Storytelling
Frosty the snowman, is a fairytale they say.
He was made of snow but the children know
How he came to life one day.
I am running out of songs to use! LOL. But I like Frosty because the song is telling a story (a ballad!!), which relates to the topic of tonight's entry. Instead of giving you an account of my day, which was laughably dull, I'll go into a little discourse about storytelling and my thoughts on it and such. Should be a fun read (I hope).
All cultures use storytelling to convey messages. Mostly they're about like how to live your life, what not to do, and virtues are rewarded and all. The morality play and all that. And while those are good, and I think a certain amount of that is necessary, it's a bit naive. Like, in the real world, virtue isn't always rewarded (at least in a tangible way), there are many different ideologies and things about how to behave, and the like.
Which is one reason I like modern television so much. Honestly. They deal with real issues, relevant issues, and often the unsavory side of life. Prostitutes, gamblers, addicts. Serial killers! Like, Dexter is one of my favorite shows now. The character is just so real, you know? And we all deal with those violent urges and such. I think there's something noble about taking the hand you're dealt (for Dexter, being a serial killer. It's like an urge for him) and making the best of it (only killing other serial killers and in so doing saving others. And being a detective.) And, I watched an episode of Criminal Minds that made me cry. It was about a serial killer who killed young blond women, and he befriended a blind boy whose mother he killed. And just the way he was so sweet to the boy... it was touching. The guy died in the end, which was why I cried. Because he wasn't a bad person, just someone who needed help, and in his own special way the boy was doing that. Shows like that, that make you see things from the other side... they promote kindness and understanding better than any morality play or fairy tale ever could, in my opinion.
And you have shows like House, which completely draw you in and make you CARE so much. And have characters so real and multi-dimensional that you can write a thousand different things and it's all plausible, like for real people. I've been reading fanfiction, and the realy good stuff is like, it's playing on the TV in your head as you read it. It's so amazing.
Which transitions nicely into writing. It's an art, it really is (and that's not just the writer in me talking). You read things and you're like "WOW!" and literally that is all you can say. The author has taken the world inside his mind and transported it onto the page, and from there to YOUR mind and thoughts. I've learned so much about the world and myself through reading and writing. Like, you find a character that you realy get, and really relate to, and then it's like "WHY is this character so meaningful?" And then you learn something about you, or your world view.
And sometimes, just escaping from reality is enough to learn. I delve into the world of Alagaesia or Hogwarts or even PPTH and just BE there, you know, not thinking what I'm going to say or do next. And it's a little respite for my mind, and some new outlook or idea or solution can come. It broadens your thinking, because you start to think like the characters. Or the author; I do that more than the characters. And it's just nice.
People that are truly gifted storytellers- writers, comic book artists, actors, dancers- are doing this world a tremendous service. Not even the ones that do those "this-is-an-allegory-let's fix-this-real-life-societal-problem" things (which are awesome, don't get me wrong!), but all of them. They offer perspectives, escapes, understanding, and new ideas. And the stories they tell resonate with all of us, because, if you think about it, aren't our LIVES a story? And don't we wish it for it to be like what we see or read? Adventure, true love, obstacles overcome. It's uplifting, because that's HOPE. And isn't it conveyed beautifully in all these stories?
He was made of snow but the children know
How he came to life one day.
I am running out of songs to use! LOL. But I like Frosty because the song is telling a story (a ballad!!), which relates to the topic of tonight's entry. Instead of giving you an account of my day, which was laughably dull, I'll go into a little discourse about storytelling and my thoughts on it and such. Should be a fun read (I hope).
All cultures use storytelling to convey messages. Mostly they're about like how to live your life, what not to do, and virtues are rewarded and all. The morality play and all that. And while those are good, and I think a certain amount of that is necessary, it's a bit naive. Like, in the real world, virtue isn't always rewarded (at least in a tangible way), there are many different ideologies and things about how to behave, and the like.
Which is one reason I like modern television so much. Honestly. They deal with real issues, relevant issues, and often the unsavory side of life. Prostitutes, gamblers, addicts. Serial killers! Like, Dexter is one of my favorite shows now. The character is just so real, you know? And we all deal with those violent urges and such. I think there's something noble about taking the hand you're dealt (for Dexter, being a serial killer. It's like an urge for him) and making the best of it (only killing other serial killers and in so doing saving others. And being a detective.) And, I watched an episode of Criminal Minds that made me cry. It was about a serial killer who killed young blond women, and he befriended a blind boy whose mother he killed. And just the way he was so sweet to the boy... it was touching. The guy died in the end, which was why I cried. Because he wasn't a bad person, just someone who needed help, and in his own special way the boy was doing that. Shows like that, that make you see things from the other side... they promote kindness and understanding better than any morality play or fairy tale ever could, in my opinion.
And you have shows like House, which completely draw you in and make you CARE so much. And have characters so real and multi-dimensional that you can write a thousand different things and it's all plausible, like for real people. I've been reading fanfiction, and the realy good stuff is like, it's playing on the TV in your head as you read it. It's so amazing.
Which transitions nicely into writing. It's an art, it really is (and that's not just the writer in me talking). You read things and you're like "WOW!" and literally that is all you can say. The author has taken the world inside his mind and transported it onto the page, and from there to YOUR mind and thoughts. I've learned so much about the world and myself through reading and writing. Like, you find a character that you realy get, and really relate to, and then it's like "WHY is this character so meaningful?" And then you learn something about you, or your world view.
And sometimes, just escaping from reality is enough to learn. I delve into the world of Alagaesia or Hogwarts or even PPTH and just BE there, you know, not thinking what I'm going to say or do next. And it's a little respite for my mind, and some new outlook or idea or solution can come. It broadens your thinking, because you start to think like the characters. Or the author; I do that more than the characters. And it's just nice.
People that are truly gifted storytellers- writers, comic book artists, actors, dancers- are doing this world a tremendous service. Not even the ones that do those "this-is-an-allegory-let's fix-this-real-life-societal-problem" things (which are awesome, don't get me wrong!), but all of them. They offer perspectives, escapes, understanding, and new ideas. And the stories they tell resonate with all of us, because, if you think about it, aren't our LIVES a story? And don't we wish it for it to be like what we see or read? Adventure, true love, obstacles overcome. It's uplifting, because that's HOPE. And isn't it conveyed beautifully in all these stories?