Jar-Jar the Unlikeable Evil

If you’ve been reading my blog for quite a while, you may remember how I used to publish posts under the heading “The Writing Files”. While I did abandon these quite a while ago, I am now resuming them as I delve even deeper into the world of writing. Though I am by no means extremely experienced in the field, I will attempt to give advice or to write on the topic to the best of my ability. Just a lil’ advice. Take everything I say with a grain of salt.

I know it’s probably beating a dead horse (poor George Lucas probably wishes that horse was buried), but there’s never been a character quite like Jar Jar Binks. The collective hatred he has garnered over the years may seem warranted or unwarranted given the side you err on, but either way, he is generally considered to be an unlikeable character.

Now, I could go on to write a blog post about what a likeable character or even just a good character should be written like, but I’m not going to do that. Instead, I’d like to discuss something else more fundamentally important: does a character have to be likeable to work in a story?

The simple answer: no. But the reason behind it is just as important as the simple answer.

In the vast Star Wars saga, there are many beloved characters who fall on both the dark and light sides. While people like to cheer on their heroes such as Luke Skywalker and Rey, they also like to hate the villain. Just take a look at the 501st Legion, an organization solely dedicated to cosplaying primarily as the villains from the Star Wars universe. If fans can equally adore both good and bad characters, what characters are unlikeable? Part of the problem, I think, comes from the idea of liking the villain, because lets be honest: if Darth Vader was chasing you down and preparing to kill you, I think you’d be far from begging for his autograph.

This is one of the key parts to understanding the issue. Villains may be regarded with awe or even are preferred, but when it comes down to it, we don’t really like them. We don’t prefer them, love them, or root for them to win (unless it’s Suicide Squad we’re watching and then all bets are off). We cosplay as them at Comic Con because we feel safe in the security that these are fictional terrors and thus will never be as frightening to us as they are to the characters within the realm of the silver screen.

This is the first, important point I want to make. The antagonists of stories are often regarded as favorites not due to their likability, but rather because of their roles as the big bad guys. Joker is easily regarded as the best DC villain not because he is likeable, but because he is remarkably good at being the antagonist to Batman. We like them because they perform a duty and do it really, really well.

So. If a character does not need to be likeable, then why is Jar-Jar Binks hated? Well, lets take a look at another sometimes-despised character, Zendaya’s Michelle. Now, this has nothing to do with the actress and everything to do with the character. Michelle is a bit of a snoop as well as a loner and besides that, she’s just plain ornery. She says obnoxious things, refuses to take part in activities due to historical injustices, and is generally a kill-joy. *Spoiler alert!* “Michelle” is revealed at the end of the film to be the renowned MJ of the Spiderman Universe.

Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. If you’ve ever read the comics or even watched the original Sam Raimi films, you’ll know that Mary Jane Watson is a bright, bubbly person who brings light into the often-dark world that Spiderman inhabits. She comes from a tragic past, yet manages to be complex and also human as she attempts to be a friend to not only Peter, but also everyone else she knows. I say this not to rant against the diversifying of the MCU, but to instead point out that the MJ of the comics was a fully fledged character who managed to be shown as a human with struggles despite the fact that she was often in the shadows of other big characters. Zendaya’s MJ shows up sporadically through the film whenever Spiderman happens to make it to school and is – again – a grump throughout the majority of it. We don’t understand why she seems to have an interest in hanging around Peter and Ned, why she acts the way she does, why she is anything.

You could say the second point I’m trying to make is that if a character is not likeable, they should least be understood. Often antagonists or secondary sidekicks are these sort of characters who while not necessarily likeable, are definitely understood. For goodness sake, Voldemort, one of the most loathed characters in Harry Potter, is given a backstory!

Ultimately, why does Jar-Jar Binks fail? He has no role and he is not understandable. He was George Lucas’ way to shoehorn more lightheartedness and humor into the story. While Ahmed Best gave it his all, he may have wanted to pull back or even have a talk with the director on this one. After all, if George Lucas could make fluffy teddy bears in the forest relevant to the plot, how far off is an alien from Naboo?

