Quantum Storytelling

I watched Raiders of the Lost Ark again, in anticipation of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It’s remarkable how many things Lucas & Spielberg did right in crafting their iconic hero. The whip and the fedora, the fedora which especially works well and the exploit a lot through the use of silhouette and shadows on the wall in various scenes. But those are physical/appearance characteristics, while important, do not necessarily reveal tics of character.

“I hate snakes.” You know what I’m talking about. This one simple line, and littering the first movie with snakes that Indy can react to, gives the audience a quality they can identify with and latch onto in the hero.

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I saw this courtesy of SF Signal.

“When Hollywood isn’t busy cranking out sequels, it’s scouring Earth for stories and characters that will save them the hassle of coming up with their own.”

Further proof that properties favoring a home medium don’t do very well outside of the native environment. Of course, James Bond, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars don’t seem to have that problem.

You do the math. Forget mediums, it’s all about franchises.

u·nique
–adjective

6. the embodiment of unique characteristics; the only specimen of a given kind: The unique is also the improbable.

my·thol·o·gy
–noun, plural -gies.

1. a body of myths, as that of a particular people or that relating to a particular person: Greek mythology.

As a writer, you are a myth maker. To be profitable and artistic is to create myths that are unique in some way.

What about your characters or world is different or unusual?