With all the threads about oil prices, war, economic problems and general pessimism* I thought everyone might need some cheering up. So, for my first thread on the site, I would make a spot to for everyone and their dogs** to discuss something I love. Plot/Narrative Devices and Techniques. It's a lighthearted little idea and it may flop, but feel free to contribute.
*His first name is George, he was recently promoted from Colonel and he commands the army of doubt.
**Doggy-keyboards will not be supplied. Owners must clean up after their pets
"A plot device is an element introduced into a story solely to advance or resolve the plot of the story. In the hands of a skilled writer, the reader or viewer will not notice that the device is a construction of the author; it will seem to follow naturally from the setting or characters in the story. A poorly-written story, on the other hand, may have such awkward or contrived plot devices that the reader has serious trouble maintaining suspension of disbelief."
Rest of the Article found here. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plot_device]
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Three specific examples I can think of right now:
1. In The Empire Strikes Back, Darth Vader reveals he is Luke's father. Thats an example of one done quiet well, its not too obvious. Now its a semi-cliff hanger and gives Luke added motivation to return with vengeance in the the sequel.
2. In the entire Harry Potter series whenever Harry needed to know about anything, he could just ask Hermione to go to the school library and look it up.
3. The numerous numerous comfortably sized air vents in the Half-Life series that are always conveniently close to locked doors you would have no other way of getting past.
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My personal favorite is in any action type story when the main character(s) finds evidence from a 'previous expedition'. Sometimes its a diary containing details of an experiment that is going steadily wrong, sometimes its a video-log that documents a now derelict spaceship's journey, whatever it is, after the heroes have finished reading it, the monster that was described in it suddenly comes for them. The best example of this is in the first Halo in the level Guilty Spark. After traveling through an abandoned complex looking for Captain Keyes, the Master Chief finds a helmet video recording of the Keyes and his team being ambushed by the Flood. He is then promptly ambushed himself. In my eyes, any story that can do this suddenly becomes awesome.
Basically, its something that drives the plot and keeps the protagonists from getting bored.
Examples to get you thinking:
-clones
-evil twins
-amnesia
-time travel
-magic items that seem useless until a certain situation
-characters suddenly gaining skills they've never mentioned before
-evil overlords revealing the source of their power to the plucky heroes
-a magic item hidden in 4 different parts of the world
-Robots gaining human feelings
So, what plot devices do you like? Where are they from? What plot devices do you dislike? And why?
*His first name is George, he was recently promoted from Colonel and he commands the army of doubt.
**Doggy-keyboards will not be supplied. Owners must clean up after their pets
Glad you asked.Everyone said:
"A plot device is an element introduced into a story solely to advance or resolve the plot of the story. In the hands of a skilled writer, the reader or viewer will not notice that the device is a construction of the author; it will seem to follow naturally from the setting or characters in the story. A poorly-written story, on the other hand, may have such awkward or contrived plot devices that the reader has serious trouble maintaining suspension of disbelief."
Rest of the Article found here. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plot_device]
============================
Three specific examples I can think of right now:
1. In The Empire Strikes Back, Darth Vader reveals he is Luke's father. Thats an example of one done quiet well, its not too obvious. Now its a semi-cliff hanger and gives Luke added motivation to return with vengeance in the the sequel.
2. In the entire Harry Potter series whenever Harry needed to know about anything, he could just ask Hermione to go to the school library and look it up.
3. The numerous numerous comfortably sized air vents in the Half-Life series that are always conveniently close to locked doors you would have no other way of getting past.
============================
My personal favorite is in any action type story when the main character(s) finds evidence from a 'previous expedition'. Sometimes its a diary containing details of an experiment that is going steadily wrong, sometimes its a video-log that documents a now derelict spaceship's journey, whatever it is, after the heroes have finished reading it, the monster that was described in it suddenly comes for them. The best example of this is in the first Halo in the level Guilty Spark. After traveling through an abandoned complex looking for Captain Keyes, the Master Chief finds a helmet video recording of the Keyes and his team being ambushed by the Flood. He is then promptly ambushed himself. In my eyes, any story that can do this suddenly becomes awesome.
Basically, its something that drives the plot and keeps the protagonists from getting bored.
Examples to get you thinking:
-clones
-evil twins
-amnesia
-time travel
-magic items that seem useless until a certain situation
-characters suddenly gaining skills they've never mentioned before
-evil overlords revealing the source of their power to the plucky heroes
-a magic item hidden in 4 different parts of the world
-Robots gaining human feelings
So, what plot devices do you like? Where are they from? What plot devices do you dislike? And why?
