Why? Because in few months, Elizabeth and I (along with Darcy Drake) get to teach this little gem of a lesson in a workshop. Given the topic, the three of us stared at each other in bewilderment. (That is to say we typed big bug-eyed symbols via text and email O_O).
The Big Black Moment (or BBM for short) is something we all know and feel when we read or see it, but none of us defined it exactly the same. I began to poll the other writers I know. Most people described it as that moment in a romance novel when "all is lost." There seems to be no hope that the hero and heroine will ever find love and happiness together. Some also tossed in the idea that it's the moment when "it seems like the bad guys are going to win." Others added in that it's the time when external and internal conflict collide to snowball into one huge, freezing mass of emotional, downhill bull- well, you get the idea.
We all write in different genres. We write in different styles, with different voices. Our BBMs are not going to be identical. However, as we began to talk it out, explore our own moments with more attention to detail, we found that a lot of the core truths are the same.
I hate to be a tease, but we're not going to get into those truths right now. That's for another blog post when we've really done our homework and can dazzle you with our knowledge and skill(z). Right now we want to know: What Big Black Moments really grabbed you and wrung your heart dry? What Black Moments did you love, even if they weren't that dark? It doesn't necessarily have to be romance either...
For me, some of the most memorable are:
Romancing the Stone: It wasn't too dark (in keeping w/ the movie's tone), but when he went after that crocodile, I just knew that couldn't be the end! Even as a child, I felt despair! However, I also felt that HEA around the corner. Showing up with the croc boots was an excellent end too. :)
One of my all time faves: The Shawshank Redemption. Stephen King is a genius and I particularly love his non-horror books, but the movie is what really got me. I felt real despair for Andy Dupree when those cell bars slammed closed on a blatantly innocent man. I knew he'd be in that prison forever if the warden didn't have him killed. I had NO idea what Andy was up to! It caught me completely by surprise and after the lowest of low moments, I was elated. I get chills even thinking about that movie now! Then, another BBM right around the corner with Red. Would Morgan Freeman's character get busy living or get busy dying? I was an emotional mess all over again. Then, the final scene on the beach? I felt like I could run a marathon after watching it. Now THAT is how you do a Big Black Moment.
What are some of your faves?
1 comments:
I've been gathering my black moment ideas...and you've given me a great one! What we need to teach the BBM is a montage! Yes, you heard me correctly. We need a BBM movie montage! We'll select the one scene in several movies when the BBM occurs and lace them together into our presentation. This workshop is going to rock! I'm getting excited!
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