 

Advertisements

Book Review: Lucky 8

There’s nothing quite like summer and one of the best parts is reading spooky tales around a campfire or in the backyard under the stars. I recently picked up a great middle-grade series to sate any desires for such reads, written by Lea Taddonio and illustrated by Alessia Trunfio.

For twins Makayla and Liam Park, moving is one thing. Moving into a house that was built on the site of an evil witch is another. When Liam finds a magic eight ball that begins to speak to them, Makayla wants to toss it. That is, until the magic eight ball begins to affect other things, like their new school routine. Little by little, the twins come to discover that the magic eight ball is not what it seems and that the spirit who is controlling it is directly linked to the witch’s curse. The only question – what really happened all those years ago? And where is the evil witch now?

With fun text and colorful illustrations, Lucky 8 is definitely a series worth picking up. The story is simple, yet well thought-out and the main characters are engaging. I will say that these books are super fast reads, so you might find yourself handing these to your first or second graders instead of twelve-year olds [for verification, the text in here is equal to what one might find in one of the level 2 or level 3 beginning reader books available at most public libraries].

Alessia Trunfio of Instagram acclaim does a brilliant job at injecting color and vibrance into this series and Lea Taddonio does a wonderful job with her writing. Either way, I recommend you pick this series up. The lightweight nature of the books make them easy to take with you on a vacation, camping trip, or other fun adventure!

(T.hough as a library employee I highly recommend you return the books before your due date. For your own good).

Subbing Since Page 20

If you’ve been reading my blog for quite a while, you may remember how I used to publish posts under the heading “The Writing Files”. While I did abandon these quite a while ago, I am now resuming them as I delve even deeper into the world of writing. Though I am by no means extremely experienced in the field, I will attempt to give advice or to write on the topic to the best of my ability.

I was recently reading a book from the library and I noticed something rather interesting. I found myself longing not to read about the main character’s main story, but about their subplot of trying to train a dog. Why, you may ask? The problem lay in the fact that the main plot had very little to with the subplot. This same weekend, I watched a video from the Youtuber, Lessons From the Screenplay. His video essay on subplots using Hidden Figures as an example, caused me to realize where the problem lay with the book I was reading. Here is his conclusion in rough form:

“If a conclusion doesn’t thematically contradict or resonate the Controlling Idea of the main plot, if it doesn’t set up the introduction of the main plot’s Inciting Incident, or complicates the action on the main plot, if it merely runs alongside, it will split the story down the middle and destroy its effect.”

This quote is taken from Robert McKee’s Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting. In plain terms it means that a subplot should serve to expand upon the story’s main theme or to complicate the main plot. Han and Leia’s flight in the Millenium Falcon is a good example of a subplot that complicates the main plot (i.e. Luke’s attempt to become a Jedi). In the video essay, Hidden Figures was used to illustrate examples of subplots that serve to expand the story’s main theme.

I thought I’d take a look at my own current work and try to analyze whether the subplots I have work to do one or the other. Hopefully, such a process will prove useful to all of you when you attempt to decipher for yourself whether the subplot in your current work falls in one of these two categories.

Step #1: Identify the main theme of your work, if it has one.

Okay, my story’s main(ish) protagonist is a girl who constantly struggles to make choices. Does she make them in light of her mother’s promise to keep her family together, or does she do as she wishes? So you could say the main theme is choice, with two subheadings of freedom and loyalty.

Step #2: What are each of the plots about?

The main character’s plot is about making the choice to go after her family to salvage what remains of them. One of the subplots is about trying to find a wizard who is highly involved in each of the character’s lives. Another subplot is about the ruling of the country and how the choices made up top affect those down below. The last subplot deals with whether you choose to rebel against the ruling power or whether you stay loyal. So, I guess you could say that several of the subplots do serve to continue the main theme of choice.

Step #3: Which of the two categories do these movies fall into?

Definitely the first.

That is roughly my process for deciding what kind of subplot I have. However, to discover whether the subplot is essential or not, it is rather simple to find an answer. Ask yourself: will removing this subplot from the story effect it negatively? If the answer is yes, the plot is integral. If you answered no, then remove it. Be careful before completely cutting a subplot; often you may find yourself saying no because the subplot only serves to grow character. Just think of The Empire Strikes Back when you are tempted to cut it. The subplot concerning the passengers of the Millenium Falcon may not be action-packed, but it is certainly important to developing the characters, including Luke who sees their fortune through flashbacks.

