I tried another cozy mystery series. It had a few problems in Book1, but I could chalk that up to freshman jitters. 2nd book, about the same. By Books 3-4, it only got worse. So, I won't be seeing how she does on Book 8 or 9 like I will with Sookie.
What were the problems?
-Two characters in particular almost always use each other's names in dialogue. "Hi, John, won't you sit down?" "Thanks, Jill. That's nice of you." "Don't mention it, John. Did you find out anything about that clue we found yesterday?" "Why yes I did, Jill. Let me tell you about it." And so on. Annoying.
-She likes her protag too much. I can relate to this. My critique group is always telling me I don't beat up my protagonist enough. But I have someone who tells me this, and I fix it. This girl gets everything she wants. I can't relate to that. She even has a "mean breed" dog that no one ever acts nervous around.
-By Book 2, she established that any new characters coming into the circle of friends would be the victim. If 2 new people arrive, one is the victim and the other is the killer. And it's obvious which is which. So why read past the first chapter?
-Doesn't even come close to real police procedure. The protagonist (not in law enforcement) has nabbed a couple murderers by secretly taping them confessing. And apparently this has held up in court. In the most recent one, a key piece of evidence was buried under debri at the crime scene. The police neglected to search thoroughly so it was found during the owner of the property's clean-up. The item so upset the owner that the protag took it back to her house. Then she called a retired detective, after major handling of the thing, who carried it back to his place before taking it in. Can you say "chain of evidence"? Yeah, thought so.
What could save this series for me? Well, start adhering at least a little bit to the realities of what would and wouldn't be admitted into evidence for starters. Then kill off one of the inner circle. There are now about 6 couples (everyone eventually pairs off in this series) and a few incidental characters (who are married, but the spouse hasn't been seen yet). It's getting crowded. It would shake things up nicely, and make any threat more, well, threatening.
But I won't be around to see it. It's too bad. There was potential there. For a while I'm switching back to other genres. Right now I'm reading The Time Traveler's Wife. Present tense bugged me for about two paragraphs, and then I realized it has to be that way. Pulled in hook, line and sinker. Hope it pays off.
Showing posts with label storytelling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label storytelling. Show all posts
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
How To A Story Russell T. Davies Style
BBC America showed the 5-part miniseries, Torchwood: Children of Earth, last week. I'm a big Torchwood fan so I was pretty sure I'd enjoy it no matter what. My sister, however, tends be quite indifferent about the shows I choose so I didn't expect much reaction out of her. There's a long story behind it, but she prefers things she's familiar with.
It opens with a mother having trouble getting her child to move. They're on the way to school and the kid has just stopped. Not moving, speaking, nothing. One of the Torchwood agents notices this, smiles at the naughty child and goes about getting to work. The shot changes to two girls sitting at the breakfast table, not moving or speaking. Their father bids them a good day and, without noticing their state, leaves. Then a line of children stopped in the process of crossing the street. As the adults reach the peak of frustration, all the children from all the scenes resume moving and talking as if nothing has happened.
My interest is definitely piqued. We have an opening hook. Why are the children doing this?
As the story goes on, it happens again at recess time. This starts to bring more attention from more quarters. And some of those people seem to know why it's happening. Of course, Torchwood gets involved, and we're off. Interest not just piqued, they've got me.
The suspense builds throughout the first episode. The second episode builds on that with a lovely personal reveal near the end followed by gut-wrenching devastation. Oh my god, how are they going to come back from this? Episode three brings us a little hope, but then dashes it to bits. At this point, my sister says, "How the hell are they going to wrap this up in just two more nights?" Seems as if they hooked her, too. Fourth episode our heroes leap into action, we're feeling pretty good, then they're left in an even worse position than they were the night before. Ye gods and small fishes, they aren't going to fail, are they? Then a satisfying conclusion. I won't say whether they succeed or fail. Just that the ending was right.
There is much more going on than what I've summarized here, of course, but it gives a good indication of how the action and suspense build to the climax. It just keeps ratcheting up with only slight breathers here and there. There's a lot of humor in the series, and it's used to good effect. Russell T. Davies, the screenwriter and man behind the new Dr. Who and the whole Torchwood series, also gives enough backstory through character interaction that those who haven't seen the first two seasons will understand a bit why they all relate to each other the way they do. But much more is revealed about two of the characters than we've known. And it's integral to the story, moves it forward and adds another layer of tension to the whole thing.
Brilliant. Just bloody brilliant. Another fine template for how to tell a story. Even if the story isn't a SF/F action thriller. It still works. And it has me pumped to get back to it myself.
