It'd been a while since Rambo and I had talked, due to the fact that we were both so busy. Rambo had been managing the farm and watching the kittens, while I'd been working sluggishly on getting the cats' second adventure on paper. Finally, however, we got together just to talk.
I started. "Hi Rambo, how're you today?"
Rambo shrugged, sitting lazily on a table so I didn't have to look down at him. "I'm fine. You?"
I tried to sit up in my chair so I didn't look unprofessional. "I'm okay." I balanced the laptop on my lap. "You don't mind that I'm writing this down, do you?"
"Are you writing down what we're saying now?" he asked.
I paused. "Yes."
"That's going to be boring."
I cleared my throat. "Anyway, I just need something to put on the blog and I figured a conversation between me and you would be interesting for the fans."
"Fans?" Rambo asked. "You mean your grandparents and maybe a bored crow?"
"Don't crush my self esteem."
"Whatever. What did you want to talk about?"
"Well, I was going to talk about enemies, but you seem a bit dour today (dour means grumpy, for anyone who doesn't know) so why don't you tell us why?"
"Us?"
"Me. And the fans."
Rambo smirked. "Right. The fans. Well, I've been busy. Watching out for intruders, keeping everything running smoothly, and making sure [redacted] and [redacted] are doing okay."
"Don't say that: people don't know who [redacted] and [redacted] are."
"Right. Still, the hardest part of 'that last thing' is keeping track of all the Sasha rumors."
"Sasha rumors! Okay, now maybe we can get onto the topic I wanted to talk about: enemies."
"Why would you want to talk about enemies?"
"Because enemies are relevant. Especially at this time of year."
"What exactly do you mean by that?"
"Well, it's Easter time. That's when we humans celebrate forgiveness."
Rambo looked confused. "What's that have to do with enemies?"
I paused. "Well, this is the time of year where we celebrate how Jesus came to forgive and redeem his broken creations."
"You're saying some guy came to tell his enemies everything was fine? What about justice?"
"What about justice?"
"Shouldn't the bad guys be punished? Take, for instance, Sasha. She did some bad stuff. Should I just let her go hurt other animals?"
"No, that's not what I'm saying at all. What Jesus did, and that's who I try to emulate (that means 'try to be like'), was come and die for his enemies."
Rambo stared at me blankly. "Die... for his enemies?"
"Exactly. He came and died so that his enemies might be rescued from their shortcomings."
Rambo blinked several times, trying to comprehend what I was saying. "And you want to be like this guy?"
It was my turn to blink several times. "Yes. Why wouldn't I?"
Rambo was speechless. "You don't... that's not how you deal with animals. Don't you know evil? Evil doesn't just... just change. Evil is evil. The only way to stop evil is to kill it."
"What about back when Seabert was in trouble? You went and risked your life for him when he got kidnapped."
"That's different! Seabert's my friend! What you're talking about is like me going to stop... Sasha! Stop Sasha from getting her due."
"Yeah, that's pretty much what I'm saying."
"And you don't find that crazy?"
"No. Well, yes. I do find it crazy. But I also think that Jesus knows better about what's right than me. So I just try to follow after him."
Rambo shrugged and stood up. "Whatever. As for me, if Sasha was about to get what's coming to her, I think I'd stand there and cheer. The less evil in the world the better."
"I agree. But there's two ways to get rid of evil: kill it, or redeem it. Which would you rather?"
Rambo was silent for only one second. "Killing's easier." He jumped off the table and walked away.
What did you think of our conversation? Should I transcribe more of them? Or maybe I can get a guest on and converse with them! Comment below if you have any suggestions, thoughts, or (duh) comments. What would you do to an enemy?
Friday, April 18, 2014
Friday, April 11, 2014
Thoughts on Captain America: Winter Soldier
However, that's not what I want to talk about. I want to talk about the theme of the film. Namely: choice. Winter Soldier wonders whether giving humanity a choice is worth the risk of losing security.
