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My Fictional Life Blog

If it's Fiction it's Fair Game

Awarded to me by Selma!

My other blogs:

Daoine's Mischief

Elegant Giving

My favourite blogs:

Selma in the City

Ms Karen's Place

My latest articles:

Top Ten Mistakes Writers Make

Ice Sculpture

Creating derivative works

My latest reviews:

The Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda

Shalimar the Clown by Salman Rushdie

His Dark Materials (2&3) by Philip Pullman

I'm watching Torchwood...

The writing career development course I'm taking

Friday 12 June 2009
Worldbuilding

Despite all the planning I do for my books, I don't tend to do much worldbuilding up front. This is one aspect of planning that I leave for the writing process. I'm not sure why I take this approach; I know of some writers who do extensive worldbuilding before even beginning any planning, and even some who enjoy worldbuilding but don't plan their plot at all.

A lot of my worldbuilding takes place in my head as a way of absorbing the atmosphere of the world of my story. I get an essence of the place; a scent of it, rather than an absolute definition of its boundaries and content. Perhaps this is why I am so vague at writing descriptively. I forget details but remember impressions; how a place (real or imagined) makes me feel, what it reminds me of. These daydreams that I have of my characters simply being in a place may or may not make it into the final story, and I won't know until I write the scene whether I need to include details that may first require a detour into worldbuilding.

More about the writing career development course I'm taking

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Comments (2)

Selma -
I tend to keep it in my head too. I have found in the past that extensive worldbuilding takes all of the fun out of things for me. It's a case of too much planning being a bad thing. Great to see you blogging again!

Posted 13 June 2009

Elle -
It's nice to be back. :-) I'm going to attempt to give this site a facelift which will hopefully make it easier to keep blogging.

Posted 13 June 2009

Tuesday 9 June 2009
Reality Nibbles

It's amazing how a little dose of reality can put a fictional life on hold. At the start of the year we had the pleasure of house guests (my in-laws, with whom I get on very well) staying with us for two months.

In February we haunted the various rooms of our house trying to stay calm while we made the aching decisions of which of our items were important enough to shove in a suitcase in case we had to make a run for it; bush fire threatened just a few kilometres away. I was 36 weeks pregnant at the time - another consideration for giving myself enough time to get out early. Our family left with more insight into what we deal with most summers than I think they wanted to have. But luckily our area was never under real threat and we were left very grateful after seeing the devastation that hit some other really stunning parts of our state.

And then a week later our beautiful son decided it was time to find out what all the excitement was about. He was 3 weeks earlier than anticipated, but, in hindsight, he and I were perfectly ready for his birth. Just as I'd planned, I gave birth to him in the comfort and serenity of our lovely home, with no drugs or interventions. It was such a perfect experience that I have spent many hours since day-dreaming the labour and birth over again so that I can keep it as fresh in my memory as possible.

But then came colic. And silent reflux. And intestinal wind pain. And hours and hours of soothing a crying baby. It's been a tough few months. Fiction will resume it's place soon, I'm sure, but in the meantime it's too subtle to push aside the impact of reality.

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Comments (2)

Selma -
Enjoy your beautiful boy. You will be surprised how as the years go by, you get your time back. I remember those days of colic. Boy, were they tough. I bet you are a great Mum!

Posted 11 June 2009

Elle -
Thank you Selma. I don't feel much like a Mum yet; the days are too much of a responsive blur of exhaustion. I keep waiting for it to sink in properly.

Posted 12 June 2009

Friday 30 January 2009
Cranking Up the Grey Matter

It's been a busy couple of months. I put my fiction on hold in order to work on a project for my father-in-law, who turned 70 this month. I'm still not sure how I managed to keep it a semi-surprise, or how I managed to get it done in time, but somehow I converted several dinner time conversations, some sneaky questions, an incomplete six-page memoir, and dozens of photographs into a printed book. It is a continuing biography that our whole family can enjoy as a reference and celebration.

So I'm getting back into my novel now and really looking forward to spending some time with my characters. They've been neglected for too long.

