 Drama: October 22, 2014 Issue [#6620] |
  Drama
This week: The Power of Politics Edited by: Kitti the Red-Nosed Feline  
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Politics is all around us. It affects our lives on a day-to-day basis. And it can inspire amazing drama stories.
This week's Drama Newsletter, then, is all about politics, people, power and the law.
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Have you ever felt sorry for an unlikeable character? Have you ever wanted them to have a happy ending? I have. The clearest example to come to mind is the character of Sam Cayhall, in The Chamber by John Grisham.
Sam is a racist, and a former Klansman. He is on death row. He is not a nice man, and he was an accomplice in the crime he ended up in prison for. The problem is that he did not carry out the act that he was found guilty of, and he did not know that that act would cause harm to other people. If he were to share what had actually happened, and give up the name of the person who did it, his life might be spared. He won't. He can't. Not even when his estranged grandson, who is a lawyer, is desperately trying to uncover the truth and save him.
John Grisham has written some excellent legal dramas, and The Chamber is amongst my favourites. Another favourite of mine is The Brethren, which enters the field of politics and especially the ever powerful politics of fear.
Many of us wouldn't be able to write legal drama, because of the knowledge required to make our work convincing. If you don't have that knowledge and insight, you risk lawyers reading your work and shaking their heads in despair, which would be somewhat embarrassing for everyone involved. Politics, however, is more accessible. It affects our everyday lives. In order to make sense of politics some knowledge of the law is helpful, as is knowledge of the political structure and system of your country, but you don't need to have studied the field for years on end. As a voter, you should already be reasonably informed.
We live in a world in which politics can lift people up, and destroy them. Soldiers are sent into wars, whilst those with the power to save them no longer lead the charge; they may even be in a different country. Some people are denied treatment for their illnesses. Some are left without a safety net. Many people work hard, yet don't earn enough money to pay their bills. All of them have been affected by politics and feel its impact, and there is no escape. It doesn't matter if you are wealthy and own mansions around the globe, or are a poor person, seeking shelter in a doorway. You could live in a functional democracy or be subject to a totalitarian regime. Unless you somehow find a way to get lost in the jungle, or build an igloo on the North Pole, your life will, to some extent, be controlled by others. And even then, with satellites mapping the planet and the eternal struggle for natural resources, sooner or later something political will make itself known.
Are you feeling claustrophobic yet? Write about it! It's a fascinating field to explore and lends itself well to drama. Our very relationships are, in a way, decided upon by politicians – what is permitted, what isn't, sometimes for good reasons, at other times not so much. Not that long ago, interracial marriage wasn't allowed. Here in the UK, it's only been since this year that same-gender couples are permitted to officialise their union through marriage. Politics may meddle where it shouldn't meddle, and it can take a while to catch up and make things right.
Politics is about people. The people who make the decisions, and those affected by those decisions. The politicians who want to help, and those in pursuit of their own interests. The big players behind the scenes. The judges tasked with interpreting the law. International tensions and agreements. The questions of power – who should have it, who shouldn't, what ought to be done with it, and what should be its limitations. Whichever way you look at it, people are always at the core of these questions. I sometimes think that politics is inbuilt, because people seem to need leaders, and, sadly, there are always people living on the margins.
With NaNoWriMo looming on the horizon, perhaps you have a project in mind. If so, thinking about politics may provide you with a different angle. If not, I hope I've given you something to consider. Whatever your next project, though, I wish you a month filled with inspiration.
kittiara
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The Drama Newsletter Team welcomes any and all questions, suggestions, thoughts and feedback, so please don't hesitate to write in! 
SkyHawk - Into The Music  - Kittiara,
When you wrote about characters needing a break, and suffering through too many tragic events, I was reminded of an example of this from American TV. IN the show "NYPD Blue," detective Andy Sipowicz (sp?) suffered tragedy after tragedy, season after season, be it the death of a family member or friend, health problems, etc. While he was supposedly drawn as an everyman character, for me it grew to be "how much can one man suffer?" and led me to stop watching the show.
I can't blame you. I would have stopped watching as well! "How much can one man suffer," is a good question. Sometimes the answer is, "too much". When we are watching something that's supposed to be entertainment, and it just brings us down because, in a sense, we suffer with the characters, it can be that the only rational option is to switch off.
~~~
Quick-Quill  - I am writing a novel. It's a drama, about a woman's change, her realization and acceptance of what she is. Along the way I bring out the history of the plight of the Chinese in early 1900s. That is what intrigued me first and I found a story to inform the reader about it. It was the history that got me and I had to tell it. There are ways to bring history into a story and when it resonates with a reader they enjoy the story even more. I like reading stories in settings I'm familiar with. I love Wind Chill Factor. It was about winter in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The story was fascinating but I knew winters in the sub-zero weather.
Sounds like a very interesting novel! Will you be sharing it on W.Com, or will we see it in the bookshops?
~~~
DRSmith  - This week's newsie was an interesting piece, but to me, it was your closing remarks that really drove home your theme... such that hopefully, WDC'rs will pay heed and truly appreciate the significance of what you left us with. I paraphrase herewith: <<<One big reward is that you may well inspire some of your readers to go on their own historical exploration...>>> and especially: <<<...A good writer can influence their readers. That's a big responsibility.If you use it well you, too, will be remembered...>>>
 Thank you for your kind words, and for highlighting mine.
~~~
Wishing you a week filled with inspiration,
The Drama Newsletter Team
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