I’ve been watching Gilmore Girls (which I missed when broadcast) because of the wit. What I didn’t expect was a lesson on defenses and resistance to change. While Lorelei will use wise cracks to connect (especially with her daughter), she also uses them for other reasons. To establish dominance (often, proving the other person is not as erudite because they miss references). She makes jokes as a holding action, hoping either to distract and avoid a conversation that’s uncomfortable or to avoid answering a question. She even uses humor to soothe herself, telling jokes that are just for her.
In Nurse Jackie, the title character uses lies for all the same reasons. Characters in other stories use altruism and moral codes and manipulation (including putting others to work on his or her behalf) and authority.
It gets worse (twisting intentions like connection and self-soothing) when the go-to responses are anger, threats, and force. And it isn’t just villains who turn to the dark side. Heroes (and heroines) can get mean, too. Think of how nasty George Bailey gets in It’s a Wonderful Life when the money goes missing, even turning on his children. It is a courageous writer who dares to expose such a negative side of a beloved character. Soon afterward, George is reckless, bitter, drunk, and suicidal. He hits bottom.
Once he hits bottom, he’s ready to have a healthier view of his role in the community. He can see that his sacrifices have made a difference in the lives of people he cares about. He can recognized a level of pride/arrogance that separates him from others. He can see, for the first time, how much they truly value him.
If he hadn’t fallen so far, the ending of It’s a Wonderful Life wouldn’t be so uplifting and memorable.
Tragedy works that way, too. From Hamlet to Camelot to Braveheart to Nurse Jackie the protagonists go from high hopes to disaster.
For happy endings, the character hits bottom and makes a change, recognizing a flaw that must be managed (or eliminated) or a perspective that leads to disaster. A craving, like drug addiction must be controlled. Being blind to harmful behaviors must be faced. A corrosive community (or family) must be abandoned or a healthy community (or family) must be engaged with more deeply. A talent or gift must be shared for the good of others. A wound must be healed.
None of these are easy to accomplish. The proof is in how hard the character must hit bottom before the change is accepted or becomes a new behavior.
And before hitting bottom, the snarky comments must fail to stop the fall. The protective rules must fail to shield the character. Threats and anger must lead to intolerable results. The identity of the character must break and so it can be remade.
For tragic endings, though there may be consolations (like the survival of the son and his innocence in Life Is Beautiful or the pregnancy in Braveheart), the protagonist is sacrificed, often before change can be accomplished. Often, the audience is left with “what ifs,” able to imagine a path to a happy ending (and change) that was missed.
Writers love their characters. The pain of hitting bottom (and sharing that suffering) can be too much. (And for some audiences, it may be too much. The gruesome ending of Se7en would overwhelm most moviegoers.) Knowing what hitting bottom would look like does not dictate the “right” ending. But imagining it can show the way to what the best ending might be.
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July courses
July 5-August 1
Crank up the efficiency and get that novel, short story, article or script DONE.
Through
exercises, evaluations, tips and technologies, you can learn to write
faster. Discover how to break through blocks, get ideas, develop plots,
draft and polish in less time without losing quality.
July 5-30
One reason we come to fiction is to experience the changes characters go through. And, while the external journey from maid to princess or farmer to Jedi knight may create engaging challenges, we identify with characters because they learn how to trust others or master their tempers or become their true selves. They go on journeys where they learn who they are and how they fit in. They overcome their flaws, form connections, grow up and heal.
The internal change is shaped and forced by their external tasks, giving them arcs that delight readers. This class will help participants to honestly assess the flaws in characters they love. They’ll look to how hard choices avoided make things worse and how choices faced with courage bring growth, understanding… and credible happy endings.
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