An interesting exercise I'm working on at the moment is to come up with a couple of story ideas "on demand". This may seem contrary to what I need (ie, I have far too many ideas noted down and not enough time and energy to get to work on them. But it is not about how many ideas you do or don't have, but rather a case of developing the ability to grab any opportunity that might arise (a great contest, a sudden request from a publisher, an offer of a lifetime - that sort of thing). Keeping the brain sharp and the feet thinking. Too many years of curbing my inspiration while I first finish the ideas I have committed to has left my muse tapping her fingers on the desk in a state of stupor. Inspiration does still arrive, but inspiration on demand?... not as simple as it used to be.

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Comments (2)

Selma -
I thought you must have had some project on the go. Glad to hear you're getting back into your novel. Inspiration on demand? Not easy at all!!

Posted 2 February 2009

Elle -
I had no idea what I'd let myself in for with the biography! The hardest part was having to make design decisions on my own and not being able to run the cover options past anyone in the family first. But I kept things as simple as possible and it worked out really well. A few very minor errors (inevitably), but I'm really rather chuffed with the results - as are the recipients.

Posted 2 February 2009

Tuesday 23 December 2008
The Dark Knight

I finally watched The Dark Knight on DVD over the weekend, and it was actually not as bad as I expected. In fact, once the movie switched from the Joker as the villain to the far more interesting Two-Face, it became thoroughly enjoyable. But then Two-Face has always been a more rounded villain, even in the comics and animations.

And, of course, the chameleonic Gary Oldman is always worth savouring. I'll bet most people didn't even notice that "Sirius Black" was in The Dark Knight. Or "Dracula". Or the blood-chilling "Stansfield" - after years of watching Oldman as the villain it is a real pleasure to see him in a run of sympathetic roles.

So, on to the verdict of Heath Ledger's performance. The Joker is a very flat, one-dimensional character at the best of times. Jack Nicholson played him with tongue-in-cheek relish, which made for an enjoyable piece of theatre. The writers of The Dark Knight didn't give Heath Ledger much to work with when they stripped this character down to nothing more than an ordinary psychopath with lousy make-up. Such a character serves entirely as a foil for the hero's skills and abilities. And unfortunately Ledger didn't have the skills to imbue such a flat character with any further depth. I didn't find this incarnation of the Joker a particularly dark version, either (contrary to what has been ceaselessly touted in the media since Heath Ledger's death). But, as the facilitator of the emergence of Two-Face, the Joker is fine, and depth of character is not required for such a role.

But there are some really good examples of the techniques of showing and telling in this movie. First the Joker tells the story of why he has scars on his face (no, I hadn't noticed the scars either), then later he gives a completely different explanation to someone else. This is an example of telling used as showing. The actual backstory is irrelevant; the point of the story is to reveal the Joker's insincerity and unreliability as a narrator, and this is a technique that can be used to good effect in a story if used with care.

In comparison to the exposition of the Joker, the audience is shown the transition of the character of Harvey Dent to the villain Two-Face. This is a very clear example of how the technique of showing creates empathy, whereas telling simply provides information without emotion. If you need empathy from your readers, showing the character or particular plot thread is your best option.

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Comments (2)

Selma -
It's funny how interpretations can vary. To me, the Joker was the star of the show. I thought Ledger was brilliant. And I thought the characterisation of Two-Face was a bit wishy-washy. But that's just me. It's always fun to hear a different take on things!

Posted 27 December 2008

Elle -
That's interesting. I know I was putting my own knowledge of the various incarnations of both characters into the viewing, which was probably unfair of me. Maybe if I had watched this as just a realism based movie, rather than a continuation of a franchise, I might have appreciated Ledger's performance more as just that of a psychopath. With Two-Face, I was disappointed with the choice of Eckhart for that role, but I think he really benefited from sharing a number of scenes with Gary Oldman, particularly at the end.

Posted 28 December 2008

Saturday 6 December 2008
Noted

So, after about a week's work and 6000 words, I've completed the synopsis (4000 words) and character notes (2000) for this new story. Now I'm satisfied that I can leave it to mature and allow other stories to fill my mind and be written, and when I come back to this story I will have all the important details noted down and ready to work for me. I can also, now, get back to working on my writing career course, which I put on hold because I didn't want to distract my muse while it was playing with this new idea.

What fun that was though! Every now and then I believe everyone needs a new idea to inject some fresh energy into their thinking.

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Comments (2)

Selma -
That's brilliant. Well done!

Posted 20 December 2008

Elle -
Thank you. Holiday preparations and family visits have taken up my attention now, though.

