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In my writing text book there's a chapter on how the 'show don't tell' rule has been overused and overapplied, and in fact it's very useful in some instances to just straight up tell the reader what is going on.
chekhov did this a lot, just starting off a story with "he was a drunk and a miser"
or one story that simply started something like "It was cold and miserable in the city, but he had not started drinking, and that was a small victory in of itself"
You certainly don't have to tangentially relate everything to the reader, but things like emotions and certain minor details that flesh out a setting should generally be inferred rather than directly communicated, if not purely because you can save space that way.
I think it's okay to tell the reader if it's succinct like your examples, Eddy.
Fuzzy Cumulonimbus Cloud on
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JacobkoshGamble a stamp.I can show you how to be a real man!Moderatormod
I also feel like it's destroyed some of my more weeaboo friends' ability to enjoy real, deep narrative. None of my friends can watch a movie like, say, Lost in Translation, Babel, or No Country without bitching, "What's the point?" It drives me up the fucking wall when somebody says that because it's such a meaningless god damned criticism of art.
This, to me, is the real crime. This weeaboo goth chick I hung out with this summer was completely incapable of processing any narrative that didn't announce itself with giant neon signs. It's really fucking sad.
Jacobkosh on
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SarksusATTACK AND DETHRONE GODRegistered Userregular
edited December 2008
My post got bottomfed and nobody is quoting it so either they hate it or they didn't see it.
Stop hating me!
I have to go!
Sarksus on
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DynagripBreak me a million heartsHoustonRegistered User, ClubPAregular
I also feel like it's destroyed some of my more weeaboo friends' ability to enjoy real, deep narrative. None of my friends can watch a movie like, say, Lost in Translation, Babel, or No Country without bitching, "What's the point?" It drives me up the fucking wall when somebody says that because it's such a meaningless god damned criticism of art.
This, to me, is the real crime. This weeaboo goth chick I hung out with this summer was completely incapable of processing any narrative that didn't announce itself with giant neon signs. It's really fucking sad.
That girl I dated at the beginning of the year only watched weeaboo stuff. I should have heeded the signs.
Dynagrip on
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SarksusATTACK AND DETHRONE GODRegistered Userregular
edited December 2008
If a half-naked cat girl isn't serving the plot to me inside of a giant robot then what's the point?
Sarksus on
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AegisFear My DanceOvershot Toronto, Landed in OttawaRegistered Userregular
I also feel like it's destroyed some of my more weeaboo friends' ability to enjoy real, deep narrative. None of my friends can watch a movie like, say, Lost in Translation, Babel, or No Country without bitching, "What's the point?" It drives me up the fucking wall when somebody says that because it's such a meaningless god damned criticism of art.
This, to me, is the real crime. This weeaboo goth chick I hung out with this summer was completely incapable of processing any narrative that didn't announce itself with giant neon signs. It's really fucking sad.
Maybe some people just don't like the way the narratives are portrayed in some films?
In my writing text book there's a chapter on how the 'show don't tell' rule has been overused and overapplied, and in fact it's very useful in some instances to just straight up tell the reader what is going on.
chekhov did this a lot, just starting off a story with "he was a drunk and a miser"
or one story that simply started something like "It was cold and miserable in the city, but he had not started drinking, and that was a small victory in of itself"
You certainly don't have to tangentially relate everything to the reader, but things like emotions and certain minor details that flesh out a setting should generally be inferred rather than directly communicated, if not purely because you can save space that way.
I think it's okay to tell the reader if it's succinct like your examples, Eddy.
Yup, and doing so is often pointed on its own. "Show don't tell" can allow a reader to as directly experience a setting as possible, but especially starting off with something that direct and matter-of-fact sets a strong tone.
Yup, and doing so is often pointed on its own. "Show don't tell" can allow a reader to as directly experience a setting as possible, but especially starting off with something that direct and matter-of-fact sets a strong tone.
If I'm not intrigued by the first chapter or two, I won't be intrigued enough to finish the book unless it's an assignment or something.
I was getting ready for some real retardation in the "vbulletin can suck it" thread, as I saw it was already locked.
I was surprised to find that, while he kind of had the wrong forum, he was actually not too bad. Even a little funny.
Pleasant surprises!
JamesKeenan on
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LudiousI just wanted a sandwich A temporally dislocated QuiznosRegistered Userregular
edited December 2008
I think one day people are going to wake up and go, "Why did we let Neil Patrick Harris get popular again?"
I think people are blinded by some sort of dark fairie glamour right now and can't see him as the one note he really is. He really isn't nearly as talented as some of his peers who are sort of in the same personality category as him.
For example, as horrible as Spiderman 3 was, lets ignore that. But Topher Grace is so much better at being "that kind of guy" than NPH is.
I guess what I'm saying is that I don't really get the Doogie Howser revival. As awesome as Dr. Horrible was, I can't help but think that (again, for example) Topher Grace could have done the same thing..better.
I also feel like it's destroyed some of my more weeaboo friends' ability to enjoy real, deep narrative. None of my friends can watch a movie like, say, Lost in Translation, Babel, or No Country without bitching, "What's the point?" It drives me up the fucking wall when somebody says that because it's such a meaningless god damned criticism of art.
