Max: Brain Dump 1110
No fiction and probably no coherence today. I came up with several interesting premises, but I couldn't figure out where to go with them. I want to write something with characters who develop and change. I am proud of yesterday's brain dump, but we really didn't get to know the narrator. He was a one dimensional character who, with one exception, only reported on the action. I need to write more about characters who are active participants in the story, not merely reporters reacting to what others are doing.
I failed to do that in each and every idea I started today. Each main character was being pushed along by circumstance, but not really changed by it. They were frustrated or angry or confused, but nothing came of it. I am keeping notes on these ideas so I can revisit them when I find a more interesting character to torture.
And torture him I must. "Kill your pretties," sayeth Stephen King. "Farce is your worst day," sayeth John Cleese. There is nothing interesting about a character who has a happy family life, a job where he is respected and valued and is a decent person who is okay with with his place in the universe. What's interesting is ripping that character open, revealing his flaws and then fucking with him. One needs a healthy sadomasochistic streak to be a decent fiction writer.
I did torture my pretty yesterday. But what did that show us about him? We know he went from being an outcast to a member of a clique to a necessary evil in the corporate machine. But how did that affect him as person? We know he envied those who got powers when he didn't. But was that what led him to the delusion that putting together a utility belt made him Batman? We saw as he was quickly robbed of that delusion, but did I show you just how that destroyed him spiritually? Did I show you that he was so devastated by Devastator that the collapse of civilization was a mild insult added to a spiritually fatal injury? No. Had I done so the story would have been a lot more interesting. Instead it was just a snapshot of what I think would happen to the world if we actually had superheros and supervillains throwing buildings at each other. That is something I need to work on. It is yet another intriguing challenge along the path to becoming a decent writer.
It would seem that Jer has given up on our pissing contest. That's a shame. I was hoping that writing every day would make him feel like it makes me feel. It's intimidating, but exciting and it just feels good. But I feel that way because I made a choice to do this for myself. He was doing it for me. I can see how that would make it an annoying burden, an assignment that had to be completed rather than a welcome challenge. I just hope he soon finds the headspace and time to assault us on a daily basis.
The White House is once again showing its Orwellian colors. After months of trumpeting the importance of "staying the course" in Iraq, they are now denying that they ever said it. They have to know that there are taped press conferences and speeches that show them saying it. The only thing I can think is that they are counting on people to decide that all those times they heard "stay the course" from Shrub and his lackeys was some sort of mass hallucination.
"I coulda swore they said that."
"Well they say they didn't. It was probably just the damn liberal media spreadin' more lies."
"Yeah. Fuckin' liberal media. If it wasn't for Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh we'd never get the truth."
And so forth.
It's a damn shame that "The Daily Show" is on hiatus this week. It seems like they are the only ones capable of going back through the video archives and calling bullshit when it needs to be called. It is also a damn shame that a fake news show is more informative than actual "news" shows.
It is also confusing that there is a plural form of the word "one".
I was just looking at the BBC website and it would seem that Shrub just came out saying that Iraq is the only thing standing between us and the formation of a terrorist empire stretching "from Spain to Indonesia". I guess we should rethink voting against the corrupt, morally bankrupt Republicans in Congress as the Dem will interfere with Shrub's mission from God.
Two more weeks and we can geld him. Two more years and he is gone. I just have to keep telling myself that. That thought is the only thing that keeps me from stripping naked and running through the streets screaming at the top of my lungs.
People just don't seem to get that before we invaded, the only terrorist in Iraq was Saddam Hussein. There are those who think that Saddam was mere minutes from launching his campaign for global domination before we invaded when in reality he couldn't even manage to invade the 2/3 of Iraq we turned into no-fly zones at the end of the first Gulf War. Now we have created a terrorist paradise. We kicked the terrorists out of Afganistan just to turn around and give them a brand new base in Iraq where they are more firmly entrenched than they ever were anywhere else. They must thank Allah every day for Shrub and hope that we manage to elect someone equally incompetent two years from now.
Two weeks until we can geld him and two weeks until we are rid of him for good. Then he can stop interrupting his true calling as a clearer of brush with his occasional attempts to be President.
If anyone sees me running naked down the street while screaming, I apologize in advance.
I failed to do that in each and every idea I started today. Each main character was being pushed along by circumstance, but not really changed by it. They were frustrated or angry or confused, but nothing came of it. I am keeping notes on these ideas so I can revisit them when I find a more interesting character to torture.