This is a question that I have often wondered myself. Is giving humanity the choice to do evil necessary? Would it not be better to avoid suffering, even if it ended up in creating humanity robots?
This is a question that theologians also must ask themselves. Why did God give humanity the ability to turn against him in the Garden of Eden? If God was all loving, why even give us a choice? One might compare this to holding chocolate in front of a dieting man. Why even tempt him with the option? The answer is a simple one:
Love.
Love requires choice. Robots cannot love. Love is not mere chemistry in the mind. That is infatuation or instinct. Love is making a conscious choice for the betterment of the other person. And, in order for love to exist, there must be the option for the one who is loved to walk away from the lover. God, in order to show his love and be loved by humanity, had to give humanity the option not to love him. If there is no choice, then tyranny is all that remains.
The majesty of God's grace, however, is that not only one choice is offered, but many. If only one test was given, then all of us would have failed at the Garden. However, God gives us multiple chances for redemption. This, too, is shown in Winter Soldier (to some extent). Captain America encounters his enemy and, instead of destroying him and thereby saving his life, he chooses instead to risk his own life in an effort to redeem his enemy (much like Luke in Star Wars).
What are your thoughts? Did you watch Captain America: Winter Soldier? What did you think?
Friday, April 4, 2014
The Point
Two weeks ago I talked about why I don't like message-less stories. I mentioned that a reader likes to think while they read. At that point, I nearly said, "The point of a story is to make you think."
Yet, I wasn't sure if that was completely true. I knew that the point of a parable was to explain an idea through story. The main point there was the idea, and the story was just a mechanism to explain it. Yet, what was the point of story? Logically, I eventually fell upon the idea that the point of story is to tell a story. That seems obvious. And it is. Yet, the point of a story is not that simple.
A story tells us the story of a person. Or it tells us what happened at a certain time. It chronicles the stories of those in history. Or it takes us somewhere to other worlds. The point of a story is to tell a story, to explore themes through story, to show us what life is, was, or will be like.
And yet, the story in itself is not an entity. Few people like a novel for the story alone (though if there is a bad story, that decreases a novel's enjoyment considerably). A novel must also have compelling characters in that story. Throwing a character into an action scene may grab a reader's attention, but why should they care about the character if they don't know him or her? Again, why should a reader care about a character if life is just cookies and roses? There must be conflict to a story and deep characters inside the story.
That is what makes up a good story, but what is the point of the story in itself? The point is to tell the story. And this is where the truly difficult part comes in, because I want to get a theme across. I want to show a character's redemption. I want to make the reader gasp as I reveal a shocking twist. I want a good story, good characters, and a strong theme. And yet, if I exalt one of those elements above the others, I have something that has a great theme, but lousy characters. Or I have a great story, but its pointless and soon forgotten. Or I have marvelous characters in a plot that doesn't make much sense. The balance is the most difficult, yet the most vital part of the story.
The point of a story is to find a way to tell a good story, explore a good theme, and detail how real people would react in those situations. There's no one to exalt above the others, and that is the point.
Any thoughts? What do you think is the point of a story?
Yet, I wasn't sure if that was completely true. I knew that the point of a parable was to explain an idea through story. The main point there was the idea, and the story was just a mechanism to explain it. Yet, what was the point of story? Logically, I eventually fell upon the idea that the point of story is to tell a story. That seems obvious. And it is. Yet, the point of a story is not that simple.
A story tells us the story of a person. Or it tells us what happened at a certain time. It chronicles the stories of those in history. Or it takes us somewhere to other worlds. The point of a story is to tell a story, to explore themes through story, to show us what life is, was, or will be like.
And yet, the story in itself is not an entity. Few people like a novel for the story alone (though if there is a bad story, that decreases a novel's enjoyment considerably). A novel must also have compelling characters in that story. Throwing a character into an action scene may grab a reader's attention, but why should they care about the character if they don't know him or her? Again, why should a reader care about a character if life is just cookies and roses? There must be conflict to a story and deep characters inside the story.
