tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29299471188012284382024-03-13T09:51:56.292-07:00Slush and Writing with KallypsoA literary agent intern, writer and full time student treks through the forest of wordsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.comBlogger167125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-47172741786578994782017-09-20T09:02:00.000-07:002017-09-20T09:02:15.855-07:00Lessons from Anime- Mental Illness in Your Lie in April<div class="MsoNormal">
Well I waited forever to post the second part of my Your Lie in April writing lessons, didn't I? Oops. Last time we explored the portrayal of physical illness in the show. Today, let's talk about how Your Lie in April portrays MENTAL illness.</div>
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The media is really
bad at getting this right, aren't they? At best, you’ll have a stirring drama about one
man conquering the trials of his mental illness like in Beautiful Mind but at worst you’ll
have a protagonist who only experiences things like depression, anxiety or ptsd as other people have heard about them. Usually that means a watered
down...consumable form of the mental illness. Sometimes it means making them a
straight up horror movie villain. Thanks, Split. Glad to see you’re keeping the
trend alive.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And then there’s Kousei Arima. Kousei is not just that basement dwelling guy who just needed a manic pixie dreamgirl in order to stop feeling depressed. In fact, he
has legitimate depression and PTSD that plays an active role in the story and CANNOT just be solved by Kaori. </div>
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His mother pushed him very hard to be great at the piano. Way too hard.
She beat him when he got the notes wrong and made him practice for hours and
hours every day as she was slowly dying herself. Since her death, Kousei hasn’t
been able to play the piano the same anymore. He struggles to hear the notes
and he keeps seeing and hearing his mother when he steps onto the stage.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When we meet Kousei at the start of the show his whole world is represented in
dull shades, at least when he is alone. It makes the mood around him so heavy.
And when he plays the piano, it takes a step up by plunging him under water,
where all sound is dulled and everything moves sluggishly. This is a pretty apt
visual representation of depression. Dulled colors, dulled senses and this
feeling of sluggishness that permeates everything. All the while, there’s this
distant light far above Kousei’s head, too far away to reach.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now of course, he doesn’t just have depression, he also has
a fair amount of anxiety and PTSD to the point where he sometimes shuts down on
stage, cradling his head in his hand, tears rolling down his face, sweating
buckets. This show doesn’t pull any punches with our main character’s mental
breakdowns. He has triggers like sitting at a piano on stage or hearing certain
songs and they affect him physically, making him nauseous and want to throw up,
or making his legs shake backstage until they go numb. It is an ugly,
terrifying, messy affair, and I was glad to see it well represented with
Kousei.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now this isn’t a show about depression or ptsd or anxiety or
any of that, and Kousei is not just a conglomeration of mental illnesses. He’s
a prodigy at the piano, he has perfect pitch, he’s serious but can be convinced
to have fun, and he’s extremely compassionate. Like Kaori he’s a well written
character with some big problems that affect his life in palpable ways. And yes, Kaori does play a part in changing his life, but she doesn't CURE him. She simply pushes him to work through his fears and try to get to a better place.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And that’s one of the reasons why Your Lie in April works as
a show even with clichés galore. It easily could have been eyeroll-worthy because it has tropes
for days and it’s pretty predictable. However, the excellent character writing for
the leads carry the show to amazing places.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-36655687057906030322017-09-15T11:54:00.000-07:002017-09-15T11:54:06.030-07:00Game of Thrones Predictions- House Stark<div class="MsoNormal">
Back with more Game of Thrones posts, today we’re going to
focus on the Starks and go more in depth with the fate of our favorite and most
sorrow prone family.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Starks have had a rough series run. The majority of
Starks have been killed off, and those who haven’t were put through the ringer.
Bran was crippled in episode one and now appears dead inside after taking on
the responsibilities of the three eyed raven. Sansa has been married or engaged
to plenty of terrible people, beaten, raped and generally tormented. And Arya
endured abuse as a servant for the Lannisters and later as a trainee assassin,
even having her sight stolen from her for a time. It is not easy to be a Stark.
So how are they going to come out of this story? Will they have a triumphant
ending or will their journey end in tragedy?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I should mention that for the purpose of this post I am NOT
going to be talking about Jon Snow. While I consider him, personality wise,
more of a Stark than a Targaryen, I am still going to save him for the Targaryen
post, just so I don’t have so much to write.<o:p></o:p></div>
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That said, let’s focus on the true remaining Starks: Sansa,
Arya and Bran.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/596b8b8bbbf8842bfabbf798/master/w_690,c_limit/got-reunion-bran-sansa.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for Sansa arya bran gif" border="0" height="176" src="https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/596b8b8bbbf8842bfabbf798/master/w_690,c_limit/got-reunion-bran-sansa.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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Game of Thrones has garnered a reputation for killing off
main characters with no mercy. However, there was never a doubt in my mind that
these three would make it this far. Because these are characters that suffer
rather than die. That is the hallmark of their journeys: Suffering great
personal losses and having to change to overcome the world around them. They
are children who had to grow up very quickly to survive and they all developed
into very different people. This is significant because <i>none </i>of them are a plot device in someone else’s story.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Take Shae, Oberyn and Tywin for instance. Each of these characters
was killed off in season 4. But their deaths were not culminations of their own
arcs but rather, Tyrion’s. Oberyn had to die so that Tyrion was forced to leave
Westeros. Shae died as Tyrion’s tragic love interest, breaking his heart. And
Tywin’s death was a long time coming and showed Tyrion finally standing up to
his father. These characters, while all very interesting, were never going to
be major players because they were tied to a different POV character.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On the other hand: Arya, Sansa and Bran are each a part of
their own story. Therefore, they had substantial plot armor throughout the
show. It’s not a knock against the show’s quality. All fictional stories have
characters with plot armor. Some characters are <i>necessary </i>to the plot.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But now we must ask what the culmination of all this Stark
suffering will be. After losing so many family members and spending their days
in hellish environments, how will this madness end? With triumph or tragedy?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I think the answer is different for each of the Stark
children, so I’ll cover each of their arcs separately before talking about them
and their family as a whole.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Bran<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Let’s start with Bran, the youngest surviving Stark and the
plot device that started it all. Bran’s fall from the tower is one of the great
inciting incidents of Game of Thrones and it sends him on a journey of
self-discovery. He learns more about his magical powers with the help of
friends and, after being kicked out of his home by Theon, goes beyond the wall
to the tree he saw in his dreams. There he becomes the new Three Eyed Raven,
ascending to a higher form.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In many ways, Bran is already dead. His wolf, Summer, has
been symbolically killed and he is a shadow of his former self. Really, he’s a
plot potato, showing up to give exposition when needed but not doing much of
his own volition. Because of this, his arc as a character <i>seems </i>to have ended already. He is no longer Bran. He is the three
eyed raven, and more of an accessory to other’s stories now.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For this reason, his journey will likely end in tragedy. His
suffering has culminated in his rise as the Three eyed raven, learning to fly.
But as he is so powerful, the plot cannot allow him to live. It’s too easy to
have an all seeing person around and that can open up a lot of plot holes if the
all-seeing person doesn’t dispense much needed information.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thus, Bran will fall in season eight, coming full circle
from season one. His first death scare came in the first episode, so I wouldn’t
be surprised if he lives up until one of the last episodes, maybe even
sacrificing himself to help defeat the Night King. He does have one of the most
personal relationships with the Night King because of his visions, so it would
not be surprising if he was key to taking him down.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Alternatively, if Bran does live, he must find himself again
and divorce himself from the three eyed raven. I don’t know if that is even
possible, but I am open to possibilities. Maybe he could lose his memory again
in an echo of the first episode. Right now, however, it seems like he will
follow his wolf to the grave.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Sansa<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Next we come to Sansa, one of my favorite characters, and
also my candidate for most likely to survive this damn show. If someone asked
me to bet my money on ONE character who I thought would survive Game of
Thrones, I’d bet on Sansa. I would have bet on Sansa since the end of season
one when we see her first true moment of strength.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sansa’s arc has been marked by suffering, suffering and more
suffering. She has arguably suffered more humiliation than anyone else on the
show, being engaged to Joffery, beaten and psychologically tormented, married
off to Tyrion, the member of the house that killed her family, engaged to
another prick shortly after escaping while Littlefinger creepily preys on her,
sold to the Boltons and tortured and raped by Ramsay. I could go on. But Sansa
is the example of a character who started off naïve and slowly but surely
learned to <i>play </i>the <i>game.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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With each passing season she got better at lying and hiding
her true emotions, developing a mask worthy of even the best manipulators. She has
become a powerhouse much like Dany and Cersei, but in my opinion, she’s a
smarter politician than Dany and has a kinder heart than Cersei. She has become
the game’s best player.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And since this show is called <i>Game</i> of Thrones, this means good things for Sansa. Now that she has
finally cast off her so called ‘mentor’ Littlefinger, she has really come into
her own. Not only that, but she is back at Winterfell where she belongs, along
with her surviving family. This is a well earned victory for Sansa. And while
season 8 will no doubt be a hard road for her, the only satisfying ending for
Sansa Stark is her survival.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If she suffered so long only to die, it would feel
excessive. This show has not been building to Sansa’s tragic downfall but her
rise. When all the soldiers and fighters lay dead on the battlefield, she will
outlive them all and be the one to bring the Stark house into spring.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Arya<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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And last we come to my dearest Arya. The treasure of my
heart. While I grew to love Sansa, Arya has been a favorite of mine since day
one because I’m biased toward tomboys. Which is why I’m extremely nervous for
her in the upcoming season of Game of Thrones.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But let’s reflect back on Arya’s journey first. Our pint
sized Stark daughter has been through her fair share of suffering too. She
watched her father die, then narrowly escaped the castle dressed like a boy.
Soon after she fell into the hands of Lannister men and was forced to serve the
patriarch of the family who destroyed hers. She survived travelling with the
Brotherhood without Banners and the Hound and, after months without seeing her
family, thought she might finally reunite with her mother and brother. Instead,
she bore witness to the red wedding. This started her on the path of a killer,
which eventually led her to Bravos where she endured the ruthless training
regimen that one day even left her without her sight. Still, after all of this,
she could not become faceless or abandon her family. She is still a Stark
through and through.<o:p></o:p></div>
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At the beginning of season 7 was worried that Arya may have
fully changed into an assassin when she did not immediately return to
Winterfell. However, it is clear that by this season’s end, Arya has chosen her
family over her vengeance, even making up with her sister Sansa. Her list is
nearly exhausted and she just wants to protect the loved ones she has left.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Arya has had one of the journey’s most independent from
other characters. She didn’t see any of her family since season one and wasn’t
even in Westeros for two whole seasons. Now that she has returned with bad ass
fighting skills and come into possession of a Valyrian steel dagger, it is
clear she will play a big part in the war to come.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I stated in a previous post that Arya was one of my 50/50,
live/die characters. Because there are a few ways I can see her story going.</div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">1. The tragic revenge plot- Though she wants to
become a Stark again, she has gone too far down the dark path and cannot leave
the assassin life behind. She decides to go after Cersei herself and ultimately
loses her life.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">2. The sacrificial hero- Now that Arya is back with
her family she will do anything to protect them, including sacrifice her own
life. When one of her loved ones is in danger, probably Jon, she will step in
to defend them. She can’t watch one of her siblings die again without doing
something about it.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">3. The survivor- Arya has already suffered a lot
and proved herself a survivor. If she makes it through the Game of Thrones, she
will experience more loss, but ultimately become stronger for it.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Whatever the result, Arya will never be a player of the
game. She will not be a lady in a castle but rather her own person, following
her own path. If she survives the war, she may even travel to get away from
Westeros for a while. Now that she has seen so much she can never fit into a
mold again. Her ending will be bittersweet no matter what. Though I would not
complain if she and Gendry got a sweet resolution.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The Starks as a whole<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<img alt="Image result for Starks season 7 gif" src="https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2017-08/7/0/enhanced/buzzfeed-prod-fastlane-01/anigif_original-grid-image-24043-1502078477-6.gif?crop=340:225;11,0}" /></div>
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Whoever lives and dies, the Stark family must survive. After
suffering so much, the name Stark will continue one way or another. It will be
the finest revenge against their enemies: enduring. At this point, either Sansa
will be the lone survivor of her house (not counting Jon if he lives), or the
two sisters will live on. It is up for debate.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Let me know what you think in the comments. Next week we’ll
talk about the Lannisters.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-81881037991950472872017-09-05T08:11:00.000-07:002017-09-05T08:11:11.246-07:00Game of Thrones- Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story?<div class="MsoNormal">
BEFORE we jump into this post, just a quick plug- the sequel to Hour of Mischief, SEASON OF WIND, has a giveaway on goodreads right now so pop over if you'd like to win a copy. It comes out September 19th. Cover reveal will come soon.</div>
<div id="goodreadsGiveawayWidget252272">
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<br />
<h2 style="color: #555555; font-size: 20px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0 0 10px; padding: 0; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">Goodreads</a> Book Giveaway
</h2>
<div style="float: left;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34538291" rel="nofollow"><img alt="Season of Wind by Aimee Hyndman" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1489342571l/34538291.jpg" title="Season of Wind by Aimee Hyndman" width="100" /></a>
</div>
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<h3 style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0; padding: 0;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34538291" rel="nofollow">Season of Wind</a>
</h3>
<h4 style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0 0 10px; padding: 0;">
by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14108302.Aimee_Hyndman" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration: none;">Aimee Hyndman</a>
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<div class="giveaway_details">
Giveaway ends September 30, 2017.