Posted 21 December 2008

Monday 24 November 2008
Wired

What do news stories of horrific instances of child abuse in Austria and other European countries have in common with the birth in captivity of a pygmy hippo?

Somehow the combination has sparked the idea for a new teen novel that my muse has kept me awake over for the past two nights. I spent today on the planning and fleshing out the main characters, and tomorrow I'll knuckle down and write the synopsis. It's a lot darker than what I've been writing for the past few years, but at least it has an uplifting ending.

I always feel wired when I'm unravelling a new story for the first time. Hyper - like I've had too much caffeine and sugar, which is a strange feeling on top of the ultra-relaxed state caused by all the pregnancy hormones floating around in my system. I haven't had coffee since June, either, so this is an interesting substitute.

I don't know how freewriters can sit down and just start writing. For me the thrill comes with watching and listening to the story play out in my head over an intense period of a day or two. It's like I'm seeing double for a while - a movie being played on top of my real life; my attention split between the two. By the end of it, the whole thing is in there in its entirety, in my brain, except for a few transition details and the nuts and bolts of the dialogue.

And then the subplots arrive, and wind their way into the story, altering slight details and improving motives and adding twists to the ending. I get to make notes at this point, getting the details down while my brain studies the whole. And then I can leave the story for months or years at a time, knowing that I can pick it up whenever the time is right and it will be waiting. As I read over the notes I've made I'll feel like I'm experiencing a story that is both fresh and new and an old friend at the same time.

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Comments (2)

Selma -
I am very excited about your new project. To take some of the horrible things that have been in the news lately and turn them into something positive is wonderful. Best of luck with it all!

Posted 27 November 2008

Elle -
Thank you Selma. None of what was in the news features in the story, though - it is just my feelings about the situations that have come out in the themes of the story.

Posted 27 November 2008

Thursday 13 November 2008
Lessons in Showing

I've been stuck on editing an important scene on the first page of my completed children's book, and eventually I decided to get some opinions from other writers (thanks Wendy, Lauri, and Sher).

Showing a scene allows the reader to own it, and therefore makes it more powerful and memorable. So it stands to reason that one would use the technique of showing for important scenes. I often advise writers and clients to let go of the control over every single aspect of their book. If a detail is not important to the plot - such as the colour of a character's hair - then let the reader choose. This doesn't mean cutting out all such description; it means knowing when extraneous description is slowing the pace of the story, or distracting the reader and breaking his concentration.

But there are times when you need the reader to be (cough) on the same page as you. In my efforts to let go of control over my reader's perceptions, I relinquished one detail too many in this vital scene. All three critiques contained the perception that the main character seems fearless, cheeky, and brave. In this scene, however, it is important plot-wise that the main character is afraid. I knew there was something wrong with this scene, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. Thankfully others could, without even knowing what they were looking for. This is what makes beta readers so useful.

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Comments (2)

Selma -
That is excellent advice and very relevant to where I am at the moment. A fresh pair of eyes is invaluable. Glad the others could help you out!

Posted 20 November 2008

Elle -
Thanks Selma.

Posted 21 November 2008

Tuesday 4 November 2008
Genreflecting

As mentioned previously, I've been deliberating my genre choices and doing some research. It seems I can rest easily for the moment, and that my decision to put Breaking Point aside for a while is quite a good one. I should be able to use it to re-enter the market if and when my books start to suffer from the "ordering to the net" policies of the bookstores. (I'll have to write about this issue at some stage, too.)

I have two further ideas for thrillers up my sleeve - one is depressingly dark, though, but the other could be an intriguing conspiracy theory romp that I could put a futuristic spin on and thus segue into science fiction from there.

I'm still a little concerned about the leap from writing for children to writing for adults, although I don't consider myself a "children's author" at all. It just so happens that the books I'm currently writing are suitable for children; Breaking Point, however, most definitely is not. I can see that a pseudonym may be required (another one), but there doesn't seem to be an issue with working in this manner on the agent/publisher side (ie, having a plan to pick up and start again versus sitting and watching your career die). The issue arises with establishing a (new?) readership for a new line of books.

This is where I've begun to cause myself a slight problem. A clever writer would work this all out in advance and try to link the genres in some way, even under different names, so that loyal readers can follow that writer from one line of books to the other. This, in turn, means that instead of starting again from scratch, you start a new line with a ready-made readership. But it doesn't work like that when moving from children's books to adults'. (Unless I can stretch it out long enough for any fans to have grown up by the time of publication...)

