Monday, June 18, 2012

Dark Moments - Inspired by Susie May Warren and Rachel Hauck

Gee, that title isn't very flattering to Susie and Rachel, is it? LOL
No, they are not the ones inspiring Dark Moments (unless it's in their characters :-) - but they are the ones teaching about Dark Moments.

In fact - it's the DARK MOMENT of your character's life.

Today, I've tried my hand at a 'vlog' to talk to you about Dark Moments.  Bear with me, I'm still trying to figure out how it works and seeing my face that big on a screen is frightening :-) GREAT face shot there, isn't it? AHHHHH! Just wait until you hear the accent :-)

Sherrinda's post entitled Creating the Lie is right here.

Here's another vlog with 2 examples of Dark Moments.

So, what do you think? Leave a comment about the Dark Moment for your character in your WIP.
Also - tell me what you think of vlogging! Besides the initial shock of it, what did you think?

19 comments:

Unknown said...

Yay for vlogging--you did great! :)

Beth K. Vogt said...

Brava, Pepper, for diving into vlogging! Great job!!
I just watched Leap Year and it's so nice of Amy Adam's character to tell us her Dark Moment straight out -- we don't always get that in movies. We know what happened in her past:unreliable father who caused their house to get foreclosed. We also see the Lie she believes (based on how she lives her life as an adult): She has to be in control, she has to take care of things, be on time, manage, manage, manage. She'll do it herself, thank you very much. And that's one of the key aspects of the DM: It happens in the past but how does it affect your character today.

Pepper said...

Well, I see my vlog didn't scare too many people away. The faithful still come, eh? ;-)

Thanks, Melissa. And guess what! I found my camera so our pic from BRMCWC will be up on FB soon. YAY!

Pepper said...

Beth,
I knew I could count on you to chime in. SOOOOOO GLAD!
You have such wisdom on this. And yes, you explained Leap Year's DM much better (and faster) in print than I did in the vlog. LOL. I wanted to use that example because of how 'obvious' it was. That did help :-)


Thanks for all your mentoring on this

Julia M. Reffner said...

Great job, Pepper! I loved hearing your pretty voice and I love the examples of the glasses. Its one I will remember.

Anonymous said...

Pepper, GREAT job! It's nice to finally hear your voice. :) For the record, I loved the vlog.

Your thoughts on the Dark Moment made a lot of sense. I loved how you brought in Sleepless in Seattle and Leap Year (I really like that movie). Great points!

My heroine's dark moment comes as a result of something that doesn't happen for her. My hero's dark moment comes from something he did as a kid. Both have lasting impacts on them. :) What about yours? :)

Casey said...

I LOVE YOUR VLOGS!!!!!!!!

(And I love the fact that I got a sneak peek into this post. ;-)

Angie Dicken said...

Great job, Pepper! I love watching you!! :) As you know, my heroine's dark moment is her husband has brought them to a desperate situation and she doesn't think God could possibly want her there...I guess she has another dark moment when her husband is killed and she thinks it's because of the poor wife she was.
Thanks for the examples!

Sarah Forgrave said...

Oh my word, Pepper, how fun to see your beautiful face on a vlog! You did a great job. So poised!

Pepper said...

Awww, Julia - Thanks!!

Pepper said...

Jeanne,
How do your characters DM change their perspective on the world? What's the lie they believe?

My character's DM. Hmmm...which story to t.
ell....

okay, my WIP
Heroine: At 10 year big brother dies in a mountain climbing accident (trapped in a crevice of the rocks). Ever since, she's had claustraphobia and held back her 'dreams' to be tamer. A year before the story begins, her parents are killed in an automobile accident while traveling in England, thus reenforcing her NEED for safety. Her lie? Taking chances will end in heartbreak or pain. If she keeps her life predictable and safe, then everything will be okay.

Pepper said...

Case,
You are a fabulous sounding board :-)

Pepper said...

Remember, the Dark Moment is usually one BIG moment that changes the character's perspective - or verifies the undercurrent of a lie they already believe. It's the catalyst for the screwed up vision :-)

Pepper said...

Right, Ang. I would wonder though, if her DM didn't come before your book begins.
You allude to a time in chapter one of how she 'lost' her love for her husband. That makes me wonder if the DM was at that point

Pepper said...

Thanks so much, Sarah.
Good to 'see' you :-)

Susie May said...

great job on this, pepper!! You got it, baby!!! XO!

Angie Dicken said...

Yep, you are right, Pepper. Her perspective changed when Jack gambled their life away. Thanks for clarity on that! :)

Marney McNall said...

Pepper, this is great. Excellent job on the vlog and loved your glasses analogy. Good to hear your voice, my friend.

Anonymous said...

Nice post - I like having this "label" to give to that lie that creates the story. Yay. It really is all about perspective, isn't it, and keeping that lie as the filter the characters see things through.

Good stuff.