tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post6264664047791054521..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Writing in different genresBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-23636576631682606822013-12-20T14:54:14.417-08:002013-12-20T14:54:14.417-08:00Thanks much. Please post an Amazon review. Those...Thanks much. Please post an Amazon review. Those really help sales.By Ken Levinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-47097780367976413852013-12-20T14:32:49.366-08:002013-12-20T14:32:49.366-08:00Ken, enjoying Must Kill TV!
Love the references to...Ken, enjoying Must Kill TV!<br />Love the references to real actors and shows.chuckcdnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-55335550272148493092013-12-10T05:14:27.288-08:002013-12-10T05:14:27.288-08:00Re: The internal dialogue question. It's amazi...Re: The internal dialogue question. It's amazing to me how we'll happily watch a character wrestle with an internal conflict out loud to themselves. I guess you don't see it that often these days, and (like thought bubbles in comics) it's probably seen as lazy writing?Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-65522844360007128852013-12-10T01:22:21.556-08:002013-12-10T01:22:21.556-08:00You can’t just say what he’s thinking. Thought bu...<i>You can’t just say what he’s thinking. Thought bubbles like in comic books are frowned upon.</i><br /><br />I'm a horror fan, especially old school 80s slashers. They're not high brow, not art but total guilty pleasures. Anyway, I was pretty excited when Freddy vs Jason was released. A gorefest it was. But it also had some of THE most inept handling of character I've seen in recent popcorn cinema. They literally DID say what a character was thinking!<br /><br />One scene should be used in writing classes as an example of really, really bad, on the nose writing. Shortly after some teenagers have been killed, a friend of one of the victims sits alone having a drink and he says, out loud, to himself, the following: "I'm gonna get him for you, Trey. Cop let it slip. It was somebody named Freddy."<br /><br />Even Freddy gets his own godawful soliloquy: "Not strong enough yet. Well, I will be soon enough. Until then, I'll let Jason have some fun."Hamidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-26287308313589861762013-12-09T21:05:12.676-08:002013-12-09T21:05:12.676-08:00http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/12/09/look-it-mov...http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/12/09/look-it-moves-when-you-must-read-must-kill-tv/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-36219986852429461852013-12-09T16:50:41.673-08:002013-12-09T16:50:41.673-08:00Hey Ken!
Long time reader, first time Friday Ques...Hey Ken!<br /><br />Long time reader, first time Friday Question asker.<br /><br />When I was in undergrad, a teacher of mine told me that many contemporary sitcoms are based off of Jewish theater: the Rabbi, the Putz, the Schmuck, and the Princess appear as the main character archetypes. He specifically cited Frasier, Seinfeld, Will and Grace, and even Friends to some extent. Now I'm in grad school, and my theater history teacher suspects the tradition dates as far back as Plautus and the birth of New Comedy.<br /><br />My question to you—as a college professor and writer of one of the aforementioned shows—is how aware of this were you when writing for TV? Did you work to establish characters as these specific archetypes?<br /><br />Thanks! (and if you answer my question, I promise to buy your book, which I hear is available on Amazon for $2.99)Bobby M.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-15986567649148789562013-12-09T15:32:47.697-08:002013-12-09T15:32:47.697-08:00Has anyone ever read a novel called "The Day ...Has anyone ever read a novel called "The Day Television Died"? I read this many, many years ago and just recently tried to find it again. Ralph C.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-14167093024508422342013-12-09T14:33:55.337-08:002013-12-09T14:33:55.337-08:00I would respectfully disagree about phrases like, ...I would respectfully disagree about phrases like, "he said accusingly." Modifying he saids and the like are to be avoided. Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-63126163888888286782013-12-09T08:36:48.694-08:002013-12-09T08:36:48.694-08:00I once had a drink with Max Shulman. After I'd...I once had a drink with Max Shulman. After I'd read his funny SLEEP UNTIL NOON and wrote him a fan letter, I was surprised to find myself having a drink with the master humorist at Dan Tana's. I asked him why he stopped writing his wonderful novels. Shulman said "Sales were falling off. The last one only sold 100,000." He lamented that at one time, one out of 10 on the Times bestseller list was a funny novel like CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN. But the comedy audience switched to TV. His agent told him he could get another book deal, but for God's sake, make it like Sidney Sheldon. <br /><br />Well, I'm raising a beverage now. Here's to Ken Levine, for bringing back a grand tradition!Waynenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-39501928064958434432013-12-09T08:30:41.920-08:002013-12-09T08:30:41.920-08:00Interesting piece. I think I remember reading a pi...Interesting piece. I think I remember reading a piece by John Sayles on the difference between writing novels and screenplays and he made some of the same points, particularly about budgets. <br /><br />wg<br />Oh, great. Two words now. The numbers were easier.Wendy M. Grossmanhttp://www.pelicancrossing.netnoreply@blogger.com