tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post889581317509661577..comments2024-03-25T12:56:59.509-04:00Comments on alien romances: "When I Saw the ET...."Rowena Cherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11839386556697211986noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-8507883483674722462008-05-22T18:36:00.000-04:002008-05-22T18:36:00.000-04:00Margaret:Yes, this is a fascinating exercise in ch...Margaret:<BR/><BR/>Yes, this is a fascinating exercise in characterization both of the "I" character and the civilization or society "I" belongs to. <BR/><BR/>Xenophobia and how people respond to the possible threat of a STRANGER AMONG US tells so very much about the responder and nothing about the stranger. <BR/><BR/>Putting the stranger in a "helpless" or possibly helpless position creates the CONFLICT which is the essence of story.<BR/><BR/>Here you have the subconscious nightmare of your very civilization -- the "stranger" who is always a "danger" -- and that nightmare is itself trapped. <BR/><BR/>That's a semantically loaded word, "trapped." <BR/><BR/>If an ally or potential friend is trapped, you help. But if a rattlesnake or tiger is "trapped" what do you do? <BR/><BR/>The conflict here is the need to flee vs. the need to help. It's a primal internal conflict expressed in semantically loaded terms. <BR/><BR/>You're right, this is a brilliant exercise. <BR/><BR/>Now build a world and a character with that conflict etched in primal fire and you'll have a best seller.<BR/><BR/>Jacqueline Lichtenberg<BR/>http://www.simegen.com/jl/Jacqueline Lichtenberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01613040740264804278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-83021064782982932352008-05-22T17:01:00.000-04:002008-05-22T17:01:00.000-04:00When I saw the vampire flap at my window I told th...When I saw the vampire flap at my window I told the thing to bloody bugger off I'm trying to get some sleep.<BR/>When I saw the vampire still flapping at my window I swatted it with my tennis racket, then told it to go home I want to get some sleep.<BR/>I am beginning to get the hang of this. Oh there's probably a theme there as well, sleep.<BR/>Thanks for the link, it was worth the read.<BR/>NatalieNatalie Hatchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09377665702278806398noreply@blogger.com