<br />
See the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/252272" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration: none;">giveaway details</a>
at Goodreads.
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Okay, now to todays post! The question of Game of Thrones has always been ‘who is
going to die’? As a show that built itself a reputation for murdering beloved
characters, with each passing season fans have prayed for the survival of their
favorites. But with the last season nearing the question becomes: Who will
live?<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s an exciting question, right? Whoever survives this
season gets to <i>live </i>indefinitely in
our hearts. We never have to watch their death scene. That’s the stuff dreams
are made of. I certainly have favorites that I want to make it through, but I
want to take a step back and think about this as a story teller. Putting my
personal feelings aside, who do I think will make it through this season based
on the needs of the plot? I have a few ideas.</div>
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<b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">1. There must be at least one survivor from
each of the original houses</b></div>
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The original logo of Game of Thrones sported a wolf, a lion,
a stag and a dragon, each symbolizing the houses of Stark, Lannister, Baratheon
and Targaryan. These were our initial players. Obviously, there are other major
families who have come and gone, but these four started it all.<o:p></o:p></div>
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With the arrival of Gendry, the one surviving member of the
Baratheon family (literally the only one, the others have been out<i> </i>for <i>a
while</i>), this old theory of mine becomes possible again. Many of the members
of these houses are dead and gone. Certainly all of the original leaders are in
the ground. But at least one member of each will survive to tell the story--and
hopefully rebuild their family.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On the Baratheon side of things, there’s really only one
option: Gendry. He didn’t come back from rowing just to get axed in the finale.
I think this bastard son is going to make it through with his war hammer in
hand. He’s been through a lot but he’s good at heart: brash like Robert but not
a drunk or a war lord.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On the Targaryan side of things, it seems deceptively
simple. Danerys has been the last Targaryan for a while. UNTIL of course, Jon
Snow’s true parentage was revealed. Now there’s another Targaryan on the scene,
which means Dany may not be safe. The more I watch the show, in fact, the more
convinced I am that she is going to die. It has always been a little too
obvious that she would be the one to sit on the iron throne. She’s been
planning it since the beginning whereas Jon is a dark horse in the running. </div>
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Jon
<i>could </i>die. It’s in character for him to
make reckless decisions and perish as a hero. But we’ve already had a death
scare with him, so killing him at the end would lack punch (unless of course it
happened in conjunction with Daenerys). There is a possibility they’ll both
survive, but since George R.R. Martin has talked of a “bitter sweet” ending, I
doubt it. If they do both die, you can bet that their child is going to
survive. I don’t think there’s any question that Dany is going to get pregnant.
The show has been a bit heavy handed with it’s foreshadowing in that
department. But, whether that child will grow up parentless remains to be seen.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Lannisters and the Starks have, oddly, the most
surviving members, both standing at three. Let’s look at the Lannisters first.
I don’t think there’s any question that Cersei is going to bite it by the end
of this series. She will never bend the knee and with her children gone, she
has no more love to give anyone. I don’t think she’s really loved Jaime for a
while. She manipulates him and uses him, but she doesn’t seem to bare much true
affection for her brother anymore, hence why he has finally left her. Loveless
and cold, she will bend for no one and that will be her downfall.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As certain as I am that Cersei will die, I am equally
certain that Tyrion will live. Tyrion is the underdog of his family and has
also been close to death more than once. But, other than his sister, no one is
out to get him anymore, and he’s established himself as important to many
characters. Considering his arc, I can’t think of a satisfying way that the writers
could kill off Tyrion. No. He is the dwarf who was underestimated all his life
so he must be the one to survive.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And then we have Jaime, smack dab in the middle. Oh Jaime.
He’s one of the only characters in the mix that I’m 50/50 on his chance of
dying. On one hand he’s <i>finally </i>left
his sister and his arc is headed in a positive direction. But will that result
in ultimate redemption or a heroic death? Again, I can see either. If he’s
going to die, I’d like it to be in the arms of Brienne as a small confirmation
of my ship of all ships. But I’ll talk more about that in a later post. At the
very least, Jaime will make it to the very last episodes, and if he does go, it
will be fighting for the right side.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And then there’s my favorite family: the Starks. After
losing so many Starks I am head over heels for all of the survivors. I want
them to be safe and grow up strong. But I don’t think they’re all going to
survive.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bran is probably the Stark most likely to die at this point.
The series started with him being crippled and now, according to the writers,
he’s <i>sort </i>of dead inside. At least,
he has moved beyond Bran Stark. But, simply put, he is too powerful to be left
alive. He will likely play a huge role against the Night King, but in the end
he will sacrifice himself. The show will come full circle.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sansa is the Stark most likely to survive. If a character
has been through enough, killing them is just excessive and not productive for
their arc. And Sansa has <i>been through a
lot. </i>She has grown from a naïve girl into a strong woman and I have no
doubt that she will be one of the prominent rulers in Westeros at the end.
Likely, the Queen in the North. She’s earned it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Arya is another one of my 50/50 characters. As a fighter,
she’s going to want to be in the thick of battle. That puts her in the line of
crossfire. And though I <i>dearly </i>love
her, there is a chance she could be killed, possibly protecting someone she
loves. I think after reconciling with her sister, Arya is 100% on the side of
her family. They are where she finds her identity and her name. She can’t deal
with losing them again and would sooner die first than watch them go. But, on
the other hand, she is a survivor and she could live on past the war and find
her place in the world as a strong woman who no longer has to fight for her
right to hold a sword. I am intrigued by both possibilities.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Those are the major families, but what about the other side
characters? I’ll give you a quick rundown of their possible fates.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Theon- 50/50. He has been through enough at this point that
killing him, again, seems excessive. However, he may die heroically, saving his
sister, finally surrendering his cowardice.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yara- 50/50. They’ve kept her alive for the last season for
a purpose. Possibly just for Theon’s redemption arc, but who knows. If she
dies, it will be fighting but I can see her living on. And wouldn’t it be great
if a Lesbian actually <i>lived </i>in this
show? That’d be rad.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Euron- He’s gonna die. Absolutely gonna die. No way he won’t
die, hopefully at the hands of Yara or Theon.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Brienne of Tarth- 50/50. The other half of my ship is a
warrior who will fight to the bitter end, but she does have a Valyrian steel
sword. She’s gonna make waves and I do think, if Jaime dies, she will outlive
him. Likely one or the other of them is going to die. Because happy endings
never happen. Not that I’d complain if they did.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Davos Seaworth- Davos is going to live. It wouldn’t feel right
to kill him. He’s one of the old characters who lives to a ripe old age and
surprises us all. He will survive to adopt all the lost children of Westeros.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Hound- If he goes, the Mountain is going first. I think
he might live. He’s already had a death scare.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tormund- Probs gonna die. They keep faking us out with his
death, but since he doesn’t make much of a difference in the story anymore, the
writers can let him go whenever they want to make us tear up.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jorah- It’s amazing to me that he’s lived this long. I put
my money on death. He will die fighting for Dany and have no regrets.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lyanna Mormont- My girl is gonna live and be awesome. No
question<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bronn- Another character who is...somehow still here? He’s
either going to die in battle or get his castle.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Berric- Doesn’t have much of a point anymore and he’s on his
last life with Thoros dead so...yeah, his days are numbered.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Melisandre- She has to die in this strange country and she
will before the end.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Varys- Considering Melisandre’s foreboding line, Varys will
likely die before the end. But he outlived Littlefinger, so he won that game.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Greyworm- Much as I love him, I doubt that D&D will let
him live. He’s a loyal soldier and commander and we know what happens to loyal
people in this show.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Missandei- She will live, even if Dany dies, and remain in
an advisor role. She seems too smart to get herself killed and if she has to
live with Greyworm’s death that would be more tragic.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The dragons- Obviously one dragon has already gone down, and
I think Drogon will join Viseron before the end, just like his namesake. I
think Raegal might be the dragon to make it through if any do.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And then, last but not least, Samwell Tarly. If I were to
name a character for ‘Most likely to survive Game of Thrones’ it would be this
boy. He’s the one you never expect to get this far but he has. And he is the
reason for the name of this post. There’s the question of who lives or dies,
but Samwell Tarly will be the one who tells the Song of Ice and Fire, which
will be told for generations to come.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Those are my predictions. We’ll see if they’re right or
wrong. Let me know what you think in the comments! I’ll be posting more
detailed prediction posts in the coming weeks about the various families so
stay tuned.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Happy Game of Thrones drought everyone and see you soon.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-72017053025444838212017-08-28T14:11:00.000-07:002017-08-28T14:11:17.702-07:00Game of Thrones Season 7: A Review<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
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<img alt="Image result for Game of thrones title gifs" height="180" src="http://imagesmtv-a.akamaihd.net/uri/mgid:file:http:shared:mtv.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Game-of-Thrones-1-1453324349.gif?quality=.8&height=338&width=600" width="320" /></div>
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And so the penultimate season of Game of Thrones comes to an
end, leaving us with a possible year and a half wait for the conclusion of the
epic fantasy series. Before I start a long series of posts containing my season
8 predictions, I think we need to look back at season 7. Because boy do I have
a mix of thoughts.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Season 7 was a messy damn season, no doubt. The writing
quality was up and down and the pacing set at light speed compared to previous
seasons. Plus, because the writers are very far off of the book material now,
they don’t have George’s writing to fall back on which gives us a mixed bag.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Before I start ragging on some of the writing, I think I
should say something: I don’t hate the show runners. Shocking I know, since
everyone seems to these days. Considering the massive project they have on
their hands, I’m not surprised that there were mistakes and low points. Remember
George has taken decades to write these series, whereas the show runners are
working on a tight deadline of a few months to get scripts written and sent in.
As a writer myself, I know that’s not a lot of time. This past season was also
probably the toughest to pull off as they had to trim the fat of unnecessary
characters and bring this huge world together in order to prepare for the final
battle. This was a mammoth writing project, so I give credit where credit is
due: they did try.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now that we have that out of the way, let’s start talking
about the bad bits of this season.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The Low Points<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I remember when people used to complain about the pacing in
previous seasons. They would whine about how a conversation was ‘slow’ or had ‘nothing
to do with the plot’ or was just ‘filler’. And yeah, maybe some of those convos
were filler, but I loved them. They gave us a chance to breathe and get to know
the characters more. They built relationships between them before sending them
into the fray. But, to those people who were complaining, CONGRATS. You got
your wish! There is <i>no </i>time to
breathe in this season.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Everyone has their hands on a teleporter now and ravens
travel at the speed of light. It’s a real shift from the first season where
they make a point that it takes one month to travel vis caravan from King’s
landing to the North. Now, people can get from Dragonstone to the wall in a
jump cut. This wouldn’t be such a problem if they <i>showed </i>time passing. But time is, frankly, a nebulous thing in Game
of Thrones now. How old are the characters? We don’t know. How long did Arya
stay in Bravos? Don’t know. How much time passed over the course of this
season? Not a damn clue. It’s odd that the concept of <i>time </i>requires more suspension of belief than the dragons or white
walkers. <o:p></o:p></div>
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That being said, the time thing doesn’t really <i>detract </i>from the story. It speeds it up
and it’s hard to accept, but, whatever. We want to get to our good content
right?<o:p></o:p></div>
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The problem is, while Game of Thrones rushes some things
like no one’s business, it moves at a <i>snail’s
</i>pace for other things. Which brings me to the most frustrating stories this
season.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Did you know the Stark sisters and Jaime Lannister are among
my top five faves in the series? They are! Do you know how frustrating they
were to watch this season? EXTREMELY.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jaime Lannister has been on a long game redemption arc for
several seasons. He’s trying to go toward the side of the good but Cersei just
keeps yanking him back with her manipulative ways. The problem is, it takes him
<i>too damn long </i>to figure it out.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I get what the writers are trying to do. They’re trying to
show inner conflict in Jaime and give weight to his relationship with his
sister. He can’t just shrug off a manipulative relationship like that quickly.
