Storytelling 101

[essbeejay]

Show, don't tell!

I was catching up on people's opinions of that really awful movie that nobody in their right mind should pay money to watch and came across rufftoon's. I was really interested to see her take on it, not only because she'd been plugging the movie prior to its release, but because she's a former board artist for the series.

Naturally, the movie disappointed her. And then she offered up her take on how she'd cut the movie. I highly recommend reading it, as it reiterates some important points:

1) Show, don't tell.
2) Deciding who's important, character-wise.
3) Deciding what's important, plot-wise.
4) SHOW. DON'T TELL.

Emphasizing that last bit, because IMO that's what the movie suffered from the most.

This doesn't just work from a filmic or TV writing standpoint; showing-not-telling does not only apply on-screen, but on the page as well. (I think JKR would've benefited greatly from this had she applied it to Ginny's development and, ultimately, the Harry/Ginny romance in the HP series.) It's the difference between Fred telling Harry "Oh, we usually can't get her to shut up" and having Harry walk in on Ginny snarking at her brothers, but clamping up once he chimes in or once she notices he's there. Maybe she even squeaks, idk.

Anyway, blah blah blah, show don't tell, blah blah blah, M. Night Shyamalan should stop making movies.

I also really like rufftoon's suggestion to open on action. I really like opening on action. Yee.

I was going through my files the other day and realized I haven't touched TEF since February. I feel like I've lost my... MOJO. (Okay, shoot me. Shoot me now.) The past few days I've been re-reading the chapters I have in beta to try and get my feel for it back. The problem is I don't know how much rl time I'll be able to devote to it until maybe the end of this month. God, why? The only way I can get back to fitting in my daily hour of writing time is if I start sacrificing sleep to do it, and I'm not getting enough as it is. Ugh, life.

Comments

[alicornmoon.livejournal.com]

*hands you back Mojo clinging to her hand like a three year old* Is this your's?

[ms-mercurial.livejournal.com]

YAY RUFFTOON.

Also, MTE w/ Harry/Ginny. It's why I like them more in the movies than I do the books.

No TEF makes me a sad camper, but your life > fiction writing ♥.

[wei-chan.livejournal.com]

Pft, I haven't really touched Taking Responsibility in months, so don't worry about TEF. I already have people plotting my murder or kidnapping if I don't somehow continue a chapter I no longer have access to.

Ah, rufftoon, I love her work. Seriously, I have directed so many people to work when they ask my opinion about TLA or whatever because her stuff just completely says what I'm thinking.

And if JKR actually did more development with the Harry/Ginny romance, I think I could accept it a little more. I may not like it, but at least I wouldn't have thought, 'Where in the world did this romance COME from?'

[shiegra.livejournal.com]

Chief on my list of advice for the movie would have been oh, I don't know, don't be HELLA RACIST.