eyes. His personal tragedy with his parents makes us feel the ache of an absent family. His need to belong, and feel loved. His determination, and his curiosity. First hand, we can experience his sadness, anger, happiness, and everything in between.

Ron is the Ethos.

Okay, so maybe he's not the ideal authority figure, but he still provides an appeal to the governing force: magic. He's the one who knows the most about it, because he was raised into it. He knows the customs, knows the traditions, and knows the ins and outs of being a wizard. Like I said, he's not exactly a leader, but he's sort of the doctor of the group in a way--not in that he's an actual doctor, but if one of them was having a heart attack (or was hit with a bad hex, in his case), he'd have some basic idea of what to do. For some reason, having him around kind of puts us at ease because he's the one who has the most first-hand experience with magic.

Hermione is the Logos.

 

 

Enough said.

But the goal is that each of your characters should embody all three of these elements in their behavior and delivery of their beliefs. Harry should know the most about something, Hermione should have feelings, and Ron should have...some sort of logic.

What Makes A Villain?

So I've been thinking lately about why I can't seem to get any of my ideas down onto paper. I have the characters, I have the ideas, but I have no direction. I have no idea where to take them. Sure, there's a general direction I'd like to go with in the pilot, but what about after? What's my season structure? My story arc? I know how to structure a story arc, sure, but what am I going to do with it?
To make a standard story arc for a full television season, you need the following:

• Stasis
• Trigger
• The "Quest"
• Suprise
• Critical choice
• Climax
• Reversal
• Resolution

Apparently, every type of story moves through each of these points, in this particular order. I have the stasis, and I have the trigger, but what comes next? What quest am I going to send my characters on? What surprises am I going to throw into their faces? What conflicts are going to arise?

More importantly, I don't know anything about the "enemy". After all, everyone needs an enemy, right? A good, old fashioned villian? I know this, and I love villians. Sometimes I love them even more than the heroes. Especially female villians. I can't watch a TV show or movie with a female villian, because as soon as I get a look at them, chances are I'm going to fall in love.

But what does a villain mean? Anyone can spark a conflict, and we know the types of conflicts:

• Man vs Nature
• Man vs Man
• Man vs Society
• Man vs Self

And so on, and so on, and so forth, and so forth. Within my piece, I hope to exhibit each of these conflicts, but the question is, who is the man? What is the society? What about nature could cause a conflict?

My characters have been sent into their world for a reason, and they have something they have to do. They have to somehow manage to save the world, or something equally large and universal and used excessively to the point of destruction. But save the world from what? What's the big threat skulking about in the shadows?

For some reason, this is a concept that I'm reaching for, but I just can't seem to grab onto. And it's nothing short of infuriating, because I know there's something there, but I have no clue what the hell it is or how I'm supposed to articulate it. In case you haven't noticed, which I'm sure you have, writing is a tremendous pain in the ass.
A villian could be anything, anyone.

A character's split personality.

A malevolent, opressive government.

They tend to represent a particular sin, like greed, rage, or ambition. Sometimes, they're completely different from the main character, or they share a core quality that makes them unsettlingly alike. And, of course, they're always British. We'll be having none of that here.

But, I mean, we have our classics. Voldemort. The Joker. Hannibal Lector. Moriarty. Alex DeLarge. Norman Bates. Sylar/Gabriel Grey, and who could forget American Horror Story's never ending slew of of fascinating and dynamic villains?

So this is what I propose for anyone struggling to create a villain, whether they're a serial killer, a scientist, and so on.

Think about your favorite villians. Think about the best baddies of all time, and list them out. I'll make a smaller list as an example.

• President Snow (The Hunger Games)
• Crowley (Supernatural)
• Sister Jude/Judy Martin (American Horror Story: Asylum)
• Nikki/Jessica Sanders (Heroes)
• Scarecrow (Batman Begins)
• Gabriel/Trickster (Supernatural)
• Loki Laufeyson (The Avengers/Thor/Marvel Comics)
• Abbadon (Supernatural)
• Naomi (Supernatural) 
• Morgana Le Fey (Merlin)
• Sylar/Gabriel Gray (Heroes)

The list is truly endless. I just jotted down a few of my favorites that are easiest to analyze. Now that you have your list of bad guys, start listing off their traits--methods, attitude, what makes them evil, motives, and whatnot.

