January 18, 2010

why i'm glad i watched Avatar...

...it reminded me of what i love in a story...

(warning: this might contain spoilers)

-- a great first line: "When I was lying in the V.A. hospital with a big hole blown through the middle of my life, I started having these dreams that I was flying."

-- a main character, usually an underdog, who isn't expecting to be a hero

-- the underdog hero getting the chick in the end

-- flawed characters

-- women who know how to kick butt

-- forgiveness

-- restoration

-- overcoming impossible odds

-- defeating evil

-- a happy ending

on the other hand, part of me is sorry i watched Avatar. it was a great story. i'm in the middle of a revision and i'm not sure i can write a really great story. i'm comparing myself to James Cameron. not a good idea.

i highly recommend it, though i have to warn you, the language isn't great because most of the characters are ex-Marines.

4 comments:

Shannon O'Donnell said...

My hubby and I are going to see this tomorrow - I can't wait. :-)

Janna Leadbetter said...

Ditto, those were all desirable parts for me, too. The biggest downfall (in my mind) was that the movie seemed to drag in parts, but I'm glad I saw it.

I find myself doing that, too, watching a movie and comparing my writing to the writing behind what I've seen. That's dangerous territory.

Carolina M. Valdez Schneider said...

I LOVED Avatar! Loved it!!!!

But, instead of comparing yourself to it, just let it inspire you. Already, you've listed all the things that reminded you of what you love about a good story. So, just make sure you put some of those elements into your writing, and you're set ;) Seems to me anyone who could create such a list is already off to a great start ;)

Unknown said...

I loved Avatar, in fact it did the exact opposite for me after seeing it, I felt the sense to right, I felt inspired... it was really good, had great points, and everyone seemed so happy in pandora that I wanted to relate it through all my characters, the peace they had, and the love for their community!

Great blog! Can't wait to see more!