Browncoat Bar & Grill - Q

POSTED BY: Kelkhil
UPDATED: Wednesday, October 7, 2009 15:00
VIEWED: 16204
PAGE 3 of 13

Quote:

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Originally posted by gee:
... part of the act of creating is reacting to things as they change when you do them, very few people are able to plan exactly what they are going to do before hand... almost every time I do something that sucks major balls (rather than just not be very good) is due to me trying to fit a pre-made plan rather than working with what is happening.

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Heh, bingo. I find the planning process, as they describe it anyway, to be nothing but restrictive.

Also, by the photo power invested in me, I give you permission to post in pic threads without always having to have pics, though we may bug you from time to time about it

Quote:

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Originally posted by freelancertex:
Books can't really help you with blocks, in my experience...

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Well the 'block' she was referring to in this instance was my 'block' about doing things by hand, not a block in my creative process. Now, for my money, art done on the computer is much less stressful (yay for undo!!1!) and also comes out better than most things I can do by hand. In this class, it's being insisted I work with all kinds of materials, which isn't necessarily bad, but when I'm told I 'must' draw something, rather than being able to use the medium of computers and print, it makes me cranky. When I screw up using a pen, I cry and have to start all over again, more than likely, especially when the project is something requiring precision. Anyway, teach thinks I have an unreasonable resistance to such things, and rely too much on the computer. Um, hi? Duh? This is a course in computer graphics and I am in it for a reason. Yes, I love my computer. In an age where they exist, and in which I can do way more on one of them than I can with paint and canvas (not having that particular talent that some people really do) there's no reason for me not to use my most flexible and wunnerful tool in creating art. This is my creative process. I'm working on my eye, and seeing more and more things in more and more ways, and refining how I come up with my ideas so that maybe my process is more, I dunno, efficient, but my creative process is not a pencil. Sorry, it just isn't. For a lot of artists it is or it can be, but I like things to be a little cleaner.

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Do you have the title for that book, PR? sounds like a smart guy ;)

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It's called 'Visual Poetry' and I found it in the digital photography section. Don't remember author name. I should check the library for it, indeed, but I'm not sure they would have it; the poor libraries suffer from lack of funds almost as much as I do, but maybe some caring soul in the industry has donated it.

Kitten, have I told you lately how awesome you are?

Quote:

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Originally posted by freelancertex:
"don't tell me, show me."

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Sound advice, actually, even if he didn't deliver it well. It's much less interesting to have something like:
Ron was an accountant. He got up every morning at six. For breakfast he had a bagel. He drove a Plymouth.
than to have something like:
The alarm went off as usual at six a.m. Ron stretched and thought how good his morning bagel would taste. Ready for work promptly at 6:30 as usual, Ron got into his Plymouth and fought traffic to the accounting office.
Both not super interesting, I know, but the point is that the details should be contained within a story, not spelled out in boring, omnisciently told snippits. Straight fact is what makes essays so boring. It's a mistake a lot of writers make. They may have a creative idea, but they talk about it rather than writing a story, which is where techniques for that kind of writing come in. Sorry if, overall, he was a bad teacher of those techniques, but I cannot fault him for drilling the 'show, don't tell' rule.

Hey, if you want some good advice on writing technique, being in the industry, etc...
[shameless plug]
http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Ink-Write-Fiction-Adults/dp/18776

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Ah drawing things by hand. I suck so much at that XD Not much of an artist, but I don't know how a book can get you past that block either, I mean, doesn't being good at drawing take practice?

Does it have to be in pen, or can you use pencil first? :P hell, even animators do that.

Re "don't tell me, show me." : yeah, and I got what he meant, because laying things out all subject-verb subject-verb is boooooooooooring, (I've edited many a peer's stories that have that issue; and you're right, someone may have a good idea, but they have trouble conveying it in an interesting manner) and I try my absolute best not to do that. I think I was one of few people in class he *didn't* say that too (fortunately). And you're absolutely right, the details should be contained within the story ^_^ 's'what makes it interesting

I wouldn't say he was a bad teacher so much as it was more or less a blind 'doing' class without any discussion on how writers convey things the way they do (i.e. technique and theory). Ya know?

*logs linkies for later as she has class*

barkeep, somethin' to get me through to 9 o'clock @_@

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It can be pencil first, of course, but the tracing part with the pen doesn't always hold less potential for screwing it up, which still puts you back at the drawing board, so to speak. Sometimes I have to start all over on a computer piece, too, but usually I can just tweak it, and if I do have to start all over, there may be something in the original attempt that I can use for something else, even just a little piece, which can be perfectly copied and pasted without too much hassle.
Yes, being good at drawing takes practice. Which I have done. Really, I have. It is not my strong suit. Things come out all disproportionate and dumb-looking. Give me a camera or a computer (or both!!) over a pencil any day of the week.

[/sig]

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HUGs Rose I sympathize.. I have fine motor impairment so I can't even draw a straight line... which is why I never draw anything:)


To love someone is to see a miracle invisible to others.
--Francois Mauriac
It's fuzzy-minded liberal thinking like that that gets you eaten.

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Hey, look! This is what I look like when I keep my opinions to myself! XD

Currently on my desk sit a cup of green tea, a cup of immune system support stuff, a can of Red Bull, and a small bottle of water. All of these things in combination are oh so yicky. XP

Hee.

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oohps, meant to sit down and reply to earlier message on here as didn't have time before band practice and check my fantasy team and suddenly found myself sawpping players and three roster moves later and an hour has gone by, no washing up, no reply so quick words here bed, up early tomorrow and no writing time...

I guess my advice PR would be to stick with the hand drawing as best you can and try not to get hung up on how it turns out, you've already acknowledged that it's not your favourite medium so try going with it and seeing how it goes for the experience without holding it up against your best work.

As for creative writing classes, I'm not sure about them but I am thinking that maybe after I get this damn Physics degree in urm, 6 years, I might attack an English one as didn't study past sixteen and I love writing and would like to get better at it, I'm a better reader for my attempts but think I'd be a better writer with a firmer grasp of what I'm trying to ie, more than just v basic grammer as not taught properly in this county any more and reading lots, although reading lots helps. Interesting point made by Graham Lineham (Father Ted, Black Books, The IT Crowd) on Gameswipe (BBC programme featuring fabulous Charlie Brooker) about bad wrting in lots of games (he also discussed some good examples) about how the problem with plotting and story line is caused by too many game writers watching loads of films and not reading so doing ideas and plots without the little details that make a character come to life and have a coherent personality.

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