Monday, June 25, 2012

Things that Vampire Diaries has taught me about writing





1. Every character has his or her own past that you can make full use of to drive the main plot. In other words, each character's history can serve as a subplot to the main plot. The result, if managed well, will be a multilayered yet focused story. In Vampire Diaries, the secret of Elena's parents' death is tied to her eventual meeting with the Salvatore brothers; the town's history with supernatural beings sets the backdrop for its current circumstance (i.e. Mystic Falls as the viewers see it now is a result of what went down decades and centuries ago); the vampires, who have lived through the ages, made countless nemeses and allies along the way, provide plentiful fodder for the show.

2. Every character has his or her own agenda. Everyone has wants, and everyone has one thing they want badly, and would go to all lengths to acquire. Thus transpires secret alliances, compromises and negotiations that may result in betrayals and shifting character dynamics. Damon is far from the straight and narrow, and his agenda is always questionable. You never really know (at least, at the beginning) if he's good or evil, the accomplice or antagonist to his brother Stefan. He makes secret deals just to get what he wants, and even the local sheriff bends the rules occasionally to keep her daughter's identity a secret. With constantly evolving morals and shifting definitions in the extent to which each character is willing to go to protect the thing/people they care about most, the story is given more fuel to run its course.

3. There is no resident hero. Stefan (see right) may be the male lead, but he's gone from the sweet and affectionate boyfriend/broody hero/reformed bad boy with a horrific past archetype in season 1 to the psychopathic serial murderer called the Ripper in season 3 (albeit under a stronger vampire's compulsion). He makes questionable choices, and you sometimes wonder if he's gone so far off the rails that he's never coming back. His love for Elena (and his brother Damon) is what brings him home eventually, and the only thing that grounds him to his humanity. While in season 3 Damon seems to swoop in to take Stefan's place as the hero - by trying to bring his brother back from the dark side and helping him keep his bloodlust in check - he eventually rejects being typecast as the hero, even though Elena strongly believes there is good in him that is simply dormant.

Case in point: season 3 episode 19.

Elena: Why don't you ever let anyone see the good in you?
Damon: When people see good, they expect good. And I don't want to live to anyone's expectations.

Elena makes for a pretty strong and relatable protagonist, though. She's not entirely Buffy the vampire slayer, but she's no Bella Swan either. She makes tough decisions, goes to all lengths to protect the people she loves but is not suicidal, doesn't live just for herself and Stefan, and isn't indomitable. When the audience first gets to know her, she's a regular high school student struggling to move on from her parents' untimely death and trying to stop blaming herself for it. That's when she meets Stefan and decides to begin a new chapter of her life by letting him in it. Over the course of three seasons, she's grown tougher but is still impulsive and often lets her humanity and compassion get in the way of things like, oh, killing vampires along with the Salvatore brothers in order to protect the town.

4. It never hurts to have pretty boys on the show. Just kidding. Well, not really. I just mean that the hero, while good-looking, needs to also be relatable. He needs to have a flaw - something that makes him human - as well as a redeeming quality. Stefan's flaw is his inability to move on from his past. It is what Klaus (big bad powerful vampire who compels Stefan to be his evil minion, hence forcing him to turn his back on Elena, going on a blood binge and turning into the Ripper) used against him to unleash his dark side. His redeeming quality is his pure and true love for Elena, which is what literally saves him from himself ultimately. Damon's flaw is his fear of caring. He cares, but he doesn't want to show his vulnerability. Elena brings out that side of him eventually, but he still behaves like a philandering, smart-mouthed jerk from time to time. But I guess that's just Damon (see below).


It's funny. I started out taking a shot on Vampire Diaries just to indulge in some eye candy a la Ian Somerhalder. But I became hooked after the first episode because of the swift introduction of the call to action, inciting incident (ha, terms learnt in EN2274: Intro to Screenwriting, a module I'm taking this term) and the foreshadowing of impending crises that kept me thoroughly intrigued. I'm just two episodes away from finishing season 3. After that is the interminable wait for season 4, which will only air in October. Oh, the agony! In the meantime, think I'll go rewatch Supernatural.

Monday, June 18, 2012

shy? introverted? arrogant?

I just read this article by Sally Brampton: SHY GIRL, and just thought maybe I'd weigh in on this issue. She said that shy people are more self-absorbed than they realise, because they're too busy worrying about how other perceive them to be involved in the conversation, and this in fact makes them arrogant because they put their needs before those of their interlocuters.

It seems a bit of a reach to say shy people are arrogant. Self-absorbed I can understand, but arrogant seems to suggests a degree of obnoxiousness. Shy people aren't obnoxious, they're just terrified of not being included as part of the group, part of normal, although normalcy remains an elusive concept.

