[Writer Post] Using Other Media to Enhance Writing
This isn’t a fan fiction post – this time. This is an “I truly believe in using other media for inspiration” post. Other media – like television, movies, and even music – can inspire and enhance your writing. Not only does it help provide plot bunnies for future projects, but can help with the study of theme, background, and pacing. I’ve touched on pacing with fan fiction, but it applies to all your writing.
I’ve always been a television watcher – close to an addict, probably. Being an only child and single for much of my adult life can do that to a person. I would have the TV on for other voices in the house. Study has taught me to channel the noise into something productive. I touched on this in my tribute to Stephen Cannell.
Which brings me to something else television and acting have done to influence my writing. My mother – who’s also a writer – and I had a conversation a couple of weeks ago about TV shows she likes vs. TV my dad likes. And it’s something that’s come up before with my folks. My mom never liked Roseanne or Thirty-Something– not because of the people involved, but because it was “too much like real life”. She didn’t find them entertaining because our family was dealing with the same issues. Now, though, Mom loves Parenthood because she CAN relate to the relationships in it. DAD is the one that finds it un-entertaining. HOWEVER, Dad (and I, for that matter) really like No Ordinary Family.
Now, No Ordinary Family deals with many of the same issues that Parenthood and other family oriented shows do, but what makes it different is HOW the issues are presented – layered under learning how to deal with superpowers. What I think it does, is what we should all endeavor to do with our creative endeavors – deal with things in Real Life in entertaining manners. I love SF/F for being able to do that most. It’s obviously “not writing what you know” per se – perhaps extrapolating it into unforeseeable futures or possibilities. I mean, who’s actually been in a plane crash in Brazil and then developed Super Speed? Seriously? But how many people have wished they could do more in 24 hours in order to be the perfect parent/student/person?
I’ll admit I’m not as diligent as others when it comes to developing character backstories for a lot of my writing, but recently, I’ve had some interesting thoughts on this. I’m going to be in my church’s Christmas play on December 19. The character is much different from me; therefore, I actually have to “act”. My co-actor gave me some material that had some interesting things to say about creating the life of the character instead of just memorizing lines. It’s given me some pause for thought as I delve into the life of a 1900s coal mining wife with three children. The course material I read through came from actor, Ken Farmer. Now I have some reason to understand the use and true importance of backstory (and not just from dimensionality of character), but in how we don’t have to write what we “know”, but what we can imagine.
Now it’s time to go put this into practice. Oh, and go check out No Ordinary Family on ABC on Tuesday nights. Not only are Julie Benz and Michael Chiklis AWESOME, but Stephen Collins actually makes are Darned Good Big Bad. I’m going to go do some more writing.