Before I get to today’s blog…

Thinking about doing more with your writing? Why not join me in Paris June 2-7 for my Masterclass in Screenwriting? Come be part of a dynamic community of writers and literary agents to learn, to write, to network, to energize your literary goals—and just to have fun in the City of Light!

The Paris Writers Workshop is the longest running literary program of its kind. This program offers 6 masterclasses by renowned authors, each a specialist in their field—and I’ll be teaching the Screenwriting Masterclass—in English, of course.

The workshop will be held at Columbia University’s beautiful Reid Hall campus in the heart of literary Paris—Montparnasse.

Registration is now open: https://wice-paris.org/paris-writers- workshop

We’ll have a great time getting your story ideas off the ground!!

Come with Me

Come with me

And you’ll be

In a world of pure imagination…

Recognize those lines? They’re the opening lines to the song that Willy Wonka sings to the kids who’ve won the golden ticket in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory [1971]. If you haven’t been lucky enough to see the film, it’s the story of an eccentric owner of a chocolate factory who puts five golden tickets into candy bars to be found by five lucky kids. The five are invited to the chocolate factory and it’s Wonka’s intention to choose one of the kids to own his factory, believing that only a child will really appreciate what he’s created.

‘Hold your breath, make a wish, count to three,’ says Wonka as he brings the golden ticket winners into the chocolate room of his candy factory. And then he breaks into the song with those fantastic lyrics: Come with me and you’ll be in a world of pure imagination.

And later in the song he continues this refrain, which also becomes the final words of the song:

There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination

Living there you’ll be free if you truly wish to be.

If you haven’t seen the film—or even if you have—take a minute to listen to the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oMXqViemvg

Absolutely magical lyrics…

I’ve been talking about ‘seeing’ this past month, about looking at the world around you and seeing something different than others see. We writers ask questions… and as I said last week, we wonder. I also talked about how we imagine what motives/feelings, etc., are behind the surface actions of people. And one of the most terrific forms in which to do that imagining is the musical.

Wonka and his signature song are a super example of this—the lyrics in the song reveal the inner thoughts and feelings of Wonka and his view of the world, his take on what imagination is all about. Isn’t it funny, when I write that down I almost wince—because describing what the song does doesn’t begin to compare to simply listening to the song. So hit that link above and listen again.

If songs are a way to reveal what’s inside a character, maybe the musical—that special form of storytelling—is worth our study.

Have you ever thought about writing a musical? Even if you aren’t particularly musical, can you see what a great storytelling device songs are? And you don’t even have to be able to write music, you can get someone else to do that. You just have to be able to construct a story that lends itself to characters revealing themselves through song.

So that’s what I’d like to explore over the next few weeks—what is special about the musical form, what some great musicals can teach us, and how you might begin to understand the musical format so that you can create your own musical screenplay.

The past decade has seen a rebirth of musicals in both film and television. Why? Because it’s a great aid to storytelling… and you can hum it. I mean, I don’t care how great your writing is, it’s just not hummable… only music can tap into the humming nature in all of us!

So come with me

and we’ll see

where your imagination might lead…

Copyright © Diane Lake

21Jul19

Email Diane a question to Diane@DianeLake.com