It takes time. But when Jaime has pretty much dropped his sister in the books
(or so I hear. I haven’t read that far), it’s annoying to see him continuously
serve her. ESPECIALLY after she blew up the sept. That should have been the
thing that sent Jaime running so seeing him linger at her side for the entirety
of the season was exhausting.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Obviously, they wanted him leaving her to happen at the end
of this season. They couldn’t just do it in the middle because that doesn’t fit
with TV pacing. The culmination always comes at the end. But they could have
written more resistance on his part. More arguing with her. More pulling away.
Calling her out on her <i>blowing up the
sept</i>. But because this was all subdued, perhaps in effort to trick us into
thinking Jaime is going to stay with his sister, it just ended up frustrating.
And yeah, seeing him walk the hell out was one of the most satisfying scenes in
all of scenedom. But that doesn’t mean the process wasn’t excruciating.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You know who did an arc like Jaime’s better? Avatar the Last
Airbender. Yeah, remember when Prince Zuko went on a redemption arc but then at
the last second turned back because he was pressured by his manipulative sister
and driven by his desire to rejoin his family? That was really sad and
heartbreaking. But then halfway through the next season he figured things out
and left the family for good. They didn’t drag it out. His arc had its ups and
downs but it made sense. I really wish they did something more like that with
Jaime but *shrug*, at least he got there eventually.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jaime’s arc is the example of slow writing but Arya and
Sansa’s story is just an example of <i>bad </i>writing.
Episode five and six were just painful to watch. Let’s break down why.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It is implied, in episode seven, that Arya and Sansa have
been plotting together in order to out Littlefinger. Arya is clearly in on the
plan, as is Bran. But there are a lot of questions here: how long have they
been in on it? When did Bran tell the sisters what was going on? And why wait
so long to kill Littlefinger if they figured it out?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Let’s say that the Stark sisters were never against each
other. Let’s say that they had a plan from the start. That is the solution I
would <i>like </i>to believe. But there are
a lot of issues with that idea. Sansa and Arya aren’t always arguing in public.
One time they have a conversation with the door open and another time outside
in the courtyard. Theoretically Littlefinger could be listening in (though they
don’t show him there, which is a problem). But the most emotionally dramatic of
their scenes happens behind closed doors. No Littlefinger in sight. If the
writers wanted to get across that this was a show for Littlefinger they should
have shown him being nearby or snooping or <i>something.
</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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But this story wasn’t about fooling Littlefinger. It was
about fooling the audience. The writers wanted to make the audience think that
the sisters hated each other so they could have their big twist. And what a
cheap twist it was: an ending we all saw coming because of the totally forced
nature of the conflict between the sisters. The death of Littlefinger may have
been amazingly satisfying, but the lead up was some of the worst stuff they’ve
ever done on the show. Period.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have other small quips about this season. Like how there
seem to be a lot of side characters with nothing to do. Or how Tyrion didn’t
seem like the main character in his own story up until the final episode. Or
how plot-device Bran has dug the writers a hole because they’ll have to come up
with wild reasons why he doesn’t share important info. But those things were
more minor for me. So, let’s jump into the good stuff.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The Good<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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This was a season of closure. Finally, we get Dany in
Westeros. Finally, Jaime leaves his sister. Finally, all the surviving Starks
are back in Winterfell. Finally, Littlefinger got what was coming to him. Finally,
Gendry is back from rowing. Finally, Theon is taking control of the Iron born
and going on his redemption arc for his sister. Finally, that damn wall is
coming down.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We’ve wanted a lot of this stuff since season one. We’ve
made jokes about the Starks never getting back together and laughed about the
White walkers slow, slow moving army. We’ve complained about Dany spending too
much time in Essos and screamed at Jaime to just <i>leave his sister. </i>But now, we get what we wanted. Resolution to
arcs set up in the very beginning.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For that reason, this season <i>was </i>very satisfying to me. Patience pays off here because finally I
get what I’ve wanted. My Stark survivors reuniting at their home was so healing
to me. Arya and Sansa hugging twice and admitting each other’s strength despite
their differences--that was so nice to watch. Danerys actually touching down in
Westeros was almost unreal. Seeing her in a room with characters like Jon or
Cersei--priceless.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m also a sucker for all the small character connections.
The Hound and Brienne talking about their adopted murder child, Arya. Tormund
speaking dreamily about Brienne to the Hound. Gendry and Jon laughing about
their fathers. Jon and Tyrion reconnecting. It shows what an interconnected web
of characters we have now. If even one of them dies, several of them will feel
it and that’s a <i>great </i>thing to set up
going into the final season. Cause season 8 is gonna have <i>so </i>much death.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I also think the series was smart in restablishing the
original four houses. Yes, there have been others, but at the beginning it was
Stark, Lannister, Baratheon and Targaryan. They bring Gendry back as the
remaining Baratheon. They put the Starks in one place. The Lannisters all reunited
in the last episode, reestablishing their familial bonds before parting. And
Jon was revealed as a Targaryan as he slept with his aunt (which was probably
one of the most hilarious reveals ever, not gonna lie). <o:p></o:p></div>
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Meanwhile the show runners trimmed the fat, getting rid of the
Martells and Tyrels. The Martells I won’t miss because of their terrible
writing. There are still some survivors in Dorne who will rebuild. Just...away from
the show. And though the Tyrels were awesome, it was good to cull them here
before the big conflict. We still have the Greyjoys, but even Theon was
established in the finale as an honorary Stark.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m glad the writers are narrowing the story again. It got
so spread out but now everyone is coming back together, joining forces. There
is one common goal now: defeat the Night King. Many character arcs have wrapped
up or are close to wrapping up so it’s time to see where everything goes. Even
though the writing quality was uneven, I think the show runners are setting
themselves up for success.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On another note, I am a sucker for some CGI action sequences
with dragons. I know it’s sometimes fanservicey but...whatever. I don’t care. I
had fun watching. And I appreciate the continued moral ambiguity of Game of Thrones.
They didn’t show Dany’s burning of the Lannister army as totally triumphant.
They showed the horror of it. Even Littlefinger’s murder, though satisfying,
was kind of sad and pathetic. Moral ambiguity has always been my favorite
aspect of game of thrones. No one is wholly good or wholly bad. They’re all in
a grey area.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>In Conclusion<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Honestly, this was a tough season for the show runners to
write and I think we’re set up for a great eighth season. The pieces are in
place for a lot of great reunions and battles. It was probably one of the
weakest seasons in terms of quality, but still very enjoyable for the most
part. I’ll be rewatching it soon for the highs and lows, and, until season 8
comes around, I’ll be making predictions like crazy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Next time on the blog, we’re going to jump into season 8 predictions.
See you then!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<img alt="Related image" height="176" src="https://68.media.tumblr.com/fda7c293932e0b1ce4b8a0b6f509307d/tumblr_inline_ouw2w9unDZ1ubzz9f_540.gif" width="320" /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-15550353027570207892017-04-21T10:54:00.000-07:002017-04-21T10:54:46.378-07:00Lessons from Anime- Your Lie in April and Physical Illness<div class="MsoNormal">
In the next two weeks, we’re going to look to anime for a
rather serious topic: physical and mental illness. These are two subjects that
lots and lots and lots of media cover extremely poorly, some to the point of
offensive for different reasons. This week we’re going to focus on
physical illness.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Physical illness, particularly terminal illness, is often
used as a gimmick in films to portray a strong, sweet soul, pushing through
their lives despite their sickness, only to die in the film’s climax because
it’s “sad”. Films like this ring hollow to the extreme because it’s so
emotionally manipulative. It’s just a tear jerker ending to tug
at the heart strings. It’s cheap and its cliché.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Particularly egregious is Nicholas Sparks’ <i>Walk to Remember, </i>partially because we <i>never see </i>the horrible reality of our
main heroine’s illness. We barely see any symptoms or hospital rooms. Our main
character looks pretty, acts strong, and goes quietly into that good night
without much kicking at all. This is not the way to write physical illness.
Physical illness is often debilitating, painful, and has a clear effect on the afflicted and those around them. Actually, I think the Fault in our Stars
did this well because it focused on Hazel’s daily struggle with cancer. It was
everywhere, from the pills and her oxygen tank to the hospital visits. Your
mileage may vary on how Fault in our Stars handles other things but that’s a
topic for another time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I bring this up, because anime does this kind of thing too:
regularly. Plenty of anime end with a death from a physical illness just to
make you cry. It’s pure emotional manipulation without showing any of the
harder parts of illness. But <i>Your Lie in
April </i>is one anime that handles sickness well.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<img alt="Image result for Your lie in april gifs" height="179" src="http://i.imgur.com/ccGS0x1.gif" width="320" /></div>
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Yes, it’s is easy to see Kaori as the suffering but strong
heroine at the beginning. A manic pixie dream girl who’s going to help our main
hero change. But she isn’t just an inspirational figure. She’s loud and brash,
living life impulsively because of her illness. To hell with what anyone else
thinks. She wants to get the main character to play a duet with her since she
has admired him as a pianist and she’ll do anything to push him onto the stage.
She honestly has a lot of character that is not based around our leading guy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<img alt="Image result for Your lie in april gifs" height="165" src="http://49.media.tumblr.com/4dddd2008687413ae7b56f07ed500121/tumblr_nteqwa5ppP1r4jf9no1_540.gif" width="320" /></div>
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But of course, she’s sick, which you figure out pretty early
on, and her slow loss of health is not an easy or gentle thing. As time passes
she starts snapping at her friends more as her emotions come unhinged. It
becomes clear that her bubbly personality was often a mask to hide her illness.
She takes more falls, her legs stop working right and we even get a
scene of her screaming and hitting her legs in the hallway, begging them to
stand. We see her seizing up on the hospital bed. Even her coloration grows
paler as the show goes on.<o:p></o:p></div>
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However, Kaori’s illness doesn’t define her. She is
bursting with personality outside of her eventual death. That’s one of the
keys: her illness affects her life in a variety of ways but it also doesn't dictate who she is. Its not just a one off note to make the audience cry but
she’s not just that sick girl we should feel sorry for. She’s a nuanced human
being beyond her struggles.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Because people who are sick aren’t just there to make people
cry or develop able bodied characters arcs. They get arcs of their own and they
are their own people, and Your Lie in April gives a stirring example of that
done right.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We’ll talk about mental illness in <i>Your Lie in April</i> next week. Until then, happy writing!<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-72310256622739911142017-04-19T10:26:00.000-07:002017-04-19T10:26:03.191-07:00Notes from New York- Quiet Middle Grade<div class="MsoNormal">
Today on notes from New York, I want to talk about a
category of book that I don’t see often, but wish I did, because of how
visceral and charming it can be: quiet middle grade. Because middle grade
novels are aimed at kids turning teenagers, a lot of books in this category are
fast paced and action packed, or filled to the brim with humor. Sometimes both! That’s all
great. I love a fun middle grade like Percy Jackson. But quiet middle grade is
another beast entirely and quite hard to pull off.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When I say quiet, I don’t mean slow or boring. Quiet stories
are often extremely engaging on an emotional level. They tug at the heart strings
and envelop you in the ambiance, completely drawing you in even though the plot
isn’t racing by at the speed of light. Rather, the plot is drifting, and you’re
content to watch it pass.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<img alt="Image result for Kiki's delivery service gif" height="172" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/cBKMTJGAE8y2Y/giphy.gif" width="320" /></div>
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A good example of a ‘quiet’ story for younger viewers is
Kiki’s delivery service, which is an incredible little movie from Miyazaki. Though the main character is a witch, the film isn’t an action fest. Rather,
its about a young girl moving to a new place and starting a little business.
There are so many quiet moments in this movie but they’re often pleasant,
calming...even moving. The film isn’t afraid to sit in silence and let the
moment pass.</div>
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<img alt="Image result for Kiki's delivery service gif" height="232" src="https://68.media.tumblr.com/fa320c68539b0a2b90840406623f0133/tumblr_o98lbu9qXj1uer6cyo1_500.gif" width="320" /></div>
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<o:p></o:p>When I was interning in New York I read a submission that fit under this
umbrella. Because it was set on the gulf coast I was utterly transported to my
childhood vacations to Florida, so much so that I could <i>smell </i>it. I could <i>feel </i>it.