It opens with a mother having trouble getting her child to move. They're on the way to school and the kid has just stopped. Not moving, speaking, nothing. One of the Torchwood agents notices this, smiles at the naughty child and goes about getting to work. The shot changes to two girls sitting at the breakfast table, not moving or speaking. Their father bids them a good day and, without noticing their state, leaves. Then a line of children stopped in the process of crossing the street. As the adults reach the peak of frustration, all the children from all the scenes resume moving and talking as if nothing has happened.
My interest is definitely piqued. We have an opening hook. Why are the children doing this?
As the story goes on, it happens again at recess time. This starts to bring more attention from more quarters. And some of those people seem to know why it's happening. Of course, Torchwood gets involved, and we're off. Interest not just piqued, they've got me.
The suspense builds throughout the first episode. The second episode builds on that with a lovely personal reveal near the end followed by gut-wrenching devastation. Oh my god, how are they going to come back from this? Episode three brings us a little hope, but then dashes it to bits. At this point, my sister says, "How the hell are they going to wrap this up in just two more nights?" Seems as if they hooked her, too. Fourth episode our heroes leap into action, we're feeling pretty good, then they're left in an even worse position than they were the night before. Ye gods and small fishes, they aren't going to fail, are they? Then a satisfying conclusion. I won't say whether they succeed or fail. Just that the ending was right.
There is much more going on than what I've summarized here, of course, but it gives a good indication of how the action and suspense build to the climax. It just keeps ratcheting up with only slight breathers here and there. There's a lot of humor in the series, and it's used to good effect. Russell T. Davies, the screenwriter and man behind the new Dr. Who and the whole Torchwood series, also gives enough backstory through character interaction that those who haven't seen the first two seasons will understand a bit why they all relate to each other the way they do. But much more is revealed about two of the characters than we've known. And it's integral to the story, moves it forward and adds another layer of tension to the whole thing.
Brilliant. Just bloody brilliant. Another fine template for how to tell a story. Even if the story isn't a SF/F action thriller. It still works. And it has me pumped to get back to it myself.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Magic, Insanity or Both?
So, since July 12th, I have read all three of the Twilight series books. All 1,792 pages of them. I bought the first book in the series months ago, and it's been sitting on the nightstand ever since. I finally decided to pick it up and read through it. I did so in about four sittings. The same with New Moon, the second book. Then Friday afternoon, I left work, bought the third book, Eclipse, and finished it Saturday afternoon.
For those of you, like me two weeks ago, who have little to no knowledge of what these books are, I'll give you a little recap trying to avoid as many spoilers as possible. They are YA fantasy about a high school junior named Bella Swan. She moves from Phoenix to the small town of Forks, WA, to live with her father, the town sheriff, after her mother remarries. She falls in love with Edward Cullen and becomes close to his whole "family"--all vampires who have sworn off using humans as food. In the second book we find out that her slightly younger friend, Jacob, is a werewolf. Many problems ensue, not least of which is that werewolves and vampires hate each other and both Jacob and Edward want Bella for their own.
What is it about these books at this time? Damned if I know. They are certainly not flawless. In fact, many flaws when I think about it. The old vampire vs. werewolf device. The tortured vampire with a conscience. The boy from the wrong side of the tracks cliche. Torn between two lovers. Then there are the technical issues. All three books are too long because of repetition of scenes. Overuse of certain words or images. One of the characters (Alice, one of my favorites actually) 'dances' everywhere. It's nice the first time to get across how tiny and graceful she is. After three books, it's just annoying. In the 3rd book, everyone starts to say "Ugh" when they don't like something. And Charlie, the sheriff, is clueless about what's going on. He doesn't like Edward on principal at first and then for a better reason in book 2, but when Bella keeps showing up injured, he never says "Hey, your boyfriend's abusive, I'm arresting him." It's "oh, my poor clumsy little girl." Nuh uh. Jacob, supposedly a sympathetic character, just acts like a whiney, manipulative little kid. I don't see him as being a viable threat to Edward romantically so the whole "who will she choose" question seems contrived.
But there are great moments, too. Some very human. Some that are funny or exciting or insightful and are because of the vampires or werewolves. There is a battle prep scene with Alice and her mate that is hilarious. And Alice, who sees the future, and Edward, who can read thoughts, play out an entire chess match in about three minutes--all in their heads. I get annoyed with Bella, too, but that's because a lot of her reactions and decisions are what a teenager would probably do, and from an adult perspective, it's stupid.
