 Drama: May 13, 2009 Issue [#3049] |
  Drama
This week: Edited by: Turkey DrumStik  
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| Because of drama's unqiue characteristics as a genre, it cannot be approached with quite the same mindset as a mystery or romance writing. It is much more reliant on characters being developed that it is tricky to grasp and not something that can be mastered right away. When drama is approached in a similar manner as more specific genres, things can go wrong quite quickly. This newsletter will discuss such an event, how it was that much more embarassing because it fell apart in public and what steps can/should be taken to recover from such a stumble. |
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Before I begin, I would like to apologize to you, the readers. My last issue was initially incomplete and was sent out with only half the material I had written. I am sorry for the delay in getting the complete newsletter out to you. I hope this issue leaves you satisfied from the getgo.
Anyhow, since no one responded to my call for you to choose the topic of this issue, I'd like to share some thoughts sparked by Digital Spy's interview with Bryan Fuller. For those of you who don't know who Bryan Fuller is, he's a TV writer who has worked on the staffs of Heroes and Dead Like Me. He was also the show runner for the short-lived Pushing Daisies. Ironically, he could be considered a genre writer, as he had a long stint writing episodes for Star Trek: Voyager, but his success is rooted not in catering to genre specifics. Fuller understands that solid character dynamics make shows, transcending any trappings of a given drama. This, along with a penchance for subtle humor, has helped him build scripts for a diverse selection of shows.
The interview I read was conducted not too long before the third season of Heroes wrapped up. Yes, I'm a fan of the show and have stuck with it through thick and thin. I can find enjoyment from just about anything, but Fuller's comments struck a chord with me. He basically mentioned how the show drifted from being character driven to being story-driven with an emphasis on developing a mythology that shuts out casual viewers. This was said in many different ways, but I'll share the one that drove it home for me.
"Then I started reading the Fugitives arc. I thought 'this is interesting, they're back in their real lives', but then it took another tumble down the rabbit hole of getting really dense and characters being angry. The characters' anger at their situations was such a barrier to entry for me, because I don't relate to p***ed off people. I have to know there's something in that person that makes me want to root for them and care for them. I thought 'well, if people are angry, let's understand why they're angry so we can sympathise with them.'
part of the answer to the question about his return to Heroes after working on Pushing Daisies
Obviously, Fuller favors strong character development over just about everything else in the story. The problem with walking the line between genre and mainstream writing is being able to pull yourself toward the character development side of it. Character development is enough work when you're just tackling (mainstream) writing in general. Throwing a specific genre into the mix as well? That's an even tougher challenge. This is a problem Heroes faced, and in a lot of ways, it is a cautionary tale of what not to do. Granted, the mistakes that were made stems from the show being of a serial nature, so some of these problems may appear to a lesser degree in a single composition. On the other hand, these same mistakes can appear in stand-alone works as well.
What exactly happened in the case of Heroes? Well, a lot of things. I'm a fan of the show, but even I can see the flaws and explain the damage they've inflicted. Suggesting how to fix them is another story altogether. In fact, suggestions from fans such as myself (only of the so-rabid-I-think-I-better-put-on-some-body-armor variety) is one of the first things that hampered the show. There comes a point at which a writer must decide to stop listening to suggestions (or at least be able to tune most of them out). While feedback can help us more richly develop certain aspects of a story, too much will bog down a writer's thought processes. Such a burden can lead even some of the best writers scrambling to please everybody. Most of the time, it has the opposite effect. Sort of tied into this phenomenom is the show's tendency to fall back on more fantastic/sci-fi plot devices. The writers, producers and other creative staff members were such enamored with the comic bookaspect of the fanbase that they shut out the comments made by the more casual viewers or those like myself that enjoy a heaping cup of realism in their escapist means of entertainment. They drifted a little too far from reality, which makes their season one tagline of ordinary people with extraordinary abilities seem almost like false advertising. They got so caught up in conspiracies that they forgot why most people were watching. Grand conspiracies are a very dicey gamble on TV series. I've only seen it work once, and even then I lasted way too long. Things got too elaborate, and I wished for more simplicity in character interactions as well as larger situations in which they found themselves. We Heroes viewers got some of that with this past volume, and Fuller suggests we'll see more of it. I sure hope so. I craved realism in the show so much I even wrote fanfiction.  Yeah, I know. That's not how it works, but that's for another venue of discussion.
