A writer's state of mind....

dirtsider · Mar 3, 2008

I went to see the movie Jumper this past weekend and I found myself analyzing the story from a writer's pov. Not the actual quality of the writing but how things were interconnected plot-wise. How they set up certain details that were later used. Powers and limitations. Characterization. That kind of stuff.

All in all, the movie was fun to watch. I was just more impressed that I really started noticing things that I might not have been before I started coming here to AW. Things I really need to do and how I need to think if I'm going to be a serious writer and not just someone who putters around at it.

Willowmound · Mar 3, 2008

Congratulations. Have a biscuit!

Birol · Mar 3, 2008

I remember the first time I did that at a movie. Fortunately, I was with others who were experiencing that phenomena for the first time, too, so no one thought I was weird when I indicated that the final actions of one of the characters was not supported by her development up to that point.

Soccer Mom · Mar 3, 2008

Welcome to writerhood. It changes the way you view everything. Have you started narrating your life yet?

dirtsider · Mar 3, 2008

No, I haven't started to narrate my life yet. lol But I did start noticing that I was going "hmm, that's something I need to remember for my writing" or "that's a cool way of explaining that ability". There was a couple points of "ok, that's an interesting point - what's the history behind it?" I also liked the fact that there were enough unanswered questions to justify a sequel/prequel.

DWSTXS · Mar 3, 2008

dirtsider said:
I went to see the movie Jumper this past weekend and I found myself analyzing the story from a writer's pov. Not the actual quality of the writing but how things were interconnected plot-wise. How they set up certain details that were later used. Powers and limitations. Characterization. That kind of stuff.

All in all, the movie was fun to watch. I was just more impressed that I really started noticing things that I might not have been before I started coming here to AW. Things I really need to do and how I need to think if I'm going to be a serious writer and not just someone who putters around at it.

I have done the same thing with some TV shows. I am a fan of The Wire, The Shield, Deadwood, and The Sopranos.
To me, it is very intriguing to have so many characters, as all of these shows do. It allows you to follow so many plot lines and characterizations.

Just watching shows like The Wire, and The Shield, give me so many new ideas for characters and how to interweave story-lines that it's almost too distracting. You start thinking along the same lines as these episodic writers, but you can't do the in-depth characterizations that they are able to do with 4 years of 13 episodes each...

timewaster · Mar 3, 2008

Soccer Mom said:
Welcome to writerhood. It changes the way you view everything. Have you started narrating your life yet?

It took years to stop doing that. I did it as a child and I don't ever want to do it again. I'm firmly of the opinion that life is for living not writing about. YMMV

Red-Green · Mar 3, 2008

If you want a taste of what being a writer has done to my daily life, visit my website. I even critique the plot and characterization of teenage pranksters. Turns out pranksters can take a crit.

dirtsider · Mar 3, 2008

Redzilla said:
If you want a taste of what being a writer has done to my daily life, visit my website. I even critique the plot and characterization of teenage pranksters. Turns out pranksters can take a crit.

Fantastic! I love it.

I did notice that I wasn't analyzing the anime I was watching later on in the same manner that I did the movie. It was probably because my WIP is an urban fantasy as is Jumper. It's not exactly the same but there was enough similarities to make me pay more attention to it.

Phaeal · Mar 3, 2008

It's interesting -- if a movie or TV show is good at all, I usually get swept up in it and don't consciously notice the plot or character problems until after the credits roll. Whereas similar flaws in a book will irritate me at once, often enough for me to put the book aside.

On the whole, I think seeing through to the bones of art is great for learning and an added delight. If the particular movie or book or whatever is on the bad end of the spectrum, more learning; if it's on the good end of the spectrum, more delight, while the learning goes on.

Shadow_Ferret · Mar 3, 2008

dirtsider said:
I went to see the movie Jumper this past weekend and I found myself analyzing the story from a writer's pov. Not the actual quality of the writing but how things were interconnected plot-wise. How they set up certain details that were later used. Powers and limitations. Characterization. That kind of stuff.

I wouldn't recognize any of that fiction analysis stuff if it bit me in the butt. Probably explains why I'm a failure.

dirtsider · Mar 3, 2008

Shadow_Ferret said:
I wouldn't recognize any of that fiction analysis stuff if it bit me in the butt. Probably explains why I'm a failure.

I wouldn't call you a failure. It wasn't until this movie that all this jumped out at me. (Pun intended. lol) Well, blatently, that is.

Mr Flibble · Mar 3, 2008

I do it all the time. It annoys the crap out of my Old Man.

L M Ashton · Mar 3, 2008

Fahim, the husband who's also the logics and plot development master, does this all the time. Annoys the heck out of me. I can't listen to both him and the movie/television show at the same time, so I miss half of what's going on. Really really annoys me. Especially when I just want to enjoy the damn show.

A writer's state of mind....

dirtsider

Not so new, really

Willowmound

Lightly salted

Birol

Around and About

Soccer Mom

Crypto-fascist

dirtsider

Not so new, really

DWSTXS

Mr Mojo Risin...

timewaster

present

Red-Green

KoalaKoalaKoala!

dirtsider

Not so new, really

Phaeal

Whatever I did, I didn't do it.

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

dirtsider

Not so new, really

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

L M Ashton

crazy spec fic writer