The next time you’re writing and your character’s paths start to diverge, think carefully about the importance of each path and how one supports the other. Or, like me, you could not plan at all and be pleasantly surprised to find out that the rest of your planning worked out for the subplots as well. But you didn’t hear it from me.

Comment what writing advice you have and whether you found this advice helpful!

The Divergent Series

I’m not one to jump on a bandwagon. Things that are trendy or in vogue are not particularly appealing to me, lessened by the fact that they are as popular as they are. Given this fact, I could not have cared in the least when the YA trend swept by several years back. The Hunger Games, Divergent, and Maze Runner were among the numerous series to be celebrated and slated for blockbuster films, but I was not one of the crowds to surge to a library so I could read the next installment before the film came out. I did read The Hunger Games before it was made into a popular film, but that was also when I was reading George Orwell so – social commentary? Either way, it’s taken years and years for me to actually read even another book targeted for youths of my age.

That is, until my friend asked me to read the Divergent series by Veronica Roth. I finished it over the course of the weekend, but not because it was a particularly pleasurable read. In fact, I recommend you stay away from the series. With as much kindness as I can summon, I tell you that the writing is poor, the worldview questionable, and the content too mature that it should not be dwelt upon, least of all by adolescents with raging hormones.

While I am not prone to do negative book reviews, I think a good lesson can be learned from them as a writer. With that in mind, I’d like to point out the specific points that I thought were a significant detriment to what could have been an otherwise enjoyable series. I will not be focusing on questionable moral points, as each person has a different set of guidelines for what is safe for their household. I am merely attempting to point out the writing mistakes that I think really caused the story to be less enjoyable.

Tris’ Obsession With Four – I know that YA books seem to have a prerequisite about romance, but there is a clear difference between a romantic attraction and obsession. For the majority of the books, Tris’ thoughts bounce between being worried about her status as a secret Divergent and how much she thinks Four is hot. Or she wants to run her hands through his hair. Or something equally disgusting. (If you can’t tell, I tend to skip those sections). I’m good with an old-fashioned romance story, but romance shouldn’t quite share an equal status with something like, say, I don’t know…the story?!

Trilogy Planning – While not every author is as meticulous as J. K. Rowling, thought should be put into planning any type of series, be it trilogy, septology, or just a two-parter. Veronica Roth seems slightly guilty of having not completely thought out her book series. The two sequels are chock-full of moments that should have been set up from before we even suspected such moments would come. From shocking revelations about Tris’ mother to the truth about the Bureau’s connection with Jeanine Matthews, this vast backstory is taken for granted without any previous set up.

Characters – While many of the characters have a fair amount of personality, the one thing most of the characters tend to lack is motivation. Why does Caleb betray Tris? What causes Peter’s change of heart at the end of the series? What is up with Evelyn and Marcus? In short, the character’s motivation and change are not fully explained. While first-person points of view can often be in danger of this flaw, this series is especially guilty of it.

While I can think of some more minor flaws, they tend to fall under these major categories. As I stated before, the content of these books is rather mature and thus is not a particularly great read on that count alone. All in all, I find that most YA books tend to have these sort of flaws in abundance, a reason I don’t often find myself perusing the teen section of the library. However, I am told that there are quite a few reads in this category that are worth giving a try. Leave me a comment if you have any recommendations or just want to discuss the series!

“I Love You,” Said the Villain

If you’ve been reading my blog for quite a while, you may remember how I used to publish posts under the heading “The Writing Files”. While I did abandon these quite a while ago, I am now resuming them as I delve even deeper into the world of writing. Though I am by no means extremely experienced in the field, I will attempt to give advice or to write on the topic to the best of my ability.

So, if I’ve never told you guys this before, I’m a bit of a musical fan. I LOVE the Disney stuff (well, duh), but I also Rodgers and Hammerstein’s masterpieces, as well as a few more recent Broadway musicals such as Tuck Everlasting, Finding Neverland, etc. Recently, I discovered the 1997 animated film, Anastasia, has made it to Broadway. Updated with new songs, and a significantly longer run time, this Anastasia was reviewed poorly in comparison to its cartoon predecessor. After ensuring that it was clean, I went ahead and watched a video filming of it on Youtube.

