Comments on: Writing Excuses Season 3 Episode 31: Tragedy http://www.writingexcuses.com/2009/12/27/writing-excuses-season-3-episode-31-tragedy/ Fifteen minutes long, because you're in a hurry, and we're not that smart. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:01:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dave http://www.writingexcuses.com/2009/12/27/writing-excuses-season-3-episode-31-tragedy/comment-page-1/#comment-40364 Dave Thu, 10 Feb 2011 03:13:54 +0000 http://www.writingexcuses.com/?p=215#comment-40364 omg .... Rand is going to fail .... but who is going to carry through? Wait ... then again, Rand has gone through a transformation. He pulled away from his frodoesque leanings... Rand is going to succeed. The world is right again. omg …. Rand is going to fail ….

but who is going to carry through?

Wait … then again, Rand has gone through a transformation. He pulled away from his frodoesque leanings…

Rand is going to succeed.

The world is right again.

]]> By: Amy http://www.writingexcuses.com/2009/12/27/writing-excuses-season-3-episode-31-tragedy/comment-page-1/#comment-38413 Amy Thu, 03 Jun 2010 23:51:57 +0000 http://www.writingexcuses.com/?p=215#comment-38413 Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die.-- Mel Brooks. Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die.– Mel Brooks.

]]> By: Clint http://www.writingexcuses.com/2009/12/27/writing-excuses-season-3-episode-31-tragedy/comment-page-1/#comment-37907 Clint Sun, 28 Mar 2010 18:32:38 +0000 http://www.writingexcuses.com/?p=215#comment-37907 What does it say about me that I was okay with sacrificing the weighted companion cube, but wept to learn the cake was a lie? What does it say about me that I was okay with sacrificing the weighted companion cube, but wept to learn the cake was a lie?

]]> By: Ani Brooke http://www.writingexcuses.com/2009/12/27/writing-excuses-season-3-episode-31-tragedy/comment-page-1/#comment-37243 Ani Brooke Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:08:38 +0000 http://www.writingexcuses.com/?p=215#comment-37243 I was just thinking - why <i>do</i> we see so many more tragic (or at least only classically comic) stories in awards areas? I've always just put it down to <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TrueArtIsAngsty" rel="nofollow">True Art Is Angsty</a>, but it occurs to me that the trope itself may have another source. If a story has a happy ending, it's easier to like. But if we like a story despite the fact that it ripped our hearts out, it MUST be good. So because there's a clearer divide between good and bad with tragedy, we find it easier to call tragedy "good". I dislike trying to reduce modern stories to classical tragedy or comedy, though. Greek plays tended to be quite short, and could generally be classified according to their endings. Longer works - well, I'm remembering how <i>Up</i> broke my heart a thousand times before its happy ending, with tragedy and comedy both. I think there's a reason Aristotle had a separate category for "epic". Longer works defy simple categorization. I was just thinking – why do we see so many more tragic (or at least only classically comic) stories in awards areas? I’ve always just put it down to True Art Is Angsty, but it occurs to me that the trope itself may have another source. If a story has a happy ending, it’s easier to like. But if we like a story despite the fact that it ripped our hearts out, it MUST be good. So because there’s a clearer divide between good and bad with tragedy, we find it easier to call tragedy “good”.

I dislike trying to reduce modern stories to classical tragedy or comedy, though. Greek plays tended to be quite short, and could generally be classified according to their endings. Longer works – well, I’m remembering how Up broke my heart a thousand times before its happy ending, with tragedy and comedy both. I think there’s a reason Aristotle had a separate category for “epic”. Longer works defy simple categorization.

]]> By: Brandy Ackerley http://www.writingexcuses.com/2009/12/27/writing-excuses-season-3-episode-31-tragedy/comment-page-1/#comment-37216 Brandy Ackerley Sun, 03 Jan 2010 05:50:38 +0000 http://www.writingexcuses.com/?p=215#comment-37216 I'm sorry, but I have to add... The fate of my Weighted Companion Cube scarred me as well. I don't usually go for tragedy myself, but generally because I don't enjoy the prevalent cliches that tend to accompany them, as well as the pacing which I find difficult to read through. Which is a tragedy in and of itself, since I do enjoy a tragic story arc with my fantasy. My favourite tragedy is in Where the Red Fern Grows. I first read it when I was 11 and I still have to stop myself from crying whenever I read it, even knowing how it ends. Perhaps not the best written, but I get so into the story and the fates of Big Dan & Little Ann that I can't stop myself from reading it. It's also a tragedy that this book gets so little notice... I had an English teacher in High School who had never heard of it. I’m sorry, but I have to add…

The fate of my Weighted Companion Cube scarred me as well.

I don’t usually go for tragedy myself, but generally because I don’t enjoy the prevalent cliches that tend to accompany them, as well as the pacing which I find difficult to read through.

Which is a tragedy in and of itself, since I do enjoy a tragic story arc with my fantasy.

