  Drama
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Why is it trivia? People call it trivia because they know nothing and they are embarrassed about it.
R. Coltrane
Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.
Mother Teresa
Hello, I am Joy , this week's drama editor.
As far-fetched as this line of reasoning is:
A common term in drama is protagonist. Etymologically, it means "the first contestant.” Contestants who compete in verbal contests need to be knowledgeable in trivia. Thus, in this issue, we’ll look into finding dramatic ideas in trivia.
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Welcome to the Drama newsletter
Do you remember the time during the eighties and the nineties when Trivial Pursuit danced on the public stage and those of us who were the parents of youngsters competed with each other in purchasing boxes full of question cards in different themes? Well, a recent book I was reading, titled everything you need to know about the world , brought back all that to me, but as I read the book, an idea, another way of making use of trivia, appeared; a way other than what we see in game shows like Jeopardy or the exposing of one's intellectual muscle in social gatherings. I thought we could put together dramatic pieces of fiction, using trivia.
One can find intense dramatic characters and plots in trivia, granted some of them may need further research. Let's look at a few from that book:
The guy who invented roller skates, Joseph Merlin, to show off his invention at a grand ball in Europe, entered the ballroom gliding on wheels and playing a violin, but he lost control and crashed into a huge ballroom mirror.
This one could be a historical comedy as is or, if you put twists and turns into it, it can fit into a few other genres.
Meteorites falling on the Egyptian village of Nakhla killed a dog.
Add a lot of meteorites and a few more characters plus the dog who are under the meteorite shower and twist the plot around and you may have a sci-fi story.
And one for comedy, under "Who invented underpants?"
" -loincloths are still worn in different parts of the world, enjoyed for their comfort...King Tutankhamen of Pharaoh fame was buried with 145 loincloths."
Maya Angelou said she is “not interested in facts but truths.” The truth in the trivia may have the tendency to become the theme of the story, since trivia pieces are short and to the point and the writer may be able to see the gist of them immediately. In other words, although most writers find out what the theme of their story is after they’ve passed the midpoint in the plot, you might be able to determine the theme from the start if you are concocting a story from trivia. For example: Where the inventor crashes into the mirror on roller skates while playing a violin, the theme could be the vanity of man.
According to Noah Lukeman in The Plot Thickens, an ideal piece of writing takes the reader through, in order: curiosity, interest, need, and action. Although few works reach need and action, if the writer can arouse the curiosity and keep the interest of the readers, he has succeeded to write an acceptable --meaning publishable-- story. This much most any writer can do well from trivia.
As an aside, in case you are curious, let’s define the need and action as Lukeman means it. The need comes when the reader so identifies with the character and the story in a deep level that he cannot put the book down, and after he finishes it, its effects resonate inside him for a very long time. The action is when the piece moves the reader so greatly that he has a burning desire to take action on what he has read. For example, the works written after the Vietnam War made the population aware of receiving the troops with open arms and showing respect to them whether a war could be justified or not.
Other than the trivia books and games, here are a couple of websites you might look at for ideas.
http://www.funtrivia.com/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/quizzes.shtml
To add to trivia, personality quizzes might be of help to a writer since people who write the quizzes may have the right information on character traits that can be positive, negative, or especially quirky. These types of quizzes may be under the headings of "Are You Overly Emotional?" or “How jealous are you” and similar titles.
Let's hope that, at least once in a while, the trivia we pick can lead us to write about universal truths.  |
Enjoy!
"One of the punishments to be suffered by adulterous men and women consisted of harnessing them to a yoke and forcing them to carry heavy buckets of water up a very steep hill to the castle."
"Michael Stanson stared at his reflection in the black screen of the Sony television set."
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"It felt good to be somewhere they knew her only on the surface and waited on her for a change."
"After stopping for a cup of coffee and a quick hello to the head researcher, Jim headed over to see his charges, the sloths. "Howdy, boys," he called out as he..."
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Just for the fun of it:
" In what publication and month was the first Writing.Com print ad published?
"In what year did Inventor Samuel Colt patented his revolver?"
"How would you describe your emotional states when dealing with difficult situations?"
"What metals (in most fantasy books) prove fatal to a dragon?"
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Your Drama Newsletter Editors: StephBee  esprit  Adriana Noir Joy
Thank you for reading our newsletters and for supplying the editors with feedback and encouragement.
 This Issue’s Tip:
When building a character, list what that character owns, and among those possessions on the list, find the things that are really important to him. This practice will help give the character his/her multidimensionality.
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Jessica A. Martinez
Joy, your newsletter could not have come at a more appropriate time. I am somewhat blocked and have been reading a really great story here at writing.com as well as pieces by others. And I was feeling a little concern that I needed to read others to spark my own writing. Your explanation of the process and the things to be aware of are just what I needed! Joining this writing family has been one of the best decisions I've made. Thank you for providing what for me was a valuable piece of information in this writing process.
Jessica Alexis Martinez
Thanks, Jessica.  I am glad the newsletter was useful for you.
"Joining this writing family has been one of the best decisions I've made."
Mine, too. I agree wholeheartedly on the merits of joining WdC.
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Adriana Noir
I've often wondered how many other authors draw inspiration from something else they have seen or heard. This was an amazing edition, Joy. You are so right, too. If an idea or character is haunting you, that haunt will continue until their story is told. Excellent advice and it feels so good to know I am not alone. 
Thanks, Adriana.
I suffer from the same hauntings.
If it weren't for other works' influences, however, we wouldn't have literature. I suspect the second person on earth was inspired by and learned from the first one. 
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billwilcox
Oh, Joy!
I do love me some Cap'n Ahab. Good stuff, I say true.
Thanks, Bill.
"Aye, my hearties all round..."
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A thinker never sleeps
Good newsletter highlighting the common dilemma writers face regarding influence and plagarism. One of my favourite directors Mamaru Oshii pointed out that we are all influenced whether consciously or unconsciously by everything we ever watch, read or experience.
Thanks, Thinker,
Influence is all right; however, plagiarism isn't. At the point when influence mimics plagiarism, it is a good idea to give credit to the original writer by saying something like: After "title of the book and the author's name."
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Drama: February 10, 2010 Issue [#3517]
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