I was disappointed.

Now, it wasn’t that the musical was bad – I could get into a whole review on it, but what I want YOU all to take away from this experience is my take on the villain, Gleb. Yes, Gleb. If you loved Rasputin and his albino bat, I hate to disappoint because their replacement is a military officer whose father pulled the trigger on Anastasia’s family. Now, while that certainly sounds like there could be plenty of conflict offered, I was disappointed to discover that this character made a scant number of appearances in the show’s overall run time – about four or five times to be exact. In each appearance his character seems a little different, but one thing is made clear: he has a thing for Anastasia. Now, that’s not to say he pursues it; the villainous part of him that wants to honor his father’s name and finish the job is unable to do so.

This is where I really want you to pay attention, because Gleb has all the potential to be an interesting villain, especially when you consider how similar he is to another famous literary/film villain. He too is in love with a young woman, but his duty not only to his job, but to what he believes his spiritual calling in life drives him to not only push her away, but destroy her so none others can have her. Can you tell who it is? If you guessed Frollo, from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, you’d be correct. Frollo is exactly the same type of villain that Gleb is, just done a little better. Why? Well, lets examine a few important points side by side and lets just see if we can’t discover why.

Note: I’ll be using the animated film as a reference for those of you who haven’t read Victor Hugo’s hefty classic.

Frollo – When we are first introduced to him, he is attempting to run down a gypsy woman who clutches a child. She makes it to the church only to die in the arms of the vicar, whom Frollo looks upon in disdain. Her child, deformed beyond belief, he takes to murder, but the vicar impresses upon him that he must not, for it is his sacred duty now to take care of the child whose mother he has driven to an early death. The disgust is plain on Frollo’s face.

Gleb – When we first see him, Gleb is singing a portion of the song “A Rumor in St. Petersburg”. The comedic and entertainment elements are high as a crowd of Russian comrades run around, half having fun, half cowering to ensure that the “equal” government doesn’t take them in for being a spy. As the song ends, Gleb runs over a street sweeper named Anya. He thinks she’s cute, asks her if she wants to share a little breakfast, and waves her off with a bit of a daft smile.

Frollo – During the expository song, “Hellfire”, Frollo not only reveals his burning desire for Esmerelda, he also clearly outlines where his belief system lies on that point, something that has been built up to at this point. Thus far we’ve seen how he treats the misfortunate and the gypsies, and we’ve seen the surprise he feels whenever Esmerelda is close to him. For “Hellfire” to reveal that he cares for her is not only surprising, but makes him all the more terrifying when he admits to the belief that killing her will purge his immortal soul of all sin.

Gleb – While Gleb’s song, “The Neva Flows” does offer a little expository background on his father’s role in the Romanov’s death, at this point we already know he has a duty to ensure that the rumored “Anastasia” does not arise and his attraction to Anya was already made clear. Learning about his father’s role in the Romanov’s death doesn’t drive the story forward; it is instead a fact that could have been told without a lengthy song.

Frollo – Ultimately, Frollo decides to continue his reign of terror and dies a grim death, but not before he has threatened every single character in the cast, as well as made Quasimodo’s quest for freedom and happiness seem near impossible.

Gleb – During one of the final numbers of the show, Anastasia sings a sad song, longing for Dimitri. In bursts Gleb, gun in hand as he goes on about how he is going to kill her and finish the job his father started. Anastasia takes this all in stride given the fact that Gleb has been an unknown enemy to her this entire show. While she and her friends have been concerned about being caught, their fear is of the Russian government as a whole, which could have served as a villain just as well as Gleb. Ultimately, Gleb’s lack of menace makes his decision not to kill Anastasia utterly unimpressive and climactic.

The biggest difference between Frollo and Gleb is their lack of appearances. Due to the fact that Gleb only appears a few times, his standing is generally unknown. Is he a villainous adversary? A sympathetic man in uniform? Who is he? If Gleb is a threat, it is never shown, which is a shame because Ramin Karimloo (who plays said villain) can certainly sing.