But despite that, I'm in the right place. Now I need to finish Lesson Two so that I can figure out how I'm going to link my books together - produce a "brand", I suppose, although it's a lot more creative and fun than the marketing people make it sound (and far more subtle).

I'm really glad, now, that I've signed up for the lessons every fortnight instead of weekly. I'm already lagging behind (thanks to a schedule that has gone nuts) and according to the Sideways student forum it gets even more intense in upcoming lessons.

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Comments (2)

Selma -
That leap would be difficult for most people to traverse. I think your point about trying to link your two genres is an important one. If anyone can do it, you can.

Posted 7 November 2008

Elle -
I'm feeling much happier about it all. I've often wondered if Breaking Point is doomed to sit in my drawer unloved by anyone but me, but I think it's just a case that the time is not right. Now I think I can focus on the projects on my plate without worrying too much about what I'm getting myself into by choosing this particular route.

Posted 7 November 2008

Friday 17 October 2008
Buffet in the Dark

One of the major issues affecting my writing progress is the "stab in the dark" approach I've been taking over the past 13 years. I started off with two drafts of a silly mystery novel that I made a lot of mistakes on and eventually filed in my round file as my "training novel". I took the one element I still liked from that manuscript and developed my second novel as an adult crime thriller that needed several drafts before I was happy with my plot and my writing, although not both together. It still needs one more major rewrite to correct the sequencing of the plot.

However, coming towards the end of the draft I have now, I realised that I no longer wanted to write realism. And certainly not crime. Somewhere between eagerly starting a detective novel because of my love of mystery books and picking up my first fantasy novel, I fell hopelessly out of love with the detective genre. I can no longer even bring myself to read even those authors I know I used to enjoy. I suspect the problem arose while doing research into authors who wrote books that were "similar" to what I was writing. I read a lot of rubbish doing that research - published rubbish. And there is nothing more demoralising than working your butt off on a novel and opening a similar book in a bookstore when the poor quality of the writing on the first page makes you want to hurl the book across the store.

So while I was half-heartedly submitting a novel I would eventually realise still needed more work, I began writing a science fiction novel, which stalled for a reason I'll get into in another post. But my muse decided we wanted to write a children's fantasy story, and since I was making no progress on the science fiction book anyway, I decided to comply. Now I'm on book two of what has become a trilogy, but I'm wondering how on earth I will manage to sell three books when it is hard enough to get anyone interested in just one. On top of that, my muse has come up with a new children's story that covers a series of five books. And the science fiction novel has also spawned three prequels - just for fun.

So here I am with a lot of ideas I really want to get working on, and yet I'm demotivated because their very nature makes them unlikely to be wanted. I feel like I'm at a buffet in the dark, going by touch and smell and enjoying what I'm tasting. But in the back of my mind I wonder if I'm at the right table, or even on the right side of the room. I fear someone will turn on the lights and I will find that all the chocolate is on the other side and I've missed out. And now the buffet is closed - I have to stick with what I have on my plate.

So I've signed up for the Think Sideways course I mentioned earlier in the hope that it will help me figure out which side of the buffet I need to be on, and perhaps how I can move around and grab some dessert as well as mains.

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Comments (4)

Edie Dykeman -
Sounds like you are at the same buffet as many of us creatives. We have many great ideas, but need that funnel vision people talk about to help us narrow down what project we should focus on. Sounds like signing up for the class may help you clarify your thoughts and direction. I've favorited this blog and wish you lots of luck.

Posted 18 October 2008

Elle -
It's good to know I'm not alone. Thanks so much for your good wishes Edie.

Posted 18 October 2008

Selma -
I think you should just go for it regardless of whether or not you think a trilogy or series will sell. I do believe we should write about what we are driven to write about. I think the end result is much more satisfying both for the writer and the reader. Go for it, my dear. I have faith in you!

Posted 20 October 2008

Elle -
You're a dear Selma. Thank you.

Posted 21 October 2008

Friday 3 October 2008
Think Sideways Week 1

It's no secret that I keep stalling on my fiction every time I have a major non-fiction project in the works. I can't seem to concentrate on reality and unreality, and put in the work on both, at the same time. The first quarter of this year I was commissioned to create 40 brain teaser puzzles. The middle of the year saw a challenge to produce 100 Squidoo lenses.