My favourite tragedy is in Where the Red Fern Grows. I first read it when I was 11 and I still have to stop myself from crying whenever I read it, even knowing how it ends. Perhaps not the best written, but I get so into the story and the fates of Big Dan & Little Ann that I can’t stop myself from reading it.

It’s also a tragedy that this book gets so little notice… I had an English teacher in High School who had never heard of it.

]]> By: Matthew Watkins http://www.writingexcuses.com/2009/12/27/writing-excuses-season-3-episode-31-tragedy/comment-page-1/#comment-37215 Matthew Watkins Sat, 02 Jan 2010 21:37:00 +0000 http://www.writingexcuses.com/?p=215#comment-37215 The comment that really hit me in this podcast was when Dan mentioned that the Lord of the Rings had several characters with tragic arcs. With all of the classical training I have had, I never made that connection until Dan mentioned it, and so many things clicked into place. I think it is great that LotR has so many characters with tragic arcs, and so many with comedic arcs. That is what made LotR such a rich experience for me. Though you never really expect your favorite characters to die, you do know that anyone can fail, and that failure is worse than death. When I think to my favorite books and movies, I realize that they all have tragic and comedic characters. These books have an extreme emotional impact on me because they are targeting every emotion that I have, and they are connecting with every aspect of my personality. An example, I recently watched Up for the first time. That is a book with both comedic and tragic arcs, and I really connected with it. It made me cry, and it made me laugh. The characters felt round because they all had comedic and tragic arcs. In any case, thanks Dan for your comment, because it really opened my eyes. The comment that really hit me in this podcast was when Dan mentioned that the Lord of the Rings had several characters with tragic arcs. With all of the classical training I have had, I never made that connection until Dan mentioned it, and so many things clicked into place.

I think it is great that LotR has so many characters with tragic arcs, and so many with comedic arcs. That is what made LotR such a rich experience for me. Though you never really expect your favorite characters to die, you do know that anyone can fail, and that failure is worse than death.

When I think to my favorite books and movies, I realize that they all have tragic and comedic characters. These books have an extreme emotional impact on me because they are targeting every emotion that I have, and they are connecting with every aspect of my personality.

An example, I recently watched Up for the first time. That is a book with both comedic and tragic arcs, and I really connected with it. It made me cry, and it made me laugh. The characters felt round because they all had comedic and tragic arcs.

In any case, thanks Dan for your comment, because it really opened my eyes.

]]> By: bdagger http://www.writingexcuses.com/2009/12/27/writing-excuses-season-3-episode-31-tragedy/comment-page-1/#comment-37213 bdagger Sat, 02 Jan 2010 02:17:06 +0000 http://www.writingexcuses.com/?p=215#comment-37213 Ah, yes, the companion cube. That loss was very tragic, LoL. Quite an interesting game, Portal. We played through almost the entire thing in my game design class and I think the level with the companion cube was the best thing :D Ah, yes, the companion cube. That loss was very tragic, LoL. Quite an interesting game, Portal. We played through almost the entire thing in my game design class and I think the level with the companion cube was the best thing :D

]]> By: Derby http://www.writingexcuses.com/2009/12/27/writing-excuses-season-3-episode-31-tragedy/comment-page-1/#comment-37209 Derby Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:16:41 +0000 http://www.writingexcuses.com/?p=215#comment-37209 At Mike: Per your advice I have ordered the Alcatraz series by Brandon and have started reading Scholck Mercenary (from somewhere in 2003) by Howard. Soon I will order Dan's "I am Not A Serial Killer." As far as your 'shameless plug,' I think it was more like accurate reporting. Derby At Mike: Per your advice I have ordered the Alcatraz series by Brandon and have started reading Scholck Mercenary (from somewhere in 2003) by Howard.

Soon I will order Dan’s “I am Not A Serial Killer.”

As far as your ‘shameless plug,’ I think it was more like accurate reporting.

Derby

]]> By: WEKM http://www.writingexcuses.com/2009/12/27/writing-excuses-season-3-episode-31-tragedy/comment-page-1/#comment-37206 WEKM Thu, 31 Dec 2009 12:55:39 +0000 http://www.writingexcuses.com/?p=215#comment-37206 This one went by entirely to fast. I wanted another ten minutes at least. Oh well. I guess brevity is the soul of wit, so I must be witless. This one went by entirely to fast. I wanted another ten minutes at least. Oh well. I guess brevity is the soul of wit, so I must be witless.

]]> By: Eliyanna http://www.writingexcuses.com/2009/12/27/writing-excuses-season-3-episode-31-tragedy/comment-page-1/#comment-37205 Eliyanna Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:42:28 +0000 http://www.writingexcuses.com/?p=215#comment-37205 Just booked my hotel for Balticon and saw that Howard is the Artist Guest of Honor (http://www.balticon.org/). Sweet. I can read to him from my tragic retelling of Macbeth with chipmunks! In person! Just booked my hotel for Balticon and saw that Howard is the Artist Guest of Honor (http://www.balticon.org/). Sweet. I can read to him from my tragic retelling of Macbeth with chipmunks! In person!

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