If you enjoyed this post and/or would like to see more posts like this, comment down below to share your thoughts!

The Boy From Tomorrow

“Hello?” Alec said, starting when the lamp in the corner flickered. Harold laughed. “Look!” Danny said. “It’s moving!” The glass piece made a whispering sound as it glided across the board. Unseen hands directed the pointer to HELLO in the upper left corner…

2015. What began as a silly game with his friends has turned into the most fascinating mystery Alec has ever discovered. When his parents divorce, Alec is relocated to an old home with plenty of history. On his first week in the new house, he and his new friends have fun with an odd “game” board in the attic – that is, until the board seems to work.

1915. Josie hates her life. Her mother, a supposed “psychic”, is a tyrant who rules their home with an iron hand. The only light in her life is her little sister, Cass, and tutor, Emily. When the three girls decide to try out her mother’s spirit board, they are met with a shocking surprise – a boy is talking to them and he claims he’s from the future.

Two times meet as, despite the time barrier between them, they become fast friends. The only problem: Alec knows some of their future and it appears Cass’ doll, Mrs. Gubbins “knows” it too. Questions begin to arise as Alec and Josie attempt to discover what happened to the Clifford girls. Will their abusive mother ever love them? What happens to Josie? And most importantly…whose unmarked tombstone lies in the graveyard?

Chilling and moving, The Boy From Tomorrow is a thrilling tale delving into the mysterious. With its themes of time-traveling, what a family means, and friendship, this is definitely worth a read. The author, Camille DeAngelis, does a wonderful job of weaving a page-turning narrative. For concerned parents, I would wait to hand this book to your children until they are old enough to understand some of the more adult elements, such as a spirit board. The authoress herself puts a note at the end of the book recommending that readers do not use a talking board, a recommendation that I much appreciate. Otherwise, this is a clean read that is entertaining, engaging, and ultimately, thought-provoking.

Chime Time! Comment what your favorite time-bending/traveling is and tell me why!

Return of the Writing Files

If you’ve been reading my blog for quite a while, you may remember how I used to publish posts under the heading “The Writing Files”. While I did abandon these quite a while ago, I am now resuming them as I delve even deeper into the world of writing. Though I am by no means extremely experienced in the field, I will attempt to give advice or to write on the topic to the best of my ability.

Today, I wanted to talk to you about story vs plot. We often tend to confuse the two as being one and the same thing, but this is actually incorrect. While they are two very important parts of one whole that makes up a book, film, or graphic novel, story and plot are two sides of one very vital coin. First, lets look at the definitions:

Story revolves around the characters and their through line. The story has to do with emotional development and characters, while the plot deals with the action. Think big explosions, fights, and huge battles.

To better illustrate the difference between story and plot, I’m going to use Sam Raimi’s Spiderman 2 as an example. In the film, the plot revolves around Doctor Otto Octavius as he tries to produce a successful experiment, even at the expense of other’s lives. Spiderman must stop him and the plot ends when Doc Ock decides to make the noble decision to sacrifice himself and destroy his own life-ending experiment. The story however doesn’t end until MJ comes to Peter and admits to him how much she loves him. For this film, the story was always about Peter accomplishing his goals and mending his relationships with those he cared about, Mary Jane in particular.

Another great example is Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. The plot and story both revolve around a very similar thing: destroying Sauron’s ring. The only difference is that the plot ends when Sauron’s tower at Mordor is destroyed and the story ends when Frodo leaves for the Gray Havens. For Frodo, the story was always about overcoming the influence of the ring, which doesn’t lose its control on  him until he leaves for the Gray Havens and essentially leaves for peace.

Think of it this way. The plot deals with action. The story deals with characters and their emotions.

After all, we don’t come back to Harry Potter just because of the exciting battles between Voldemort and Harry, though that is part of the attraction. What keeps us going back to popular series like Harry Potter and Star Wars are the lovable characters who draw us into their world and makes us root for them in the battles.

That’s all for today, but comment if you’d like to see more or just have any questions!