The thing is that by about the third chapter of book one, I was hooked. There's a feeling I get when I read or watch certain things. It's not quite hairs standing up on my neck, it's more a tingling sensation at the base of my brain. The feeling seems to say, "This is for you." And very possibly 3 million others, but still... Very hard to describe, but I've come to think of it as my Hill Street Blues feeling. That's the first TV show that made me aware of it. Certainly not the first I was hooked on, but the first that I identified the feeling and knew I would love the show. Thirtysomething, Lost, X-Files, Dr. Who, Pushing Daisies are all shows I am/was obsessive about and all gave me that feeling. The Harry Potter books do that. Some, but not all, Gaiman and Atwood books do it. I think Lord of the Rings probably did and Little House books before that. And these silly books.
So what do these disparate things have in common? Good solid characters (which is funny when you read the descriptions of Edward, but I digress). There is something just a little different or off about the world and/or the world view. The storytelling pulls you along. You want to know what happens next. If it's a TV show and the "to be continued" card comes up at the end, you may just throw something at the screen. If it's a book, you keep turning pages even if it's an hour past bedtime and you have to get up early. "Just one more chapter." It's what Jenny called Magic last night. If I knew how to bottle it, I'd be rich.
Is it embarrassing to be the age I am and hooked on a YA series? Not after the Harry Potter phenomenon. Disconcerting maybe, but not embarrassing. I don't think Meyer is quite on a level with Rowling. Fewer books appealing to a much narrower demographic for one thing. And while Rowling does tend to get longwinded in the later books, I didn't notice the same number of technical issues that I do with Meyer. Although I will not be in line at midnight on Friday, I know I'll be at B&N on Saturday morning for my copy of Breaking Dawn, the final book in the series.
And I'll finish it well before the Pirate meeting on that Monday night.
For those of you, like me two weeks ago, who have little to no knowledge of what these books are, I'll give you a little recap trying to avoid as many spoilers as possible. They are YA fantasy about a high school junior named Bella Swan. She moves from Phoenix to the small town of Forks, WA, to live with her father, the town sheriff, after her mother remarries. She falls in love with Edward Cullen and becomes close to his whole "family"--all vampires who have sworn off using humans as food. In the second book we find out that her slightly younger friend, Jacob, is a werewolf. Many problems ensue, not least of which is that werewolves and vampires hate each other and both Jacob and Edward want Bella for their own.
What is it about these books at this time? Damned if I know. They are certainly not flawless. In fact, many flaws when I think about it. The old vampire vs. werewolf device. The tortured vampire with a conscience. The boy from the wrong side of the tracks cliche. Torn between two lovers. Then there are the technical issues. All three books are too long because of repetition of scenes. Overuse of certain words or images. One of the characters (Alice, one of my favorites actually) 'dances' everywhere. It's nice the first time to get across how tiny and graceful she is. After three books, it's just annoying. In the 3rd book, everyone starts to say "Ugh" when they don't like something. And Charlie, the sheriff, is clueless about what's going on. He doesn't like Edward on principal at first and then for a better reason in book 2, but when Bella keeps showing up injured, he never says "Hey, your boyfriend's abusive, I'm arresting him." It's "oh, my poor clumsy little girl." Nuh uh. Jacob, supposedly a sympathetic character, just acts like a whiney, manipulative little kid. I don't see him as being a viable threat to Edward romantically so the whole "who will she choose" question seems contrived.
But there are great moments, too. Some very human. Some that are funny or exciting or insightful and are because of the vampires or werewolves. There is a battle prep scene with Alice and her mate that is hilarious. And Alice, who sees the future, and Edward, who can read thoughts, play out an entire chess match in about three minutes--all in their heads. I get annoyed with Bella, too, but that's because a lot of her reactions and decisions are what a teenager would probably do, and from an adult perspective, it's stupid.
The thing is that by about the third chapter of book one, I was hooked. There's a feeling I get when I read or watch certain things. It's not quite hairs standing up on my neck, it's more a tingling sensation at the base of my brain. The feeling seems to say, "This is for you." And very possibly 3 million others, but still... Very hard to describe, but I've come to think of it as my Hill Street Blues feeling. That's the first TV show that made me aware of it. Certainly not the first I was hooked on, but the first that I identified the feeling and knew I would love the show. Thirtysomething, Lost, X-Files, Dr. Who, Pushing Daisies are all shows I am/was obsessive about and all gave me that feeling. The Harry Potter books do that. Some, but not all, Gaiman and Atwood books do it. I think Lord of the Rings probably did and Little House books before that. And these silly books.
