And then, about 17 waking hours into my day, I realized I had not blogged. I didn’t know how much I could offer in the present mental state, but I knew I had to try. So, I decided the best talk would be to talk about what I know: Character and Trope.
I started thinking about the idea more substantially as I began to plan the last (and latest) member of the reformed group of characters for a story I expect to write. This last character was going to be a little about word play and a clear nod to the tropes that exist about women in sci fi and in fantasy. She was being built as a character first, but every time I saw a trope I expected to dive out of it’s way, thus taking a path with this character that was totally unexpected. I find this to be great advice for everyone–and easily forgotten. Even the so-called greats forget. For example, the reason one of the Ready, Player One characters lives in the Oasis is because he’s overweight and shy. Another has a skin disorder. Both of these physical markers are removed for the purpose of the film. That is a directorial choice meant to streamline the story themes. The streamlining makes it easier for the viewers to identify the tropes, using them as a sort of shorthand for understanding. It is these styles of shortcuts that make it easier and faster for a filmmaker to get to the meat of the argument they are trying to make.
Some Thoughts:
- That felt like a bit of a mess. Writing while rambling can be bad… this turned out… Okay?