Friday, August 28, 2009

The Blinders of the Original Vision

I envy these writers who conceive an idea whole, complete and perfect, leaving only the problem of properly bringing it to paper, handyman work after the architect is done.

As for myself, I usually find that my first effort falls maddeningly short. The concept is there, but some zing is missing. Or there's a good punch line, but it's not delivered effectively. Or there's a certain flatness, a lack of tension, for which no amount of action and cleverness will quite compensate. Perhaps everything works, but there's a logic flaw--a glaring rip in the canvas that just can't be repaired.

Persistent cuss that I am, I usually work and work at such stories, often polishing the writing to a dazzling quality, adding snap and meaning to dialogue, bringing the world and scenes to life--and in the end find myself with a shiny silver goblet with a big dent in it.

The only way I've ever managed to fix the dent, is to stop trying, let at least a few months pass (less than three never works for me), and revisit the story after the love of the original concept, the burning inspiration that drove me to the page has worn off. Only this way can I manage to see past the blinders of the original vision. It is that, the love we feel towards our concept as if it was a living child, that makes it hard to make the changes that are needed.

But let some time go by, and now it's much easier to wield the ax, and do drastic surgery. Mind you, the patient does not always survive. Sometimes the cure is no better than the disease. But at times the distance I've acquired helps me break the boundaries of the box of my original story, and let it grow and become what it should be.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

While I still remember--any of you who are into SF (and if you're not, why are you following this blog?) will be well advised to catch the pilot of Caprica. This is the sequel, or rather prequel, series to Battlestar Galactica, but it has a totally different feel from that series.

I don't want to give everything away, but what drew me was the wonderful world-building of Caprica, as one of twelve allied worlds. The social feel is 1950's, complete with smoking and hats, right off Mad Men--but the tech is 2050, with believable, advanced science.

The world keeps your interest, but no world-building even made a story, and here we have wonderful characters, quirky and strong, all teetering at the edge of just how far their inner desires and very different beliefs as to what's right will take them. Religions clash, cultures clash, adults and teenagers clash, grief and hope clash, and through it all, the tendrils of lives intersect as their pursue desire and duty.

The series will start in January of 2010, and if it's as good as the pilot it should become another megahit. Though perhaps not, looking at how the excellent the Sarah Connor Chronicles got canned--but that's a topic for another day...

Monday, August 24, 2009

Gio made me do it... Figured I'll give blogging a try. Knowing myself entries will probably be relatively few, and so it's a pity that my first one is not more earth-shatteringly significant.

OTOH, let me steer any of the romantic-minded among you to see The Time Traveler's Wife. I've not read the book, but I found the movie won me over quickly, and by the end I deeply cared for the characters, their predicament, and how they coped with it. Excellent performances, and a fantastic addition to chick-flicks that guys also enjoy.