That is what makes up a good story, but what is the point of the story in itself? The point is to tell the story. And this is where the truly difficult part comes in, because I want to get a theme across. I want to show a character's redemption. I want to make the reader gasp as I reveal a shocking twist. I want a good story, good characters, and a strong theme. And yet, if I exalt one of those elements above the others, I have something that has a great theme, but lousy characters. Or I have a great story, but its pointless and soon forgotten. Or I have marvelous characters in a plot that doesn't make much sense. The balance is the most difficult, yet the most vital part of the story.
The point of a story is to find a way to tell a good story, explore a good theme, and detail how real people would react in those situations. There's no one to exalt above the others, and that is the point.
Any thoughts? What do you think is the point of a story?
Friday, March 28, 2014
Everyone is Connected
First, there are some criticisms of the film which should be (if only slightly) addressed. All non-Christians in this film are either evil or headed quickly toward death. I am unsure if this was supposed to be an example of the consequences of sin; if so, it seems to be unrealistic compared the world around us. Though it is true that people do die or get diseases, it happens to Christians are readily as non-Christians.
There is also the point that any professor behaving as Radison would most probably be thrown out of his position. And while most atheists are not atheistic because of emotions (like Radison is), I must concede that there are those who are more 'anti-theist' than 'atheist'.
However, the big thing I found fascinating about this story was the theme of complete connection. Every single character was connected to another. Everyone single story line was connected in someway. And every character was affected by each other. The story lines were almost ridiculously intertwined. It was 'coincidences' in the realm of Once Upon a Time or Heroes. At the beginning I was thinking, "This is cool, but kind of silly. People's lives don't really coincide in this way." Then I thought a bit more. Many TV shows, movies, or books I read do not have such intertwined plots. When they do, it is either because of an 'ancient prophecy' or just happenstance. Yet, God's Not Dead rejects both of those ideas, choosing instead that a benevolent God is in charge of everything. And if God is seeking to draw everyone to him, then why would it seem ridiculous that a car won't start or that all the main protagonists just happen to have close seats at Newsboys concert?
What were your opinions of God's Not Dead? If you haven't watched it yet, are you intending to?
Friday, March 21, 2014
The Problem with Message-less Story
Last week I wrote about Message-Fueled Stories. This week its about Message-less stories. Why is this necessary? Because sometimes it is easy to read something and agree with it and say, "Okay, from now on I'll have no message in my stories whatsoever." If that's what you're thinking... think a bit more.
Really. Think. That's one of the main reasons of story in the first place: to make one think. I like stories. Sure, sometimes I want a fun story like a comic book (not that comic books don't make you think). Most of the time, however, I want something to dig my teeth into. Something that makes me stop reading and stare off into space for a few minutes. Something that makes me go "UGH!" when the main character has to make a tough choice. Those are the stories I remember, not the silly superhero cartoons or cute cat novels (not that there's something wrong with superheroes or cats, some stories containing such elements are quite good).
Take an example: The Missing Kitten. There's no obvious moral. However, if I looks closer, I hope I'll recognize a story peppered with sacrifice, thoughts on friendship, perfection, and redemption. You might not find much on each topic, but it can be found if one looks hard enough.
Why put messages into stories? For the simple reason that a reader likes to think when they read. And the best way to make a reader think is through a story. Yes, non-fiction helps people to think, but it is not as easy to immerse yourself in a collection of musings. This is why story is important. What about thoughtless story? Sure, those superhero cartoons are fun for a time. But who really wants to watch a man smash stuff all day long, seven days a week? If all there is is cool CGI (or artistry) and dumb jokes, then what's the point? There's no reason to make the reader, or viewer, return for more. At some point the reader must invest an interest in the story, and one of the best ways is to make the reader think.