It was oddly emotional and it made me home sick for the beach. That’s the kind
of power that quiet middle grade can have.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, if you have an idea that you think might be “too slow”
for a younger audience, give it a go anyway. There are lots of kids who don’t
mind a calmer plot, and you can trust them to sit still in a moment without
getting bored. We all need our special, quiet stories to relax with on a lazy
Sunday when we just want to watch the world drift by. <o:p></o:p></div>
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That's all for now. Happy writing!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-78023383397426283212017-02-27T13:28:00.002-08:002017-02-27T13:28:20.317-08:00Notes from New York: Memoir and Platforms<div class="MsoNormal">
Welcome back to Notes from New York. Today we have a shorter post,
less about writing and more just a query tip in general regarding memoirs. When
I first started interning I hadn’t read many memoirs (or much nonfiction in
general), but within the first month, I had read several samples and two full manuscripts. The two full manuscripts were both well written and engaging. One came from a writer with a strong
journalistic background and platform who had an exceedingly interesting life to
boot. The other came of a writer who also had an interesting life, but did not
have much of a platform to speak of.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Guess which one drew more interest from the agent?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yes, that’s kind of the hard thing about memoirs and
nonfiction in general. Any editor or agent is going to look at your life story
and judge it not just on quality of story, but also on marketability? It’s not that a memoir from someone without a platform can’t sell, but it’s
certainly less likely. It’s one of those difficult facts about the nonfiction publishing
world. If you don’t have a platform through your work or even through social
media, an agent is going to wonder if you can advertise yourself. Memoirs, unlike
fiction, are deeply personal and require more self promotion.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On another note, don't try to sell your memoir as
fiction. Agents can usually tell a memoir masquerading as women’s or
contemporary fiction. They’ve been in this business awhile, and you don’t want
to try to get an agent by lying. That’s not to say you can’t use your life as
influence for a fictional novel, but remember that there is a difference
between real life and fiction. Real life doesn’t have a concrete story
structure, for instance, nor does it always have a complete arc.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And lastly, if the agent doesn’t accept memoir…don’t query
them with memoir. Not even if they also represent women's fiction, romance, etc. Unless specified otherwise, that means the fictional genres, not memoir. It seems like common sense but you wouldn’t believe the
number of people who ignore submission guidelines.<o:p></o:p></div>
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That’s it for today. Happy writing!<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-44901356360345858312017-02-15T08:00:00.000-08:002017-02-15T08:00:00.740-08:00Lessons from Anime- The Lost Art of Tragedy in Fate/Zero and Madoka Magica<div class="MsoNormal">
When’s the last time you watched or read a good tragedy? If
you’re most people, its probably been awhile. After all, tragedies are kind of
a bummer and can tug your heart strings in all the worst ways. Most story
tellers aim for dramas or comedies instead for their more hopeful endings. And even
when a show or book goes for tragedy, often it isn’t very good. It feels
emotionally manipulative when a character is killed at the end just to get a
sad, tear jerker finale. Simply put its hard to earn that tragic conclusion in a way that makes the story feel satisfying. But when it works, it <i>works</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In a lot of ways, tragedies are kind of a lost art. When you
hear the word tragedy, you probably think of the ancient Greeks or one of
Shakespeare’s great plays. Good modern tragedies are far more rare because they
are so hard to pull off. But today I want to take a look at two anime that
understand the art of tragedy. And they both come from the mind of the same
man- Gen Urobuchi.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Nicknamed the Urobutcher for the fates of many of his
characters, Urobuchi, is one of the greats in the anime industry. He’s a
masterful storyteller, having a talent for really getting his audience
emotionally invested in the fates of the characters. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<img alt="Image result for Fate/Zero gif" height="180" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/FH3GCqtXnoQne/giphy.gif" width="320" /></div>
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In one of his works, Fate/Zero, magicians fight for the
right to the Holy Grail through the use of heroes from all historic ages. Most
of the audience goes into the story knowing it will end in tragedy (as it is a
prequel). But none the less, its impossible not to get invested. The characters
are likable and they have goals they hope to achieve with the
power of grail. But they also have damning flaws such as arrogance, stubbornness,
or naivety that ultimately will keep them from their dreams (or lives).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<img alt="Image result for madoka magica gifs" height="179" src="http://pa1.narvii.com/5930/de1d068ad2f3e91d7181f7d6d1cf4dd3fd7c9f2f_hq.gif" width="320" /></div>
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In Madoka Magica, an anime that explores the Magical Girl
genre (think Sailor Moon), young girls make contracts to gain powers and fight
witches in exchange for the granting of one wish, any wish at all. But the
venture of being a magical girl may not be so glamorous as it appears and every
wish comes at a hidden cost.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Both of these anime’s have a similar element that proves
Urobuchi really understand tragedies--wishes. A great tragic hero is ultimately
driven by something important to them. Maybe its even a goal to which we relate like
the desire to help a close friend, make amends or even to simply survive. However, in a tragedy, the hero ultimately fails to
grasp this goal because they have a damning flaw that will keep them from a
happy ending. Maybe they go about getting their wish the wrong way, at the
expense of others, or don’t think of the consequences. Hamlet spends too much
time thinking about the path to revenge and more people die because of it.
Othello acts too quickly on jealousy and kills his love. Romeo and Juliet are
surrounded by a society that curses their love and they die because of it (or
because they needed communicate the plan better).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<img alt="Image result for madoka magica gifs" height="181" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/12/3e/de/123ede18ac083da4c9ba02a1dd67e1b6.jpg" width="320" /></div>
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Madoka Magica is the best example of this idea simply
because each of the girls make a distinct wish that ultimately determines their
fate. It’s not predictable by any means, but it does follow story telling 101-
set up and pay off. The beginning leads to the middle leads to the end, and it all flows seamlessly together. Its one of my personal favorite anime for just
that reason because its just one of the best written things I’ve ever watched.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for Madoka magica gifs" height="179" src="http://33.media.tumblr.com/3ccf11606bc57d9ed7403eb775c3cc0b/tumblr_n5pd94d3qn1qd16pfo1_500.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And its gorgeous</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In all of these tragedies, the flaw is built in from the
beginning. From the moment the hero sets out on their journey, we get the
feeling they may falter. They may not lose everything. They may not even die. Maybe
they’ll even get some semblance of a happy ending. But there will be losses and
they will feel earned. It won’t just be for a tug on the emotional heart
strings. Really good tragic endings feel necessary. Almost inevitable. And it
is in that kind of tragedy that we find as much satisfaction as we would in a
happy ending.</div>
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Madoka Magica and Fate/Zero are two stellar examples of
modern tragedies, both with bitter sweet endings. They make you root for the
characters despite the dark path they walk, and they make you cry when
everything comes crashing down. But you don’t feel cheated. You don’t feel
manipulated. You feel good, ultimately, because you’ve got to love a well told
story. So if you feel like consuming a great modern tragedy in the near future, check either of these works out!<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-72486160999554769412017-02-13T08:00:00.000-08:002017-02-13T08:00:01.228-08:00Notes from New York: Forced Immitation<div class="MsoNormal">
Welcome back to Notes from New York! Its about time we get back to our usual schedule of updates don't you think? Well let's jump right and talk about "trying too hard".</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Is there such thing as "trying
too hard" in the writing world? After all, we all put our blood sweat and tears
into our manuscripts. Some days it feels like we can never be enough. How can we ever put in enough effort? But actually there is such a thing as trying too hard, and
it usually shows in your prose in the form of forced immitation.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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In my internship, there were many occasions when I opened up
a query, read the sample pages, and found myself reading a piece of literary
fiction that was putting way too much effort into flowery prose. They
used lots of big words that, theoretically, could be put to beautiful use. But
it just didn’t sound natural. This is often a case
of forced imitation. The writers behind these pages really <i>wanted </i>to
emulate their favorite authors so they tried to mimic their style. But when
you’re mimicking and trying to force your prose to be flowery through an
overuse of adjectives and large words…it can verge on sounding fake, unnatural
and pretentious.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Why is this? Well because this isn’t your style. It’s
someone else’s that you are forcing yourself to emulate. Pro tip, a reader can
always tell when a writer is faking it. Its something about the way the words
are strung together. They come out stilted rather than flowing. Confused rather
than clear.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Forced imitation shows in the work of commercial fiction
writers too, of course. Sometimes you can tell an author is trying way too hard
to mimic the style or sense of humor of one of their idols. I had a phase
myself where I strove to recreate the sarcastic wit of Maximum Ride. It came out
very forced and cringy...and honestly, the sense of humor in those books was
already forced and cringy. </div>
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The best way to fix this problem? Get to know your own
style. Heck, maybe your style is literary, with prose like honey. Maybe your sense of humor is a riot. But as long
as you’re simply imitating, you won’t find that genuine voice that
sets you apart from the others. </div>
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Of course you may continue to draw inspiration
from your favorite authors. Of course continue to read, read and read more to improve
your own writing. But remember, imitation at the detriment of your own voice is
a killer. An agent doesn’t want ‘the next blank’. They want someone new and
fresh. Take a risk on your voice and maybe you’ll find something special.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-49429593545935865522016-11-30T07:07:00.001-08:002016-11-30T07:07:29.956-08:00NaNoWriMo- On Success and FailureSo its the final day of National Novel Writing Month. At this point I'm sure many of you, like me, are scrambling to reach their 50,000 word count. But I'm taking a break in this moment to talk not only about succeeding at the NaNoWriMo challenge but failing it as well.<br />
<br />
Today, some of you will hit your 50,000 words. Some of you already have and are going for an even larger word goal. And that's AMAZING. Maybe 80% of the words are crap. Maybe you don't even know if it works as a story. But you <i>wrote a novel in a month</i>. That's an astonishing feat of dedication. You worked hard and even if you don't come back to this novel in the near future, you earned some valuable writing experience.<br />
<br />
For some of you, maybe this is the first novel you've ever finished. That's even more amazing, because now you know you can do it. With enough hard work and dedication, you can type 'the end' on a <i>book</i>. I hope you write many, many more.<br />
<br />
For others this is their tenth novel. Which is also SO cool. You've put out so many books and even if they haven't all been winners, some of them are. Some of them have or will taken you all the way to down the publishing road.<br />
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If you won this year's NaNoWriMo, pat yourself on the back. Take a breath. Then put away your draft and take a well deserved break. You can edit out all the terrible parts later.<br />
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But some of you may have "lost" NaNoWriMo this year. But honestly, why think about it as a loss? Whatever you managed to write--10,000 words, 20,000 words, 30,000 etc--that's still a good chunk of a novel. You're still one step closer to a completed draft. Maybe you're close to 50,000 but you won't be able to hit it today. That's fine. Take your time. What does it matter if you finish a draft in a month and a day, a month and a week or even two months? That's still a tremendous accomplishment.<br />
<br />
The bottom line is, NaNoWriMo isn't for everyone. Sometimes people draft slowly. That's a valid way to write a novel. As long as it gets done and you're proud of it, who cares that it wasn't written in a month? You're still a writer who wrote <i>a whole book</i>. Celebrate that.<br />
<br />
I've won NaNoWriMo and I've lost NaNoWriMo. Sometimes, I burnt myself out writing in October before I hit November. Last year, my life was too emotionally tumultuous and I didn't write a dang thing in the Fall. I felt terrible about it because fast drafting is my skill. I felt so unproductive and like I lost my creative spark. But then I hit spring of 2016 and I fast drafted two novels. Those novels weren't better or worse because I didn't write them in November. They were still drafts. Messy drafts, but drafts none the less.<br />
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So if you tried NaNoWriMo at all this year, whether you won or "lost", pat yourself on the back and celebrate. Not many people would even attempt what you guys did and you deserve all the credit in the world for it. Tomorrrow's a new day of writing and who knows what it will bring!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-37374525782944309182016-11-18T07:45:00.001-08:002016-11-18T07:45:43.533-08:00Lessons from Anime- Loving Parody in Ouran Highschool Hostclub and Assassination Classroom<div class="MsoNormal">
Parody is a lot harder than you think.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s actually very hard to parody any movie, book, genre
etc. in a consistently clever and interesting way. Films like ‘epic movie’ and ‘Scary
Movie 1,000’ often beat the same jokes into the ground, throw in some gross
humor and call it smart satire.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Often, poorly written parody can invoke eye rolls,
especially if it doesn’t have a solid story of its own. If its just parody
without a well written plot and characters, then it’s a house built on sand.
