Munchie wasn’t a bad cat, but he had a reputation. His name probably came from his habit of jumping up on counters and tables, eating anything that was left out. Bread, crackers, you name it – all for Munchie. When his second or third family were moving, Munchie was handed off yet again. He found himself in his fourth home in about as many years, suddenly living with cats who didn’t know him at all. They weren’t exactly thrilled. Neither was Munchie, who had a tendency to be crazy all night long, running and yowling.
Character Development
Stories that stay with us are often built around strong characters. Consider for a moment any story that you have enjoyed, either in book form or on film or from an exchange among friends – what is it that you remember the most? Odds are it will be the Harry Potter or Gatsby or someone’s strange uncle as much as the meanderings of the plot itself. They are the star of the show, the person we either relate to or want to be like or at least would like to know. Set them up, and the situation of the plot often moves forward through the force of their will.
Less obvious is fact that this also guides the non-fiction world. Entertainers carefully craft their public persona, as do politicians and even nooze commentators. Understanding how to do this can make a blog much more compelling.
Role Playing
Long ago, there was Ward Cleaver. He wasn’t much of a Dad – in fact, he wasn’t even real. But the father in “Leave it to Beaver” was a strong figure all the same because he was, without a doubt, clearly in command of the world around him. The 1950s was an age of men – a time when Rosie put down her riveter and settled in to raise the kids and do the wash and, if necessary, get a prescription for Valium from her doctor.
The black and white images might still flicker on the teevee sets of our minds once in a while, but they stopped being relevant a long time ago.
Connections Theory
It’s been nearly a year since I first distilled down what I’ve come to think of as “Connections Theory”. I’ve expounded on the subject in many different ways, sometimes without using the same words, as a way of thinking this out in public. Many of you have responded with insightful comments and a few questions on the side – what is that guy going on about? I’d like to nail this down into a simple, direct statement.
Suspension of Disbelief
Everyone has the experience at some time. You’ve read a book or seen a movie that you absolutely loved, and you want to tell the world about your new obsession. You might even know someone that you’d love to share this new world with. So you start telling them about the intricate details of the plot and characters and after rambling on and on … and then you see their eyes slowly glaze over. What went wrong? Often it’s that you had suspended your disbelief in something that sounds too absurd to tell easily. It makes sense to you, but the retelling leaves you sounding a bit crazy.
This doesn’t just happen with fiction. A disconnected world requires a lot of suspension of disbelief.
Barataria - The work of Erik Hare 