Life
Force Storytelling
“Life Force Storytelling” is my
newly created genre for film and literature, inspired by George Lucas’s Star
Wars film franchise, specifically his creation of THE FORCE—defined
as “a mysterious energy field created by life that binds the galaxy together.”
Life Force Storytelling (LFS) is essentially a character-driven genre that
includes three core tenets:
1. Reincarnation
2. Life-Altering
Love (inspired by people you’ve known/loved in a past life)
3. The
Interconnectedness of Everyone and Everything in the Universe.
For
eons humanity has wondered about what happens when we die. Do our souls
continue? Are we reborn? Stories that explore these questions offer massive
audience appeal. From crowd-favorites like A Dog’s Purpose (2017), to
arthouse indie hit Wings of Desire (1987), to the popular adaptation of
bestselling novel, Cloud Atlas (2012), these films explore how
reincarnated souls travel through time where the actions of individual lives
impact the lives of others throughout the past, present, and future. But most especially,
these stories show how everything is connected. Likewise, LFS focuses on
profound character-development as opposed to relying solely on violent conflict
as its defining tentpole. In fact, this genre avoids violent conflict-centered
action or plotlines, focusing instead on prioritizing story elements of theme,
characterization, and interconnected / intricately woven slice-of-life segments
to create a cohesive story.
So why invent this new genre? One of
my favorite filmmakers, once said:
“There should be a point to
movies…you pass on some facts and rules, and maybe a little bit of
wisdom.”
~ George Lucas
Mr. Lucas also said:
“Education
is the single most important job of the human race.”
With
these thoughts in mind, I must state unequivocally that the main point of “Life
Force Storytelling” is to find oneself—and to find love, in oneself and in
others. A more refined main point is to “know oneself,” or to discover that
which is Universal in all humanity. Consider this:
“And it seemed to him then that every human was always looking
for himself, in bars, in railway trains, in offices, in mirrors, in love,
especially in love, for the self of him that is there, someplace, in every
other human. Love was not to give oneself, but find oneself, describe oneself.”
~ James Jones, From Here to Eternity
As
an undergraduate studying Philosophy at North Texas State University in 1981,
my first exposure to the essence of knowledge was Professor John Miller’s
lecture on Socrates’s edict, “Know thyself.”
The most obvious self-knowledge I possessed at that young age included
being a middle-child and an obsessive peacekeeper. That was my role in my
family beginning as early as a toddler and continuing through to my current
relationship as a widow, finding a second chance at love as a senior citizen.
But in this relationship, my aversion to conflict has become so blatantly
obvious, that my partner recently pointed out to me, “you’d rather walk away
from a fight, without exception, even if you believe you are in the right.”
He’s absolutely correct. I loathe
conflict—in myself, with others, and especially in my writing. So the easiest
way to resolve this late-in-life-revelation regarding my aversion to conflict
is to act. Refuse to fight just for the sake of fighting. Instead, take action
regarding my writing—and if I cannot find success in the current “violent
conflict-driven marketplace,” expand the marketplace, rather than reject my
writing. Therefore, my major goal with LFS is to create a nonviolent genre of
storytelling as my reaction against the normalization of increasingly violent
content, and the ensuing violence it fosters in our society.
Truthfully,
I’m not so arrogant as to believe that I will revolutionize modern-day
storytelling. In fact, as many of my recent detractors have pointed out, what
makes stories interesting or compelling is when characters disagree with each
other (man vs. man); or where characters are confronted by institutions,
beliefs, or traditions with which they passionately disagree, or they simply
are confronted by hostile surroundings (man vs. the environment; or man vs.
nature). Most certainly we cannot omit stories where characters struggle with
their own inner demons (man vs. himself.) All these different types of conflict
offer situations for compelling storytelling— it’s true, but what I find
objectionable is the manner in which conflict is addressed.
I’ll repeat
this: Conflict in and of itself isn’t harmful. It is the way in which conflict
is resolved that I find troublesome. I recognize that problem-solving or
conflict-resolution is a deep-seated trait of being human. What I object to is
using violence to resolve conflict. Whether it’s something as overt as shooting
one’s opponent, or something as subtle as screaming or yelling when speaking
calmly would be much more “resolution-oriented” but is also way less “dramatic”
or “intense.” Sacrificing peaceful conflict-resolution for a more intense or
“violent” conflict-resolution has no place in society today. We’re already at
the tipping point where artists need to become hyper aware of the types of
“conflict-resolution” they are putting out into the Universe, because of our
current state of over-exposure to media violence. Thus, when artists or
storytellers offer violent conflict resolution which overrides all other
elements of storytelling (like plot, theme, character-development, etc.) in
favor of simply creating scene after scene of conflict-driven setups or
obstacles the characters must struggle to overcome, this must stop. This crisis
in storytelling didn’t happen overnight. It evolved as human beings evolved.