And torture him I must. "Kill your pretties," sayeth Stephen King. "Farce is your worst day," sayeth John Cleese. There is nothing interesting about a character who has a happy family life, a job where he is respected and valued and is a decent person who is okay with with his place in the universe. What's interesting is ripping that character open, revealing his flaws and then fucking with him. One needs a healthy sadomasochistic streak to be a decent fiction writer.
I did torture my pretty yesterday. But what did that show us about him? We know he went from being an outcast to a member of a clique to a necessary evil in the corporate machine. But how did that affect him as person? We know he envied those who got powers when he didn't. But was that what led him to the delusion that putting together a utility belt made him Batman? We saw as he was quickly robbed of that delusion, but did I show you just how that destroyed him spiritually? Did I show you that he was so devastated by Devastator that the collapse of civilization was a mild insult added to a spiritually fatal injury? No. Had I done so the story would have been a lot more interesting. Instead it was just a snapshot of what I think would happen to the world if we actually had superheros and supervillains throwing buildings at each other. That is something I need to work on. It is yet another intriguing challenge along the path to becoming a decent writer.
It would seem that Jer has given up on our pissing contest. That's a shame. I was hoping that writing every day would make him feel like it makes me feel. It's intimidating, but exciting and it just feels good. But I feel that way because I made a choice to do this for myself. He was doing it for me. I can see how that would make it an annoying burden, an assignment that had to be completed rather than a welcome challenge. I just hope he soon finds the headspace and time to assault us on a daily basis.
The White House is once again showing its Orwellian colors. After months of trumpeting the importance of "staying the course" in Iraq, they are now denying that they ever said it. They have to know that there are taped press conferences and speeches that show them saying it. The only thing I can think is that they are counting on people to decide that all those times they heard "stay the course" from Shrub and his lackeys was some sort of mass hallucination.
"I coulda swore they said that."
"Well they say they didn't. It was probably just the damn liberal media spreadin' more lies."
"Yeah. Fuckin' liberal media. If it wasn't for Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh we'd never get the truth."
And so forth.
It's a damn shame that "The Daily Show" is on hiatus this week. It seems like they are the only ones capable of going back through the video archives and calling bullshit when it needs to be called. It is also a damn shame that a fake news show is more informative than actual "news" shows.
It is also confusing that there is a plural form of the word "one".
I was just looking at the BBC website and it would seem that Shrub just came out saying that Iraq is the only thing standing between us and the formation of a terrorist empire stretching "from Spain to Indonesia". I guess we should rethink voting against the corrupt, morally bankrupt Republicans in Congress as the Dem will interfere with Shrub's mission from God.
Two more weeks and we can geld him. Two more years and he is gone. I just have to keep telling myself that. That thought is the only thing that keeps me from stripping naked and running through the streets screaming at the top of my lungs.
People just don't seem to get that before we invaded, the only terrorist in Iraq was Saddam Hussein. There are those who think that Saddam was mere minutes from launching his campaign for global domination before we invaded when in reality he couldn't even manage to invade the 2/3 of Iraq we turned into no-fly zones at the end of the first Gulf War. Now we have created a terrorist paradise. We kicked the terrorists out of Afganistan just to turn around and give them a brand new base in Iraq where they are more firmly entrenched than they ever were anywhere else. They must thank Allah every day for Shrub and hope that we manage to elect someone equally incompetent two years from now.
Two weeks until we can geld him and two weeks until we are rid of him for good. Then he can stop interrupting his true calling as a clearer of brush with his occasional attempts to be President.
If anyone sees me running naked down the street while screaming, I apologize in advance.
posted by Max Dobberstein at 10/25/2006 09:55:00 AM
2 Comments:
You're really selling yourself short on your writing. I don't know how you consider your mere mortal that we watched come of age, find himself, feel empowered, and then have to cope with the fact that he had no super powers "one dimensional". I thought he spoke to all of us that have trouble with the fact that we turned out so damned mundane. You know, the part that might not have expected to be famous but is still surprised at not being at least noteworthy. The David vs. Goliath aspect of his battle was well played and the slap-down he got was easy to commiserate with. I found a strong social commentary with the damage and danger that had to be avoided even from those fighting for "good."
And as for not being changed, your geek didn't start off eating rats vindictively, did he?
I have never read comics, and if asked would profess a hatred of science fiction, and I have enjoyed both pieces you've recently posted. Must be the writing, huh?
(I must go now, I feel as if I have gotten all gushy and momentarily dropped my well-honed bitch persona).
I am glad you liked it. But I am always striving to improve. That Nobel Prize for literature isn't going to earn itself.
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