Hello!
Welcome to this week's Post For Writing Practice in which I post something for the purpose of honing my writing skills.
I have a question this time for my Catholic compatriots, and it's a little more serious than is the modus operandi of this blog, but I'm going to ask because it's something that's been on my mind.
Here's the question:
What exactly does it mean to "take Our Lord's Name in vain?"
In the absurd little microcosm I've been trying to create for this book of mine, I have characters that occasionally say things like, "Jesus!" or "Oh, my God." One of them does because that's her style and she doesn't care if it offends the people around her (she's a little bit rude) but the others do it only (emphasis on 'only') when they are genuinely distressed, disturbed, disconcerted, or discombobulated. They do not (emphasis on 'not') use such expressions simply to express irritability or annoyance or even surprise.
I might be wrong, but I don't think referring to God when someone is genuinely distressed, disturbed, disconcerted, or discombobulated, is the same thing as 'using His Name in vain.' There are times in this universe when life is a little distressing, disturbing, disconcerting, or discombobulating, and at such times I often feel that I'd like to say His Name, if only to remind myself that He's there. And I do, and I enjoy it.
I might be wrong. But, on the other hand, I could be right. That's all I got to say about that.
Monday, September 26, 2016
Friday, September 16, 2016
A Thought On Comic-Relief Spin-Offs
Hello!
Welcome to This Week's Writing Practice Thing. The place where I write about things about which I know nothing and pretend that I do. But it's all for a good cause. Actually, no, it isn't; I'm just doing it because I want to.
However,
as per usual, my purpose today is to complain about Things The Movie Industry Does To Annoy Me. That's not to say I don't like movies and think you're inferior if you're a movie buff, because I do not in fact dislike movies and think you're inferior if you're a movie buff. I am making this complaint simply because I like some movies better than others, and I think I've discovered why.
Here's a factoid about me: I like the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie better than its descendants. Why, you ask, do I like the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie better than its descendants? I'll tell you why: after the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie came out, the Movie Makers allegedly [i.e. I'm making this up] asked the Public who their favorite character was. Most people voted for Captain Jack Sparrow. 'We want more of Captain Jack Sparrow!' they said. 'Give us more Captain Jack Sparrow!' they said. 'Captain Jack Sparrow Rules!' they said. So, then they made another movie about Captain Jack Sparrow. And then another. And then another. And still the Public cried, 'More! More! Long live Captain Jack Sparrow!' And thus, Pirates of the Caribbean 5 is coming to a theater near you [and probably another one further away from you, but that doesn't matter because you won't be going to that one because it's inconvenient] in 2017!
Here's my beef: as much as I love Captain Jack Sparrow, I'd like to suggest that it's a bad idea to build stories around the comic relief character--and I know that Captain Jack is the main character, but one can't deny that he provides about 75 or 76% of the comic relief in what I've seen of the movies [which includes the first three]. In other words, when you construct drama and action and intrigue just for the sake of comic relief, your drama and action and intrigue lose the keen sting that is the reason we delve into stories in the first place. And because your drama and action and intrigue have become weak, your comic relief becomes weak as well because the Public now doesn't want to be relieved, they want Something from which they need to be relieved in the first place. The drama unfolds, and the Public waits for more, better drama to unfold, but when they're struck with the comic relief they realize, 'Oh, crap, comic relief means that the drama's over. Was that it? Boo!' And thus the comic relief is tainted by whining and rotten cabbages.
This probably isn't always the case. But I don't feel like thinking of an instance in which it's not, because it's dinner time and I'm lazy. But I have noticed that spin-off movies featuring the comic relief character as the main character tend to be less successful than the original feature.
Here are some examples to exemplify my point so you can see how smart I am:
*note: this is an OPINION-BASED POST. If you think the spin-off/sequel movies listed below are better than I think they are, let me say you're probably right, and I don't look down on you for enjoying them, and it's just my nit-picky brain being an ass and I apologize [but not really because it's a free country and I'm allowed to slightly dislike things if I want to]*
1. Kronk's New Groove [Spin-off of The Emperor's New Groove]
2. Timmy Time [Spin-off of Shaun the Sheep]
3. Finding Dory [Sequel to Finding Nemo]
4. The Tigger Movie [Spin-off of Winnie-the-Pooh]
5. The Lion King 1 1/2 [Spin-off of The Lion King]
6. Minions [Spin-off of Despicable Me]
I don't think the Lego Batman movie's out yet, but when I heard it was coming out, I guessed it would probably end up on a list like the one above for the reasons listed above. I might be wrong. I don't know.