To sum up, put a message in your story, but don't be overt and preachy (because that is a parable, not a story).
To sum up, put a message in your story, but don't be overt and preachy (because that is a parable, not a story).
What are your thoughts? Do you like to think when you watch/read? Or would you rather watch/read something which requires little thought?
Friday, March 14, 2014
The Problem with Message-Fueled Story
I recently read a blog post by Joel A. Parisi on Art, specifically writing. In the blog post, something he said struck me: "When Art is treated as a vehicle for a message, its beauty and effectiveness is lost." This made me think. Partly because I disagreed with him and partly because, deep inside, I found a sense of truth in his words. I don't like stories that preach at me; a story whose sole reason for existence is to proclaim a message. Not that stories with messages are bad (those are actually the best kind), but when a story is only a vehicle for a message something about it is lost.
In the weeks since I read that blog, I have continued to ruminate on this topic. Why is there such dislike of preachiness? What is wrong with the message-fueled story? This idea moved to the forefront of my thoughts when I acted out the skit of The Wise and Foolish Builders in front of my church. Acting it out, I teasingly asked what my motivation was. Then, as I acted out the Bible verses, I realized that this story was severely lacking. There was little character development, the plot was exceedingly simple, yet it is revered as a good story. Many of Jesus' parables, in fact, are held in such esteem, despite their preachiness and lack of depth. What causes Jesus' stories to be so amazing and modern 'parables' to be so... blah?
I propose that the problem nowadays is a marketing problem. Modern day parables are not presented as such. In fact, most stories which might make good parables are not because they are presented as stories. In a story, we want a character we can follow and a plot that interests us. However, with a parable we want to see an idea played out in a narrative. For example, many of Jesus' parables are presented like this: "The Kingdom of God is like..." and then he would proceed to describe the Kingdom through a narrative.
How are our 'parables' different? For one, we proclaim them as story rather than as a parable. And we do not give the reader the idea we are trying to describe (one might call it the thesis of the novel, which is to be presented at the beginning of the story and given closing remarks at the end). As such, the reader expects a compelling story and instead is turned away with merely a fleshing out of an idea. This causes the reader to dislike the story, rather than processing the idea which the story was supposed to have presented.
So what is the problem with message-fueled story? The fact that it is interpreted as story, rather than parable. If it were understood as a parable, the audience would not be disappointed by expecting something which the story was never trying to achieve in the first place.
In the weeks since I read that blog, I have continued to ruminate on this topic. Why is there such dislike of preachiness? What is wrong with the message-fueled story? This idea moved to the forefront of my thoughts when I acted out the skit of The Wise and Foolish Builders in front of my church. Acting it out, I teasingly asked what my motivation was. Then, as I acted out the Bible verses, I realized that this story was severely lacking. There was little character development, the plot was exceedingly simple, yet it is revered as a good story. Many of Jesus' parables, in fact, are held in such esteem, despite their preachiness and lack of depth. What causes Jesus' stories to be so amazing and modern 'parables' to be so... blah?
I propose that the problem nowadays is a marketing problem. Modern day parables are not presented as such. In fact, most stories which might make good parables are not because they are presented as stories. In a story, we want a character we can follow and a plot that interests us. However, with a parable we want to see an idea played out in a narrative. For example, many of Jesus' parables are presented like this: "The Kingdom of God is like..." and then he would proceed to describe the Kingdom through a narrative.
How are our 'parables' different? For one, we proclaim them as story rather than as a parable. And we do not give the reader the idea we are trying to describe (one might call it the thesis of the novel, which is to be presented at the beginning of the story and given closing remarks at the end). As such, the reader expects a compelling story and instead is turned away with merely a fleshing out of an idea. This causes the reader to dislike the story, rather than processing the idea which the story was supposed to have presented.
