Comments on: What We Can Learn from Episodic Television

By: fritz freiheit.com blog » Link dump

fritz freiheit.com blog » Link dump — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:31:38 +0000

[...] What We Can Learn from Episodic Television (Writing,Series,Plot,Character,TV) [...]

By: Andrea Wenger

Andrea Wenger — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 05:42:44 +0000

I realized while reading this post that in my novel-in-progress, the background story that’s simmering for the first half of the novel becomes the foreground story for the second half of the novel, and vice versa. They both get resolved together at the end. Hopefully, that structure will work out. Now that I’m more conscious of what’s happening, I can work on making the shift a more dramatic twist. Thanks, Larry.

Something else novelists can learn from television—If you struggle with dialogue, try watching soap operas. Not for the quality of the dialogue, but for pacing and the way the dialogue conveys story and conflict. Think you’re above it? Think again. A good writer uses all the tools at their disposal.

By: Megan

Megan — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:04:30 +0000

Loved this post. I’ve been stumbling with this very issue in my WIP and it’s like you read my mind, went to work, and delivered a post just for me. Thank you.

BTW, I’m looking forward to absorbing your wisdom live in Wenatchee this year!

By: Rebecca Ryals Russell

Rebecca Ryals Russell — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:59:15 +0000

As usual you’ve made me think hard about my MS. And you’re dead on right about back and fore stories. Fortunately I think I did that, but after this post it will be a more conscious consideration of my writing process. Thank you for all of the insight.

By: Prime Time Plotting Techniques « Writing and Illustrating

Prime Time Plotting Techniques « Writing and Illustrating — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 05:10:42 +0000

[...] http://storyfix.com/what-we-can-learn-from-episodic-television [...]

By: Clint Daniel

Clint Daniel — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 01:41:03 +0000

Thank you, this has, in some way, renewed my passion for writing. I can feel it in my bones, and it gives me new possiblities to explore and to create in my writing. I’ve never been able to grasp the concept of background and foreground story, but your explanation allowed me to see it the way I needed, and I’m excited to use it in my writing.

By: Sharon

Sharon — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:16:51 +0000

And here I was just thinking maybe I should ask you about how story structure works with subplots.

Frankly this is one blog every writer should be reading with their cornflakes.

Cheers!

By: Sarah Allen

Sarah Allen — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:07:05 +0000

I'm always looking for writing tips, and you always provide great ones. Thanks for this! Sarah Allen (my creative writing blog)

By: Sick and Smattering (Um, Not Together) « Shadow and Fang

Sick and Smattering (Um, Not Together) « Shadow and Fang — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:55:43 +0000

[...] Brooks made a really interesting post about What We Can Learn from Episodic TV, using the oh so awesome Burn Notice as an example. I heart Michael and Fiona. The post does a [...]

By: Larry

Larry — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:24:45 +0000

@Patrick — very astute. Nice. Scenes, and even moments within scenes, are opportunities to layer complexity, nuance and expositional value. The degree to which that happens is, I would say, the essence of the “art” of storytelling itself, perhaps the very thing that separates “masters” from the rest of us. Sometimes the background is a subordinated storyline, sometimes it’s a sub-plot, sometimes it’s sub-text, sometimes its a stew comprised of them all.

Thanks for pointing this out, Patrick. Makes for a challenging and inspiring line of inquiry.