'Scribes to the ticking of the days'

 

“As writers, paying attention is what we do. We are scribes to the ticking of the days, and we have a job to do. We are not at peace unless we are doing it.” – Larry Brooks

 

Brooks, born in September of 1952, is the author of Story Engineering, Story Physics, and Story Fix and a writing instructor and freelance writer.   The Phoenix-based Brooks also is critically acclaimed for his psychological thrillers, including Darkness Bound, Pressure Points, and Serpent’s Dance. 

 

 I met him when we both spoke at the Historical Writers of America (HWA) Conference in Williamsburg, VA, where we also shared a table at the guest authors’ autographing session.  Sitting side-by-side with him for 3 hours I had the chance to pick his brain about his take on the writing craft.

 

Brooks said he likes to reference the "First Plot Point" (also referred to as "The Moment of No Return," or "Call to Action") as a focal point for writers, especially those still learning their craft.

 

“It's more than a story twist—it's the transition between the story's setup and the launch of the hero's core dramatic journey, and it has a specific mission in terms of how it changes the story, along with criteria that make it work,” he said.  “Mess this up, and the story will suffer in a potentially drastic way.”