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How My Methods Work, A Fun Real-Life Example.

Once upon a time, I was given a comic book writing assignment, which I started on by saying, What if James Bond met Scooby-Doo?

Yes, my mind works like that.

Then I looked at the audience for the comic book and realized they were young people 8 to 12 years old, maybe older. So I knew my James Bond-like character needed to be young, possibly a teenager.

What Makes Scooby Run?

I looked at the basic format of a Scooby-Doo story. Which is – it seems like ghosts and goblins and ghouls are running amok, doing bad things, but eventually, the Scooby gang uncovers real people masquerading as monsters.

So, with that as part of the mix, I added a mystery element. A McGuffin. I mean, obviously, there has to be something that spies want that our teen spy character has to obtain or protect.

Next, I looked at how many pages I had for the story. It was very few, so I decided that whatever happened had to be action-packed, and we had to jump into it almost from the beginning.

Character Moods and Motives

After that, I began to work out the new characters, what they were like, their quirks, goals, etc. Most of us know what the Scooby Doo characters are like. Who usually does what, when, and why.

Who's A Scardy Cat? Or, Things Aren't Always What They THEME

To add even a little subplot to the tale, my teen spy had a childhood hangup that made him especially suspectable to the "monsters." That set the goal for his "hero's journey."

Establishing the new character made it easier to decide how everyone would interact with him, in;cuding the villains.

All the time, I kept in mind that these stories are always fun, goofy, and quite often totally ridiculous.

From *RUSHES With Love

Naturally, I envisioned some of the great moments from popular spy films (James Bond, Jason Bourne, and spies whose initials are not J.B.). I added a few of them to my story but through the lens of a Scooby-Doo format.

Ultimately, my lead character is having trouble confronting these monsters and enters the Scooby gang to help him. Soon, the villains are unmasked, the MacGuffin is found or saved, and everybody lives happily ever after.

Let's not forget to throw in a food-gorging scene for Scooby and Shaggy.

The Man From I.D.E.A.

Imagination, Determination, Effort, and Artistry. These have always been part of the methods I've used to develop a plot based on whatever crazy notions I conceive of. And I usually start out by saying, “What if.”

The answer to that question can take you up or down a creative roadway. But it's never without merit. It's never a waste of time.

There are a few more elements I add to the equation, but I’ll talk about that another time.

To round this off, I will point out that the same methods I use to write comics are equally applicable to writing films, novels, and plays. You just have to find that transition point where genre, theme, and your particular writing style meet the structure you're building.

For now, here's an exercise you should do quite often. Look over an old idea, and then ask yourself, What if? See what comes to mind, and follow it, even if only in a series of random notes.

Let me know what happens.

Till next time, remember, the key to massive creative possibilities is ... within.

Best,
Alex Simmons

*Rushes: the raw footage of a film stray out of the camera. No editing, etc.

PS. Check out episode #281 of my podcast, "TELL THE DAMN STORY, Unleashing Your Creative Potential - Lessons from the Past."

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