writing advice from the creators of South Park
by Ruth Harris
The book you started with so much energy and optimism?
That idea you thought was so great?
Well, now that you’ve written mumble-mumble number of words, you’re not so sure.
You’re beating up on yourself.
You’re out of ideas.
Out of gas.
You’ve wasted your time.
Maybe you’re even about to give up.
You’ve convinced yourself you’re stuck with a go-nowhere draft.
Happens all the time and we’ve all been there.
But (and that’s the crucial word!), Matt Stone and Trey Parker, creators of South Park and The Book of Mormon, shared invaluable writing advice about how to rescue that hopeless (you think) blob.
Here, mostly in Stone and Parker’s own slightly edited words, is their practical advice.
How to ID the dead spots in your book — and how to fix them.
1. Make a list of the beats (the events) of your story.
2. Keep it simple.
Meaning: do not get into details of plot, character or dialogue.
3. Link those events and do not ever or under any circumstances use the phrase “and then.”
Instead, use bridging words like—
- But
- Therefore
- So
- Because
Here’s why.
According to Trey Parker, “ If the words ‘and then’ belong between those beats, you’re in deep doo doo.”
Instead, he adds, “What should happen between every beat is either the word ‘therefore’ or ‘but’. So what I’m saying is that you come up with an idea, and it’s like ‘OK, x happens’ right? And then y happens.’
“No, no, no. It should be ‘X happens, and therefore Y happens. But this happens, therefore that happens.’
Matt Stone goes on to expand: “This happened, and then this happened, and then [the other thing] happens. That’s not a story.
“It’s ‘but’ ‘because’, ‘therefore’ that gives you the causation between each beat, and that’s a story.”
Stone and Parker go on to point out that If a pair of events join with “and then…” your book is boring at that moment.
“If you’re writing a novel, figure out what the protagonist or antagonist needs to accomplish at that moment—if they need to react to something that just happened, can that reaction be an action or a choice instead of merely emotional impact?
“Could they initiate a new action?”
Problems are easier to find and fix on this simplified map.
“As writers, by focusing on cause and effect, we discover the basic structure of the book, just as an artist sketches in black and white before breaking out the paints. The simple lines of a sketch show where their proportions are off, or how many people can fit in a landscape before it looks cluttered.
“Writing a synopsis from a first or second draft clearly demonstrates where your story shines and where it’s stuck.”
Specifically—
- Find your twists and your turning points with a list.
- Make sure the biggest “But” “Because” and “Therefore” moments are big in the manuscript, too.
- And do it before wasting your writing time polishing scenes that are just “And Then.”
In a novel, consider the difference between.
Anne Shirley is an orphan who goes to live with a new family. She finds out they might not want her after all, and then she tries to win them over. Also, she imagines a lot of stuff.
And—
Anne Shirley can’t wait to meet her new family BUT they requested a boy orphan THEREFORE she must prove she’s loveable SO they’ll keep her. BUT she has a terrible temper THEREFORE when she’s teased about her hair she explode. BUT she’s also very imaginative and can empathize with hurting and being hurt, THEREFORE her extravagant apologies win people over.
In a memoir, your connections might jump through time.
My husband was an addict THEREFORE I went to Al-Anon to cope BUT I fell in love with another woman whose husband was also an addict. BECAUSE I wanted to stick out the marriage vows I gave her up. [AND THEN I recommitted to my marriage. AND THEN we fought about his addiction AND THEN we moved AND THEN we fought about money AND THEN we fought about the kids.] BUT ten years later she called me out of the blue BECAUSE she’d seen my husband’s obituary.
Stone and Parker continue with some great writing advice: “You know what our imaginary memoirist just learned writing her synopsis? That Act Two of the memoir has more drama if the author cuts everything in brackets and opens with a phone call where two people pick their way through an emotional minefield and the reader finds out the husband (finally!) died when the Other Woman mentions it.
“After identifying that drama and tension in the synopsis, the writer can revise Act Two to open with the phone ringing instead the funeral of a guy the reader doesn’t like. Then the memoirist might examine the end of Act One, thinking, Hmmm, how can I leave the reader in suspense about whether or not he dies?
“Maybe the memoir has more tension if Act One ends with the hope of recommitting, instead of making the reader slog through another 10 years of failing marriage. If the opening scene of Act Two includes telling the Other Woman, “It didn’t get better,” then in four words the writer has done the work of forty boring pages of the same marital fight again and again.” That’s some great writing advice.
Save time. Kill your darlings. Yes, it’s good writing advice.
As your final step in the But-Therefore-Because process, look back at any events in your book that didn’t make the list of important actions and choices.
Make them earn their place.
- Why must this event be in the book?
- Does it duplicate the dramatic purpose of something else on the list?
- Killing one’s darlings is much easier when you know they genuinely aren’t needed.