So what is the problem with message-fueled story? The fact that it is interpreted as story, rather than parable. If it were understood as a parable, the audience would not be disappointed by expecting something which the story was never trying to achieve in the first place.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Rambo's Ramblings - Explanation
Ahem. Yes, so, uh, hello. Again. You probably know me as Rambo, the amazingly awesome cat from The Missing Kitten and Trapped. What's that? You haven't read Trapped yet? That's funny, because it came out March 1st. Oh, it didn't? Right, that's why I'm here.
Here's the lowdown. Jesse is busy. Busy, busy, busy. Busy as a cat trying to clean itself with only a quarter of a tongue. That is why he hasn't published Trapped yet. If I were in charge of this process, it would have been done weeks ago. However, I am a cat and cats and computer don't get along too well. Therefore, I leave such things up to Jesse.
What exactly is Jesse so busy with? Well, when one writes a book, it is necessary to be the best it can be. If it is not the best it can be, then the book will not get published. That's technically not true, 'cause lots of horrible books get published all the time. However, Jesse's is dedicated to excellence. This is why his books will be renowned for their amazing quality. Plus, I'm in it, so how could anyone dislike it? Sure, Jesse's writing style might bug you and the plot might not make much sense and some of the characters are poorly developed, but when you see my amazing action sequences battling robots and saving the world, you'll fall in love. But please, no more fan-mail, Jesse will never get done writing books if he has to sort through fan mail. He has enough of mine to look through (did I mention he doubles as my secretary?) as it is.
What was I talking about? Oh, right! Jesse is busy with such things as: correcting confusing plot points, plotting complicated character arcs, waiting for cover art to return from the undercover artist, comprehending squirrel mail, piloting flaming aeroplanes, and disposing of the leftover boiled cabbage. As well as doing minor things such as schoolwork, college work, farm work, cow work, and sleeping. If any of those things are beyond your comprehension, join the club. I have no idea why he's doing them, and I watch him do it for at least eight seconds every day.
I hope that answer all your questions. Now, remember: be patient, skunks are not going to take over the world after all. At least, not until you've read Trapped and it will be at least two weeks before such a thing happens. With that said, I hope you have a delightful day and beware exploding pineapples that might land in your backyard. I'm positive Seabert had nothing to do with it.
Here's the lowdown. Jesse is busy. Busy, busy, busy. Busy as a cat trying to clean itself with only a quarter of a tongue. That is why he hasn't published Trapped yet. If I were in charge of this process, it would have been done weeks ago. However, I am a cat and cats and computer don't get along too well. Therefore, I leave such things up to Jesse.
What exactly is Jesse so busy with? Well, when one writes a book, it is necessary to be the best it can be. If it is not the best it can be, then the book will not get published. That's technically not true, 'cause lots of horrible books get published all the time. However, Jesse's is dedicated to excellence. This is why his books will be renowned for their amazing quality. Plus, I'm in it, so how could anyone dislike it? Sure, Jesse's writing style might bug you and the plot might not make much sense and some of the characters are poorly developed, but when you see my amazing action sequences battling robots and saving the world, you'll fall in love. But please, no more fan-mail, Jesse will never get done writing books if he has to sort through fan mail. He has enough of mine to look through (did I mention he doubles as my secretary?) as it is.
What was I talking about? Oh, right! Jesse is busy with such things as: correcting confusing plot points, plotting complicated character arcs, waiting for cover art to return from the undercover artist, comprehending squirrel mail, piloting flaming aeroplanes, and disposing of the leftover boiled cabbage. As well as doing minor things such as schoolwork, college work, farm work, cow work, and sleeping. If any of those things are beyond your comprehension, join the club. I have no idea why he's doing them, and I watch him do it for at least eight seconds every day.
I hope that answer all your questions. Now, remember: be patient, skunks are not going to take over the world after all. At least, not until you've read Trapped and it will be at least two weeks before such a thing happens. With that said, I hope you have a delightful day and beware exploding pineapples that might land in your backyard. I'm positive Seabert had nothing to do with it.
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