20 / 20 Plot Vision ...

            Being a writer you tend to look closer at themes; not just in books but even when you're watching a movie.

            I was watching Mystic River  ( Mystic River (novel), by Dennis Lehane / Mystic River (film), directed by Clint Eastwood and based on the novel ) with my son the other night. If you haven't seen it yet then my God what are doing with your movie collection!? It was definately heart wretching at some parts, but a very good movie with great writing.

            I've seen it before but this time since I've been writing more and learning about plotting and carrying a theme throughout a piece of work;it was a different experience.

            In the movie three boys are friends, they are playing street hockey one day and writing their names in cement when a "cop" comes and yells at them and takes Dave (Tim Robbins) away in their car as Sean (Kevin Bacon) and Jimmy (Sean Penn) watch from the middle of the street and Dave stares out of the back window; afraid. It turns out he wasn't a cop but a child molestor. As you can guess Dave is abused and is never the same.

            Three things jump out at me during the movie that instantly take you back to that point when they are boys. In one scene Dave gets in a car with some thugs and drives away looking out of the back with fear and uncertainty. And there is a later scene when Sean and Jimmy are in the middle of the street talking about Dave and the camera pans out; reminecent of how they watched Dave being driven away as a boy. At the end of the movie it zooms in on the cement block where they had written their names "Jimmy, Sean, and Da ...." Dave never finished his name because they were interrupted by the pedophile. In a sense .. Dave himself was never completed. He was lost during his days of abuse. Amazing writing.

Extras : Here is a post on Musings From The Slush Pile by Melissa Foster about "Weaving a Theme Throughout Your Book" ... Read more from Melissa on her her own site.  

PS : I did hear back from the judges of the 1000 Likes Contest. I am allowed to submit my short story even though it went over the 1000 word criteria. ( I got it down to 1222 by the way) They did say I would lose some points for going over, but I decided to submit it anyway. Wish Me Luck :-)

~~ KEEP WRITING ~~