May the Force (and Fourth) Be With You!
/Happy May the Fourth! Or, in other terms, Happy National Star Wars Day!
Some of us at Inspira are big Star Wars fans, so we are taking this opportunity to talk about George Lucas—a creative mastermind and gifted storyteller—and how all writers can learn from his methods. In 2013, George Lucas received our nation’s highest level of artistic achievement—the National Medal of Arts—”for contributions to American Cinema. By combining the art of storytelling with boundless imagination, Mr. Lucas has transported us to new worlds and created some of the most beloved films of all time” (NEA).
Photo from Variety.
Star Wars was known for its special effects, but it was important to Lucas that they were invented simply to bring the story he’d already envisioned to life; they were developed out of necessity to tell his stories. Lucas made sure that the state-of-the-art special effects were never just an excuse to be flashy and wow the audience. This is why Star Wars was such a big hit—special effects aside. It consisted of excellent storytelling.
Lucas once said, “Whenever there’s a new tool, everybody goes crazy and they forget that there’s a story and that’s the point. You’re telling a story using tools; you’re not using tools to tell a story.” As writers, we can learn from this, too. At its core, is it a good story? Is it a strong plot? Is it new, engaging, and unexpected?
Photo from LA Times:..
Here are three storytelling tips we can learn from George Lucas:
It’s okay to “kill your darlings.” As writers (and artists), so much of what we create is precious to us. However, if it’s not contributing to our book’s betterment, we need to cut it. In Lucas’ first writing of the Star Wars screenplay, Luke Skywalker’s name was actually Luke Starkiller! And, originally, Darth Vader was just a small part! The lesson? Don’t be afraid of the red pen.
Don’t include characters that don’t add to your story. In earlier drafts of Star Wars, Lucas didn’t kill off Obi-Wan. However, he found that the character made no contribution to the story arc of the film after the escape from the Death Star. So . . . he killed him off. It’s hard for readers (or viewers) to follow characters without a strong purpose. Losing a beloved character might feel like a loss to the reader, but it’s not necessarily a loss to the story.
Don’t be afraid to try new things. You do not need write within the status quo. Yes, it’s okay to glean ideas from other stories and methods out there, but trying something new can lead to your greatest work yet! If George Lucas had not tried something totally “out there,” Star Wars would not exist today. Think outside the box!
If you’re not a big Star Wars fan, we still encourage you to check out the original films and get a feel for Lucas’ storytelling style. He’s an example of a true innovator in his field—something we all desire to be!
May the force (and the fourth) be with you!
Heather and the Inspira Team