Another Quest for Celeste

Celeste from A Nest for Celeste in this warmhearted new sequel following her adventures as she once again must find a new home. Taken away from her cozy dollhouse home in the attic of a plantation house, Celeste is left with no possible means to get back, especially when carted to the river and taken across by steamboat. Through her adventures, Celeste meets a dog named Rosebud who has seemingly traveled most of the Mississippi river route, a pair of squirrels named Chester and Hazel, and perhaps most remarkably of all, a frontier boy named Abe Lincoln. His kind heart and love for learning warms Celeste’s tender little rodent heart, especially as both help each other to feel more at home in the wild woods. Though Celeste still wishes desperately to return to her home back in Oakley – but, perhaps, just maybe, she’s found a new home?

Henry Cole weaves another magical, animal-centered adventure filled with excitement and stuffed chock-full of historical imagery. This fun adventure is fused with lessons on sacrifice, bravery, and how people’s lives touch each other’s, for however brief a time. It is a wonderful story woven well by the author of the original novel, A Nest for Celeste, which I highly recommend you pick up before reading this one. However, if you’re not in the mood to read the first, Another Quest for Celeste serves excellently as a stand-alone read. Either way, this is definitely a book I would recommend for readers of all ages.

Chime Time! Celeste travels over several states on her journey, but I’m curious how many states most of y’all have been to or lived in! (I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve only been to one other)

Happy Birthday Wishes

Do you remember when I wrote my blog post, Fifteen…Yay?, two years ago? I wrote it to commemorate the passing of my fifteenth birthday and now here I am two years later writing to tell you all about the fifteenth birthday of my younger sister.

I think my mind might be officially blown.

It makes me sound old to say it, but I can’t believe it’s been fifteen years since my sister was born. So, sure, I couldn’t remember when she was born, but I was gifted with a long enough memory that I remember a fair amount of the early years. I remember helping my sister into dress up as we draped on “pearls” and diamonds before hurrying excitedly out to where our parents were waiting. I distinctly remember my father playing quite a goofy king to our pretty, pretty princesses. Of course, that was in the good years, before we got old enough to fight. Or as we like to say now, “discuss”. Or my preferred term ,”debate”. Either way, I remember growing up with my sister, for all of its good and bad times.

God blessed me with a sister who is loving, compassionate, and funny – He also blessed her with an A-type personality that just so happens to clash with my A-type personality. Both of us have natures that want to take charge (yay….). Don’t get me wrong, I’m very grateful for her. In fact, that is the reason for this post. I’d like to take this opportunity to ask all of you to celebrate with me this day.

God, thank you for the sister you’ve blessed me with. She drives me crazy beyond all belief, but I love her so much. I pray that you strengthen not only our relationship, but also that you would stay with her and guide her for the rest of her life, showing her your love. Thank you so, so much. Amen.

Intergalactic P. S. 3.

I’ve already reviewed Hope Larson’s version of Madeleine L’Engle’s original book, A Wrinkle in Time, but today I will be reviewing a short story of Madam L’Engle’s. Hope Larson vividly illustrates this story to bring it to a new generation of readers.

In this story, published originally in 1970 for the Children’s Book Council Book Week, Meg is worried. No, more accurately she’s terrified. Her brother, genius little Charles Wallace, is set to start school very soon and she’s concerned that he’ll be out of place in a school filled with normal children. When Mrs. Who, Mrs. Whatsit, and Mrs. Which appear to take not only Charles Wallace, but also Meg and Calvin away, they are whisked off to Intergalactic P. S. 3. Here each of them must face a separate challenge to prove that they are worthy of entry to the school – and Meg must face hers with a fiery cherubim as her companion. Can she prove she is worthy of entry to Intergalactic P. S. 3. or will Meg fail and be sent back to earth alone. And even worse, will her cherubim companion be forced to choose between eternal darkness or to fight for the side of evil?

I never knew that Madeleine L’Engle had published a short story in addition to the original Wrinkle in Time books, so it was rather interesting to sit down with this book, newly illustrated by Hope Larson, and read through. I found it to be not only an excellent read, but it also features some scenes that longtime fans of the books will find familiar.

Chime Time! Have you read any of Madeleine L’Engle’s books besides A Wrinkle in Time?