Hi, and welcome back to Don't Write Your First Three Pages Until You Do These Three Things.
Next video up, CRAFT the story’s persuasion.
Download the slide deck:
Use your CRAFT…to get literary agents and managers and executives to read your script all the way to the end.
Spoiler Alert! When you see the list of persuasive and rhetorical writing devices in the video, you're going to cringe.
It's going to throw you back to high school English. Eck!
I never liked any of my high school English teachers
They never made sense. They never started the story on page one. Although my 10th grade English teacher, Mr. Melnicki—RIP, had a great backstory. A kind and gentle soul, it was rumored that the fight had been beaten out of him when he had killed a man in a boxing ring. I just loved him because he turned us onto Shakespeare, “The Scottish Play,” and for some strange reason—I understood Shakespeare’s every word, but not Mr. Melnicki’s.
And now that I teach college and have been for the past 10+ years, I value every second I have with new writers. They remind me that writing good scenes or great dialogue doesn’t cut it.
Instead, to get page turns, you must trick the reader into loving you and your writing by adding rhetorical and persuasive writing devices in your opening pages.
The persuasive techniques will force the reader to use the same part of their brain that they’d use to solve a puzzle, and therefore, engage more deeply with your story.
Seamlessly hook your reader with your voice and your persuasive writing style. Many writers forget this aspect of writing when they craft their opening pages~
Let's jump into it.
Author’s note: My writing clients—who are penning features specs and murder mystery novels—have accelerated overnight by applying the tools in this series. Their drafts have clarity and commercial appeal because their stories start on page one. Strong character intros and setups are persuasive using connotative description and 2nd person POV.
You must add CRAFT to your opening pages
CRAFT: How to get literary agents and managers and executives to read your script all the way till the end.
My hope: That you’ll increase your confidence and are inspired to commit to your story’s creative potential by rewriting your opening or testing it to see if you used craft.
What's in store in this video...
Crafting your opening pages using rhetorical and persuasive writing devices that align with your story
Understand why you must create concrete images in your reader's minds
Why contrast is the top persuasive writing technique
Analyze AIR, POOR THINGS, and BLONDE AMBITION scripts
Transcript from the video: Let’s talk about rhetorical or persuasive writing devices that you're going to use specifically to craft your first three pages, your opening scenes, so that they pop off the page and show your literary style but doing it in a seamless way that is not over the top or wordy. It's all about connecting the persuasive techniques to your story's theme and your story's action and character.
The Screenplay AIR uses “imagine this” in opening
Then we're going to talk about the script AIR that was written by Alex Convery. It was an amazing script on the BLACKLIST that caught the attention of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. It flies. The pacing is kept all the way through, and that's because Convery breaks the formatting rules. But he also made his opening page catch my attention, and it caught it for the entire script.
So, crafting the first three pages is now using your secret sauce. That is your writer mindset, point of view, and style.
Use these persuasive techniques to create concrete images in the minds of your readers. When you use writing that is persuasive and appeals to the senses, it creates images that stick in the reader's memory.
How readers remember your writing and story
Memory is completely connected to learning. And in your opening pages, we're learning about your story and your characters. So invoking concrete images in the memory of your readers is a must do skill. It's a must do thing that you must execute.
Contrast is the top persuasive writing technique
For example, let's take the persuasive technique of using contrast. If you describe light against dark or even in character, you're going to put that puzzle together. It's going to invoke a memory, and it will stick with the reader.
Same way if you juxtapose silence against sound, which is so interestingly done in the film MAY DECEMBER especially in the opening credits, right to the first scene, if you've seen that movie, you'll know what I mean or go back and watch it.
Comparison works, too
Also, you can introduce having strong characters using compare or contrast to describe strength and weakness, or maybe even confidence.
Which character has more confidence, which character has less confidence? Use the comparison to create strong character introductions.
So I'm going to give you a list of rhetorical devices that you can use in your first three pages. And there's a mega list of persuasive devices.
For the entire CRAFT lesson, watch the video lesson above.
JUST A…SNEAK PEAK at the last video coming up:
Script Analysis + Rewrite
Watch for the last video installment in the series: Script Analysis + Rewrite.
It's where I apply all the Story Waves techniques of TRIM, CUT, and CRAFT to the opening pages of my feature spec script.
You’ll see me transform the first two pages an historical action romance, THE UNREDEEMED BRIDE, which is based on a book by John Williams, published in 1704, called The Unredeemed Captive.
Find the entire online course on UDEMY
SCRIPT MAGIC: UNLOCK THE POWER OF YORU OPENING PAGES
Part I: TRIM the action lines
Part II: CUT the dialogue that is not the plan, theme, or tagline
Part III: CRAFT the story’s persuasion
Part V: SCRIPT ANALYSIS + REWRITE of 1st 3 pages using the tools
Course includes over an hour of video and 13 downloads.
Until MARCH 10, 2024, get 85% off and use the DISCOUNT CODE: 12CDB0A78DB5D20C8614
Or click this LINK and download the UDEMY course for only $9.99.
Why subscribe?
Subscribe now for story waves of insight and creativity! Never miss an update.
Get the discounted $79 ANNUAL subscription or $8/month to receive:
Growing Archive of all Story Wave posts, writing workshops, teaching video, downloadable class notes, and templates
Join Story Waves Writing Challenges
Story Waves Community of writing support and paid posts
Get the discounted $159 FULL ACCESS subscription to receive:
Access to STORY GROUP and work with me every first Sunday of the month, 2-3:30 pm EST, where I demo page rewrites live from volunteers and teach from my Story Waves lessons.
Receive a $100 discount on all Story Consultations.
p.s. Replays will be available for workshops. Watch them at your convenience.
✨ Invest in yourself and your Story! Commit to one year with my guidance and get the discounted annual subscription. You, your writing, and your career are worth it.
Thank you for supporting Story Waves! Consider becoming a paid subscriber and get the benefits of Story Group and Story Consultation discounts. See FULL ACCESS.
Subscribed
Check out Story Waves Lessons AND Video Courses:
✨ Invest in yourself and your Story! Commit to one year with my guidance and get the discounted annual subscription. You, your writing, and your career are worth it.
Testimonials
Kelly Keough is a genius! Not only does she take the time to ensure that every writer gets an adequate amount of notes that successfully sets them up for the next draft, but she also uses her industry expertise to bring every script to the next level. I couldn’t recommend her workshops more. ~Zach B.
Working with Kelly Keough is amazing! She has helped me with two of my scripts now and I cannot be more grateful. She always has incredible insight and her knowledge and command of structure are top notch! She’s great at helping you get through writer’s block. Kelly is direct, honest, caring and has a keen intuition that really benefits her clients! Thank you Kelly! ~Beth N.
Kelly Keough is an incredible teacher and writer whose skill and wisdom can only be matched by her compassion and encouraging nature. I was lucky enough to have her as my professor in college and the way that I approach my writing has been forever changed by her teaching. As you can tell from her workshops and videos, she is concise and clear, accomplished and knowledgeable, and most importantly eager to help you succeed and find your voice. ~Emma M.
I look forward to reading your stories and connecting in 2024!
Best wishes,
Kelly E. Keough