Hmmm... I have been thinking a lot about plots lately too.
I am unconvinced that there is any way (yet) to analyse computationally (or
more importantly reliably create) plots. I think the process whereby we
come up with new and interesting plots is hidden from us at the moment. It
seems to be an intuitive process... what that means I don't know.
Recently I was chatting with a friend who was quoting some authority that
all plots use a protagonist and antagonist and involve resolving that
conflict. That didn't sound right to me. I thought about some of my
favorite films and stories and some of them didn't have antagonists or
conflicts. I have since become quite suspicious of rules for plots.
We can use rules to generate plots based on well tried formulas, but the
more trod that path is, the harder you have to work on other aspects of the
story to make your story vital and affecting. Dunno... I may be wrong there
too... there may be certain plots that are deeply affecting no matter how
over-used, because they resonated deeply with something in us.
But when all is considered, the plot is just one aspect of a story that is
important. A little while back I made a writing checklist that I intend to
check my future stories against in the hope that they help me create more
interesting pieces. Here it is for anybody interested... dunno if it makes
a lot of sense to anybody but me...
Writing Checklist - things to mention in a story
-----------------
use unexpected things -- they are refreshing
settings:
time
Color
bright/dark
size
temperature
humidity
texture
wet/dry/sticky
soft/hard
shiny/dull
smell -- mainline to emotions
sounds
echoic/dead ambience
loud/quiet ambience
height
angle (incline/lean/pov)
activity/peacefulness
relaxed/tension
people:
personality (see below)
movement
clothes
hair -- color, style, length, shiny/dull
eyes -- iris, pupils, lashes, eye shape, eyebrow
height
build
mouth
fingernails
earrings, other piercings
ornaments:
necklace
brooch
rings
anklets
bracelets
watch
belt
footwear & gloves
characters make mistakes
- misinterpret what others mean
- go the wrong way
- look in wrong direction
- pick up wrong thing
- jump to wrong conclusion
characters say/do unexpected things
characters look before they leap and question before they do
make use of characters' lack of knowledge to ask questions in order to make
expository lumps more digestible (e.g. "What was the name of that thing
that 'death' carries?" "A scythe?" "Yes, he cut them with a scythe.")
People have different traits, mental capabilities, blind spots, and
failings... annoying & pleasant attributes & quirks
- quickness of mind
- irascibility/calmness
- perceptiveness
- observant
- judgemental/tolerant
- needing approval/confident
- quiet/loud
- fast/slow talker
- graceful movements/clumsy
- suave/awkward
- centered-calm/flighty-excitable
- nervous/self-assured/defensive
- open to new things/entrenched
- mannerisms (voluntary & involuntary)
- habits of speech (common phrases)
- flexible/obstinate
- optimist/pessimist
- sense of humor/serious
- verbal skills
- trusting/suspicious
- care of physical appearance
- physique (endo/meso/ectomorph)
At 10:24 AM 30/01/2001 -0600, Bullard, Claude L \(Len\) wrote:
>http://www.ai.mit.edu/people/jcma/papers/1986-ai-memo-871/subsection3_8_1.html
>
>
>Y'all might enjoy that as more food for thought. The notions of
>plot molecules are interesting.
>
>"Plot units provide a unvalidated but nevertheless interesting vocabulary
>for designating affective relationships and their combinations. In this
>research, they are used to describe many emotional consequences for
>participants in events and actions. Working within ``conceptual dependency''
>theory [88], Lehnert identified various combinations of plot units for use
>in summarizing narrative texts. These ``story molecules'' relate changes in
>actors' affects to successes and failures in the resolutions of problems
>involving them...:
>
>Len
>http://www.mp3.com/LenBullard
>
>Ekam sat.h, Vipraah bahudhaa vadanti.
>Daamyata. Datta. Dayadhvam.h
Q. What is the similarity between an elephant and a grape?
A. They are both purple... except for the elephant.
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