Ultimately, it all boils down to avoiding the tantalizing shimmer of accessorizing plot devices. They might catch your eye, but they will often blind your audiences. When daring to blend mainstream writing with a little spice of genre flair, proceed with caution. Keep your eye on the people involved. Your characters need to move these works like no other. It is not an easy task, but writing is never really easy, is it? The difference here is that maintaining your focus will be perhaps your biggest challenge. One small slip could alienate your whole audience as your story winds itself into a twisted, convoluted ball of piano wire.
And if you're interested in the full interview with Bryan Fuller, check it out here.
http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a153559/bryan-fuller-talks-heroes-return-finale.htm...
Until next time,
(sig by {suser:cat-claws) |
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In spite of my tardiness, I received a surprising amount of feedback. Thank you for your comments! Let's dig in.
From StephBee  : Stik, I was not aware of this and so learning about it very informative. Thanks for sharing!
Sure thing, Steph! As I've said, mise-en-scène is one of those things you might not encounter in independent research because its use doesn't extend that far outside academia. On the Nerdy/Esoteric Concepts to Know scale, I'd say it's about a six. Since it's not a commonly discussed (but sometimes referenced), I figured I'd bring it into the light.
From Joy  : Thank you, Elisa, for pinpointing exactly what "mise-en-scène" is. This is some very useful information for those in the theater business and for the lovers of stage arts as well.
An excellent newsletter, all around. 
Totally random fact. This is the first time all three regular drama newsletter editors have appeared together in the ask and answer section of one of my newsletters. Yes, I'm geeky enough to remember something like that. Anyway, I'm glad you see my newsletter as pinpointing the definition. It was painful listening to my peers completely overstate how mise-en-scène works. True, it's not as simple as it looks. However, it's not so layered that it's impossible to understand. Hopefully collegiate students on this site studying film, theatre or English take that to heart, because odds are good they'll encounter the concept before leaving college.
From gaywriter  : Thank you so much for adding my story to your newsletter. It is such a great honor to be in this edition. Have a great day!
I'm honored you think so! I know some people run for the hills when they see I'm editing a given newsletter. Hehheh.  Hope you got some good reviews from the plug! Half the time I don't find out any of my piece have been featured in a given newsletter until I receive a review from someone who mentions it.
From fleckgirl: As usual Stik - another fantastic NL chock full of information and knowledge... You're like an eLibrary at my fingertips and I LOVE that about your NL's.
Your work-product is very reflective of the time & energy you put into this & I appreciate all you do. I've learned a lot thanks to you! And I think that is something we, as writers, need.
To continue learning, makes us better writers... at least I think so! 
Thank you!
Fleck
An eLibrary, eh? I like to think of myself as more of a drama-specific database. Of course, after writing nearly 50 issues of the newsletter I think I've sifted through a library's worth of information! Glad to see you're learning from my newsletters. I never wanted to be a teacher for a living, but being able to educate people is something people seem to think I can do. I see it as an effective way to learn in its own right.
My very last drama newsletter will focus on choice. Though drama encompases so many different statesof being and conflict, it wouldn't be the same without choice. What kinds of choices have you made that have crept into your writing? How about not making a choice? This particular issue will be the last time I feature comments in the drama newsletter, so if you have anything to say, now's the time to say it.
And if you happen to miss or misplace a newsletter, feel free to stop by "The Drama Box" [13+]. |
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