Writer's Block Daily

I'm thinking about doing a writing binge, again.

Today's Webcomicry is about memes (although not that kind), tropes, symbolism, subtlety, mise en scene, and pop culture references.

I'm wondering if I should start a thread for this blog. It's currently my biggest side project.

edited 25th Mar '15 2:04:42 PM by Wheezy

I wonder if there is any kind of overlord villain.

So he commits genocide on a village, nation, etc. Then one kid survives and swears vengeance on him...and he actually knows it. But he lets that kid live anyway, thinking that anyone who survived THAT is worthy of taking shot at his life, even looking forward to the kid growing strong enough to kill him.

Given my draconic humanoids' tendency towards an Amazing Technicolor Population, I need to have a scene where a blue one and a green one appear in a movie together and there's some confusion about whether to use a bluescreen or a greenscreen for the chroma keying. (At least until someone ruins it all by pointing out that magenta screens are a thing.)

And then a random extra in the background disappears from the effects shots, but nobody notices until the movie is released.

Brilliant.

Tera Chimera, I sure hope you actually write some of this someday.

That's ridiculously clever.

Seconding this.

They'd just film them separately and edit them together in post.

Yeah, effects-layering is a thing that happens a lot in movies these days.

Of course, the magenta-screen solution is made even worse once some asshole decides to make someone a draconic humanoid with magenta skin.

edited 26th Mar '15 8:35:34 PM by AwSamWeston

True. Unless they're in the movie to fight against each other.

That's only a problem if a blue and green dragon also appear on screen at the same time.

A lot of horror stories make good plots out of fear of the unknown (whether said stories identify as Cosmic Horror or not, most stories still have that element), but how many stories make fear out of the known and the inevitable, with the horror coming out of the fact that we known it's going to happen, but have no control over that? How explored is that concept in horror writing? I've been wondering this and I'd like to know if anyone has any recommendations for works that explore that as well.

The one that immediately comes to mind is Nevil Shute's immensely depressing On the Beach.

I wrote what I believe is a complete guide to how horror works - it's going up on my blog on Tuesday - and in it, I talk about how one of the first thing many horror works do is establish a worst-case scenario to keep in mind as what's going to happen if the protagonists fail. IMO, some of the most effective horror stories show that the bad thing is overwhelmingly likely to happen.

However, I can't think of any off the top of my head where it's established in the beginning that it's going to happen, no matter what, and there's no point in fighting it - edit: or running away from it - because then there's no story. The characters are just sitting around waiting. (Unless that's what you want the story to be about.) Most of them seem to toss in a Hope Spot just to make it hurt more when it happens.

edited 29th Mar '15 12:59:54 PM by Wheezy

Consider that what you are describing may not be "Horror", per se, but "Suspense". It sounds a lot like a certain quote by Alfred Hitchcock.

Suspense is an integral part of horror. Again, this is my opinion: if there's no way to fight, avert, run away from, or hold off the danger, it's less a story than a vignette about someone waiting to die.

Even in the most fatalistic works, like some by Ligotti and Lovecraft, the protagonists at least try to do the above before realizing it's hopeless.

And like I said, the inevitable end of the world (or whatever the treat is) can work as a Framing Device for another story, like someone trying to get something done before that happens, or as a part of a larger story, but I don't think it would work as the story itself.

edited 29th Mar '15 1:04:48 PM by Wheezy

I vaguely remember a Spanish movie (I think it was Spanish) where the world was going to end in two weeks (an asteroid was going to hit it or something) and a couple who were drifting apart decided to go to this really nice beach for their last days. Drama ensues as they travel, they make up, and they kiss as the asteroid hits. Can't remember the name, though.

Yeah, it works really well in those situations, since the drama isn't in whether the horror's going to happen or not, it's in whether the couple will make up before the deadline.

edited 29th Mar '15 1:13:52 PM by Wheezy

That's familiar... isn't it the plot of Seeking a Friend for the End of the World?

One page back, electronic-tragedy complained of too many ideas to focus on, and after rereading The Wee Free Men yesterday I found the perfect analogy:

That might be it. I thought it was Spanish-language, but maybe I'm misremembering stuff.

Pretty spot on, but I would try to shove as most as possible in my mouth but then I'd get a massive stomach ache and the sweets are basically wasted because I didn't enjoy them at all. At least, that's how it mostly goes.

Right now I'm having issues of how to start an adventure story. Usually something comes to me but the possible first lines so far aren't good segues into the action the rest of the chapter has.

edited 29th Mar '15 3:19:42 PM by electronic-tragedy

Maybe you just happened to accidentally catch a Spanish dub somewhere.

edited 29th Mar '15 3:20:54 PM by Xeroop

Why not just write the action part first? Chances are you'll rewrite the beginning later anyway. Or just skip the start of the chapter and go straight in.

I've heard that it's a good idea to start a story by giving the reader a taste of what's to come - for instance, if you're writing a fantasy story, you might start with something magic-related happening. (Which is why Harry Potter starts with Dumbledore instead of Harry - it promises the reader that there's going to be magic and spells later on in the story, even though Harry doesn't actually do magic until a few chapters in.)

So, I would start with something adventurous, like scaling a mountain, or cutting through a dense jungle, or discovering land on the high seas, or whatever fits your story the best.

In my case, I'm writing a heist story, so I've chosen to open with the protagonist stealing something. It sets up the reader for what's going to happen later on.

&

Thanks for the advice. Now to decide how to start it...

edited 30th Mar '15 8:03:40 AM by electronic-tragedy

Regarding that, here are my thoughts on just playing through the first half-hour of Marlow Briggs and the Mask of Death.

...And that's pretty indicative of the rest of the game.