Things That Are Cool - Part 1

[khiemtran]

Tropes and devices that I use and overuse

1) Civility in unexpected situations

Easy-going lions, well-mannered night demons, protocol-obsessed river dragons... I keep coming back to this again and again. Part of the appeal is the basic paradigm shift, but I think there's something more. What really interests me is the idea of higher layer of communication between the characters that lets them relate independent of their circumstance. It's pleasing to me in the same way that adults and children talking in the context of a make believe game pleases me in an Arthur Ramsome story. The idea of communion via a shared channel. It also helps to give the story enough complexity to make it interesting to me.

Comments

[sciamanna.livejournal.com]

I agree with you on these ideas being cool, and the reasons why. I think it will take a lot of using before it becomes overusing, really...

[houseboatonstyx.livejournal.com]

I love Arthur Ransome! If you're doing something even distantly like that, may I beta?

I mean, the two realities sort of transparently superimposed. Also in Xanth, Silverlock....

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Nothing at all like any of those, I'm afraid. I don't have anything looking for test readers at the moment, but I'll probably put a call out here when I do.