Today’s storytelling, in my
humble opinion, has reached a crossroads—the question being, “Will humanity
overcome the side effects and/or the culmination of escalating violence in
modern-day storytelling?” Or will humanity allow “media violence” to destroy
our society, in as much as it has already created (especially in the United
States) a “killing culture” where the proliferation of gun violence in
modern-day media content is fueling our epidemic of mass-shootings, escalating
violent crime, and a decaying sense of “core values.”
Violent, conflict-driven
money-makers of the past, in books sales or box office ticket sales, tend to
define the types of art that artists create today. But how long can we continue
to “value” this type of conflict-driven art? Or have the societal effects of
the over-proliferation of gun violence in America finally reached the point
where the public will push back and say, “Enough! We don’t want to watch any
more violent films or read any more violent literature. We deserve better than
this!”
To my point, I believe that viewing
violent acts, (whether in print or in film, television, or other media such as
video games), causes people to react with heightened emotions, leading to anger
and violence in their own behavior. This is not just my opinion. There is an
enormous amount of research that supports the causal relation between viewing
media violence, and reacting with violent acts IRL, such as the following:
Individuals with a long-term MVE (Media
Violence Exposure) are more likely to experience stronger anger, thereby
leading to an increase in aggression in the provocation situation.
(Han, L et al, Computers in Human Behavior,
Volume 106, May 2020. “The long-term effect of media violence exposure on
aggression of youngsters.”)
But
even if you take the hardline stance that artists should only create art that
moves them, regardless of the unintended effects it may have on their audience,
if artists are to survive and have the means to create their art, then most
artists need to create work that can earn them a living. And this is where my
desire to create a new genre of storytelling comes into play, because it’s time
for us as consumers to demand a new type of storytelling. What does this mean,
especially with the advent of AI-generated storytelling? Will AI usher in a
trend of producing content based on what is already out there, by modeling or
predicting what a human writer would say next given these prompts (most of
which include violent/conflict-driven content)?
If
so, it becomes critical to respond with intentionality and purpose. If enough
American consumers boycott the irresponsible marketing of unsafe and
unregulated AI technology, then tech companies and entertainment companies will
have to comply, whether they initially wanted to or not. After all, businesses
are market-driven, and customer buying trends matter. Power to the people.
Think before you buy. Our very survival as artists could depend on it.
Especially if we hope to augment human writing with AI-generated content,
instead of revolting against—then being swept up in—content which relies on
violent blockbusters from the past to create new content. Not only is it
imperative for humans to create a new kind of content, it’s also imperative for
consumers to demand it—i.e. if we stop buying violence, then the studios, etc.
will stop producing it.
For
those reasons, I propose that LFS will rely on character-driven, theme-based
storytelling as opposed to relying primarily on intense or dramatic conflict. I
believe that relying solely on intense or dramatic conflict to advance a
story’s plot, or to inform the characters’ development, is a mistake because it
leads to conflict-centered, strife-oriented, war-focused storytelling, which in
turn results in the proliferation of violence. Consider this:
“The National Institute of Justice,
(NIJ) analysis of data collected from U.S. mass shootings from 1966 to 2019,
found that while there was no single profile of a person who engaged in a mass
shooting, the most frequently shared trait by the mass-shooters interviewed for
this study was early childhood trauma and exposure to violence.”
(Jillian Peterson and James
Densley, “A Multi-Level, Multi-Method Investigation of the Psycho-Social Life
Histories of Mass Shooters.” Sept. 2021.)
Another reason for
opposing media violence relates not only to harmful effects for audiences, but
also to the effects on the artists themselves. Creating violent content becomes
progressively more corrosive to the artists creating it, which leads the way
for their future storylines to devolve into even more violent content. On the
other hand, when artists achieve success with storytelling which focuses on
characters strengths, they tend to create more content in that vein, as opposed
to resorting to violence to sell their books or to drive box office sales.
To
this point, a recent study by CSS (Center of Scholars & Storytellers),
UCLA, and Common-Sense Media, called, “The Good Guys: How
Character Strengths Drive Kids’ Entertainment Wins”, has found a
corollary between a film’s box office performance and whether the film contains
characteristics that encompass moral character values and social-emotional
skills that underscore ethical behavior. In fact, this 2023 study finds that
the number of character strengths and skills included in movies is directly
related to box office performance both in the USA and worldwide. The study
cited examples where over 1,700 films tagged with Character Strengths made an
average of more than $87 million globally, compared to only about $34 million
for movies without character strengths, an 88% difference in box office
returns.
“The findings of this study
indicate that both parents and children prefer media content that promotes
social and emotional learning, including qualities such as compassion,
gratitude, and teamwork.” (Lauren B. Taylor; Yalda T. Uhls; “The Good Guys: How Character Strengths
Drive Kids’ Entertainment Wins” 2023. Common Sense Media, Feb. 16,
2023).