- And you’ll save precious writing hours by not bothering to revise events that aren’t needed.
So there it is: sensible, do-able writing advice from practicing writers.
Now go forth — and write a list.
(Or a synopsis.)
And bail yourself out.
by Ruth Harris (@RuthHarrisBooks) March 26th, 2023
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So simple yet it makes total sense! I’m going to try the but-therefore trick from now on.
Great advice! Brings it home really clearly
Great advice, Ruth. I’ve always been a big fan of a line in a PeeWee Herman movie. A character explains that she’s got big dreams, which she follows up with the inevitable “but.” PeeWee replies, “Everyone I know has a big but.” In writing, I big but is a good thing.
Alex—Thanks. I thought it was brilliant! I bet it will help.
Jackie—I couldn’t agree more! Totally resonated with me.
CS—Thanks! In writing, a big but is inevitable. Comes from so much sitting. Ha ha.
Oh, this is gooooooood. Very good advice. I’m taking a class (and then a follow-up class) in order to start my new book and THIS is how I’m going to look at all my chapters and scenes. I truly appreciate this very appropriately timed post, Anne. And I’m going to tell my teacher/friend about this post too.
I’ve read their thesis before. And it’s a keeper. Thanks for reminding me!!
Ruth, so simple and so brilliant! Wisdom from a cartoon. And our parents told us we were rotting our brains watching them on Saturday morning.
Little did they know, Popeye solved a burning question of one’s identity: “I yam what I yam and that’s all that I yam!”
This advice is wonderful! THEREFORE, I’m going to revisit the synopsis for my WIP. Thanks!
Patricia—Ruth here. Their advice is short, simple & to the point. Would apply to almost any genre, too. Good luck with your new book!
Elizabeth—Refresher courses are always a plus! 🙂
Debbie—Couldn’t agree more. Their approach is nothing short of brilliant! Cuts thru all the high-falutin’ BS, too. Always a plus IMO. 🙂
Kay—Thanks. I thought so, too. BUT of course you are! 😉
Great post. Thanks. Plan to use the advice for my family history book.
Dianna—thanks for taking the time to comment. Hope their approach will help you with your fam history. Good luck!
I think the South Park guys are channeling E.M. Forster’s Aspects of the Novel: The queen died and then the king died is a story. The queen died, and the king died of grief is a plot. (I’m paraphrasing.) In any event, it’s excellent advice. The method I learned to put the concept into practice is the W-storyboard method. So, far, it’s rescued two novels.
Liz—em Forster? Great reference, thanks for reminding me. Happy to hear about your two rescued novels…very inspiring to other writers in the same place!
One of my favourite lessons in class is “Is this scene needed?” I’ve found one of the most heart-breaking things for students is having to justify a scene that you worked hard on, that’s a lot of fun, and that really isn’t needed to push the story along. I *love* this post, Ruth! ‘But – therefore – because’ are words all writers should live by.
Melodie—Thanks! Glad to hear their advice resonated with you too. Also glad your students now have a way to find out *before* they waste time polishing an unneeded scene. Part of learning to be a writer and will help make them better writers. You know, “No pain, no gain. Sorry about that, but true. And necessary.
Perfect, Ruth! Love when advice is so simple, yet so powerful on the page. As I’m in edits now, your timing couldn’t be better. Thanks for sharing!
Sue—Anne and I always plan for perfect timing! Hope your edits go well (which they will cuz you are competent, experienced & know wtf you’re doing.)
Ooh, just what I needed right now! Super helpful, thanks!
Thank you so much for this, Ruth. I have an abandoned novel in a file. I’ll look it out and use your ‘but, therefore’ method to try to revive it. I still believe the premise is good. I’ve just not been able to get it going. The beginning is good, and the end is, too, but the middle is not! I can’t seem to get it going.
MELewis—Yay! Their approach seemed so brilliant to me. It just stripped everything down to the essentials so, thanks to them, we now have a fast, simple way to figure out wtf we’re doing/trying to do.
So glad it came at a good time for you. 🙂
V.M.Sang—I feel your pain. 🙁 The Act II dilemma is so often a swamp. I thought their specific approach as detailed was ingenious, and I hope it helps you rescue your sad, abandoned novel. Good luck!
This advice great; one of the of the most useful posts you’ve given us. I’m going back to my WIP, Book 1, and see how many “and thens” I can turn into a big but or a big because. And then the novel will be better. 🙂
I just went back to that WIP. The “find” function is very handy. The work is about 93,000 words. There were 64 “and then”s. After rewording a few I can see how the changes make the writing stronger.
Thank you!
Probabky the best writing advice I’ve seen (and I’ve read the E M Forster book 🙂 )
I’ve never thought of a story in these terms, but it makes perfect sense [now]. lol Thank you.