Write Your Novel Like You’re Making a Movie Part 6

Production

The detailed outline is complete including the major plot points and yes/no reversals, the locations scouted (either literally or virtually), a storyboard is created and and your book cover is complete or near completion. The pre-production work is done and now it’s time to sit down and write your novel. If you’re like me, it’s been driving you crazy not to just sit down and write, but all the pre-planning will pay off in the final product.

Scenes are written from your outline and the more detailed the outline, the more vivid your scenes. There are some film production procedures and roles you can follow that will make your scenes resonate. These are tools that you can utilize to develop your style and, if you want to look at it this way (without sounding to corporate), your brand as a writer. 

There are four cinematic entities I try to exploit, blocking, cinematography, lighting and shooting style.  What is blocking? Blocking is where the director, along with the cinematographer and lighting director, set up a scene and walk the actors through it. It’s like a dress rehearsal to see what works, and what doesn’t. Approach your scenes this way by writing a sketch. Block them out. The scene’s motion, flow, ambience, effect and tone are refined this way. The blocking process gets the scene “just right” before it’s shot. You can do the same with your scenes before you commit to them. If something doesn’t feel right to the director (or you, the author) tinker with the scene via the blocking process until it is “just right”. This may entail writing your scene from different POVs and angles.

As an author, what is the overall tone and feel of your novel? Is it dark and film noirish? This influences how the light and shadows are used (the lighting director) and the overall look of the film (the cinematographer). It affects camera angle, depth of field (what’s in focus and what’s not) and the overall impression the director wants to make on the audience. Same with your book. 

Is your book an action thriller? Then it might have full spectrum colorization with a lot of hand held camera scenes that imply realism and action. You are the director guiding the cinematography, light and shooting style, only you are doing it with words.  

  Block your scenes from different angles (POVs), lighting and shooting styles. Use whatever works for you and again, feels “just right”. It takes extra time, but your scenes will flow with an unexpected resonance and will integrate well with the overall tone of your book.

Next, post-production.