Writing as if you have tiny claymation figurines in front of you acting out the plotline also makes things easier. (This should not be taken as criticism of JKR, I think it's brilliant that she creates forceful imagery with fewer words which can slow dramatic momentum.... if you say 'Ginny shouted, beside herself', that conveys just as much as if you say 'Ginny had gone red in the face, was swaying agitatedly and so on and so forth.') JKR does not shy away from exploring more detailed descriptions, in fact, she gives almost painstakingly exact accounts of what are arguably less important elements of the story (the Twins' joke shop etc); however, when she thinks such attentions might distract from a central conflict or pivotal scene, she abandons them in favor of brevity- using fewer words to show the same thing, then moving along.
With movies, you can do both. We (will) see the expansive awesome that is the joke shop, and we (will) hear that Ginny is beside herself when Ron calls her out as a harlot. For authors, the challenge of showing rather than telling is difficult- having Harry magically intuit that someone is upset, or that danger is approaching, isnt as dramatic or as interesting to readers as it would be to make them do the work. We know that the Department of Mysteries scenes in OoTP/ Dumbledore Tower Scenario in HBP are going to go badly long before they really do- JKR writes a suspenseful, if somewhat drawn out, moment that captures readers. Movies can do this with lighting and some voilin music. A picture is worth a thousand words, I am sure that the dramatic climax of OoTP, which lasted dozens of pages, could be cut into five minutes of film. Would it do the pages justice? Maybe not.
Perhaps because imagination is harder to come by, and more difficult to enrich and inspire these days (such a depressing thought), but giving people a solid, physical presence to connect with is an effective means of communicating your story. Kids with creative tendencies can picture Harry vividly enough from the books alone to satisfy them- I have a nine year old cousin who flat out refuses to see the films because he likes the images he has in his head and knows that the movies would only conflict with his imaginary world he has based off the books (I think the removal of Draco-as-tabloid-informant in the GoF movie would make his head explode). Fair enough. And JKR allows for that- by sparing us the lengthy details, she leaves more room for kids like him to elaborate by themselves (he also suspects that Ginny will get Harry another Quidditch book for his birthday, because there has to be more than one and he has read 'Quidditch Through the Ages' too many times. That probably won't be included in Book 7, but probably won't be ruled out, either.)
On the other hand, some people don't read the books until they've seen the movies, and then forever have Rupert/Dan/Emma as their mind's Trio. And because JKR never directly contradicts that (aside from that green eyes/blue eyes trick of Harry's...dont even get me started), it works for them. JKR may have them doing more elaborate things and involved in more complicated plots, but the basic template stays the same.
I like to think that JKR isnt thinking of the movies when she writes the books- clearly she wasnt at first, but even she is human, and even she must have an inkling of the theatrical "wow" that could be the final Tower scenes of HBP. (I say could be because...well, handled poorly they could also be a complete farce). Maybe she just wants to leave imagination wiggle room- which seems almost redundant when talking about a school full of wizards, but you know what I mean- so that kids like my cousin can extrapolate things like 'Ron makes a mean egg sandwich' from the text.
Um, I feel like this is very long and probably not very full of sense-making. I think you're very smart and wise, and full of insightful ideas and comments. And, yes.
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Re: Greetings and...yes....continued
Date: 2006-12-13 09:25 pm (UTC)With movies, you can do both. We (will) see the expansive awesome that is the joke shop, and we (will) hear that Ginny is beside herself when Ron calls her out as a harlot. For authors, the challenge of showing rather than telling is difficult- having Harry magically intuit that someone is upset, or that danger is approaching, isnt as dramatic or as interesting to readers as it would be to make them do the work. We know that the Department of Mysteries scenes in OoTP/ Dumbledore Tower Scenario in HBP are going to go badly long before they really do- JKR writes a suspenseful, if somewhat drawn out, moment that captures readers. Movies can do this with lighting and some voilin music. A picture is worth a thousand words, I am sure that the dramatic climax of OoTP, which lasted dozens of pages, could be cut into five minutes of film. Would it do the pages justice? Maybe not.
Perhaps because imagination is harder to come by, and more difficult to enrich and inspire these days (such a depressing thought), but giving people a solid, physical presence to connect with is an effective means of communicating your story. Kids with creative tendencies can picture Harry vividly enough from the books alone to satisfy them- I have a nine year old cousin who flat out refuses to see the films because he likes the images he has in his head and knows that the movies would only conflict with his imaginary world he has based off the books (I think the removal of Draco-as-tabloid-informant in the GoF movie would make his head explode). Fair enough. And JKR allows for that- by sparing us the lengthy details, she leaves more room for kids like him to elaborate by themselves (he also suspects that Ginny will get Harry another Quidditch book for his birthday, because there has to be more than one and he has read 'Quidditch Through the Ages' too many times. That probably won't be included in Book 7, but probably won't be ruled out, either.)
On the other hand, some people don't read the books until they've seen the movies, and then forever have Rupert/Dan/Emma as their mind's Trio. And because JKR never directly contradicts that (aside from that green eyes/blue eyes trick of Harry's...dont even get me started), it works for them. JKR may have them doing more elaborate things and involved in more complicated plots, but the basic template stays the same.
I like to think that JKR isnt thinking of the movies when she writes the books- clearly she wasnt at first, but even she is human, and even she must have an inkling of the theatrical "wow" that could be the final Tower scenes of HBP. (I say could be because...well, handled poorly they could also be a complete farce). Maybe she just wants to leave imagination wiggle room- which seems almost redundant when talking about a school full of wizards, but you know what I mean- so that kids like my cousin can extrapolate things like 'Ron makes a mean egg sandwich' from the text.
Um, I feel like this is very long and probably not very full of sense-making. I think you're very smart and wise, and full of insightful ideas and comments. And, yes.