Comments on: Media Record Day 2

By: tomzgrrl

tomzgrrl — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:39:35 +0000

Conflict essential to all good fiction?

I believe it is — thinking about my own writing and the study of literature, poetry, and all that I did in undergrad — yes, essential.

How do you develop as a person? Through conflict and resolution. How do you develop a character? The same way.

There can be no denoument if there is no conflict or rising action or climax. Readers get hooked when they invest in a character enough to see how situations resolve.

Even cheesy romance novels — where the reader always KNOWS that love will win out in the end — even those novels have to have conflict. How else will the end feel like a reward? Granted, much conflict in romance novels is very contrived — but still essential.

A Farewell to Arms, Romeo and Juliet, Tender is the Night, Death of a Salesman – and on and on — conflict. Mental, physical, situational conflict. Something to resolve — or else it’s just a character sketch or a lovely worded story.

My opinion — long opinion — but you asked!!!!!

By: lizardek

lizardek — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:00:37 +0000

I’ve had no real media moments all week, despite catching a bit of the Obama speech in Russia and the Jackson memorial on CNN (oy vey). I often wish I lived somewhere very urban, though. OFTEN! But not always

By: Mrs. Organic

Mrs. Organic — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 04:21:18 +0000

I forgot to mention that I sat and watched webisodes at watchtheguild.com – which is the ultimate media addict parody.

I got up early today and caught up on email and my reader. Only turned on the tv for So You Think You Can Dance (and I think the right people got sent home). And am now accounting here before heading to FB for a few before turning in.

In between all that media consumption, I went shopping, visited with my sisters, checked some consignment shops for a piece in my dining area (no dice), then came home and grilled halibut and asparagus spears for dinner.

By: Megsie

Megsie — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:15:29 +0000

Well. I was better today, but still embarrassed by how much I like to waste time. I started out with email, then facebook. I only spent about 15 minutes on the computer though. I had to take my kids to their class. On my way home I decided to stop and pick wild black raspberries that are delicious. Again with email and facebook and then I checked in on my bloggy friends. I don’t have every blog I read hooked up to an RSS feed, so I go and check them. Since I am so mind-boggling close to finishing my thesis, I decided to cook a huge meal that took the rest of the afternoon. (My husband was shocked. He thought it was thanksgiving.) I checked email and facebook one more time, and watched a DVD of LOST. I read the A section of the Minneapolis paper. I think that is all. At least I didn’t play any games on faceboook tonight. I fall into that when I want to avoid the rest of my life. Today I used cooking as my escape mechanism. It was Yummy!