This, to me, is the real crime. This weeaboo goth chick I hung out with this summer was completely incapable of processing any narrative that didn't announce itself with giant neon signs. It's really fucking sad.
Maybe some people just don't like the way the narratives are portrayed in some films?
See, when you say it like that, it comes across to me like saying that, for instance, a math major wouldn't want to take an advanced math class because it's too hard. We all major in perceptive inference and interpersonal communication, and my accusation is that the anime narrative method makes people aggressively lazy about it.
Yup, and doing so is often pointed on its own. "Show don't tell" can allow a reader to as directly experience a setting as possible, but especially starting off with something that direct and matter-of-fact sets a strong tone.
If I'm not intrigued by the first chapter or two, I won't be intrigued enough to finish the book unless it's an assignment or something.
A strong opening is always important in a story, that combined with an interesting title gets the book off the shelf and into the readers shopping bag in the first place.
Preacher on
I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.
I also feel like it's destroyed some of my more weeaboo friends' ability to enjoy real, deep narrative. None of my friends can watch a movie like, say, Lost in Translation, Babel, or No Country without bitching, "What's the point?" It drives me up the fucking wall when somebody says that because it's such a meaningless god damned criticism of art.
This, to me, is the real crime. This weeaboo goth chick I hung out with this summer was completely incapable of processing any narrative that didn't announce itself with giant neon signs. It's really fucking sad.
That girl I dated at the beginning of the year only watched weeaboo stuff. I should have heeded the signs.
I can tolerate a certain degree of weeabooism in someone I'm dating, but I get really creeped out by how many of them become actively hostile to anything "Western", and start parroting hilarious cliches about Japanese superiority in all things.
I gotta be with somebody who can tolerate my horrible D&D habit on the one hand and my sickeningly large hoard of Criterion DVDs on the other
That's an honest question. Because his roles in the Harold and Kumar movies were good and funny, but not exactly... challenging, I suppose.
And Dr. Horrible was awesome, he played that fantastically. Small things like throwing his leg up when he fired the laser. These things made it great.
I don't know much more about him though to say that he's actually bad, really.
JamesKeenan on
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TavIrish Minister for DefenceRegistered Userregular
edited December 2008
I haven't read a book in over a year. I started reading Brave New World tonight since I got it for my birthday and it is incredible. I mean like, holy shit this is awesome and genuinely scary at the same time.
I also feel like it's destroyed some of my more weeaboo friends' ability to enjoy real, deep narrative. None of my friends can watch a movie like, say, Lost in Translation, Babel, or No Country without bitching, "What's the point?" It drives me up the fucking wall when somebody says that because it's such a meaningless god damned criticism of art.
This, to me, is the real crime. This weeaboo goth chick I hung out with this summer was completely incapable of processing any narrative that didn't announce itself with giant neon signs. It's really fucking sad.
Maybe some people just don't like the way the narratives are portrayed in some films?
cuz they're 'tards?
nexuscrawler on
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TavIrish Minister for DefenceRegistered Userregular
I think one day people are going to wake up and go, "Why did we let Neil Patrick Harris get popular again?"
I think people are blinded by some sort of dark fairie glamour right now and can't see him as the one note he really is. He really isn't nearly as talented as some of his peers who are sort of in the same personality category as him.
For example, as horrible as Spiderman 3 was, lets ignore that. But Topher Grace is so much better at being "that kind of guy" than NPH is.
I guess what I'm saying is that I don't really get the Doogie Howser revival. As awesome as Dr. Horrible was, I can't help but think that (again, for example) Topher Grace could have done the same thing..better.
/flame on
GET OUT. RAAAR. He is my favorite gay and you will speak no ill of him.
Fuzzy Cumulonimbus Cloud on
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LudiousI just wanted a sandwich A temporally dislocated QuiznosRegistered Userregular
That's an honest question. Because his roles in the Harold and Kumar movies were good and funny, but not exactly... challenging, I suppose.
And Dr. Horrible was awesome, he played that fantastically. Small things like throwing his leg up when he fired the laser. These things made it great.
I don't know much more about him though to say that he's actually bad, really.
Nothing wrong with him, but it's just that he fits into this certain mold..this certain schtick I guess? I and I suppose it's a schtick that I think Topher Grace does better, and it befuddles me that NPH has sort of risen from the dead.
I think one day people are going to wake up and go, "Why did we let Neil Patrick Harris get popular again?"
I think people are blinded by some sort of dark fairie glamour right now and can't see him as the one note he really is. He really isn't nearly as talented as some of his peers who are sort of in the same personality category as him.
For example, as horrible as Spiderman 3 was, lets ignore that. But Topher Grace is so much better at being "that kind of guy" than NPH is.
I guess what I'm saying is that I don't really get the Doogie Howser revival. As awesome as Dr. Horrible was, I can't help but think that (again, for example) Topher Grace could have done the same thing..better.
/flame on
GET OUT. RAAAR. He is my favorite gay and you will speak no ill of him.
Oh I knew someone was going to play THAT card. His sexual preference has no bearing on my opinion.
