Your Life as a Movie

Make Your Biography a Blockbuster: Three Hollywood Story Writing Secrets
By
Mike Brozda

Close your eyes and imagine your life as a movie.

The story of your life is a lot like a full-length feature film. What's yours movie? A love story? A comedy? An adventure? A tragedy? Or perhaps it's a mix of two or more genres, such as a romantic comedy.

These genres of movies are a handy way to think about the story of one's life. Believe it or not, almost every movie ever hade follows the same basic three-step formula:

1. The main character is living life, usually unaware that something is about to happen that will change him or her forever
2. Something happens! The main character goes on a downward spiral, loses control. When things look their most grim, he/she discovers something new and vitally important about themselves
3. Armed with this new information, the hero/heroine advances and conquers whatever person or thing that must be overcome

YOU are the hero of your own life. You've had great times, and hard times. You've learned important lessons. Writing your biography with these three movie themes can help anyone write with clarity, power and precision. The next time you go to the movies, watch carefully. In the opening scene, something unbelievable almost invariably happens to the main character. He/she is captured, transported in time, falls in love, or has a bad accident. In a twist, sometimes nothing happens. The train never arrives, or she says "no" to a marriage proposal. Filmmakers call this the inciting incident, and it is needed to kick off a great story.

Your biography may never make it to the silver screen, but if you follow these three general guidelines, you can create a dramatic life script.

Here's how to use movie scriptwriting techniques to make your life story worthy of Hollwood:

1. The hero living a normal life
   Sit down, take a pen and paper or a computer and just start brainstorming with yourself. Were there one or two moments that really defined you and your life trajectory? Write these moments as colorfully as you can. Include names, dates, places, colors, clothing, hairstyles, smells, buildings, pets, furniture, friends, conversations, and emotions. See yourself as the star of your own feature film.
   

   Ok, now you're ready to set the stage. Did you grow up in a small town? The big city? Show your viewers the "normal" you....the one who is living life as usual.

2. The hero experiences tough times
   OK, hero! Good times never last forever. People get sick, have accidents, lose jobs, fall out of love. Screenwriters call this plot twist the inciting incident. As a writer, go into the depths of the blues. These are the times that try people's souls and they often reveal an immense amount about a person's character. Let your fans see your character. Don't be afraid to write about your experiences directly an honestly. The more you reveal about yourself, the more people will empathize with you and see the world through your eyes. What were the overwhelming emotions? To whom did you turn for help? Did help appear from an unexpected person, place or thing?


3. A new hero emerges
   What did you learn from your life experience? Did you make new friends, lose loved ones? Were you successful in business or love? Did you climb the peaks? Survive war, accident and disease? The important thing is that you are ALIVE right now and writing about your life, so celebrate your accomplishments. Show we, your audience, what is it like living your new life?

OK, are your ready to make your movie into a drama with unexpected twists and turns? It's easy. Simply change the order of section 1, 2, or 3.

For example, you could write the opening of your movie life story going through section 2, tough times. You're down and out. Things aren't great, and they're getting worse...fast. Develop the "tough times" action, then flash back to section 1 and show your reader/movie audience how things used to be when times were great.

Writing the stories of your life using this three-act format will fill them with vitality, reality and originality. You can use the three-act format over and over. Write the stories of your youth and childhood. Write about your school days, marriage, military services. Your life has been filled with dramatic times on many occasions.

We'll see you at your movie!

Mike Brozda is the author of more than 1000 published articles in regional, national and international publications, and the co-founder of www.GreatLifeStories.com. You can contact Mike at mike.brozda@greatlifestories.com