I am fascinated by this idea of structure versus emotion and which is considered to be a stronger choice when it comes to writing or presenting. Is it more important to “structure” your story or presentation in a way that gives your audience a clear concise view of what it is you’re trying to say? Or, is it more productive to focus on what you say and how it’s going to make your audience feel? The obvious answer is to try to perfect both; however, I am beginning to wonder if emotion trumps structure when it comes to delivering a strong message.

Among the movies that I’ve seen and really enjoyed this year are Crazy, Stupid Love, Midnight in Paris, The Help and The Debt. I’ve noticed that the structure could have been stronger in all four films but it’s the emotion that comes to the forefront and that makes me forgive any structural imperfections. Seeing that this year’s box office favors this type of film made me think about the idea of emotion versus structure and the way that I teach story. I am a story analyst, so structure has always been the biggest way I determine whether a story works or not. I am a follower of Joseph Campbell and Aristotle. Furthermore, my career as a former studio executive has made structure the base of my foundation. On the other hand, I am also a middle child and I appreciate when people rebel against structure and choose to be spontaneous – as long as the emotion is there.

In Crazy, Stupid Love, I enjoyed witnessing all the stupid things people of all ages do in the name of love. So, the fact that the B and C story often came to the top didn’t bother me so much because it was all in effort to elevate the A story. In Midnight in Paris, I loved the pure wish fulfillment of being able to explore a time period and socialize with literary heroes so much, that it didn’t bother me that our central character’s dilemma wasn’t defined in a clear enough way at the beginning to make us understand the trigger for him to go into this world. Not to mention, that there was no explanation of how it happened other than him getting into a coach at midnight, which was very fairy tale like. Interestingly, the emotions that these stories made me feel did overpower my desire to see a more perfect structure in them. In The Help, I wasn’t sure who the protagonist was: Skeeter or Abelene. It was Skeeter who had the early goal in the story, but it was Abelene whom we empathized with. Truthfully, it didn’t matter so much as I sat watching the film with my mom and my sister, enjoying the feeling of empowerment from the story. In The Debt, I loved the idea of a choice made thirty years earlier and the regret and guilt that plagues Helen Mirren’s character as a result of that choice. This experience was so universal to me and really made me empathize with the character. Due to the structure of the flashbacks, I wasn’t totally clear on the motivation behind going after the doctor until half way through the movie but it was a minimal bother because of the strength of the story.

The analyst part of me feels that had the structure been stronger in these four films, the audience would have connected with them even more. However, the more intuitive and emotional side of me loves these films just the way that they are because they left a mark on me emotionally.

When it comes to presenting, I often find myself in the opposite place. I tend to rebel against some of the rules of how to present with regards to “ums” and “ands” or learning to take deep breaths in between thoughts. I also tend to put more on my slide presentations than I should because I want my classes to get all of the information. I know that these go against structure but I find that my main goal is to make my audience FEEL what I am saying. I know that if my audience feels my intent, it will create more “aha” moments and they will get more out of the experience. This is what the rebel in me thinks, however, I know if I could learn to master both paths, it would make an overall stronger experience for my audience.

Bottom line, learn how to master structure while elevating the emotion in the stories you tell and the topics that you present. Having a balance of both will increase your chances of a more successful outcome. Embrace the rebel in you and learn how to be spontaneous within structure. Recognize the value of emotion and utilize your own universal life experiences in the stories that you tell. This will help your audience to see you in your story.

PEANUT BUTTER SCOTCH CRISPIES

1 Cup of Butterscotch Chips
½ cup of Light Corn Syrup
2 tablespoons of butter or margarine
5 cups of wheat flakes (I use TOTAL)
½ cup of chocolate chips
½ cut of salted peanuts

Line cookie sheets with wax paper. Set aside. In 3-quart saucepan, combine chips, corn syrup and butter. Cook over medium heat until chips are melted, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter. Add wheat flakes, chocolate chips and peanuts. Stir to coat. Drop mixture by heaping teaspoons onto prepared cookie sheets. Cool completely before storing.

HELLO DOLLY BARS

2 cups graham cracker crumbs 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter (melted)
2 cups coarsely chopped pecans 1 1/2 cans 14-ounce cans sweetened
2 cups of sweetened shredded coconut condensed milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips (Or, you could do 2 cups of any variety of chips)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Lightly grease 13X9-inch baking pan.
Mix together all the ingredients except the sweetened condensed milk in a large bowl. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and pat down evenly with your hands. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the top to cover, using a spatula to spread if necessary. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until lightly golden. Cool to room temperature, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and allow to set overnight before cutting and serving.

Mamie Eisenhower’s Million Dollar Fudge Recipe

MARBLED CARAMEL CHOCOLATE SLICE

For the base
2 1/4 cup plain flour
1/2 cup of superfine sugar
1 3/4 cup of unsalted butter, softened

For the filling
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup of light brown sugar
2 (14 oz.) cans of sweetened condensed milk

For the toping
3 1/2 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 1/2 oz. milk chocolate
3 1/2 oz. white chocolate

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Line and lightly grease a 13X9 inch pan. Put the flour and superfine sugar in a bowl and rub in the butter. until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Work with your hands until mixture forms dough.

Put the dough into a prepared pan and press out with your hand to cover the base. Then, use the back of a tablespoon to smooth evenly all over. Prick all over with a fork and bake for about 20 minutes.

To make the filling, put the butter, brown sugar and sweet and condensed milk into a pan and heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Stirring constantly bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the mixture very gently, stirring constantly for about 5-10 minutes or until it has thickened and turned into a caramel color. Take care that the mixture does not burn on the base of the pan as this will spoil the flavor.

Pour the filling over the cookie base, spread evenly, then leave until cold.

To make the topping, melt each chocolate separately in the microwave or in a heat proof bowl set over a pan of hot water. Spoon lines of milk chocolate, then semi sweet chocolate over the caramel mixture.

Add small spoonfuls of white chocolate. Use a skewer to form a marbled effect on the topping.