Writing about writing also has its downside, and I finally decided to call it a day at BellaOnline where I have been the Fiction Writing Editor for two years, overlapping with a two-year stint as the Creativity Editor.

And there's a baby on the way, which gives me something else I want to spend part of my limited time writing about.

I decided I needed something to help me focus on my fiction career - not just the writing part of it, but the development and publication side of it too. I've started a year-long course which I think will help me do exactly this, and also keep me on track and writing at least something during those messy and exciting months when we have a newborn on our hands.

I'm going to occasionally write about how I'm going with this course and whether it's working for me, not just because it's relevant to my blog, but also because I'm promoting it as a course for other writers who need mentorship in building a writing career. This course is not for everyone, so this is a good way for others to find out if it is right for them. Further details are here.

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Comments (2)

Selma -
I will be very interested to see what you think of it. Happy writing!

Posted 20 October 2008

Elle -
Thanks Selma. I'm looking forward to getting my teeth into it.

Posted 21 October 2008

Monday 24 September 2008
Grow Up

A friend or relative of an author, entrusted with a draft copy of her manuscript, somehow released said manuscript onto the Internet - whether intentionally or unintentionally, is unclear.

Now, while having an unedited draft distributed publicly without your knowledge and permission is devastating, The author's reaction to this situation is downright childish. Instead of taking the issue up with the person who violated her copyright, the author took her fit of pique out on her fans, declaring that she will no longer finish the book in question.

She puts it this way on her blog: "...I believe that there was no malicious intent with the initial distribution. [But] it is easy for people to obtain and share items that do not legally belong to them. No matter how this is done, it is still dishonest. This has been a very upsetting experience for me, but I hope it will at least leave my fans with a better understanding of copyright and the importance of artistic control."

Seriously. Earth to Author! It is the "trusted individual" to whom you gave a draft copy of your manuscript who is initially at fault here, not your fans. It is not illegal to read something that violates someone's copyright. It is not illegal to link to something that violates copyright. It is illegal to copy it and distribute it to others, but consider what your fans may have been thinking: it happens, sometimes, that authors die before completing an important book in a series. It happened to Douglas Adams and it nearly happened to Stephen King. A favourite author's latest book in a series is available, early and free, on the Internet and you expect die-hard fans NOT to read it? Let me repeat that point: You're punishing your fans for reading your books - for loving your books. And you've justified their rationale by pulling the plug on the book after all.

In a final little twist to this sordid tale, the author, herself, has posted a pdf file of the violated book on her blog. Again, she says: "I'd rather my fans not read this version of [the book]." What a challenge! She concludes by saying: "I cannot begin to tell [my wonderful fans] how much each of you means to me." Really? It doesn't show.

Does anyone else think this smells awfully like a very tacky, manipulative, and badly handled publicity stunt?

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Comments (2)

Selma -
Oh, absolutely a publicity stunt. Goodness me, she should modify her behaviour. How childish.

I haven't been getting your blog updates via my feed reader and feel bad I've missed so many of your posts. Am I doing something wrong? I'm using Google Reader. When I press the subscribe button your three recent posts don't appear. Thought I should tell you.

Posted 20 October 2008

Elle -
Sorry, that's my fault Selma. I haven't updated the RSS feed in ages; it's such a pain that I usually wait until I have a bunch of articles up before I bother with it. I must get back into the habit of making it part of the blog posting procedure.

Posted 21 October 2008

Monday 11 August 2008
un-Bonding on a Dark Knight

I'm not certain I want to watch the movie The Dark Knight, so I've decided to write this post, and make the points I want to make, before I get roped into seeing it. I've heard the rave reviews, so I'm wondering if I'll be retracting my words. I guess we'll see. On with my rant.

I can't understand why the Nolan brothers decided to start remaking Batman movies that have already been done, and done well (with the exception of the glitch that saw the seriously misguided casting of Val Kilmer in one of them).

Batman Begins was such a good attempt by the Nolan brothers to put their stamp on this franchise, and it was a really original take on the Batman story. Why would they spoil what they've begun by settling for a remake when they could make a second movie just as original. There are plenty of villains in the Batman comic books, and I'm sure the writers could come up with others.