One of the reasons I’m not that big a fan of the first Shrek movie is that at
the base of its parody of fairytales is a plot that is predictable and <i>old as time</i>. Which makes it kinda
boring.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But there’s another reason I’m not as big a fan of Shrek,
and that’s the point about parody I really want to emphasize today. There are
two types of parody. The most common, and often the easier to write, is hateful
parody. This satire is biting and vicious to its original source material. It hates
it. Many of the jokes are intensely mean spirited because of the deep seeded
hatred on the part of the authors. In the case of Shrek? Well maybe Dreamworks
wanted to crush Disney down to size after Jeffery Katzenberg broke ties with
them. <i>Maybe</i>. Shrek 2 actually
improves upon the first by being less <i>intensely
bitter</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But while hateful parody would seem the most likely, there
is another form of parody that is just <i>much
harder </i>to pull off. And that is the loving parody. Loving parody truly
adores the genre or movie it is parodying. But that doesn’t keep it from making
fun of its target at every turn. And at the end of the day, rather than trying
to take the subject down a peg, they’re celebrating it for its tropes and its
good qualities.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ouran High school Host Club is one such satire of reverse
harem and shojo manga, about a poor honor student who accidentally breaks an
expensive vase and falls in debt to her school host club. Thinking she’s a guy
because of her appearance, the host club promises to forgive her debt if she
becomes a host herself and gets one hundred girls to ask for her. And of course half the guys end up falling for her, though especially Tamaki.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The main male love interest, Tamaki is obsessed with the
role of being the main love interest but is cripplingly insecure about it. The
rest of the guys are also embodiments of various tropes, but they manage to
break out of them at various points for both comedy and drama. And the lead,
Haruhi, has no interest in the guy’s vying for her attention and is the most
down to earth of everyone.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This show has a great understanding of its trope but it’s
not trying to break its characters down. It loves them. And at the heart of the
anime is a lot of emotional sincerity. Melodramatic? Oh <i>god </i>yes, but that’s the fun of it. Its melodrama with enough fourth
wall jokes and loving pokes to make it quality parody.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<img alt="Image result for Assassination classroom gif" height="179" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/d4/35/b1/d435b1bc34ecd70543932170a0f06583.gif" width="320" /></div>
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Then there’s Assassination Classroom which is a stellar
parody of the ‘Teacher goes to a dead end class and inspires them to believe in
themselves and go for their dreams’ narrative. Except for in this case, the
teacher is a mutant balloon looking creature that blew up the moon and is going
to blow up the earth in a year. And in between inspirational lessons, the
students are trying to kill their teacher, honing their skills as assassins and
trying to raise their grades.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And it’s just…its hilarious. The situation is treated rather
casually and despite being constantly under fire, the teacher never stops
believing in his students. At every episode he helps at least one of them step
out of their shell and realize their strengths. It’s amusing to hear the lesson
coming from a yellow, tentacle balloon monster, but also oddly emotionally heartwarming.
The show isn’t condemning the subject of its parody. Its embracing it but
flooding it with humor at the same time. And the show concludes with one of the
most cry worthy scenes I’ve seen in any show.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Loving parody is just as funny as hateful parody (in my
opinion more so) but it also manages to remain sincere. Because it cares about
its characters, we care about them too when they’re in trouble. We don’t laugh
at their pain we <i>feel </i>it with them.
And then we laugh at them in the very next scene. It’s certainly a harder
method to pull off, but it’s worth it and ultimately so much more rewarding.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-74946851085100002142016-11-16T07:11:00.000-08:002016-11-16T07:11:43.978-08:00Notes from New York: The Importance of Comparative TitlesWelcome back to Notes from New York. Today we talk about a querying tip rather than a writing tip: specifically ‘comparative titles’, or as I always heard them referred to ‘comps’.<br />
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Comps are something that a lot of people write in their queries. In many ways, it’s a good idea. If you can compare your book to a certain title, that gives the agent some idea of what to expect and also how they might market your book in the future. If you do get an agent, part of submitting to editors is making a list of comparative titles to show where your book stands in the industry.<br />
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However, while comps can be a good thing in a query times they can work against you. So here’s a list of dos and don’ts with comps.<br />
<br />
<b>1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>Don’t</i> aim to high</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Your book is not the next Harry Potter. Even if it somehow, spectacularly, is the next Harry Potter, you have no way of knowing that at the time of querying. Some people comp really well known, best selling titles because they think it shows their books money making potential. Really, all it does is show you don’t know the industry or you way overestimate the selling power of your work. Most books don’t sell like Harry Potter. In fact, just about all books don’t sell like Harry Potter. So don’t aim too high.<br />
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<b>2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>Do</i> aim at the middle</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
It never hurts to comp a relatively well known, but not unbelievably popular title. There are a lot more of these, and chances are, it will be easier for you to find an accurate comp to your work in this category. This will better show that you know where your book stands within its genre<br />
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<b>3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>Don’t</i> comp books your agent already represents</b><br />
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Mostly because, the agent already has a similar book for their list and might be less interested. An agent will love the authors that they have taken on, which means that you’re fighting an uphill battle when you claim they will love your book just as much. Additionally, they might not have room for more similar titles on their list.<br />
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<b>4.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>Do</i> comp an agents favorite books</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Most agents have blogs or websites or twitters where they talk about their favorite books and TV shows. They write about these things so that people will know what to send their way. You still may be fighting an uphill battle because they have high expectations, but if they are looking for something in the vein of their favorite work, comping said work can be a way to get you noticed. Just be sure its accurate and back it up with great writing.<br />
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<b>5.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>Don’t</i> feel the need to include comps</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Comparative works in the query really aren’t necessary. If you don’t have good ones or you’re not sure what to compare your book to, leave them out. The most important part of the query is the part about your book. If your query is good, you don’t need to add comp titles if you’re not sure what you’d put<br />
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<b>6.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>Do</i> still be aware of comparative titles</b><br />
When you are querying you should none the less be aware of your genre, category and marketability. This will help you enormously in the querying and publishing process. Read a lot in your genre to find some comparative titles. Even if you don’t put them in your query, they will help you down the line.<br />
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Good luck querying and I hope everyone has hit the midpoint of NaNoWriMo :)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-81655022278740063702016-11-09T07:37:00.000-08:002016-11-09T07:37:12.228-08:00Post Election Blog PostNot doing a normal blog post today, mostly cause I'm not feeling it. Last night, as I watched my computer screen in horror, it took awhile for it to set in. I cried on my floor last night as I realized I was pretty freaking scared, for myself and for other people. I know a lot of you feel the same.<br />
<br />
I don't get political in a lot of spheres because I don't like to engage in political debates. And this isn't going to be a ranting post about how much I hate Trump (though I truly do). We've talked about it. We've debated. Now the decision is final and the difficult thing now becomes fighting through these next four years.<br />
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I grew up around immigrants and PoCs. I lived right next to the most diverse zipcode in the nation. In my classes I was surrounded by first and second generation American citizens from India, South Korea, China, the Middle East etc. Those people taught me so much about different belief systems and other cultures and other religions. Now I'm sure some of those people are afraid of being deported. To them and to people in thier position, you are wonderful, and loved and your culture is important. You are an American and you deserve this country.<br />
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I grew up around women who survived sexual abuse. My mom was working with women who faced assalt from when they were children to adulthood. When I was a kid I didn't understand what any of that meant, but when I was adult, I realized that in some twisted way I was lucky not to be a survivor myself. And many of those who have experienced sexual abuse, harrassment and assalt are horrified right now that we could elect a man who admitted to sexually harrassing women. To those people, you are strong. You are so infinitely strong. Keep fighting. We need women like you.<br />
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When I started college I was surrounded by a prominent LGBTQ community. One of the first people I met on campus was transgendered. I had never known a transgendered person before. He taught me what I never understood about gender vs sexuality. My classmates are still fighting for their rights everyday and they're afraid to see Trump elected with a vice president who supports conversion therapy at his back. For those people, you matter. You are valid. Don't let <i>anyone </i>tell you that you are lesser because of who you love or how you feel. And please keep making your voices heard.<br />
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There are people who are afraid right now. There are people who are terrified. And even though it seems that 50% of America just said that some of its precious citizens don't matter, you <i>do. </i>You matter <i>so much</i>. The diversity of our country is so crucial to its identity. Without your voices, this wouldn't be America.<br />
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And to writers, because I know that's you guys are. Today, we are numb. But tomorrow, we keep writing. We keep writing diverse stories. Empathetic stories. We do what we can. Books can change minds in a fundemental way. So fight. Write. Make your voice heard. I love you all.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-2977166545938722582016-11-04T07:43:00.000-07:002016-11-04T07:43:27.873-07:00Lessons from Anime- Monster and the Slow Thriller<div class="MsoNormal">
Welcome back to Lessons from Anime!</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Taking a break from talking about anything Durarara (my god)
I want to give a spotlight to a particular favorite show of mine today. It’s
not in my top 10 animes, but it is truly a master work and I’ve written posts
about it before: Monster.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is magnum opus of a thriller, with a wide spread of
interesting characters, intrigue, and my favorite villain of all time in
anything ever. But I want to talk more about the first aspect today,
particularly, the lost art of the slow thriller.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I think we have an idea of thrillers these days that they
have to be fast paced. You should be able to rip through them in a day and by
the end, be left with your heart pounding. And while there is something to be
said for the intense but short thriller, there is also something to be said for
a different, but much more difficult route.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The slow thriller, is by no means <i>boring</i>. No, it’s just not littered with gun fights and action set
pieces. It relies often on the intricacies of the human mind. Slow thrillers
are psychological. While a fast thriller might make your heart race with
anticipation, a slow thriller makes your heart race because you’re waiting for
the other shoe to drop. You know something is going to happen, but you have no
idea when and it puts you on edge.<o:p></o:p></div>
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While re-watching Monster, I was struck how well constructed
it is as a thriller. It constantly makes you nervous. Constantly. Something
idyllic? Nervous. Something quiet? Nervous. A pleasant, nice character is
introduced? Nervous. It’s not that things always go wrong either. Sometimes
everything turns out great and nice characters live. But you never <i>know. </i>Just about every episode I watched
with my roommate, she said the phrase, ‘I don’t trust this’. Which is a pretty
good sign that the thriller was doing its job.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So what does Monster do so well that makes it such a
stellar, psychological thriller?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Well, it all connects back to the handling of its villain.
It takes the first four episodes to build this guy up before revealing him in
one of the most intense scenes I’ve ever watched. And then he disappears. His
presence doesn’t disappear, but he does not arrive on screen for the next <i>twenty episodes</i>. Instead we just see the
results of his work. We see his hand in several dangerous organizations. We
meet a group of Neo-Nazis who want to make them their leader, and then stumble
across their bodies as the villain has killed them all and written frightening
messages on the wall.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When he finally does show up, he does so very casually at
the end of an episode that seemed like another fake out for his reveal. And
then--boom--he just walks up two characters and engages in casual conversation
with them. It’s a great sort of bait and switch.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When we’re not paranoid about the villain, we’re paranoid
for the hero who is accused of murder. Every nice person he meets, we wonder if
they will ultimately turn him in. The show puts us into his head, giving us a
great view of his fear and distrust, contrasting it with his desire to help
people even if they turn them in.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Most importantly, the show holds the answers back. The show
is dedicated to finding out what made the villain the monster that he is. At
first, it seems that his evil was born in a brutal orphanage. But we find out
he was screwed up before that. It’s possible that he has an alternate
personality because of messages he writes, but then it turns out he’s just
quoting a picture book. At some point you’re watching the show <i>just because you want to figure this guy out</i>.