However,
that's why I wouldn't be excited if somebody decided to make a story called, "The Adventures of Fred and George Weasley," or "Merry and Pippin 2: The Reckoning," or "Dr. DeBryn Does it Again," or "Jud and Prudy's Big Holiday."
Even comedies have comic-relief characters [but that's another discussion]. But I think that even if the story's a comedy, I think a spin-off comedy starring the comic-relief character is a bad idea. That's all I got to say about that.
Beth out.
Welcome to This Week's Writing Practice Thing. The place where I write about things about which I know nothing and pretend that I do. But it's all for a good cause. Actually, no, it isn't; I'm just doing it because I want to.
However,
as per usual, my purpose today is to complain about Things The Movie Industry Does To Annoy Me. That's not to say I don't like movies and think you're inferior if you're a movie buff, because I do not in fact dislike movies and think you're inferior if you're a movie buff. I am making this complaint simply because I like some movies better than others, and I think I've discovered why.
Here's a factoid about me: I like the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie better than its descendants. Why, you ask, do I like the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie better than its descendants? I'll tell you why: after the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie came out, the Movie Makers allegedly [i.e. I'm making this up] asked the Public who their favorite character was. Most people voted for Captain Jack Sparrow. 'We want more of Captain Jack Sparrow!' they said. 'Give us more Captain Jack Sparrow!' they said. 'Captain Jack Sparrow Rules!' they said. So, then they made another movie about Captain Jack Sparrow. And then another. And then another. And still the Public cried, 'More! More! Long live Captain Jack Sparrow!' And thus, Pirates of the Caribbean 5 is coming to a theater near you [and probably another one further away from you, but that doesn't matter because you won't be going to that one because it's inconvenient] in 2017!
Here's my beef: as much as I love Captain Jack Sparrow, I'd like to suggest that it's a bad idea to build stories around the comic relief character--and I know that Captain Jack is the main character, but one can't deny that he provides about 75 or 76% of the comic relief in what I've seen of the movies [which includes the first three]. In other words, when you construct drama and action and intrigue just for the sake of comic relief, your drama and action and intrigue lose the keen sting that is the reason we delve into stories in the first place. And because your drama and action and intrigue have become weak, your comic relief becomes weak as well because the Public now doesn't want to be relieved, they want Something from which they need to be relieved in the first place. The drama unfolds, and the Public waits for more, better drama to unfold, but when they're struck with the comic relief they realize, 'Oh, crap, comic relief means that the drama's over. Was that it? Boo!' And thus the comic relief is tainted by whining and rotten cabbages.
This probably isn't always the case. But I don't feel like thinking of an instance in which it's not, because it's dinner time and I'm lazy. But I have noticed that spin-off movies featuring the comic relief character as the main character tend to be less successful than the original feature.
Here are some examples to exemplify my point so you can see how smart I am:
*note: this is an OPINION-BASED POST. If you think the spin-off/sequel movies listed below are better than I think they are, let me say you're probably right, and I don't look down on you for enjoying them, and it's just my nit-picky brain being an ass and I apologize [but not really because it's a free country and I'm allowed to slightly dislike things if I want to]*
1. Kronk's New Groove [Spin-off of The Emperor's New Groove]
2. Timmy Time [Spin-off of Shaun the Sheep]
3. Finding Dory [Sequel to Finding Nemo]
4. The Tigger Movie [Spin-off of Winnie-the-Pooh]
5. The Lion King 1 1/2 [Spin-off of The Lion King]
6. Minions [Spin-off of Despicable Me]
I don't think the Lego Batman movie's out yet, but when I heard it was coming out, I guessed it would probably end up on a list like the one above for the reasons listed above. I might be wrong. I don't know.
However,
that's why I wouldn't be excited if somebody decided to make a story called, "The Adventures of Fred and George Weasley," or "Merry and Pippin 2: The Reckoning," or "Dr. DeBryn Does it Again," or "Jud and Prudy's Big Holiday."
Even comedies have comic-relief characters [but that's another discussion]. But I think that even if the story's a comedy, I think a spin-off comedy starring the comic-relief character is a bad idea. That's all I got to say about that.
Beth out.
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