Much as I enjoyed Christian Bale in Batman Begins, he will never replace Michael Keaton as the best of the Batmen. And I cannot even imagine how Heath Ledger will attempt to take over from Jack Nicholson as the iconic Joker. And therein the main issue. So much hype has gone into this movie due to the death of Heath Ledger, that I am worried it has swayed viewers' opinions. They're talking about a possible Oscar-winning performance... for a comic-book movie! That's just as insane as the hopelessly bad make-up job.

Having said that, I must admit that a recent couple of rumours have me slightly excited about upcoming Batman remakes: that Johnny Depp may be cast as The Riddler, and Angelina Jolie as Catwoman. Wow. Now that I can actually imagine working. Michelle Pfeiffer was awesome, but I have to admit that Angelina was born for that role. But what's wrong with developing an entirely new storyline involving Catwoman?

The most worrying development, however, is the deviance of this latest Batman movie from the essence of the genre. Like everything else we're being spoon-fed these days, it looks like The Dark Knight is jumping onto the reality- based story-telling bandwagon, and straying too far from the comic-book-style urban fantasy genre.

From what I've heard - and the words "terrorism" and "torture" were in there somewhere - it reminds me too much of the massive disappointment that was the Daniel Craig Bond movie Casino Royale. As far as I'm concerned, Casino Royale was not a Bond movie, no matter what the main character was called. Bond has always before been the invincible spy - he hardly ever gets caught, and, if he does, he escapes without sustaining much more than a few body punches and dishing out far more than he gets. Casino Royale was too close to the bone, and I hated it. I fear the same for The Dark Knight.

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Comments (5)

David Mascellani -
Hi, I haven't gone to see The Dark Knight as yet. But friends (whose opinions I tend I agree) had mixed reactions to the movie-but most agreed that Heath was pretty phenomenal as the Joker. I'll probably wait until it comes out on DVD.

Regards,
David Mascellani

Aquaman is a Pescepublican

Posted 19 August 2008

Selma -
I haven't seen it yet either, which is a surprise as I am madly in love with Christian Bale. I have heard it is very dark. Maybe I'll catch it tomorrow. Batman is my fave superhero.

Posted 24 August 2008

Elle -
Let us know what you think of it, Selma. We'll probably rent it on DVD - hubby picks up our Friday night DVD on his way home, and he's said he wants to see it, so he will bring it home at some stage, I'm sure.

Posted 25 August 2008

SusanVillasLewis -
Interesting thought there on Casino Royale. Because that movie was so much closer to the original story in the book than any of the other movies, torture scene and all. Bond as created by Fleming isn't quite as smooth and perfect as he is in the movies. First time I've heard a complaint about stuff that took the movie closer to the book. :-)

(BTW, I hate the Bond books. Just horrid writing, IMO. Love the movies. Was OK with this new take on Bond. Not OK with dropping the iconic line in the next one, though. One must have standards.)

Posted 21 October 2008

Elle -
Actually I can think of a few movies that have been an improvement on their books. One series in particular springs immediately to mind, but I've already caused a ruckus once because of my unpopular opinion of a certain author, and I'm not keen to do that again.

I'd forgotten about the books' version of Bond, though, now that you mention it. I only read a few Bond books as a teenager, and I couldn't get hold of Casino Royale. I was referring more to the branding of the Bond (movie) franchise as an easy-to-watch adventure. They broke their brand in the latest movie because they're trying to attach themselves to the latest proverbial musical go-kart instead. Bad move.

Posted 22 October 2008

Tuesday 15 July 2008
Reality Opts Out

I did a jump for joy when I read that the reality TV show Big Brother is finally being cancelled due to lack of interest. Thank every fictional god there is for that small miracle.

Channel Ten apparently now has 120 hours of their 2009 schedule to refill. Although the author of the Herald Sun article seems to think this will be a "programming challenge", I think it's simple. Let's get back to escapist fantasy. Ten, I have some suggestions for you:

Current shows (writers' strike (or lack thereof) dependent):

Torchwood (I've been moaning about this one for ages.)
The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Stargate Atlantis
Battlestar Galactica
Dollhouse

Reruns (new and older shows):

Stargate SG-1
Star Trek : Voyager, Next Generation, Deep Space 9
Battlestar Galactica (because your erratic programming means we've missed so much of this show)
Charmed
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Angel
Sliders
Airwolf
McGyver
The A-Team
Highlander
Firefly (thanks Ms. Karen)

Wouldn't you love to see some of these old shows make a come back? I don't think a single teenager or pre-teen today even knows what Airwolf is all about, but I'm sure they'll still find it at least as cool and cheesy as Doctor Who.