President Snow- Malevolent, high in power, feared, respected, classy, stern, cold, doesn't get his hands dirty, the ends justify the means, traditional

Crowley- Manipulative, authority figure, classy, clever, organized, sarcastic, driven, not afraid to get his hands dirty, ambitious, wants to be loved

Sister Jude/Judy Martin- Has a traumatic past, stern, hides her desires, learns to become empathetic, empowered, punishes people because she sees herself in them

Nikki/Jessica Sanders- Split personality, stolkholm syndrome, driven, violent, ruthless, battle for control, versatile, family-oriented, really wants to get a handle on herself, self-serving

Scarecrow- Self-serving, unsettlingly calm, sophisticated, has an understanding of psychology

Gabriel/Trickster- Humorous, sarcastic, prankster, likes messing with people, has a skewed sense of justice, sweet tooth, cares more than he lets on (especially about his family)

Loki Laufeyson- Manipulative, decietful, driven, ambitious, power hungry, hides his pain, prideful, feels robbed/betrayed, dry, prankster, has a sense of humor

Abbadon-Rebel, vain, power hungry, manipulative, moving up from the bottom, ruthless

Naomi- Powerful, driven, mysterious, doesn't like to be questioned, manipulative, the ends justify the means

Morgana Le Fey-Clever, violent, manipulative, emmpowered, vain, classy (at first), feral (later), feels betrayed and oppressed, had semi-good intentions, vengeful, uses her sex appeal to her advantage, the ends justify the means

Sylar/Gabriel Gray-Power hungry, wanted to be "special", desire to stand out, distinct knowledge of how things work, manipulative, decietful, desire to be appreciated, feels a need to be approved of/cared about

So now we've broken down our villains, and the next step is weeding through the list and picking out which qualities are common, and which ones you like.

President Snow- Malevolent, high in power, feared, respected, classy, stern, cold, doesn't get his hands dirty, the ends justify the means, traditional, distant

Crowley- Manipulative, authority figure, classy, clever, organized, sarcastic, driven, not afraid to get his hands dirty, ambitious, wants to be loved

Sister Jude/Judy Martin- Has a traumatic past, stern, hides her desires, learns to become empathetic, empowered, punishes people because she sees herself in them

Nikki/Jessica Sanders- Split personality, stolkholm syndrome, driven, violent, ruthless, battle for control, versatile, family-oriented, really wants to get a handle on herself, self-serving

Scarecrow- Self-serving, unsettlingly calm, sophisticated, has an understanding of psychology

Gabriel/Trickster- Humorous, sarcastic, prankster, likes messing with people, has a skewed sense of justice, sweet tooth, cares more than he lets on (especially about his family)

Loki Laufeyson- Manipulative, decietful, driven, ambitious, power hungry, hides his pain, prideful, feels robbed/betrayed, dry, prankster, has a sense of humor

Abbadon-Rebel, vain, power hungry, manipulative, moving up from the bottom, ruthless

Naomi- Powerful, driven, mysterious, doesn't like to be questioned, manipulative, the ends justify the means

Morgana Le Fey-Clever, violent, manipulative, emmpowered, vain, classy (at first), feral (later), feels betrayed and oppressed, had semi-good intentions, vengeful, uses her sex appeal to her advantage, the ends justify the means

Sylar/Gabriel Gray-Power hungry, wanted to be "special", desire to stand out, distinct knowledge of how things work, manipulative, decietful, desire to be appreciated, feels a need to be approved of/cared about

After narrowing down what traits are common among villians and what distinct qualities you find appealing, start experimenting. Smoosh traits together and start coming up with different equations for a likeable (or hate-able) antagonist. The goal here to create ruthless, dynamic villians, but to also create baddies that are human enough that the reader or audience can sympathize with them. Break down some of the most basic human emotions, and try to connect the audience with the villian in some way. Viscious, relentless villians are scary, sure, but what's even scarier is when we can see ourselves in them.