So what do these disparate things have in common? Good solid characters (which is funny when you read the descriptions of Edward, but I digress). There is something just a little different or off about the world and/or the world view. The storytelling pulls you along. You want to know what happens next. If it's a TV show and the "to be continued" card comes up at the end, you may just throw something at the screen. If it's a book, you keep turning pages even if it's an hour past bedtime and you have to get up early. "Just one more chapter." It's what Jenny called Magic last night. If I knew how to bottle it, I'd be rich.
Is it embarrassing to be the age I am and hooked on a YA series? Not after the Harry Potter phenomenon. Disconcerting maybe, but not embarrassing. I don't think Meyer is quite on a level with Rowling. Fewer books appealing to a much narrower demographic for one thing. And while Rowling does tend to get longwinded in the later books, I didn't notice the same number of technical issues that I do with Meyer. Although I will not be in line at midnight on Friday, I know I'll be at B&N on Saturday morning for my copy of Breaking Dawn, the final book in the series.
And I'll finish it well before the Pirate meeting on that Monday night.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
The Wisdom of Ira
It's no secret that I'm a fan of many shows on National Public Radio. None more than This American Life with host Ira Glass. If you're not familiar with the show, they pick a theme each week and then present anywhere from one to four stories based on that theme. You can download podcasts for free at www.thisamericanlife.org Start on the Our Favorites page. They won't steer you wrong. And the first season of their Showtime television version is available on DVD.
Saturday night Colorado College played host to Ira Glass. Since Nicole and I had previously expressed our admiration for Mr. Glass (okay, we both have crushes on him), we bought our tickets and went to see him. I wasn't sure what to expect. The ticket said it was a lecture. What would he lecture us on? Politics? The state of public radio?
Storytelling. And that's the thing about the radio show. They are all great storytellers. And Ira showed us just how they do it. Part of it is the music used underneath the stories. But that's a small part of it. The voice talent is another part of it. Ira Glass, David Sedaris, Sarah Vowell and many more. But those are pretty specific to radio. The biggest parts are what we can use in our writing every single day.
Here are the highlights:
--"Tell stories about people others can relate to." Not over-the-top larger than life cardboard cutouts. Who cares about them?
--"Keep the action moving forward." That's what causes 'driveway moments' in public radio and page turning in fiction.
--"Allow for all emotions." The most compelling stories aren't just moving or funny or tragic. They are all of those things and perhaps more.
--"Anecdote/reflection." This is equivalent to scene/sequel in writing. Here's the event and then here's how the event relates to the bigger picture.
--"Good narrative can save your life." Okay, this was said specifically in reference to Scheherazade and the 1001 nights, but I think it still applies to all storytelling.
He was very funny and charming and informative. All with the flu and a fever. Which was a lesson in and of itself. If people show up to hear you, then you should still entertain them no matter how you feel.
So now I'm going to see if I can take these lessons and apply them to my own writing. I already know that the right voice is important, even for words on paper. And maybe I can even try to do the written equivalent of putting the right kind of music under my words.
Saturday night Colorado College played host to Ira Glass. Since Nicole and I had previously expressed our admiration for Mr. Glass (okay, we both have crushes on him), we bought our tickets and went to see him. I wasn't sure what to expect. The ticket said it was a lecture. What would he lecture us on? Politics? The state of public radio?
Storytelling. And that's the thing about the radio show. They are all great storytellers. And Ira showed us just how they do it. Part of it is the music used underneath the stories. But that's a small part of it. The voice talent is another part of it. Ira Glass, David Sedaris, Sarah Vowell and many more. But those are pretty specific to radio. The biggest parts are what we can use in our writing every single day.
Here are the highlights:
--"Tell stories about people others can relate to." Not over-the-top larger than life cardboard cutouts. Who cares about them?
--"Keep the action moving forward." That's what causes 'driveway moments' in public radio and page turning in fiction.
--"Allow for all emotions." The most compelling stories aren't just moving or funny or tragic. They are all of those things and perhaps more.
--"Anecdote/reflection." This is equivalent to scene/sequel in writing. Here's the event and then here's how the event relates to the bigger picture.
--"Good narrative can save your life." Okay, this was said specifically in reference to Scheherazade and the 1001 nights, but I think it still applies to all storytelling.
He was very funny and charming and informative. All with the flu and a fever. Which was a lesson in and of itself. If people show up to hear you, then you should still entertain them no matter how you feel.
So now I'm going to see if I can take these lessons and apply them to my own writing. I already know that the right voice is important, even for words on paper. And maybe I can even try to do the written equivalent of putting the right kind of music under my words.
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