What old favourites would you bring back?

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Comments (7)

Ms. Karen - You and I have pretty much the same taste in television, including the oldie-but-goodies. Oh how I miss Firefly...

Posted 15 July 2008

Elle - Ah, there's one I forgot to add: Firefly!

Posted 15 July 2008

Selma - Yes, yes and yes. Nothing is worse than Big Bloomin' Brother - so glad it's gone. YAY!

Posted 18 July 2008

David Mascellani - Wouldn't be nice if they filled in a couple of those 120 hours with fresh new Aussie talent? But probably won't happen but it would be good.

Posted 6 August 2008

Elle - Absolutely, David. Did you catch Little Oberon? It was a movie that was going to be the pilot of a series if it was popular enough, but nothing seems to have come of that. It was really very good. And Rain Shadow was another good quality series I'd like to see again.

Posted 7 August 2008

Moe - The amount of reality television infecting the airways is just ridiculous. I refuse to believe that so many people prefer to watch that crap over quality television like Jericho, Veronica Mars and Firefly (and so many more).

Posted 9 August 2008

Elle - Hi Moe, thanks for stopping by. I agree - sadly, I think many people just watch Reality TV because it is the only thing that is on, or even put the TV on in the background as "white noise", and they don't realise that they are endorsing the show in a small way. It adds up.

Posted 10 August 2008

Friday 11 July 2008
My Story is...

The Aussie TV channel SBS has a new promo/slogan running called "Six billion stories and counting". One of the advertisements has a number of people summing up their story in one word. I love this idea. Get down to the really simple essence of you. What single word describes your life and who you are?

My story is imagination.

What's yours?

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Comments (3)

Sam - yes u r right story is imagination me also used to write story

Posted 12 July 2008

Selma - One word is hard but I'll go for persistence.

Posted 18 July 2008

Ms. Karen - Mine would probably be, "What?"

Posted 18 July 2008

Wednesday 2 July 2008
The Death of the Plot

We’re in danger of losing the plot.

I watched Cloverfield sometime last month, and sat through two hours of film footage waiting for the plot. I waited so long I let the credits run through, thinking this might be one of those movies that sneaks the final twist in right at the end of the credit roll. (Yes, I saw the water scene, although I had to rewind to find it. I don’t know how anyone managed to pick that up in the movie theatre. But, frankly, at that stage, who cares?)

Cloverfield has no plot. It is simply footage of an event and the reactions of characters to the situation they find themselves in. Theoretically there’s nothing wrong with a story having no plot – many literary works dump the plot in favour of allowing (hopefully) well-rounded characters to meander around the book until they run out of something important to gripe about (although probably well after that point).

However, I’m concerned about what appears to be a trend in entertainment. Stories without a plot used to be fringe; Cloverfield grossed the biggest profit at the box office so far this year. What is this doing to our storytelling ability when everything is becoming more news centric and journalistically written? We’ve come to this point because of 24-hour news coverage where we are used to seeing news footage and documentary-style reporting, followed by Reality TV as our main source of entertainment. None of this involves plotting, and a continuation of this trend could see a deficiency in the important skill of creating good plots.

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Comments (4)

Selma - I haven't seen Cloverfield, but a friend did complain about the lack of plot after she saw it. Seems good scriptwriters are in short supply in the film industry these days. Gives me hope. Better get writing!

Posted 9 July 2008

Elle - Selma, I know you're capable of a really worthwhile story. It would be great on film. Better get that son of yours producing some of your work...

Posted 10 July 2008

Ms. Karen - You know, I thought I was the only one thinking there was a lack of plots in movies and television. And some books.

You're right when you tie it in with our addiction to reality TV and all news, all the time kinds of shows. Some folks are just more interested in seeing how other people live instead of doing some living of their own.

Um, guilty of that at times as well...

Posted 11 July 2008

Elle - Karen, I've been neglecting you terribly. I must stop by your blogs. Thanks so much for your visit.

Posted 11 July 2008

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