Given this
situation, wouldn’t it be more beneficial for artists (and society in general)
to take these findings into consideration and create the types of stories that
focus on character strengths as opposed to violent conflict simply for the sake
of having conflict drive the story? This would apply not only for kids’
entertainment, but for teens and adults as well. It seems the ticket-buying
public has spoken— parents, children, and young people prefer to consume
content which includes “characteristics that encompass moral character values
and social-emotional skills that underscore ethical behavior and qualities
needed for thriving within social institutions.” (Taylor & Uhls, CSS, UCLA,
Common Sense Media. 2023).
For instance, films for young people
aren’t meant solely to entertain. They can also inform us with messages about
right vs. wrong; what actions make one a hero vs. a villain; and how to
overcome obstacles or problem-solving. For example, The Hate U Give
(2018), teaches teens how to stand up against gun violence. While films like WALL-E
(2008) promote messages about the dangers of environmental destruction and
overt consumerism.
I find it appalling that many film
industry “gatekeepers” continue to promote the belief that all storytelling
should rely on conflict as its core story element. Instead, I believe that
modern-day storytelling is on the verge of evolving, out of sheer necessity.
Thus it is
my sincerest wish to help usher in a new genre of storytelling that eliminates
media violence and focuses on portraying character strengths that do not rely
on intense or “in-your-face” conflict to establish or develop their storylines
or their characters. Examples of these types of films include: The Blind
Side (2009); Wings of Desire (1987); The Station Agent
(2003); The Pursuit of Happyness (2005); Hidden Figures (2016); Lion
(2016); Nomadland (2020); and CODA (2021). All of these films
eschewed violence in favor of character-driven dramatic tension.
Using a
storytelling tenet of creating “tension” as opposed to “overt conflict” may be
a viable solution. This would allow for characters to disagree with other
characters, without resorting to violence to settle their disputes. Expressing
the characters’ development by using tension which can be resolved is what
“Life Force Storytelling” proposes, instead of continually building up and
adding more and more situational conflict.
Understanding
tension vs. violence and learning to avoid violent conflict is part of
humanity’s evolution into a more “elevated” being —more able to relate to
others and avoid individual conflict, which can threaten our lives and even our
existence as a species (i.e. nuclear war and its fallout).
The tenets
of reincarnation, life-altering love found when meeting those you’ve known and
loved in past lives, and the interconnection of everyone and everything in the
Universe also depends on human beings overcoming violent conflict. In some
belief systems, when we reincarnate, we have goals and “life lessons,” which we
choose to work on in our subsequent “incarnations,” ultimately evolving as a
person or induvial soul, and conversely as an entire species. LFS highlights
these types of life lessons in its attempt to give audiences a “model” of
character strengths that allow us to augment our lifegoals of reincarnating in
order to learn life lessons and become a more highly evolved soul, and together
become a more highly evolved species.
That is the
crux of LFS—to augment both our individual and species’ evolution in the
spectrum of survival of the fittest. LFS helps us evolve into the “fittest”
version of ourselves, and into our place in the future of this planet and the
Universe.
Overall, I
believe modern-day storytelling will evolve, and its evolution will probably be
more market-driven than anything I could say or do to create a non-violent
genre of storytelling. That’s why I predict LFS has a place in our society, and
that is also why I predict it will prevail. It is what audiences want.
MMelissa L White
Melissa L. White is a screenwriter, novelist, short story
writer, and essayist. She published a short fiction collection titled, “On the
Green Earth Contemplating the Moon” (2012). Her screenplay about female artist,
Georgia O’Keeffe won BEST SCREENPLAY DRAMA and BEST BIOPIC at the 4Threatre
Film Festival in June 2023. This screenplay, “Blackness of Space, Whiteness of
Bones,” also won the GRAND PRIZE – BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY at the Silicon Beach
Film Festival in Sept. 2023. Her LGBTQ+ Rom Com screenplay, “Modern
Marriage,” won 4th Place in the Writer’s Digest
Screenwriting Contest in 2021. Her essay, “Can AI Learn How it Feels to
Cry?” won 2nd Prize at the Writer’s Digest Annual
Writing Contest in August 2023. She lives in the Los Angeles suburb of Encino,
with her fiancé, Mark, an award-winning commercial photographer.
Recent Publications:
Ariel Chart Literary Journal, January 14, 2023, Short
Non-Fiction Essay, “Thank You, Mr. Lucas, and Serena Williams,” https://www.arielchart.com/2023/01/thank-you-mr-lucas-and-serena-williams.html
Ariel Chart Literary Journal, February 1, 2023, Short
Non-Fiction Essay, “Thank You, George Lucas,” https://www.arielchart.com/2023/02/thank-you-george-lucas.html
Sapphire Selections Online Literary Journal,
"Discover," Aug. 9, 2023, Short Story, "RISK." https://sapphireselections.com/2023/08/09/risk/
Storyhouse.org Literary Journal, September 28, 2023, Short
Story – “Beyond the Balcony,” https://storyhouse.org/melissaw5.html
She can be found here:
Instagram: @melissa94901
“X” (Formerly Twitter): @maggiethecat6