I've been an introvert my whole life. It's just how I am. I don't like to talk about how I feel, especially if I'm upset. Any discussion regarding my mother makes me itch to hop on to another topic. If I think you're being a dick/bitch, I'd just walk away instead of laying out everything I feel. When I'm pissed, I shut down and look out the window in steely silence. Usually the other party would cave in before me, and fill up the silence with his or her own rants. I just draw the blinds while they're at it and let my mind drift to a happier place.

I don't know if it's an inherently Libra trait, peace-loving to the extent of being conflict-avoidant. But it seems easier to agree and eke out a smile than say no and fight for your way. Maybe it's just that I'm too timid to express myself. I'm too worried about what other people will think about me. But in group discussions and tutorial, I have no qualms about offering my opinion if I think it can stimulate a discussion or generate more ideas - even if I don't get points for participation. If your idea is unfeasible, I won't hesitate to point out the problems and offer a counter-solution. I seem to be able to compartmentalise my emotions and behaviour according to circumstance. Is that sociopathic of me?


See, I'm worrying too much about how I may be perceived again. That's self-involvement right there.

I want to think that I'm too used to being alone that I can't be bothered about what people think about me unless they're people I care about. But that's not true. Truth is, I do care. I care what my potential employer thinks about me, so I trip over my words and try desperately to please. I care about what my father thinks about me, so I do whatever I can to make him happy. I care about whether people think I'm boring or weird.

Investing emotions in something or someone is proof of me giving a shit. Social gatherings always reveal how social awkward and inept I really am, so I'd rather hide in my room and act busy just so I wouldn't be forced to make small talk about shit I don't care about and have to pretend I do. It just seems too farcical - what's the point?

No. Shyness is not arrogance. It's caring too much while arrogance is not giving a flying crap. Shyness the antithesis of arrogance. Does this make me arrogant or shy, then? Do you think shyness is narcissistic and arrogant?



Here's what I want to do: I want to be more bold, less inhibited in expressing my opinions. I want to stop caring what other people think about me. I want to look less like a creature that crawled out of its cave at every family gathering or social function, and interact like a normal human being. No, that's not subscribing to herd mentality or succumbing to social conventions. It's the desire to less doubtful of myself, to stop thinking about how I fare in others' eyes and just be.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Restless


I hate waiting.

There are very few things I can say I actually hate. Dislike, yes. But not hate.

But waiting is a whole form of torture all by itself. Just the thought of those seeming-insignificant seconds ticking away, your life slipping out of your grasp with each passing moment, the niggling thought that you should be doing something instead of sit around helplessly, sends pins and needles down my whole body. Jabbing, proding, provoking.

The most surefire way to get under my skin is to waste my time and me me WAIT. I feel like I'm at the mercy of the person(s)/thing(s) making me wait, like my life has to be put on hold and hinge precariously on knife-point until the wait is over.

Doesn't matter if it's family (though I seldom have a problem with that, seeing as how everyone in my family's pretty efficient), friends, cashiers who take their (and hence mine) time, potential employers who say they'll be in touch after an interview, or even the bus, the train, or traffic lights, for goodness' sake! Those minutes add up to a lifetime! Just the wait itself makes me antsy, and unable to focus on anything else but the fact that I AM STILL WAITING.

Monday, June 11, 2012

It's taken me a while, but I have finally figured out what I want most in terms of a career.

Well, okay, maybe not the ultimate MOST. My dream job is still a full-time novelist, but if I can't have that then the next best job is a magazine columnist.

It was something I've considered since junior college, but right then it was still a dream I didn't dare to expand on. Besides, I was too hellbent on writing fiction for a living. Yeah, I was living in a world of my own then. But with graduation looming and the pressure to FIND A JOB ALREADY, I've had to consider other options. A lot of those I could care a lot less about. It seems I'm either obsessed with something or I can't give a shit. Probably not the best attitude to have, but it is what it is.

But this is what I really want. A magazine columnist at CLEO, or Cosmopolitan. Attending events, reviewing beauty products, keeping up with fashion trends, networking, and then writing about them. Having a life, and writing about it.

It's still kinda rose-tinted at the moment. I know the job and industry aren't all glitz and glam, but I do know that I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get a foot in the doorway. And then whatever else it takes to secure the job. THE job. The one I've set my sight on, after a long time of consideration and procrastination.

To say that I screwed up my internship interview last Friday is probably an understatement. I felt like such a socially inept, fumbling CHILD, even though my interviewer was only two years older than me. Her businesslike manner only made me even more nervous. I felt like a desperate, grovelling kid wanting in on the In Crowd in high school. Not cool.

Just let me get this. It's all I ever want.

Sunday, June 03, 2012

an update! on ... tv?

Lately, I've been catching up on TV. And I'm not going to feel guilty about that. Because, no output without input, right? I've found that I get more ideas for my stories when I read or expose myself to as many narratives as I can.