And his ultimate fall off the wagon into the depths of depravity is something
so oddly simple, which I won’t spoil here. The show isn’t interested in doling
out answers immediately. They give them little by little to keep its watchers
chomping at the bit the whole way through.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you’re looking for a good example of a slow burn,
psychological thriller, this is the show to watch. It will keep you on the edge
of your seat, make you nervous, but also be one heck of a ride.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-77648525866918939622016-11-02T07:44:00.000-07:002016-11-02T07:44:38.776-07:00Notes from New York: Unlikable ProtagonistsWe’ve been focusing on larger elements like plot and setting over the past few weeks, but what about character? Obviously your characters are the human connection through which readers access the story and if they’re flat or poorly written, the whole novel comes tumbling down.<br />
<br />
Today I want to focus on a particularly difficult type of protagonist to pull off: the unlikable kind<br />
The big issue with the unlikable protagonist is they are, of course, unlikable. While all protagonists have flaws (all good ones anyways) most are defined primarily by their virtues. The unlikable protagonist, on the other hand, is more defined by their faults. Shakespeare is full of unlikable protagonists where their faults reign supreme. Macbeth, Hamlet and Corlianus to name a few. In more modern works, we have our fair share of anti-heroes who, while not strictly written as good, ultimately win our hearts in the end with their character arcs. I’ve done a post about the anti-hero <a href="http://kallypsowrites.blogspot.com/2016/06/heroes-and-heroism-anti-hero-vs-line.html">here.</a><br />
<br />
But there are two major pitfalls that your unlikable protagonist can fall into that will drag your manuscript from great to irredeemably frustrating.<br />
<br />
<b>1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Their Flaws do not Meet with Consequences</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Flaws are meaningless if they never cost your character anything. They become little better than quirks with no plot significance. In tragedies, the climactic moment is often built on the character’s flaws. Macbeth is blinded by power, Corlianus is murdered by his own ideals, and Hamlet is just a drama queen who really could have avoided so many people dying if he had just stopped monologue about fate. We accept these flaws because they face the consequences.<br />
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Now it doesn’t have to be so serious as death but even some acknowledgment is needed. Other character point out Scar’s hypocrisy in Fullmetal Alchemist and he eventually shifts his views. Jaime Lannister suffers heavy losses when he relies too heavily on his family name. And he also changes in time because he must deal with these losses.<br />
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When a character never faces consequences for their mistakes, their flaws feel pointless. Why not just make them perfect then? That was one of my principal problems with <i>Throne of Glass</i>. The main character is told that if she shows off, she’ll stick out and that could cause problems for her. She then shows off--and really there are no consequences. It made her incredibly frustrating for me.<br />
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<b>2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>There is no arc</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Characters should have an arc. Even if it’s a small one. Unless the plot hinges on your protagonist being flat…they need an arc. Thus, if your main character is an anti-hero, they probably should undergo a transformation where they become slightly less of an asshole. They don’t need to see the light, necessarily, but there should be some shift in their world view. Conversely, if they don’t’ develop, their flaws should drive them to a gruesome end. I’m not saying their aren’t exceptions to this rule, but a protagonist who shows up flawed and makes it out, still flawed, and unchanged, is boring.<br />
<br />
<b>3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>You didn’t actually intend for them to be unlikable</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Sometimes a writer isn’t trying to write an unlikable character. Sometimes they might think their character is entirely relatable. I read more than one manuscript when a character was relatively nasty, but they really had no arc over the book, nor did any characters around them seem to view them as flawed in any way. And this is really the worst thing you can do to a protagonist. If a writer misunderstands their character, the rest of the novel will probably sink. The only way to see if perhaps your character isn’t as perfect as you think they are is to get second opinions. From those second opinions you can tell how to reevaluate and maybe change up your protagonist’s arc.<br />
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You can pull off a well written unlikable protagonist, and they can have deeply interesting stories. But tread lightly and make sure that they’re engaging, intentionally flawed, and have a solid arc, whether it end in redemption or tragedy.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-48040013483241261912016-10-28T07:40:00.003-07:002016-10-28T07:40:55.280-07:00Writing Sprints!No 'Lessons from Anime' today because its taking me much longer to write that anime nihilists post than I thought. And I've been writing other stuff lately. Namely 19,000 words of the fourth book in the HOUR OF MISCHIEF series in the last three days. And since NaNoWriMo is coming up, I figured this would be relevant.<br />
<br />
I basically write via sprints. I'm not a slow and careful drafter. I attack the draft with all of my terrible first sentences and messy plot mistakes and useless dialogue and I just let it fly. Better to get everything down and edit it later than risk losing interest in the story. But writing sprints can be hard for some people, especially writers with perfectionist tendencies who like to edit as they go. If that method works for you, that's fine, but if you find yourself never finishing anything because you keep getting bogged down in the details, maybe its time to switch it up.<br />
<br />
Writing sprints involve writing and absolutely no editing. They can help you finish a draft, even if its in an extremely rough form. But drafts are never final and it doesn't matter how many times you have to edit it. You can edit the book when its complete. You can't edit words that aren't there.<br />
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So here are some tips for NaNoWriMo and writing sprints and general!<br />
<br />
<b>1. Don't read. At all.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I know you might want to go back and read your work. Don't. Unless you forget if you mentioned an important plot detail earlier or not, don't. If you go back and read, you'll feel the urge to edit and you'll break your pace. If the last section you wrote is crap, you can edit it later.<br />
<br />
<b>2. Don't get bogged down in difficult sections</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Having trouble with a scene? Let yourself breeze past it in a paragraph and keep going to more interesting stuff. You can even skip over the scene and go back to write it later. One of the hardest thing in writing sprints are transitions between scenes. Don't stress over them. Just go.<br />
<br />
<b>3. Outline</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Not everyone is an outliner, but I always sprint best when I know where the plot is going. That way I can set goals and I've already envisioned scenes in my mind before I write them. When I finally sit down to type it out, it flows much easier.<br />
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<b>4. Bribe yourself</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
If you're settling down for a big writing sprint, bribe yourself with rewards. I once bought a bag of starburst jelly beans and ate one for every 100 words I wrote. This makes the process of writing fun and tasty. And if you're good at writing sprints, kind of bad for you.<br />
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<b>5. Don't Give up</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
If you get behind during NaNoWriMo, don't be disheartened. There's plenty of time to catch up. You might have a day you just can't write, but maybe you'll write 3,000 words easily the next day. Its a whole month. Don't beat yourself up about it, even if you ultimately fail. Writing sprints are a difficult thing to learn, and ultimately, as long as you get to the end of the draft, its still a win.<br />
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And that's just five tips to make NaNoWriMo easier for you! Get out there and write :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-28584172729176320562016-10-26T07:25:00.001-07:002016-10-26T07:25:52.166-07:00Notes from New York: Meshing Fantasy with RealityWelcome back to Notes from New York. Last week we talked about world building, but this week we are going to dive into a more specific kind of world building: meshing fantasy with reality.<br />
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Contemporary fantasy, urban fantasy, magical realism and a host of other genres involve placing magical elements into our normal, everyday world. It can be a great way to view modern day issues through a different lens or just spice up the mundane. It’s an extremely popular method of world building and most comic books make use of this trope with great success, in addition to a swath of movies, TV shows and, of course, novels.<br />
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However, just because your book takes place in the modern world doesn’t mean the world building is any easier. In fact often times, meshing fantasy with reality can be difficult. So here’s some problems I’ve noticed in these genres and how to fix them.<br />
<br />
<b>1. Not fully integrated</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Sometimes it seems like the author tossed in a fantastical element without really thinking about how it would affect the world. Like sure, a vampire society sounds cool, but how the heck hasn’t anyone gotten suspicious, considering all of the people drained of blood? If there are magicians that cause such disturbances, why is everyone so aggressively dumb to the magic going on around them? A lot of books come up with various ways to explain this. Memory charms, hallucinations etc. But if you don’t acknowledge how your magic society deals with the outside world, then it becomes a plot hole. Conversely, if the magic elements are fully integrated and everyone knows about them, how has that changed and shaped society? If it hasn’t had some significant effect, then your world won’t seem very well thought out.<br />
<br />
<b>2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Skimping on the setting</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Just because you’re not making up the world doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give as much detail to the setting of your novel. Your job is still to root your reader in the story and maybe they haven’t been to the city where your book takes place. Make sure you still do your research and know what you’re talking about or the world will seem quite inauthentic.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>They Just Don’t Mesh</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Sometimes fantasy elements can seem downright random. I read a manuscript in which a fairytale like buddy comedy was mixed with a real life abusive relationship and it just did not pair at all. The fantastical elements felt so random and poorly integrated that sometimes I thought I was reading two different books. Make sure your fantastical and realistic aspects are all wholly necessary to the story you are trying to tell and take time to seamlessly fit them together.<br />
<br />
In some ways, I think contemporary fantasy is even harder than inventing a world from scratch, because you do have to play by certain rules. However, so long as you focus just as much on the world building, your manuscript is sure to draw in readers.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-77093442719736395762016-10-21T10:29:00.000-07:002016-10-21T10:29:48.228-07:00Lessons from Anime- Ensemble Casts in Angel Beats, Durarara and Assassination Classroom<div class="MsoNormal">
Welcome back to Lessons from Anime! This week, we’re looking
at another group of shows that all share one key element: ensemble casts.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There are lots of different ways to tell a story. For
instance, you can take the Harry Potter route and root the narrative firmly in
the perspective of one character. But, on another hand, you can write a story
that is about a group of people, like in Mistborn, or even hundreds of people,
like in Game of Thrones. When you have several main characters and just as many
stories, it can be a tremendous balancing act. If you’re not careful, the
scales will tip and you’ll give way too much focus to a few characters while
letting others become practically nonexistent and unnecessary. Today we’re going to look at three anime that sport ensemble
casts to varying degrees of success.</div>
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First off, there’s Angel Beats, a well-known tear jerker and
a show that sports quite the large cast in its group picture at the closing
song. This show relies on a wide range of characters. Even though it
has its main characters, it clearly wants you to focus on the group as a unit,
especially when the show takes its more feelsy turns later on. Does it succeed?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Not…really. Outside of a group of about five characters,
none of the other cast get any noticeable screen time. They are reduced to
typical anime caricatures, good for a laugh but not as their own people. They are
sometimes indistinguishable from each other. The show just didn’t have balance
in its writing and at only thirteen episodes, it really didn’t have time to
keep such a large cast afloat. If you’re going to have a lot of characters,
make sure they actually <i>need </i>to be
there for more than a one off joke.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Then there’s Durarara, which yeah, I know, this is the third
time in a row I’ve brought it up, but its relevant. Durarara also supports a
large cast with a few clear leads in the mix. However, each of its characters
are involved in different stories that collide at different points. The
characters aren’t a collective unit. They’re a series of moving pieces that
pass each other in the street. This is more the Game of Thrones approach of
having several different storylines that eventually converge.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But while Durarara does a decent job with its cast of
thousands, it still lets a few plots go by the wayside, including some twin
sisters that are good for a laugh but have absolutely <i>nothing </i>to do with any of the plot. There are plenty of one off
characters that felt like they needed more screen time. But, to be
honest, I’m surprised Durarara managed its juggling act as well as it did. It
goes to show that when you give yourself several plot threads, make sure
they’re well integrated and they all reach some sort of resolution. That way
they won’t fall off the map and leave your readers wondering why they were
there in the first place.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<img alt="Image result for assassination classroom gif" height="179" src="https://cdn2.scratch.mit.edu/get_image/gallery/2061716_200x130.png?v=1463447964.58" width="320" /></div>
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The last show I want to talk about is perhaps the most
effective of the bunch, called
Assassination Classroom. Like Angel Beats, this is about a group as a unit,
focusing on a classroom of twenty eight students and their teacher (a mutant
who is going to blow up the world in a year). It has a main character lending
his narration to the events, but the show is conserned with all of the
characters. And I mean all of them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Of the twenty eight students about half get a significant
part of an episode dedicated to them and every single one of them has a
starring moment. And none of the kids are anime caricatures. They’re real,
relatable kids. They’ve all been put in the dead end class for failures for
various reasons. Some of them are lazy geniuses, others struggle with
academics, some face pressures at home. But they all have their own interests
and passions that their teacher ultimately uses to their advantage. Many
characters don’t get much of a spotlight, but they work as they are supposed
to: as part of a unit. And by the end, they really do feel like a family.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<img alt="Image result for assassination classroom gif" height="179" src="https://66.media.tumblr.com/67630ce647bcbb3169776d30b55d2a70/tumblr_nhxx5cW89l1s4qvrdo1_500.gif" width="320" /></div>
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Assassination classroom has 48 episodes to work with of
course, plenty of time to give its characters their rightful places. But it
uses those 48 episodes exceedingly well, and I don’t remember the last time
I’ve seen anything handle such a large cast so expertly, especially when
they’re all in the same area for most of the show, following the same plot thread.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for assassination classroom gif" height="179" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/25/4f/61/254f619576abc280da22329f129e824d.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Its also hilarious</td></tr>
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As you can see, there are many ways to handle large casts,
with multiple plotlines or just one. Your mileage may vary, but make sure you
know your characters and just how much time they deserve in the spotlight.
Balance is the key and we want to love your characters as much as you do!<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-11795945932205169472016-10-19T07:20:00.001-07:002016-10-19T07:20:31.716-07:00Notes from New York: World building is Important<div class="MsoNormal">
Welcome back to Notes from New York! Let’s continue with
more tips for preparing your book for submission. This week: World building.</div>
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Obviously I’ve posted a lot on this beforehand, given that
it’s a pretty prominent part of my favorite genres. I even started a Vlog series on it that I hopefully get back to soon. I really enjoy talking about it and actually doing it. But world building is also an
exceedingly difficult thing. There are a lot of elements to take into account
to make your world a fully fleshed out reality.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And that’s the key here: fully fleshed out. It’s pretty easy
to spot a fantasy world as thin as parchment paper. While it theoretically
exists on the page, there’s clearly no foundation holding it up. It shows that
a writer wanted to tell their story in a fantasy world but thought way more
about the story than the world itself. Sometimes it seems like they’re making
up the world on the fly, and that always shows loud and clear.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In fantasy, the world is a character. You want to give it
the same development as your protagonist, maybe even more so. Worlds are, after
all, more complicated than people. And when querying you can’t get away with an
under developed world because a lot of awesome fantasy comes through the slush.
