Interview with Dara Marks
LM=Lisa Murray
DM=Dara Marks
LM: You discuss in great detail the power of the Transformational Arc in storytelling. As part of that journey, the "hero" goes through either conscious or unconscious resistance in the beginning of their journey, and then receives a "Call to Adventure". Can you describe that process a bit?
DM: Actually, I don't view all story as a hero's journey, in the traditional sense. Not all accomplishments in life are of the magnitude of achieving a great "boon" for all humanity as Joseph Campbell describes. However, I do believe that all human experiences - great and small - are part of an environment that presents the opportunity for growth and development. Everything in nature is either growing and evolving or moving toward decay and death. There is no condition of stasis in nature. This life and death battle is at the core of all human experience. Therefore, the quest to face life's trials in order to continue to grow toward wholeness is, indeed, a heroic challenge. What is ever-present in this challenge is the fact that failure to make the effort to grow and change leads only to decay and death. And this, of course, is a tragedy.
In storytelling, our best stories (no matter what the genre) express this natural human need to internally grow as a result of overcoming life's obstacles - this is the Transformational Arc. I view a protagonist who declines, avoids or runs away from the internal opportunity to grow - as offered through the arc - is tragic. The primary function of the transformational arc is that it gives writers a clear picture of the natural and necessary internal struggle that must be incorporated in every movement the protagonist takes.
LM: What was your Call to Adventure to writing INSIDE STORY?
DM: My own call to the adventure of writing Inside Story came through my work as a script consultant. After working with many scripts and many writers, I was very frustrated by the fact that the traditional analysis could only diagnose a story problem; it gave very little information about how to solve it. In other words, recognizing that a turning point is soft or that the 2nd act is slow is not enough information to help a writer strengthen a script. Being able to define the real source of the problem (as opposed to just the effect it is having on the story) and give a writer tools to resolve these problems was my challenge. This inevitably lead me deeper into understanding the true nature of story itself - which I see as a pure reflection of the human condition - no matter how outrageously a story is told.
Outwardly, the quest for this deeper understanding moved me to return to graduate school, where I received a doctorate degree in Mythological Studies (the study of the human story). I wrote my thesis on The Transformative Function of Story. The expereince was seminal in that it confirmed, expanded, and deepened many of the ideas and theories on story that I had been exploring. Inwardly, however, was where the real heart of the adventure took place. I don't believe it's possibly to delve into the nature of the human story without delving into one's own story. In fact, the truth is that this is the only story we can ever truly know.
Ultimately, the journey to writing Inside Story took me down, under and through many enormous challenges and obstacles - not the the least of which was the necessity to examine myself honestly. This was (and is) an enormous task that most often comes to all of us in the form of very unwelcome and arduous personal ordeals. These types of trials may lead us down into a terrible abyss, but it is only by struggling through this part of the adventure that we have any opportunity of returning with greater self-knowledge and inner strength of character. Inside Story went through many incarnations, but it wasn't until I found the courage to write what I discovered down in those dark, unyielding places that the book finally came to life.
LM: Wow! So for us dreamers... it's NORMAL to go through hell, the abyss, as we pursue our dreams. (Dammit!) It's all part of the journey. It is to be expected, not avoided. And I like that you said, "but it is only by struggling through this part of the adventure that we have any opportunity of returning with greater self-knowledge and inner strength of character" and "it wasn't until I found the courage to write what I discovered down those dark, unyeielding places that the book finally came to life". Very insightful! Time to write in my film blog! Thanks Dara!
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INSIDE STORY: The Power of the Transformational Arc—an exciting new book by Dara Marks—may be the most important advancement in screenwriting theory to come along in years. This innovative method for structuring a screenplay is designed to keep writers focused on the heart and soul of their story so that plot, character, and theme create a unified whole. The interrelationship of these key story elements forms the basis of the transformational arc of character. Marks explains, “The transformational arc is the deeper line of structure found inside the story. It is an organic template that writers can use to ensure that the intricacies of plot and character grow naturally out of their original thematic intention.” INSIDE STORY: The Power of the Transformational Arc not only improves our understanding of story structure, but it also moves the modern craft of writing into the realm of transformative art.
Dara Marks, PhD is a leading international script consultant, consistently rated number one in the business by Creative Screenwriting Magazine. For the past two decades she has specialized in the analysis of the modern screenplay, and her clients range from top studio writers and executives to beginning and apprentice screenwriters. She has worked for major Hollywood studios, including Columbia, Disney, Paramount, and Sony, first as a Development Executive and then in private practice as a consultant and motivational speaker. Her advice has been sought on a variety of films and television programs, over a dozen of which have been theatrically released or are currently in production.
Dara received her doctorate degree in Mythological Studies from Pacifica Graduate Institute. Her dissertation focused on The Transformative Function of Story and she has devoted the last twenty years to the development of a groundbreaking approach to the theory of the transformational arc and screenplay story structure. She currently lives in Ojai, California, with her husband, son, and “too many” dogs.
For information about Dara Marks or her script consultant services, or to purchase INSIDE STORY, visit Dara's website: www.DaraMarks.com
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Coming soon...VIDEO INTERVIEWS for IN THE SPOTLIGHT!
