Haha @ skeleton/halloween decor comment. So true. In building your character, is there anything that helps you determine whether what you are writing ventures into being too clever/cute? Do you have any sort of rule of thumb on things like that? I’m not necessarily speaking in terms of structure or flow. Let’s assume this is a detailed moment where we are really going deep in some way. Like people often note, you seem to have a great ability to keep a pulse on society and your characters without going overboard. So, I’m sort of wondering how you think through things like that to maintain a balance.
I know this kind of isn't the point, but I bet handing out business cards with 'clown agent' on is met with its fair share of strange looks. Like if someone needs to know your profession, like you're applying for a mortgage...
Thanks for the free aversion therapy that I'm sure would have cost me thousands.
I have a family photo that documents the clear beginning of my fear of clowns. Pro-tip for parents: how about you don't wake up your 6 year-old in the middle of the night to see her drunk 6 foot tall godfather in the living room dressed as a clown, smeared face and all, on his way back from a Halloween party?
Remember, YOU know it's your best friend from college, but your 6 year-old doesn't.
Fascinating, Chuck. There are multiple levels of “body of knowledge” in your clown story. The casting agent has one body—that of performance types, props, acting, and events. Your psycho clown probably has an entirely different body of knowledge—she or he might belong to the Insane Clown Posse or be a horror aficionado. Furthermore, you play a leading role in your story and have your own body of knowledge—writing, rouge events, masonry construction, and of course, much more.
Beyond the body of knowledge, the clown, the casting agent, and you might have differing temperaments, traumas, upbringings, emotional set points, and more. My writing coach Suzy Vitello approaches character development in a slightly different way. She has her students apply the 36 Questions that Arthur Aron created as part of a study on love and bonding to each main fictional character. These questions were eventually commercialized and used for speed dating, speed networking, and online dating websites.
I think your technique and Suzy’s are complementary. After Suzy assigned the 36 Questions exercise to develop my latest novel, I filmed a how-to video on the topic. Chuck, I’m going to post the link to the video here - https://youtu.be/6Be-imPK2wY
If that’s not cool, let me know. I will delete this post and repost it without a link.
37 trips around the Sun. I keep trying to shake your virtual hand, and all the students gathered to touch you robes without solidifying a Narcisstic PD Dx. But. I mean to be what the lower middle class half breed kid, 12 and a half, on the couch being too deeply inspired by Bill Nye, was calling for after he got done cleaning up his drunk Mom that almost killed him and his little brother before Dad got home and filed on the spot, he had a company car though, "A Doctor to come help us". So I'm a fully Fledged and harrowed Shrink. I got Sea stories. There. I described the describer Chuck. You are my only Zen Master after Cohen died.
I throw a Hallows Party every Third Year, a Halloween One for the kiddos every 2/3 Year, and a Day of the Dead many Course Feast, Blackest Tie and Whitest Shoes you can pull together, on the third.
I'm not even afraid of clowns under ordinary circumstances, but when this clown walked next to me in silence at the end of this haunted house I was honestly shaking.
On another note- encountered this ind of knowledge gap on my current project. I'm very lucky my gal is so honest with me when she looks over my work. She's an illustrator and painting is a big part of the story and MAN, painters know a lot of stuff I wouldn't even know where to start learning.
Imagine the specificity of a job description for an actual clown agent and what drives them to become such a niche talent agent. How would one demonstrate one's knowledge of the breadth of different clown types? Or an enthusiastic willingness to pore over stacks of clown headshots and resumes to decide if you want to take them on as a client? Have they themselves clowned before, or are they just a keen observer of all things clown? I feel like a conversation with the clown agent could be almost as fun as this spooky shindig you're throwing!
I’m still stuck on the bit where you said you built castle ruins because the gym was closed.
