Comments on: Rethinking Your Story: What’s Your Favorite “Vicarious” Ride?

By: Larry

Larry — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 20:10:10 +0000

@Kurt — agree completely. The Hurt Locker is terrific example of vicarious storytelling at its best. That quality and essence is precisely why the movie got the Oscar, and why critics love it. Some viewers actually wonder what the fuss is all about, because the story doesn’t have a strong plot, it’s almost entirely relying on the experiential nature of the story. The way you describe it here captures what works about this story, it plugs you right into the moment. Well said, thanks for contributing.

By: Kurt

Kurt — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:52:03 +0000

I found Kelly Jarosz’s comment intriguing, as I found The Hurt Locker to be an excellent example of vicarious storytelling, but from the polar opposite perspective.

I found myself completely identifying with the cowboy bomb technician. I was totally there, in his head, when he removed his gloves and headgear to defuse the bomb. The mentality being, ‘if this bomb goes off while I’m standing over it this suit isn’t going to do a damn thing to protect me, so what purpose does it serve beyond increasing the chance of me making a mistake while performing the extremely delicate operation to disarm it?’

I mean, the suit serves a purpose on the approach (and later retreat), but once you’re up there, why would you continue wearing it? It’s far more a liability than an asset. Is the ILLUSION of protection that important?

Anyhow, perhaps that’s why the film was so engaging. Regardless of the perspective you take watching it, when he tugs the spiderweb of wires revealing the daisy chain of IED’s surrounding him, EVERYONE is right there with him.

By: Trish

Trish — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 04:25:30 +0000

A little late to the party…
I have to agree about Into Thin Air – held my breath through huge chunks of that one and dreamed about it to boot. Also thought Lonesome Dove (both the movie and the book) had a “put you there” feel to it. On the YA end, I’d have to say Laurie Halse Anderson can really make you feel like you’re in high school (not that anyone wants to go through that again).
I also think David McCullough does an amazing job of painting historical figures in a way that makes the reader feel like they know them….

Great discussion, Larry.

By: Stockdalelady

Stockdalelady — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 00:14:15 +0000

Why has no one put Twilight up here?? I practically AM Bella. How did she (Stephanie Meyer) do it??? And (most) every woman out there feels like she’s Bella too, no matter what type of relationship she’s in or her age; that doesn’t seem to make a difference. This is a great new concept Larry, thanks!

By: Larry

Larry — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:04:37 +0000

@Martijn — fantasy and sci-fi depends, almost totally, on the vicarious experience, much more so than mysteries. As previously mentioned, Harry Potter is a great example – the plot is almost moot, anything that gets us into that schoolyard will the trick — as are the stories you’ve mentioned. Take us out of our own world and plunk into another place, time, culture, environment – think Avatar – and you’re being vicarious.

By: Larry

Larry — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:47:39 +0000

@Farmgirl – I love that you’ve brought non-fiction into this discussion. Vicarious writing is as powerful there as it is in the best of fiction. You mention Krakauer… this is his genius. I just finished his Tillman book, “Where Men Win Glory,” and it immerses the reader into relationships, into family, and into war, more viscerally than, perhaps, any book I’ve ever read. Thanks for contributing here!

By: Alpaca Farmgirl

Alpaca Farmgirl — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 12:02:10 +0000

I love the vicarious journey that Krakouer takes us on in Into Thin Air. You feel as though you are climbing the mountain, yet you are in the comfort of your our easy chair.

The same with the adventure in Sebastian Junger’s The Perfect Storm. You experience the ships’ battles with the waves as though you are in them yourselves, but really you are at home on the couch. I particularly loved how he described drowning in that book. You could almost feel it.

I love the Man vs. Nature themed books. They really lend themselves to vicarious writing.

By: Martijn

Martijn — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 07:55:15 +0000

The Matrix series, Star Wars ofcourse, Lord of the Rings. Books? Hyperion, Potter, what about His Dark Materials by Pullman. Best fantasy I ever read…

By: Robert

Robert — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 02:48:20 +0000

Neuropath by R. Scott Baker. This book is the reason I don’t read horror anymore. It completely wigged me out – I don’t want images, like the ones he painted, in my head.

An aside: I started a website called narrativeaddict.com – It’s dedicated to the study of film from the screenwriters point-of-view. I aim to post two movie deconstructions per week according to accepted story structure principals. I hope the readers of storyfix will join me

By: Krista Edmonds

Krista Edmonds — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 20:05:24 +0000

And another Margaret Atwood — The Handmaid’s Tale….