I read more than one MS that had me ridiculously excited because of its unique
world. A lackluster world pales in comparison to that. So before you query your
fantasy, here are a few tips:</div>
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<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;">1.</span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Consider all of the main aspects of your world
including: Geography, government, history, economy, religion, culture,
technology etc. You should understand these things even if they don’t play a
huge role in your story. Because if you don’t, the gaps will show</span></div>
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<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;">2.</span><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Don’t skimp on the setting. Setting gives us a
picture of your world and places us inside of it. So focus on your descriptions
in order to envelop the reader in your world</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">3. Don’t use stock fantasy worlds. The typical
medieval fantasy setting with few variants is played out. If you want to catch
someone’s interest, make sure the world has something new to it, be it a magic
element, a technology element, or a cultural element. If you’re going to stand
out in a sea of stock fantasy worlds, you need to add some new twist.</span></div>
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World building is obviously much more complicated than that,
but it’s important to know that agents can often tell even from the query and
first pages whether or not your world is well thought out. So develop that
setting and make your world shine! Your book will improve right along with it.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-80633695900123190822016-10-14T08:15:00.000-07:002016-10-14T08:15:58.326-07:00Lessons from Anime- Durarara and Rolling with the Punches<div class="MsoNormal">
And we’re back with more Lessons from Anime!</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I know I talked about Durarara last week, but honestly, I
really have to talk about it again because I love this show. It honestly
reshaped some of perspective on storytelling and showed me a different way to
handle serious dilemmas, philosophical discussions and fantastical elements.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The fantastical elements are the focus of this particular
lesson.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the pitfalls of any fantasy book, show or movie is
the dreaded info dump. Its very easy to fall into because, hey, world building
is hard and when you’re trying to bring the reader into a complex world, you
just want to spout all of the information from the beginning. Its dfficult sometimes to trust your reader to follow you, or to know how much to give them
at the front. I <i>always </i>struggle with
this in my fantasy because I have a tendency to give myself over complicated worlds to work
with. Thanks me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And then there’s Durarara. This show sports all sorts of
fantastical things. A headless Irish fairy that rides a shadowy bike instead of
a horse. </div>
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<img alt="Image result for Celty gif" height="183" src="https://67.media.tumblr.com/9b78be19ad8bf51fc6b109eb1471bb4a/tumblr_n6vf4hr8ey1ru8g8yo1_500.gif" width="320" /></div>
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A man who’s body has no physical limits, allowing him to pick up and
throw things like vending machines and light posts. </div>
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<img alt="Image result for shizuo gif" height="162" src="http://pa1.narvii.com/6007/3bbfc900f1af42ad699b94d36a074a2b88d14708_hq.gif" width="320" /></div>
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A sword that loves humans
and can control everything it cuts. </div>
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And that’s just the beginning of the
strange residence of the city of Ikebukoro. Most stories would try to
contextualize all of these strange beings and explain why they exist in this
story. And while the characters themselves are given a fair ammount of
backstory, the show never really tries to explain the fantastical elements.
They’re just there. Because it said so.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And you know what, there’s something kind of wonderful about
that sort of storytelling. While other books sit you down for a history lesson,
Durarara grabs you by the hand and asks you to roll with the punches. The
explanation doesn’t matter, it’s the story and how the characters bounce off
each other that the audience cares about. Don’t get caught up in the details.
Enjoy yourself and have fun!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for Celty gif" height="180" src="http://67.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_loqon6yiRN1qfir59o1_500.gif" width="320" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now I’m not saying that Durarara has no world building. It
explores all of its fantasy elements from a psychological perspective. And all
of its elements and characters, once introduced, remain consistent throughout
the run of the show. Once or twice it forgets to adequately explain something
or a strange character falls by the wayside, but for a sixty episodes show
sporting a cast of thousands, it does a good job with what it has.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
And I think we, as fantasy writers, can learn a lot from
Durarara. So next time you’re about to info dump, remember to trust your
audience to follow you. Be sparing with your information, grab them by the hand
and yank them right in. They’ll be able to keep up. They’re smart. And the
world ultimately isn’t the most important. It’s the story within it that
matters.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-90528440452707233012016-10-12T07:30:00.000-07:002016-10-12T07:30:04.441-07:00Notes from New York- Forced ConflictLast week we talked about spotlighting trivial conflicts over big, life changing dilemmas and how that can drag down. But today I want to talk about forced conflicts. These are plot threads that an author often adds just to spice up the tension but, ultimately, they just aren’t needed.<br />
<br />
I spoke last time of a manuscript that gave focused to a character conflict over far more pertinent financial struggles and natural disaster fall out. Well this same MS also had its fair share of forced conflict. The characters always seemed to be clashing for really unnecessary reasons. All of the dilemmas were easily solvable by communication but instead the author dragged them out for as long as possible. It made the reading experience frustrating rather than engaging, and that it is a fine line you really don’t want to cross.<br />
<br />
The Lord of the Rings movies, on a larger scale, also had some forced conflict that didn’t necessarily need to be there. There are enough stakes with the orcs and Mordor and a quickly developing, worldwide conflict. But changes like making Faramir an asshole honestly detracted from the movie rather than adding to it. Peter Jackson added this conflict because he didn’t want to lose the stakes but there were plenty of stakes to begin with. Also it didn't happen in the book.<br />
<br />
So, how do you tell if your side conflicts are forced? Well here are a few hints.<br />
<br />
<b>1)<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>They can be easily solved</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
If you have to use contrivances like misunderstanding and miscommunication to keep a conflict going, it’s going to feel forced. Misunderstanding can be an excellent story telling device in comedy but in dramas it is tiring, especially when the misunderstanding continues on for several pages without resolution.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for Frustration gif" height="224" src="http://i.amz.mshcdn.com/aC_TIAInaReUlCKsPZ5jJj8wy78=/fit-in/1200x9600/http%3A%2F%2Fmashable.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F06%2FBrave1.gif" width="320" /></div>
<br />
<b>2)<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>They are contrived</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Good conflicts are built up over time. Bad conflicts are caused by contrivances like a character walking into the room at just the wrong time to hear just the wrong words, often out of context. Stuff like Shrek walking up to the house in time to hear Fiona’s words out of context and making him think she’s calling him an ugly ogre. It’s the kind of stuff that makes you want to mutter ‘are you kidding me’. Your third act tension should be caused by something legitimate, not just some easily avoided misunderstanding<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for Frustration gif" height="200" src="http://i.imgur.com/yXYfECF.gif" width="179" /></div>
<br />
<b>3)<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>They are predictable</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
A long time ago I did a post on the ‘liar revealed’ trope, especially focusing on A Bug's Life. This plot usually begins with the telling of the lie and in your heart, the entire time, you know the lie must be discovered and then forgiven. Any tension created off of this plot is so predictable because we know the reveal will come and we know that ultimately the hero will be forgiven and it won’t matter in the end. So dragging out the lowest point as a ‘will they be forgiven’ plot point is so boring because we can see the resolution coming a mile away. I loved the most recent Star Wars movie because when Fin reveals he lied about being part of the resistance, Rey barely cares. There are more important things to worry about. It was beautiful.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for star wars rey come with me gif" height="133" src="http://imagesmtv-a.akamaihd.net/uri/mgid:file:http:shared:mtv.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/tumblr_nmwyrtckFG1rvwsfxo2_500-1429215207.gif?quality=.8&height=209&width=500" width="320" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b>4)<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>They are unnecessary</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Sometimes, your book has plenty of tension. Really. If the world is ending or the town is flooding or someone is dying that is plenty of tension. Sometimes a forced conflict is just an unneeded crutch that holds the actually interesting plot back. And as we discussed last week, you want to focus on the right things. It’s not that you don’t need small conflicts and arguments along the way, but they shouldn’t outstay their welcome.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for Frustration gif" height="176" src="http://reactiongif.org/wp-content/uploads/GIF/2014/08/GIF-bored-bothered-Emma-Stont-frustrated-pthth-GIF.gif" width="320" /></div>
<br />
Sometimes, small conflicts happen, in fiction and real life. And subplots, of course, are the spice of a novel. But if you find a side conflict dragging on too long, relying on contrivances or taking the focus from more important conflicts, it may be time to tone it down a bit. Your readers will thank you for it.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-66590452803205169882016-10-07T07:34:00.000-07:002016-10-07T07:34:26.383-07:00Lessons from Anime: Why so Serious? (Baccano and Durarara)<div class="MsoNormal">
Alright, we’re back with a new stretch of Lessons from
Anime. I know some of you (many of you) aren’t anime watchers. I understand.
Jumping into anime is as vague as jumping into movies. Because Anime is only a
medium of Japanese animation and can cover every genre under the sun. Also, it
has a tendency to explore some weird stuff. I usually don’t recommend people
jumping into Anime without a world weary guide of sorts to give them
recommendations.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, once you’re into the anime craze, it’s hard to
stop, and I’ve found that my writing has always been influenced by anime over
everything else. Many of my favorite stories from any medium come from anime.
So as we pick up this series again, we’ll be looking at why exactly I take so
many different writing lessons from these shows and how you can too, even without watching them (Though I highly recommend many of the shows discussed on this series). With that said:
Let’s jump in.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ever heard the phrase ‘why so serious’? Of course you have.
It’s hard to escape the Dark Knight or the legions of joker cosplayers that
smear makeup on their face and call it a day. I love the Dark Knight, of
course. Its one of the only Christopher Nolan films I remotely enjoy. That’s
because Christopher Nolan films take themselves extraordinarily seriously to
the point of being boring and melodramatic. The joker, the chaotic evil villain of the
evening, is the only one to lend even a hint of humor, however dark. He brings
up a good point in ‘why so serious’. Namely, why is it that violent, action
movies have to take themselves so gosh darn seriously?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for Baccano gif" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/7a1866b739747f8a9c880d7015ab90ed/tumblr_ml3jx11nq61qg9ojro1_500.gif" height="180" width="320" /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for Durarara gif" height="179" src="http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lm6ooauseX1qbq4v6o1_500.gif" width="320" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Baccano and its spiritual successor, Durarara, are two shows
filled with dark concepts on paper. Baccano has mobster shootouts, torture,
sadists and a whole lot of defingerings. Durarara has gangs, headless
riders, suicidal thoughts and serial killers. It would be easy to make either
series into a super serious battle to death sort of story.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for Baccano gif" height="179" src="https://66.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbq8cuUYKV1rz96zeo1_500.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't worry, he'll be fine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But that wouldn’t be in keeping with the ‘why so serious’
spirit, would it?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Both Baccano and Durarara are just so much <i>fun</i>. And not even in a dark sense of
humor sort of way. Baccano has such an entertaining, light hearted tone that it would
almost fit in with the other Saturday Morning Cartoons. You know, if not for the blood.
Yeah, it could take itself more seriously, but when half of your characters are
immortal and the other half are kind of nuts, why worry about stakes? Its about
how these people bounce off each other. Thieves like Issac and Miria steal by
their own strange moral code and spread happiness to everyone around them.
Jacuzzi Splot cries, but then goes in and kicks ass with his pyromaniac
girlfriend. Ladd Russo kills a lot of people but he’s just so filled with puppy
like excitement, it’s hard not to love him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for Baccano gif" height="179" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/44/a8/92/44a89292487409299fa10308730a4469.gif" width="320" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This show isn’t about the black and whites of morals but
rather all of those little greys in between. None of the characters fall on the
lawful good section of the alignment spectrum--or the lawful spectrum at
all--but that all makes them so much more fun.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for Baccano gif" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/b7/ee/36/b7ee36a55730390cc678be6d6b97b190.jpg" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Durarara has more of a point than Baccano (which exists for
the purpose of being shallow fun), and has its share of serious topics. It
explores the desire for power, the effect of social media on the modern world,
and of course, suicidal thoughts. But it all operates under a more optimistic view of ‘life
happens and you get through it’. The world isn't really so awful as it seems.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEg1TpS88BGpiuS26dUq9uDuP-5-34dJkguYulefasGEROhd3ys9kfDlGcn-bRgUyZis7Kv4Pb2Xis7SRJH3OAkkbOB7xA-MMRyIE2GG6Vzc19mHY7Mn9xCFNlwbHq6wS9YqqzxR76D6zBEh4ceuKkEFh01lSahx1PWwtnEoMKkKQQESRWvBR0QNvC1xQOQTSyeh734zT2GtwTncLlAx4w=" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for Durarara gif" border="0" src="http://38.media.tumblr.com/75f3c1cea0cd8ff12f8e4339c5e46a6a/tumblr_n3f5jyBVvv1rbrys3o1_500.gif" height="178" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for Durarara gif" height="179" src="https://67.media.tumblr.com/a98aab9c4115a3d3a96594c20e46e98b/tumblr_nj1xhn6Fr61s307p6o1_r1_500.gif" width="320" /></div>
<br /></div>
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Characters you would think are irredeemable
love and live and laugh. They all have comedic moments. They have dramatic
moments too. But in your heart, you know that the show is going to take an
optimistic spin. It’s not the sort of show to kill off its cast of thousands. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<img alt="Image result for Durarara gif" height="183" src="http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/31500000/Durarara-Gifs-durarara-31579678-500-287.gif" width="320" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And on top of that it has some of the most ridiculous stuff.