Haha @ skeleton/halloween decor comment. So true. In building your character, is there anything that helps you determine whether what you are writing ventures into being too clever/cute? Do you have any sort of rule of thumb on things like that? I’m not necessarily speaking in terms of structure or flow. Let’s assume this is a detailed moment where we are really going deep in some way. Like people often note, you seem to have a great ability to keep a pulse on society and your characters without going overboard. So, I’m sort of wondering how you think through things like that to maintain a balance.
God, you must throw the best parties. I can only imagine. Lol
I've always been fond of the Tramp clown.
I've always had a fear of clowns, but I never thought about which clowns. Thank you for the good nightmare fuel
Can I come?
I really want to see this castle in the woods 🤡
I know this kind of isn't the point, but I bet handing out business cards with 'clown agent' on is met with its fair share of strange looks. Like if someone needs to know your profession, like you're applying for a mortgage...
Is your rock training inspired by the guy on Choke? Or is it the other way around? 😂 really wanted to see this ruins though..
Thanks for the free aversion therapy that I'm sure would have cost me thousands.
I have a family photo that documents the clear beginning of my fear of clowns. Pro-tip for parents: how about you don't wake up your 6 year-old in the middle of the night to see her drunk 6 foot tall godfather in the living room dressed as a clown, smeared face and all, on his way back from a Halloween party?
Remember, YOU know it's your best friend from college, but your 6 year-old doesn't.
I thought perhaps not to bother, because, well, you know.
Fascinating, Chuck. There are multiple levels of “body of knowledge” in your clown story. The casting agent has one body—that of performance types, props, acting, and events. Your psycho clown probably has an entirely different body of knowledge—she or he might belong to the Insane Clown Posse or be a horror aficionado. Furthermore, you play a leading role in your story and have your own body of knowledge—writing, rouge events, masonry construction, and of course, much more.
Beyond the body of knowledge, the clown, the casting agent, and you might have differing temperaments, traumas, upbringings, emotional set points, and more. My writing coach Suzy Vitello approaches character development in a slightly different way. She has her students apply the 36 Questions that Arthur Aron created as part of a study on love and bonding to each main fictional character. These questions were eventually commercialized and used for speed dating, speed networking, and online dating websites.
I think your technique and Suzy’s are complementary. After Suzy assigned the 36 Questions exercise to develop my latest novel, I filmed a how-to video on the topic. Chuck, I’m going to post the link to the video here - https://youtu.be/6Be-imPK2wY
If that’s not cool, let me know. I will delete this post and repost it without a link.
37 trips around the Sun. I keep trying to shake your virtual hand, and all the students gathered to touch you robes without solidifying a Narcisstic PD Dx. But. I mean to be what the lower middle class half breed kid, 12 and a half, on the couch being too deeply inspired by Bill Nye, was calling for after he got done cleaning up his drunk Mom that almost killed him and his little brother before Dad got home and filed on the spot, he had a company car though, "A Doctor to come help us". So I'm a fully Fledged and harrowed Shrink. I got Sea stories. There. I described the describer Chuck. You are my only Zen Master after Cohen died.
I throw a Hallows Party every Third Year, a Halloween One for the kiddos every 2/3 Year, and a Day of the Dead many Course Feast, Blackest Tie and Whitest Shoes you can pull together, on the third.
I'm not even afraid of clowns under ordinary circumstances, but when this clown walked next to me in silence at the end of this haunted house I was honestly shaking.
On another note- encountered this ind of knowledge gap on my current project. I'm very lucky my gal is so honest with me when she looks over my work. She's an illustrator and painting is a big part of the story and MAN, painters know a lot of stuff I wouldn't even know where to start learning.
Imagine the specificity of a job description for an actual clown agent and what drives them to become such a niche talent agent. How would one demonstrate one's knowledge of the breadth of different clown types? Or an enthusiastic willingness to pore over stacks of clown headshots and resumes to decide if you want to take them on as a client? Have they themselves clowned before, or are they just a keen observer of all things clown? I feel like a conversation with the clown agent could be almost as fun as this spooky shindig you're throwing!