This may sound a little strange, but bear with me. Something I do when I get stuck (so that I manage to make myself write for the day) is basically practice by finding a transcript of a movie or TV show on-line and trying to "novelize" a scene or two from it. If nothing else, it's good practice for conveying a scene and the information presented in it. (No one sees them, they sit in a junk file on my computer.)
Anywho -
I've been on a bit of a Lost kick lately, so I looked up the Pilot transcript and after reading a bit of it, I think people with questions on structure (such as flashbacks/backstory) could find a good example in it.
It starts off in the middle of the action without too much lead in.
The scenes are in short bursts.
And most importantly, the pacing with the backstory is pretty good - and not right for a novel at all.
Over and over I've seen questions on how to handle backstory (small mention vs. detailed flashback) and I thought it was pretty interesting to note that if that transcript was a novel it would be mired in flashbacks with way more backstory than the reader needs. However, if at the intervals where the scene switched to flashback, there was a paragraph or so of thought or a line of dialogue from the character related to that flashback, the reader would get the essential information they need at the precise time they need it.
The writer needs the detail as character development, but a reader doesn't really need the play-by-play when just a mention would do. (The difference between print and visual, I guess).
I dunno, maybe it's just the way I see it, but does that make sense?
Anywho -
I've been on a bit of a Lost kick lately, so I looked up the Pilot transcript and after reading a bit of it, I think people with questions on structure (such as flashbacks/backstory) could find a good example in it.
It starts off in the middle of the action without too much lead in.
The scenes are in short bursts.
And most importantly, the pacing with the backstory is pretty good - and not right for a novel at all.
Over and over I've seen questions on how to handle backstory (small mention vs. detailed flashback) and I thought it was pretty interesting to note that if that transcript was a novel it would be mired in flashbacks with way more backstory than the reader needs. However, if at the intervals where the scene switched to flashback, there was a paragraph or so of thought or a line of dialogue from the character related to that flashback, the reader would get the essential information they need at the precise time they need it.
The writer needs the detail as character development, but a reader doesn't really need the play-by-play when just a mention would do. (The difference between print and visual, I guess).
I dunno, maybe it's just the way I see it, but does that make sense?
I don't see what point you are trying to make unless it is that TV and novels don't always mix.