Writing Question For Non-Writers: Okay, this question is about writing, but it's for readers.
In his book on writing comics, Peter David says that it's good, if your characters are in a situation that's beyond what you would encounter in real life, to acknowledge this by having your characters say something like, "This is like something out of a comic book!"
So the question for readers is, when you read something like this or hear it in a movie, does it make the story seem more real or does it pull you out of the story, as you're reminded that it's just a book or a movie?
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Posted by Erik at 10:21 AM
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2 comments:
I know this is a question for non-writers, however I AM an avid reader, so I'm piping up anyway...
I HATE it when writers do that because, yes - as a matter of fact - it DOES take me out of the story. If it's done as a comedic function specifically designed to pull you out of the story and remind you not to take things too seriously, then I generally don't mind.
But if it's used as a way to depict the gravity of a situation and as a way to show how serious things are, I can't help but be annoyed. It always bothers me when I read characters saying "this is like something out of a comic book!" My inevitable response is generally something like "that's because it IS a comic book."
Thanks. Good answer, and I think I completely agree.
I guess I should update more often if I want more replies, though, huh?
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