Feo2: tyrants are tyrants agreed...
Posted by Feo Amante on Jan 07, 2004 at 10:43
(206.72.67.158)Re: Feo: tyrants are tyrants agreed... (danno might)
Introspection in any story that is to have power is necessary. Don't label it as mere "navel staring", because the heros, or heros, or antiheros and their villanous counterparts, require that moment of self truth: a defining moment in their lives where they are called upon to make a choice and they make it, for better or worse. Or even make a choice that they later - to their regret - was the wrong one. I like the cinematic interpretation of Tolkien's LOTR for this very reason, with everything they had to cut, writers and director left those very Tolkien-esque parts in. And Lord of the Rings, like The Foundation Trilogy, Metropolis, and even The Stand, were nothing like anything that ever came before.
Don't kid yourself into thinking that everything that can be written, has been written. That's like saying that everything that can be invented has been invented. Or everything that can be learned, has been learned. Not on your life. Millions may write their hack notions in clever ways to present something entertaining - and that's fine. But if you reach deep enough into yourself, and are brave enough to face those things and write them into your various characters, you will create something unique that no one ever considered before - boiled down to a perspective of the human condition that no one addressed before. The baseline of science fiction and horror is presenting these elements of humanity faced with unique circumstances.
Drop the idea that everything you write has already been done. If your story dwells on the cliches of two dimensional corporate bad guys and Hubbard style good guys, then you need to toss it and think of something else.
NOT - let me add, that a story like that won't sell. But as a writer you have to ask yourself, "Will I be proud of it and will I be happy to meet my fans who love it?"
(recall King's Paul Sheldon in his novel, MISERY?Paul knew that he was a hack writer. That he took the easy way out; that he cheated in telling a story. So he set out to put that past behind hiim and do his very best to write a really good novel. One from the heart. Then he meets his "Number One Fan", Annie Wilkes. And through the course of the book realizes just what kind of people he has catered to.
Follow Ups:
- a balance is in order danno mights 07/1 12:44 (0)