That's an honest question. Because his roles in the Harold and Kumar movies were good and funny, but not exactly... challenging, I suppose.
And Dr. Horrible was awesome, he played that fantastically. Small things like throwing his leg up when he fired the laser. These things made it great.
I don't know much more about him though to say that he's actually bad, really.
Nothing wrong with him, but it's just that he fits into this certain mold..this certain schtick I guess? I and I suppose it's a schtick that I think Topher Grace does better, and it befuddles me that NPH has sort of risen from the dead.
Why the love for Topher Grace? He's not a really good actor.
Preacher on
I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.
The entire Marvel/EA thing seems sort of vile and incestuous and nonsensical. I guess I don't really think of EA as some kind of Big Ideas company, the ones I would shuffle up to for concepts that would resonate like Marvel's own icons. That might be unfair, but I'm basing the assertion on their library itself. It's not to say that they don't publish some good games, everybody owns a game from EA. They did acquire Big Ideas companies like Westwood, Origin, and Maxis, though they did eventually lobotomize the first two. But they didn't invent football, snowboarding, or modern war because they manifested those concepts in compelling ways. They didn't write the Lord of the Rings, for example, but their game metaphor of the events was almost completely inoffensive.
Feel free to check the Reuters article on it if you want, but I don't feel as though we've mischaracterized the goings-on. I think that a company which doesn't really make fighting games and whose every memorable character is something they licensed from some other talented party just inked a deal to make fighting games and create new characters. Am I right? What was the trouble - was the Marvel/Capcom collaboration just too awesome? I always assumed that those golden days ended because Activision snared the license, but clearly the license for fighting games is a separate entity. Now, there's really no excuse.
I've spoken with such reverence about the RTS/Space sim hybrid Allegiance that I probably needn't reiterate the ways it has bettered humanity. Did you hear that Microsoft just dished up the Allegiance source to the community? Not that the players sat still in the interim period, they've toiled for years even in the absence of source - I can't wait to see what comes of it once they've had time to lavish affection on the code itself. If that software were to pique the interest of a mod group or two, it would be like Christmas in my heart. A serious enough group could produce an utterly reborn Allegiance, which is (to my mind) desperately needed and probably better than we deserve.
I'll be back in a little while to talk about Star Chamber.
Posts
This, to me, is the real crime. This weeaboo goth chick I hung out with this summer was completely incapable of processing any narrative that didn't announce itself with giant neon signs. It's really fucking sad.
Stop hating me!
I have to go!
That girl I dated at the beginning of the year only watched weeaboo stuff. I should have heeded the signs.
Maybe some people just don't like the way the narratives are portrayed in some films?
Currently DMing: None
Characters
[5e] Dural Melairkyn - AC 18 | HP 40 | Melee +5/1d8+3 | Spell +4/DC 12
Yup, and doing so is often pointed on its own. "Show don't tell" can allow a reader to as directly experience a setting as possible, but especially starting off with something that direct and matter-of-fact sets a strong tone.
I was surprised to find that, while he kind of had the wrong forum, he was actually not too bad. Even a little funny.
Pleasant surprises!
I think people are blinded by some sort of dark fairie glamour right now and can't see him as the one note he really is. He really isn't nearly as talented as some of his peers who are sort of in the same personality category as him.
For example, as horrible as Spiderman 3 was, lets ignore that. But Topher Grace is so much better at being "that kind of guy" than NPH is.
I guess what I'm saying is that I don't really get the Doogie Howser revival. As awesome as Dr. Horrible was, I can't help but think that (again, for example) Topher Grace could have done the same thing..better.
/flame on
So that's what you kids are calling it these days :winky:
See, when you say it like that, it comes across to me like saying that, for instance, a math major wouldn't want to take an advanced math class because it's too hard. We all major in perceptive inference and interpersonal communication, and my accusation is that the anime narrative method makes people aggressively lazy about it.
A strong opening is always important in a story, that combined with an interesting title gets the book off the shelf and into the readers shopping bag in the first place.
pleasepaypreacher.net
I can tolerate a certain degree of weeabooism in someone I'm dating, but I get really creeped out by how many of them become actively hostile to anything "Western", and start parroting hilarious cliches about Japanese superiority in all things.
I gotta be with somebody who can tolerate my horrible D&D habit on the one hand and my sickeningly large hoard of Criterion DVDs on the other
That's an honest question. Because his roles in the Harold and Kumar movies were good and funny, but not exactly... challenging, I suppose.
And Dr. Horrible was awesome, he played that fantastically. Small things like throwing his leg up when he fired the laser. These things made it great.
I don't know much more about him though to say that he's actually bad, really.
cuz they're 'tards?
GET OUT. RAAAR. He is my favorite gay and you will speak no ill of him.
Nothing wrong with him, but it's just that he fits into this certain mold..this certain schtick I guess? I and I suppose it's a schtick that I think Topher Grace does better, and it befuddles me that NPH has sort of risen from the dead.
pleasepaypreacher.net
Oh I knew someone was going to play THAT card. His sexual preference has no bearing on my opinion.
Why the love for Topher Grace? He's not a really good actor.
pleasepaypreacher.net