"it's like cowboys in space. only not."

[rivendellrose]

It's true. Everyone else really has seen Serenity.

Fortunately, I'm still new enough that the series itself is enough, for the moment. I figure if I'm careful, I can work my way through the 15 episodes, and then enjoy the last month or two of pure gleeful panic before the movie, along with everyone else. ...Everyone else who hasn't already seen it, that is. Which is... what three people in the world? Raise your hands high, everybody! *Raises hand, looks around*

The above quote, by the way, was my desperate attempt to explain the show to narsilion - don't worry, I got a bit better after that, that was just the only thing I could think of to explain it straight off. Which reminds me - here's Mal, Mom. Not the greatest picture, but that's the best I've found so far. See - he looks kind of like a cross between David Wenham and Noah Wyle. (How the hell do you spell that name, anyway?)

In other news, still working on the original idea and trying to make it fly... or at least float. Main male character apparently had a spine-ectomy at birth, so I'm gonna have to find good ways to give him "character development" - so far, this has meant me screaming at the document, "you suck, you little bastard, get off your ass and do something!!!" Main female character, if I am not careful, will become a Mary Sue. Actually, all the women in the work I'm attempting to adapt are pretty damned obnoxiously perfect, so this is going to take some serious effort to make them grounded and human. I hope it works - if it doesn't, I'll just go back to working on the thing about Edward. Again. ;)

Comments

[shadawyn.livejournal.com]

Depending on who you ask (in this case, me, though you didn't ask), a "Mary Sue" cannot exist in an original work. Mary Sues are characters in fanfics that are meant to overshadow (by being better, more talented, the object of desire of the canon characters, etc.) the canon characters, and furthermore be a projection of the author.

And if you wing it right, supposed perfection can be a flaw.

As for "go do something," you are going to get SICK of this, but again I say "What does he want? What is stopping him?" That's not the whole plot, but it can be a catalyst. I often say that, because it really can be a stepping stone, even if the story completely moves away from this.

And to add something else--what is he going to DO about what's stopping him?

For example, in my organic monster-in-progress,

Wants:
1) Rin Want to Find Her Partner

Obstacles:
1) Office cover-up won't let her investigate
2) Nata internal war
2) Partner's true Nata employer

Actions:
1) Break into his files and apartment for clues
2) Try to avoid getting caught up in--or killed--by the war (which leads to further conflict, because her group didn't know about the internal war, and she can't tell them without giving her illegal investigation away. This is related to another character WANT--to keep her job just a paycheck).
3) If you are not my friend, your are my enemy. But is it possible for us to be friends as we have the same goal?

There may be more than one want. But with the want, obstacles and actions, you can start moving into scenes as these things are resolved, and if the novel has another plot lying underneath, it'll probably intersect as an obstacle and once it rears its head, it can be developed separately.

This can work for reactive and active characters, main and secondary characters. They may intersect or drive the characters apart. A reactive character may only want to "run away!". An active or reactive character may let the obstacle block them if they have a reason to do so. (In Rin's case, she wants her job to be a paycheck, but she will eventually accept that it's not.) And when the broader parts start to come out, then you can work on the smaller bits.

To review,

Want does he want?
What is going to stop him?
What's he going to do about it?

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I generally interpret Mary-Sue-ism as "damn it, this character is unbelievably perfect, annoyingly selfless, and has a bad habit of fixing everything between all the other characters or doing things the other characters can't." As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter whether or not she (or he) is original - it's just as annoying in an original work as it is in fan-fiction. I think I can spare poor Bradamante from being that bad, but it's something I really have to concentrate on.

Goals and obstacles are definitely the trick, and thank god Rogero has a few good and definite goals. He just gets reeeeally easily side-tracked and gives up. He's like Odysseus, only a zillion times worse. It's great for character (god has he ever got flaws), but a definite concern in terms of likeability. I'm afraid readers are going to want to bitch-slap him, more than anything else. Which wouldn't be bad, if he weren't the hero.

[zinjadu.livejournal.com]

*raises hand and scowls*

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

*Pats* I know, me too. And I'm sure there are others! ...Just not as many as there ought to be.

[zinjadu.livejournal.com]

I see the person who commented below has not either. That is one movie this year that I'll go on opening night for. I'd friggin' plan around seeing this movie.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I have a feeling I'm in agreement on that. At least I'm pretty sure I will be, by the time I've seen the rest of the show. ;)

[zinjadu.livejournal.com]

Saturdays, then.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Wheeee.

[casapazzo.livejournal.com]

I've not seen Serenity yet either, which, as much as I would like to get the sneak peek, I think I'll actually prefer having my first look be at the cabsolutely complete product.

So come Oct. 1, you and I can read have the fun of reading each other's "it's new to us" squee-filled posts :)

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Yay! And squee-filled it will indeed be, if the tiny bits I've seen are any indication. *g*

[cirakaite.livejournal.com]

*scowl* me neither. was trying to get vancouver tickets for the last showing, but they all disappeared too fast.

and excuse the lack of caps, my shift key is kaput. but eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, firefly.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

*Pats* It'll be okay - we'll all see it on the real opening day and make big excited posts. And everyone else can be sad because they don't get to see it for the first time on opening night. ;)

Eee, indeed! I'm so happy I finally started watching it!

[scearley.livejournal.com]

I was forced to watch that show by someone who said "you can't watch this show and absolutely not love it." Well, apparently I violate the laws of time and space because I just found it completely uninteresting.

BTW - I watched it in a literal home theater environment to maximize viewing - theater seats, 8 foot projected screen, etc.

Unlike other shows I don't really care about (e.g. "Buffy", "Gilmore Girls", "Smallville" et al.) I don't understand how people can really get behind this show and say how absolutely genre-breaking it is.

It's no more of a genre breaker than, oh, Westworld.

I'm sure I'll anger many with that comment but you'll have to explain why this is a brilliant and captivating show without exposing similarities to other shows that are not brilliant and captivating.

[scearley.livejournal.com]

P.S.
I watched every episode. The person was so sure I would absolutely love the show I felt obliged to watch every episode.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

*Shrugs* I wasn't really expecting to like it, when I first heard about it, but having seen it, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Explanations never really work for why one person likes a show and one doesn't - it's just a matter of personal taste, and this one happens to fit mine.

I never said it was genre-breaking or intensely deep - only that I like it.

[scearley.livejournal.com]

most people i see writing about the show seem to think it's so experimental and new and original.

I just shrug.

I think I've watched too much tv as well. :) So it's hard to really come at me with something new.