![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Nov. 5th, 2015 09:18 pmNow that I'm stuck on the Space Book (or the sci-fi novel that I was writing this summer), I've decided to start writing the sci-fi novel that I've been plotting in my head for the past five years.
It's a challenge - told in first person. First person is always a bit of a challenge, because the point of view is so limited, and you risk making the character either a Mary Sue or pathetic. I was warned not to do first person in various creative writing courses. Yet, ironically, it's the perspective most beginning writers choose -- which may explain the quality of a lot of starter novels?
Haven't written in it in a while. I think I can do it now though. I've taught myself how to write in a specific voice. A sort of conversational tone, with lots of slang. That works best for first person -- you don't want to be formal, too boring. Need to spice it up. I think a lot of writers make the mistake of going the formal route with first person. (Okay that's my own personal take -- I find the formal narrative style rather dull to read. And wish more writers would spice things up. Probably a side-effect of reading business writing, technical writing, and contracts all day long.)
So, wrote two pages tonight. Progress.
Keep getting distracted by my obsession with the character of Cyclops aka Scott Summers arc in X-men comics. Mainly because the character's arc is perhaps the most drastic character arc that any comic has done in the Marvel universe. And it tracks. I mean it's like watching Martin Luther King's kid somewhere along the way switch gears and become Malcolm X. And it makes perfect sense. You can see why he does what he does -- heck you might have done the same.
I like good character arcs. My obsession with Spike was due in part to his amazing character arc in the television series. I honestly thought he had the best character arc in both series. With Wesley, a close second. I was disappointed with Willow's arc - the writers fell down on the job in S6-7, with the magic as crack story - I get that they were attempting satire, but it didn't work (particularly since I was amongst the few fans who figured out that they were doing satire). Satire is admittedly hard to pull off - most people don't get it unless you hit them repeatedly over the head with it (*cough*RyanMurphy*cough*) and well, then it's just stupid. Because you sort of have to think metaphorically to pick up on the subtleties.
If a television series, book series, or movie series has a great character arc or a story trope that hits me hard - I'll get obsessed with it. Doesn't matter how well it's written, just as long as they do a half-way decent job -- I'm there.
A lot of well-written series and books, suck at character and story. I don't know why. They are repetitive and don't appear to have any interesting ideas. Although there are exceptions. Breaking Bad had interesting idea that I hadn't seen done before. So, too, did Fargo - with it's neat satirical take on true crime series. But so much of it feels like a copy of something else. And, I'm tired of bored or frustrated wives, dysfunctional families, and successful single women who jump from one one-night stand to the next, hunting meaning. Literary fiction can be depressing and hollow.
And I swear if I see one more coming of age story, or dystopian kid romance, I'll scream running for the hills. Also, do we really need another re-write of Shakespearean play? Particularly when they've all been done before? Come up with new ideas. How about writing a modern version of a Christopher Marlow play? Or Moliere? Or Ibsen? Maybe updating Lillian Hellman? Play around with Lousia May Alcott?
Stop dipping in the same well, until it runs dry of ideas -- Shakespeare, folks, has been done to death by now. The plays are good, but they aren't that good.
Ahh...enough whinging about things I have no control over. I've learned that the only thing I can sort of control is me. And even that can be limited at times. I control what I eat, but not what I crave. I control my thoughts, but not how I think. I control how I behave, but not always how I react physically or emotionally to things. Working on impulse control -- fine with most things, except books. I can't stop buying books on electronic media. Bad. Very bad.
It's a challenge - told in first person. First person is always a bit of a challenge, because the point of view is so limited, and you risk making the character either a Mary Sue or pathetic. I was warned not to do first person in various creative writing courses. Yet, ironically, it's the perspective most beginning writers choose -- which may explain the quality of a lot of starter novels?
Haven't written in it in a while. I think I can do it now though. I've taught myself how to write in a specific voice. A sort of conversational tone, with lots of slang. That works best for first person -- you don't want to be formal, too boring. Need to spice it up. I think a lot of writers make the mistake of going the formal route with first person. (Okay that's my own personal take -- I find the formal narrative style rather dull to read. And wish more writers would spice things up. Probably a side-effect of reading business writing, technical writing, and contracts all day long.)
So, wrote two pages tonight. Progress.
Keep getting distracted by my obsession with the character of Cyclops aka Scott Summers arc in X-men comics. Mainly because the character's arc is perhaps the most drastic character arc that any comic has done in the Marvel universe. And it tracks. I mean it's like watching Martin Luther King's kid somewhere along the way switch gears and become Malcolm X. And it makes perfect sense. You can see why he does what he does -- heck you might have done the same.
I like good character arcs. My obsession with Spike was due in part to his amazing character arc in the television series. I honestly thought he had the best character arc in both series. With Wesley, a close second. I was disappointed with Willow's arc - the writers fell down on the job in S6-7, with the magic as crack story - I get that they were attempting satire, but it didn't work (particularly since I was amongst the few fans who figured out that they were doing satire). Satire is admittedly hard to pull off - most people don't get it unless you hit them repeatedly over the head with it (*cough*RyanMurphy*cough*) and well, then it's just stupid. Because you sort of have to think metaphorically to pick up on the subtleties.
If a television series, book series, or movie series has a great character arc or a story trope that hits me hard - I'll get obsessed with it. Doesn't matter how well it's written, just as long as they do a half-way decent job -- I'm there.
A lot of well-written series and books, suck at character and story. I don't know why. They are repetitive and don't appear to have any interesting ideas. Although there are exceptions. Breaking Bad had interesting idea that I hadn't seen done before. So, too, did Fargo - with it's neat satirical take on true crime series. But so much of it feels like a copy of something else. And, I'm tired of bored or frustrated wives, dysfunctional families, and successful single women who jump from one one-night stand to the next, hunting meaning. Literary fiction can be depressing and hollow.
And I swear if I see one more coming of age story, or dystopian kid romance, I'll scream running for the hills. Also, do we really need another re-write of Shakespearean play? Particularly when they've all been done before? Come up with new ideas. How about writing a modern version of a Christopher Marlow play? Or Moliere? Or Ibsen? Maybe updating Lillian Hellman? Play around with Lousia May Alcott?
Stop dipping in the same well, until it runs dry of ideas -- Shakespeare, folks, has been done to death by now. The plays are good, but they aren't that good.
Ahh...enough whinging about things I have no control over. I've learned that the only thing I can sort of control is me. And even that can be limited at times. I control what I eat, but not what I crave. I control my thoughts, but not how I think. I control how I behave, but not always how I react physically or emotionally to things. Working on impulse control -- fine with most things, except books. I can't stop buying books on electronic media. Bad. Very bad.