Characters

I wrote a post a little while ago about how I prefer a great story to "delicious words." Today's topic is about how sometimes the story isn't anything stunning, but the characters make it work.

One of my favorites for a long time has been Alan Partridge (you'll find I have a soft spot in my heart for British comedy). In the series, the character is a late night talk show host who routinely insults his guests and generally makes an ass of himself. In this clip, he accidentally shoots one of his guests and carries on with the remainder of the show.


A more recent favorite is Roy from The IT Crowd, because he acts like he doesn't care about anything, but in almost every show, he ends up in some strange predicament, crying over a girl, or overreacting to something seemingly normal. One of my favorite scenes involves him learning (from a website) the exact date and time he will die. When that minute arrives, (in the congregation of a funeral) he mistakes his cell phone vibrations for a heart attack.

Sticking with the British theme, I've also started re-reading High Fidelity by Nick Hornby. (Can we all agree that the movie would have been better if they hadn't made it American? No? Just me?) I'd forgotten how much I like Rob, the main character. What makes him, and all of these characters (and so many others) memorable and enjoyable is that there's not just one side to them. Just like the rest of us, they're happy, sad, their hearts get broken, they're annoyed, they're good and evil, and all a little bit unhappy with the way their lives are turning out. Characters like this let us know someone else understands what we're going through -- that's why we love them.

Idea for a show ...

My dad used to have a go-to boring TV suggestion when I was little: The History of Asphalt. At the time, my sister and I laughed at him because, obviously, a documentary like that would be ridiculous!

Watching paint dry, anyone?

Of course, making a movie or TV show has everything to do with talent and having a phenomenal idea that'll rivet the audience to their seats. Right? I mean, that's clearly why I don't have my own TV show. No one would spend good money and waste everyone's time with crap like Hogs Gone Wild or not one, but two programs about pawn shops.

I feel like Alan Partridge is pitching all our TV shows.





What about all these books I'm reading?

Since I've been at home for the last two weeks or so, I've been reading a lot -- to make my writing better and to ease the boredom.

A few quick reviews:

 I, Spy by Kate Johnson

This was quite an enjoyable book. Granted, some parts challenged my suspension of disbelief, but not enough to keep me from reading. The characters were likable and relatable -- and Sophie, the main character's boycraziness was fun. Let's face it: I'm a girl. I like the cartoon-y pink covers. I had fun with this book. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
And best of all, the Kindle version is FREE on Amazon for a little while (the month of June, I think).

This is a Book by Demetri Martin

I love Demetri Martin. His standup is funny, as was his short-lived TV show, Important Things with Demetri Martin, so I was excited about this book. About half was what I was expecting -- unexpected wordings, and very silly, yet somehow obvious things you've never thought of before. The other half consisted of longish stories that were kind of boring and skippable.

Check out this video of Demetri performing.



 Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

There was nothing I didn't like about this book. Bridget Jones is a wonderfully "real" character with all the excitement and worry of your average woman. I never stopped rooting for her, and had a hard time putting the book down.






Hello Kitty Must Die by Angela S. Choi

This book definitely gets an R rating (sex and violence both). Interesting story about a woman who's tired of having to be everyone's ideal (and tired of being set up on dates by her parents). After running into an old friend from school, she develops a new ... uh... hobby? Killing.
Funny in parts, uncomfortable in parts ... enjoyable if not taken too seriously.