I’ve discovered I don’t enjoy a story if I know the ending.
I never watched the Titanic. I didn’t plan to watch 300.
If I know I’m going to get upset, I’ll avoid a movie completely.
Tonight, the hubby is watching Star Wars Episode III and yeah, it’s been out a long time, but I didn’t watch it on purpose. I was an original Star Wars kid. I went nuts over that movie. It started me on this long journey of love with the science fiction genre. I’ll usually watch any sci-fi flick–even if I know it’ll be rough.
Just not this one. I really, really loved Star Wars. I know the story. I know what happens to Anakin. I know what happens to Padme. (We all do, so I’m not giving anything away here. )
Suffering here.
I’m supposed to be working. I had every intention of pulling out some rewrites I need to get done and here I sit, with my laptop, and I’m watching a movie that I want to love but I’m too on edge trying not to care about the characters. And I just want to beat the crap out of Anakin. He’s TSTL.
Okay, it’s getting really sad. I’m going back to work.
This has brought to mind one of the hardest things a new writer has to learn. (Took me a bit of time, too.) To make the story really good, you have to do bad things to your characters. If you don’t–no story.
But writing it is one thing. I can be pretty darned mean when I’m manipulating my own worlds. Watching the sad play-out of a story I started and loved at seven years of age is another thing.
But, I will say this. No matter how vicious I get in my own world, I’m not sure I could ever write a scene like the one with the younglings!