Durarara is not bound by the mechanics of reality and watching a man throw a
fridge at another man has never been so funny. It has twisted love stories,
many of which will even have you asking ‘why’? But you get the feeling Durarara
is never making any moral judgments. It’s just showing a bunch of screwed up
people living their lives.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for Durarara gif" height="179" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/14jigRRwHoGSo8/giphy.gif" width="320" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But why does it matter? Why are shows like these ultimately
more effective than the ‘everything is dark’ Christopher Nolan approach?
Because humor, however dark or ridiculous, is often the real coping mechanism
we need. And optimism, honestly, is so much more valuable than cynicism.
Baccano asks ‘why so serious’ and Durarara insists ‘the world isn’t as bad as
you think’ and honestly, I get so much more hope and enjoyment from both of
them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrRgpZ9V8IuO1Xax9r2xAKvb6ETeVn2rKDVVnBVSpQoCkjYqsZNTspjih6BkpbBl7TVWuGc5M4OhSgGhp6PjENlmOqDspXIvjYt8VUCJpXw8v1WNBYJhZXgCce5fTpYzb_I-fsD2ZWkI4/s1600/Izaya+gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrRgpZ9V8IuO1Xax9r2xAKvb6ETeVn2rKDVVnBVSpQoCkjYqsZNTspjih6BkpbBl7TVWuGc5M4OhSgGhp6PjENlmOqDspXIvjYt8VUCJpXw8v1WNBYJhZXgCce5fTpYzb_I-fsD2ZWkI4/s1600/Izaya+gif.gif" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Never take your stories or characters too seriously. Give
them room to enjoy themselves and breathe. Sometimes issues are best explored
through a little humor. Sometimes a good laugh over the craziness of life is
worth more than tears.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F38.media.tumblr.com%2F75f3c1cea0cd8ff12f8e4339c5e46a6a%2Ftumblr_n3f5jyBVvv1rbrys3o1_500.gif&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEg1TpS88BGpiuS26dUq9uDuP-5-34dJkguYulefasGEROhd3ys9kfDlGcn-bRgUyZis7Kv4Pb2Xis7SRJH3OAkkbOB7xA-MMRyIE2GG6Vzc19mHY7Mn9xCFNlwbHq6wS9YqqzxR76D6zBEh4ceuKkEFh01lSahx1PWwtnEoMKkKQQESRWvBR0QNvC1xQOQTSyeh734zT2GtwTncLlAx4w=" -->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-18601360761205677942016-10-05T07:32:00.002-07:002016-10-05T07:32:49.880-07:00Focusing your Conflict<div class="MsoNormal">
Welcome back to Notes from New York. Today, we’re talking
about focus. When you write a novel, some elements take the spotlight over
others. This is necessary. You can’t give equal attention to every element of
your novel. Some things are meant to take center stage while others skirt
around in the background.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the biggest mistakes you can make in your story is
focusing too much on the wrong thing. Every story as multiple conflicts and
sometimes, the story devotes far too much attention to the wrong conflict. For
instance, perhaps there is a post-apocalyptic event or war. Because of the
magnitude of this crisis, one would expect it to take the spotlight. But
sometimes, funny enough, a book pours its focus into a comparatively smaller
plot, like a romance. I mean sure, I get it, romance is important to a lot of
novels but if you’re focusing on conflict between your main couple while bombs
are going off in the background...there might be a problem.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for internal screaming gif" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlHLkEY5O7kTx4x21uEDNm1NfWnAY2BWKmAxZ2rBw7jDonPMialgUti-6BOZgXO7jofKs3j84zwFYjCNv0d4eeDG3foL5nMFUv3UY0sh23oY_yODcyotlwL2HnZAT0LDFSkDPRrmezsvI/s1600/internally-screaming.gif" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hunger Games played off this trope by emphasizing the irony
in constructing a romance angle in a fight to the death. Other novels, like
Harry Potter, Mistborn etc. keep the romance as a subplot, giving the focus to
the more interesting things. You know: dark wizards and saving the world.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XMPQ8pFfRdvpOw1MazewbSWx0GJmXLY_q7ops0fZlYK1i8wJAzsl8Am-S39A3VSIAgOdhR2PdbgY5hsAathPdT_93UJBSwVXDUrl7yMuZjBqLeM2UWwEdQJ-402H2FixM_9xuoSRFQ8/s1600/Voldemort+gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XMPQ8pFfRdvpOw1MazewbSWx0GJmXLY_q7ops0fZlYK1i8wJAzsl8Am-S39A3VSIAgOdhR2PdbgY5hsAathPdT_93UJBSwVXDUrl7yMuZjBqLeM2UWwEdQJ-402H2FixM_9xuoSRFQ8/s320/Voldemort+gif.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now obviously, I’m giving a drastic example, but this can
happen in contemporary fiction as well. I read a manuscript once where an
arbitrary conflict between characters took a lot more focus from far more
severe financial struggles and a natural disaster. Reading the MS had me
wondering aloud ‘does this really matter right now?’ You don’t want your reader
doing that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So when you’re looking at your conflicts in your book, think
to yourself: What are my conflicts? Make a list of all of them, from the bigger
plot stuff to the character level dilemmas. Then reorganize that list, putting
the biggest conflict at the top and the smaller at the bottom. This should help
to illustrate which plot threads should be getting the majority of your focus.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Never give your reader the chance to wonder ‘why does this
matter’? Focus on the right conflicts and your MS will thank you for it.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-74241834538715507892016-09-30T07:22:00.000-07:002016-09-30T07:23:58.542-07:00Queries, Rejections and the Overflowing Inbox<div class="MsoNormal">
Back with a new episode! Okay, USUALLY, this series will only update every Wedensday as I plan to start up Lessons from Anime again. However, this time, since I only gave you an intro on Wedensday, I'mma give you actual content. Away we go!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Okay so…agents get a lot of queries every day. A lot. And if
you consider the fact that reading queries is basically something they do in
their free time, they don’t have a lot of time to comb through the slush every
day. In the case of one of my internships, it was my job as the intern to comb
through the slush and look for queries that fit the agents taste.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I came to the office there were about six hundred
queries in the inbox with more coming in every day. That's A LOT.<br />
<br />
You just don’t have time to
carefully read all of those queries so you have to find ways to get through
them quickly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Its easy to throw away stuff that doesn’t follow the query
guidelines, but here are some other reasons that I tossed a query into the no
folder soon after I started reading.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Lots of errors<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Really, if you want your work to look good, edit it ten or
twenty times before pressing the send button. A lot of errors quickly tells an
agent that you have some basic developing to do and that you’re not great at
self-editing. Put your best foot forward.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Cliché premise<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some stories, we’ve heard before, and there are plenty of
queries that sound as dull as they come. Nothing original sticks out about. It
sounds like a conglomeration of other plot lines that have been done before.
Now, of course there aren’t many original ideas out there, but most works do
have a stand out element. Find what stands out about your work and feature that
in your query<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Played out genre<o:p></o:p></div>
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The agent basically told me to put anything dystopian and
paranormal romance in the ‘no’ folder unless it was REALLY good. When you’re
writing in a genre that’s been played out, it has to be something truly
special, so sometimes you’re fighting an uphill battle. That’s not to say that
some agents won’t still be on the lookout for your genre, but if an agent says
that they’re tired of something…they probably aren’t the right one for you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Similar to something already on their list<o:p></o:p></div>
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A lot of times it’s good to submit to an agent who reps
titles comparable to your work. But if they’re <i>too </i>comparable, then the agent isn’t going to take it on. Simply
put, they’re already working on something similar so unless yours blows their
socks off, they’ll let it go<o:p></o:p></div>
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</span><!--[endif]-->Just not right<o:p></o:p></div>
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More than once, I forwarded a submission that I thought was
original and really knocked my socks off. But sometimes that would still get
rejected because it wasn’t right. A picture book that was a little too long for
instance, or just something that didn’t peak the agents interest. It happens,
to be sure. And you want someone who is fully passionate about your book, so its for the best.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</span><!--[endif]-->No Voice<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sometimes a book lacks a certain feel. A certain life. This
life is usually imbued by voice and there are plenty of submissions that don’t
have that. Often they come from more inexperienced writers who haven’t found
their voice yet. Its one of those things that come with practice.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->7.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Just…average<o:p></o:p></div>
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I read plenty of submissions that were well written with
nothing technically wrong with them but none of them grabbed me. An agent wants
to be pulled off of their chair (figuratively. I don't recommend actually pulling an agent off their chair) and into the story. When
something is just ‘good’ then it goes in the no folder.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</span><!--[endif]-->I’ve seen something similar that day that was
better<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sometimes a submission raises my standards for the day. Then
I might stumble across a similar submission that isn’t as good. Because of the
first, brilliant submission, the other submission might pale in comparison.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As you can see, a lot of this stuff is situational. It
depends on the day and the other things the agent sees. Agents are biased
people. They have good and bad days. Their tastes and interests shift. That’s
what makes the trenches a difficult place to navigate.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The point is: sometimes rejection isn’t your fault. Don’t go
running off to change your query after a few rejections. But several rejections
may tell you that your query isn’t standing out.<o:p></o:p></div>
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No matter what, put your best foot forward and do whatever
you can to help your novel stand out. But always follow the query guidelines ;) <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2929947118801228438.post-46256618602378861482016-09-28T07:22:00.000-07:002016-09-28T07:22:25.739-07:00Notes from New York: Introduction<div class="MsoNormal">
Hello friends! The Heroes and Heroism series is over, but now we have a whole new series to look at, this one more editing focused!</div>
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I meant to start this series earlier because, you know, it
would be fresher on the mind. But, while I had a very productive writing life
over the Summer…not so much with the blogging. Kind of fell off the wagon with
that one. But let’s jump back in shall we?<o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the reasons I fell off the wagon with blogging in the
first place was because during the spring semester of last year I was in New
York City! The Big Apple, City that Never Sleeps, etc. The program, through my
school, focused on viewing art, music, theater, dance and film all throughout
the city, as well as completing twenty hours of internships a week in order to
gain work experience in our chosen fields.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<img alt="Image result for New York city gif" height="180" src="http://www.nycgo.com/images/460x285/MidtownSunset_460.gif" width="320" /></div>
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So, of course, I decided to pick up two internships at
Literary Agencies: Defiore and Co, and McIntosh and Otis. As a writer, the
publishing process is often an ‘other side’ that we never entirely understand.
That’s why we have our lovely agents to guide us along and help us through the
trickier parts. It was bizarre to <i>really </i>be
on the other side of the trenches where I queried for so long, and it definitely
gave me some insight into the process.<o:p></o:p></div>
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While I interned at these two places I:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Read the slush pile<o:p></o:p></div>
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Read partial and full requests and wrote readers reports<o:p></o:p></div>
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Also read client manuscripts and offered feedback<o:p></o:p></div>
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Compared contracts<o:p></o:p></div>
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And did some fun office work like mailing, copying and
filing (fortunately that was a small part of my internships)<o:p></o:p></div>
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I also got to observe real literary agents as well as their
assistance in their natural habitat, which involves a lot of emails and editing
and calls and over all hard work.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And I think that’s the most important thing: Literary Agents
work really hard. They are constantly juggling projects and clients in addition
to reading the slushpile. But there are only so many hours in the day, so they
only have the time for stuff that wows them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So how do you wow them? How do you <i>really </i>stick out in that slushpile. And what kind of pitfalls
should you avoid. I hope that I’ve gained a little insight into that and in
this series, I hope to cover some editing tips for you as you’re fighting
through the trenches.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Until next time, happy writing!<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13568181314958373541noreply@blogger.com2