tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151648620999578441.post6787338369640338075..comments2023-09-27T08:03:12.568-04:00Comments on Damn the Man! Save the Empire!: Mythbusters, Soap Style - Part FourTomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05409103030213785080noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151648620999578441.post-78458693806001618572008-12-08T23:02:00.000-05:002008-12-08T23:02:00.000-05:00The plot over characterization thing was one of th...The plot over characterization thing was one of the rants used by myself and others on the old AOL SOD boards back in the late 90s. I wish I had my exact phrasing and reasons behind the complaint saved. <BR/><BR/>On another forum (delphi) they used to have something called PNN which stood for plot necessitated nonsense, which stood for stupid things that happened for the sake of the plot.<BR/><BR/>There is a difference between having a story based around characters and something that occurs just for grins and giggles that doesn't fit what we already know about them. It is the shoehorning that would get me the most annoyed and there has been a time or two when this kind of information has become public to those of us in the viewing audience.<BR/><BR/>Having a stunt (like a flood, blizzard, or tornado) sometimes is fine, but there shouldn't be one each and every sweeps month. The reaction of the characters should be in character. <BR/><BR/>Also, stories shouldn't climax all within a short amount of time with plot, plot and more plot. Pacing is needed as is time for us to feel the emotional ramifications. OLTL fell into that trap after the writer's strike ended. There was a good five weeks where there was story explosions every couple of days (one week they had three different ABC promos), though after that ended things just went into this lull and then into the campy Mendorra and 1968 plots.blhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07446533843513890208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151648620999578441.post-56069733444026507212008-12-03T11:46:00.000-05:002008-12-03T11:46:00.000-05:00in total agreement with the second anonymous comme...in total agreement with the second anonymous comment delineating between plot and plot-driven character.<BR/><BR/>my taste has always gravitated toward plots where the conflicts between and among characters begin with the emotional conflicts within each character, which used to be the norm for daytime soaps, which i understand is not the taste of all soap viewers. <BR/><BR/>but doug marland's observation: " when the audience says, ‘he would never do that,' then you have failed," still holds. even worse, is having no idea why a character is behaving a they are. <BR/><BR/>why did paul attack dusty this week on "as the world turns?" beats the hell out of me, and i expect the actors as well. i suspect the answer is so paul could get shot -- the definition of plot-driven character -- which for me (and i suspect many others) is more ff material.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151648620999578441.post-27646778760957094342008-12-02T19:32:00.000-05:002008-12-02T19:32:00.000-05:00Not having any formal training in writing, I confe...Not having any formal training in writing, I confess I've never really understood the "plot-driven" criticism of modern soap writing. The big adventure stories on <I>Days</I> in the 80s are what got me hooked on soaps. (Well, that and the hot men...) I guess that's because the characters were well-developed and, as you point out, their actions made sense within the larger stories. <BR/><BR/>I don't spend much time on message boards, but even in comments on our site I'm amazed when people are able to hone in on what they don't like about a soap to something like "the writing is too plot-driven." I'm usually just reduced to "OMG, this sucks!" or "this makes no effing sense, you jackasses!" I'm going to have to study up on my technical terms.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151648620999578441.post-65511913814457681432008-12-02T19:30:00.000-05:002008-12-02T19:30:00.000-05:00Do you mean to conflate plot and plot-driven? Bec...Do you mean to conflate <I>plot</I> and <I>plot-driven</I>? Because I don't think anyone is saying get rid of plot, if the definition of <I>plot</I> is a superstructure which moves story forward and facilitates character development. Obviously, plot is necessary. And its absence can be painful, ITA.<BR/><BR/>But <I>plot-driven</I> means the exact opoosite of that, IMO--not a superstructure at all, but something more like a tumor. Something that is <I>not</I> grounded in fundamentals or previous examples or historical referents; but something which takes over, ignores character, rewrites history, and builds without reference to any existing foundation.<BR/><BR/>With all due respect, saying I don't want a plot-driven show is not the same thing as saying I don't want a plot--it <I>is</I> the same thing as saying I want a show built on that existing foundation, not in spite of it. And it seems to me that's not a failing on the part of fans or their understanding. But it might be one on the part of writers (and an officious network executive or two).<BR/><BR/>As for Myths 1 & 2? Couldn't agree more. That quickcut thing drives me nucking futs.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151648620999578441.post-2054877100471092342008-12-02T17:27:00.000-05:002008-12-02T17:27:00.000-05:00As you stated Tom, plot driven means characters ar...As you stated Tom, plot driven means characters are shoe-horned in to fit a story. That should never happen. If you are writing for a character -- you will tell stories that develop and show other sides of that character. Sadly, that is what ATWT has become over the last few years. Righ now, Y&R is the only show consistently doing character driven story.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151648620999578441.post-36460829850386480562008-12-02T14:10:00.000-05:002008-12-02T14:10:00.000-05:00I don't mind plot driven storylines, and agree plo...I don't mind plot driven storylines, and agree plot is needed, but it makes more sense when writers add characters to the plot who serve to enhance it instead of detract from it. If they're going to add characters to the plot who are seemingly out of place, at least give fans some way of understanding how the characters got there. Case in point? The BnB and the back and forth relationships between Brooke Logan and Ridge Forrester, no Nick Marone, no Ridge, wait Nick, ah yes, it's Ridge! Brooke was never a 'waffler' before and never pledged love to multiple men, before. The show lost ratings, the character lost fans, and the BRidge pairing - which was EPIC for the BnB, lost credibility. What a pity.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151648620999578441.post-91535816697904861242008-12-02T10:59:00.000-05:002008-12-02T10:59:00.000-05:00I think this is an excellent myth to bust. Plot is...I think this is an excellent myth to bust. Plot is important to any story because it IS the story and I'm glad you made the distinction between a properly written plot driven story (one that allows the characters to grow organically) and one that isn't the best (forcing characters to act unlike themselves with little to no explanation). I think a lot of times people see "the event" happening on their shows, and not just soaps, and immediately write it off as a plot driven story that will not actually change anything and won't be good in the long run.Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00161555310173450919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151648620999578441.post-29100860209273411022008-12-02T10:58:00.000-05:002008-12-02T10:58:00.000-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00161555310173450919noreply@blogger.com