At VCFA we talk a lot about writing with intention, about making choices, and thinking about affect. This is a topic that has been in the back of my mind lately, but was recently pulled to the front of it by the superb film Drive.

The film (directed by Nicolas Winding Refen and staring Ryan Gossling) is about a car stunt-man turned get-away driver who gets mixed up in the wrong deal. It’s not the storyline that struck me. What pulled me into this movie was its poetic quality, its economy, its precision. The music interwove with the imagery, the lighting transitioned you from one point of focus to the next, the dialog was spot on, and the silence was even stronger. This well oiled- machine was carefully crafted, and every choice on the screen was chosen, specific, and created with intent!

The effect was mesmerizing.

This movie got me thinking about words and how we use them. We don’t have actors and lighting equipment and soundtracks to illuminate our stories, we have words. So, which words can create the perfect flare of light, or punctuate a  shift of the eyes, or create the contrast between silence and violence? There isn’t a correct answer to that question, other than to consider your intent. What words, in what arrangement, and in what rhythm and pacing will best bring your intent to light? Every word counts! Every one!

I suggest renting Drive and paying attention to the choices, the pacing, the lighting, the framing of shots, the lingering of shots, and how it moves like a dance or a song. There is something very poetic about this film, pointing out that it is the way a story is told – the choices, the intent – that gives it its power to cast a spell over you. Then pick up a favorite book and pay attention to the words. What makes you feel an emotion? What words pull your focus? What rhythms make your heart race or slow it down? Does the intended effect work? Then think about your own WIP and how you can write with intention. One of the great lessons from Drive (in my opinion) is that every moment is essential, economical, and necessary! It’s a great reminder to avoid lazy writing and to think about the effect of each word we place on the page.

Just a quick warning, if you do choose to watch Drive, please know that it is a very violent film.

Tags: Intent, word choice