When I first started seriously writing, I gave up most television. I still watched CSI, but that was my “one exception.” If I didn’t give up tv, I’d never have written a book. Or seven.
But I love television. So as a treat to myself when I complete a major task, I purchase a complete season of a show I’d missed because of writing.
After The Hunt, I bought the first season of Deadwood. It’s rough and crude, much like the real Deadwood, South Dakota during the gold rush. But I was hooked. Why? Because of the characters. The writers and actors brought to life legends in history, and made up a few along the way. The villianous Al Swearingen is not all bad; the heroic Seth Bullock is not all good. Just like real people. Just like the characters writers try to create and readers most enjoy.
After finishing The Kill, I bought the first season of LOST. Now no spoilers! I’m 25% done, knocking out two episodes a night. I’m really bummed because I have to put it aside for a week to read the page proofs for the aforementioned book. But with eighteen more episodes to go, I plan to finish it before Christmas.
I picked LOST for two reasons. First, everyone said I’d love it and I thought the premise of the show was totally cool.
Second, Kerrelyn Sparks over at the 2BRead blog had a fantastic article called “Ten Things I’ve Learned From Lost”. I knew then I just had to buy it, and after six episodes I don’t regret it. The best things . . . no commercials and I don’t have to wait a week to find out what happens next!
The key to LOST is the key to Deadwood — characters. You can have the most kick-ass premise, or the most colorful time in history, but without real, three-dimensional characters with internal villains and failures and successes and dreams and nightmares, you can’t possibly have a great show.
LOST trumps Deadwood (not by much) when it comes to characters. Each person is unique, with a past that–while wiped away by the crash–is still part of what makes them who they are, the choices they make and those they don’t. Each character is on their own Hero’s Journey two-fold: the journey of their life that they are still continuing and the journey they began when they crashed.
LOST could have been cheesy, but it isn’t. It could have been simplistic, but it’s not. Instead, we have complex and interesting characters filled with depth that I’ve found sadly lacking in most television shows today.
Readers might not remember why they love a book, but they’ll remember the characters and how they felt when the hero was in jeopardy or when the heroine reached her goal. They want to know what happens because they care about the people in the book, individuals they have grown close to.
If you’re a writer and you’re struggling with a plot, forget it. The plot, I mean. Focus on the characters, they are the fuel for your engine. You’ll be amazed at the results.
And if that fails, watch television. You’ll never know when the big idea will hit.
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I started watching LOST in the beginning then completely lost interest. I must be the only person alive who felt that way!
I’m with Jen, I’ve pretty much lost interest, but it is time I spend with my husband so I still watch. I lost interest in Desparate Housewives after 3 episodes – I just don’t get the characters – that and there is too much humiliation factor.
Allison, as a new viewer to Lost I would love to see a comparison of now how you view the individual characters NOW, and an end of the first season comparison of how you view the individual characters. This is something I thought about A LOT when it came to Lost. Who I started out really liking, and who I ended up despising – that hasn’t changed in the second second.
I’ve been wanting to see Deadwood. Don’t have HBO. So I’m glad to hear it’s in DVD now.
I agree about LOST. With Allison. The characters are what make it. How they each are coping with what life has dealt them. How their pasts determine that. The first few episodes this season have not been good, but last week the series hit its former stride. What’s it all about? Who knows. And that’s the other part of its appeal for me. The writers have enough respect for the audience to not beat them over the head with what any of it means. Too many series assume we’re all incapable of thinking. LOST lets me draw my own conclusions – right or wrong.
Mo
I’m like you that I’m picky with my TV shows–and the ones I pick need to have great characters driving the plot. I never got into Lost and don’t have the desire to try. One show I think is great but doesn’t seem to have caught as a major hit is BOSTON LEGAL. It’s even better this year than last. And MEDIUM is either as good or better too. Allison, I think you’d enjoy MEDIUM. The main character’s name is Allison too.
I understand losing interest in LOST. The first season moved sooo slow. My husband and I kept asking ourselves why in the world we kept watching. We liked the premise of the show and drooled over the familar Hawaiian landscape, but nothing was happening! But we stuck with it and the complexity of the characters sucked us in. Season two started off with several fantastic episodes, making me turn and exclaim to my husband: “Now thats the grab-em opening that editors are dying for in a book!” His reply was: “Why are you watching TV when you should be writing?” Research. Of course.
CSI rules, too. The character development is excellent. Every time Grissom acts almost human makes me snicker. Did you know Spike TV shows three hours of CSI reruns most week nights? Very addictive.
I tried to watch E-ring for the first time last night; I was feeling generous and thought I’d give a new show a chance. Could they pack anymore cliches into one show? Cliche characters, plots, dialog. Lame, lame, lame!
Oh Kendra – I saw e-ring for the first time last night, too. And the last. Not only was every cliche imaginable used but except for blowing up the bridge, everything happened by remote control. It reminded me of a video game. I guess we were supposed to be impressed by the technological advancements in warfare that take that pesky human suffering element out of it, but I was just disgusted. Other shows get canceled after one episode if they don’t find an audience. Could it be people are actually watching this mess?
Mo
Usually the only time I watch television is 4:30 in the morning, while I’m waiting for coffee to brew. And then it’s normally CNN. I’ve heard a lot about LOST, but have always been too busy to check it out. I did manage to catch the first episode of MEDIUM, which I thought was pretty good, then I lost track of it. Same thing with GHOST WHISPERER, but that one I lost track of on purpose. I think Jennifer Love Hewitt needs acting lessons…argg!
Well, these responses have sure been interesting! Thank you all for contributing to the discussion.
I tend to be a loyalist. That means even if I love a show, even if it tanks for awhile, I’ll still watch it. Alias was one of those shows. It started out so fantastic, they got all weird (but after Sydney slept with Will I sort of lost it . . . it was SOOOOO not in character and SOOOOOO icky, like sleeping with your brother, I just couldn’t look at her in the same way.) Then they moved nights and that did it for me. And the X-Files. I loved, loved, loved the X-files for seven years. Well, maybe six. And I still watched it with Robert Patrick because 1) I like him and 2) I liked the role reversal with Dana Scully. But the show SOOOOO didn’t need to be made. It simply went two years too long.
Kendra, I understand about the slowness. Maybe it doesn’t bug me because I’m watching them without commercials and two episodes at one time. The first three episodes were really fantastic. It’s a little slow, but I love the flashbacks and the gradual building of character. With an ensemble cast, that’s difficult. I’ll report on my feelings when I’m done watching the season. I do already have the feeling that each episode develops ONE of the characters. “Walkabout” was about Locke, “House of the Rising Sun” was about Sun (and I just LOVED how she ended up on the plane), etc.
But as a lesson in character development for writers, I think LOST is fantastic and one of the rare shows that takes the time to give depth to its characters.
(Oh, and I know all about CSI on Spike TV. Too much *g*. But I am good about not watching tv when I’m supposed to be writing.)
Oh, and Edie, I have seen a couple MEDIUMs. They’re good, but not worth cutting into my writing time. Another show I absolutely LOVE is WITHOUT A TRACE, but I only started watching it regularly this year because of writing, and I reluctantly turn it off when I have obligations.
Cele, I’ll do a wrap-up of how I feel about the characters when I finish the first season. I think that would be very interesting, to look at them now and at the end.
I like Lost, although I’m not an every week watcher. But I have to admit I’m kinda “lost” as to what the heck is going on. The polar bear really confused me. But then, so did pet rocks. Maybe I’m easily confused….
After six episodes, I’m thinking it’s a Bermuda Triangle kind of thing. I could be wrong . . .
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