EPISODE DESCRIPTION:     

As a launching off point into the craft of writing, Zena starts by diving deeper into the craft of  acting. We can learn six things off the bat by studying the differences between the two crafts. 

#1. While writers are often distracted by many different things they must accomplish, they can learn to focus more on the main character, like their fellow performing artists do. 

#2. Actors are judged by their flowery words and how pretty they make a story, but actors are judged according to how truthfully they portray real human beings, which is the true substance of story. 

#3. By incorporating an actor’s way of approaching story, writers can choose which things to describe so that every moment, every detail, ultimately points back to the main character’s internal emotional state. 

#4. The writer uses words to create a world, which he hopes will ring true to the audience, whereas the actor uses his body, which enables him to connect more deeply to the part of story that truly matters, namely, human nature.

#5. It may seem like the job of the actor is easier since they only have to focus on one thing, but given how oddly people behave when they’re just learning how to act, it’s clear that the actor’s craft is just as complex and difficult in its own unique way.

These are just a few principles that we can appropriate from the craft of acting and apply to our own discipline. 

UP NEXT

Next week we’ll dive into even bigger lessons on a practical level that we can learn from our fellow performing artists. There are some profound takeaways from the craft of acting that writers can use to enhance our own skills, because unlike writers, actors only have one concern: to embody and truthfully portray a single character to the audience.  

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SPECIAL THANKS

The Mission with Zena Dell Lowe would like to thank composer Carla Patullo for the original music she graciously permits us to use in the intro and outro of this podcast. To find out more about this amazing talent, go to  www.carlapatullo.com

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