So here's what I've been preoccupied with:



1. SHERLOCK:


It's a modern take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classics, with all the essential characters (Holmes and Watson, Mycroft Holmes, Irene Adler, Mrs Hudson, Moriarty and Officer Lestrade) and their idiosyncracies. Benedict Cumberbatch plays a convincing Sherlock Holmes, and Martin Freeman brings a new depth to the character of Dr John Watson. The nineteenth century narratives are re-adapted to relevancy in the twenty-first, while retaining their original keen wit and bringing greater urgency to the story. There've been two seasons so far - the third will only be out next year (ye gods!) - and each season only has three hour and a half-long episode. I need some SHERLOCK already!



2. GRIMM:

Grimm's another modern adaptation of the Grimm brothers' classic tales, this time with detectives Nick Burkhardt and Hank Griffin. Nick is a Grimm, one who descended from a long line of hunters who see monsters where normal people wouldn't. It's essentially a cop drama with supernatural elements, yanking out those monsters from under the bed and bringing the bad and the ugly to fairytales. So far (I'm at episode 16 of season 1), they're still churning out the monster-of-the-week type of storyline, but there's an overarching, more sinister (cue dramatic music), narrative thread. I was a little hesitant about this show initially, but boredom drove me to take another chance on it. And while it's no SUPERNATURAL (I still think that show is unparallelled in screenwriting), it makes for suitable entertainment.


(Oh, and just in case you need a reminder of how amazing SUPERNATURAL is, here you go:

)


3. VAMPIRE DIARIES:



Oops, I mean this:


But the main reason is really Ian Somerhalder. Well, you know me.

I know, I know. Yet another vampire story with two pretty boys and a damsel in distress. How is this contributing to the progress of women and our cultural landscape. I did swear I will never watch this show. TWILIGHT was enough, thank you very much. (To think I had been obsessed with that franchise.) But VAMPIRE DIARIES exceeded my expectations. I took a shot at it, intending to just feast my eyes on Ian Somerhalder even if everything else is going to be disappointing, but there are some bright moments in the three episodes I've watched so far. Sure, there were some cliched moments (the vampire element itself is a cliche, given these times of Stephenie Meyer) and cliched phrases:

Stefan: For over a century, I have lived in secret. Hiding in the shadows, alone in the world. Until now. I'm a vampire and this is my story.
Stefan: Everything I've kept buried inside came rushing to the surface.

But there are also some redeeming moments like this:


Elena: People are going to stop giving you breaks, Jeremy. They just don't care any more. They don't remember that our parents are dead; they have their own lives to deal with. The rest of the world has moved on. You should try to.
Jeremy: I've seen you in the cemetery writing in your diary. Is that supposed to be you moving on?

And:


Stefan: It's been 15 years, Damon.
Damon: Thank God! Couldn't take another day of the 90's. That horrible grunge look did not suit you. Remember, Stefan, it's important to stay away from fads.

And then there's a mix of cliches and redeeming moments:

Elena's diary:
Dear Diary, Today will be different. It has to be. I will smile, and it will be believable. My smile will say, "I'm fine, thank you. Yes, I feel much better." I will no longer be the sad little girl that lost her parents. I will start fresh, be someone new. It's the only way I'll make it through.

Dear Diary, I made it through the day. I must have said "I'm fine, thanks" at least 37 times. And I didn't mean it once. But no one noticed. When someone asks "How are you?", they really don't want an answer.

Plus, they've got a rocking soundtrack. Ross Copperman, Ternt Dabbs, Peter Bradley Adams... Need I say more?

So I guess you can say ... I'm hooked. On yet another vampire franchise. But I think it's safe to say VAMPIRE DIARIES is better than TWILIGHT.


4. AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL CYCLE 18: BRITISH INVASION


And can I just say that this cycle's winner is my absolute favourite so far! Sophie Sumner, from Britain's Next Top Model Cycle 5, was second runner-up to some girl called Mecia. But her loss led her to something even better, and winning ANTM she's gained so much more experience and the prizes are way better than those offered by BNTM.

Here's Sophie, by the way:

Here she is rocking pink hair, which she was really excited about during the makeover on the show:


And here's she with Emma Watson:

I've had several favourites on the show, like Raina Hein from cycle 14, Jane Randall from cycle 15 and Nicole Fox from cycle 13. But Sophie has to be my absolute favourite out of all the cycles I've watched so far. She's smart (she's from Oxford, which is probably how she met Emma, I'm guessing), funny and low-drama - generally a very bubbly, likeable and positive person. Like a little fairy with the spirit of a pixie. Plus, I absolutely ADORE her style. I mean, look at this dress she has on!


So that's it on my obsessions for now. Till next time!