McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Interesting post about culture-specific story shapes.
the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
--- Quote from: TheWinterEmissary on September 08, 2011, 12:34:10 AM --- Many other countries manage to effectively export little culturally here, would the author really argue that American audiences should base their perceptions on those few messages that get through in our popular culture?
--- End quote ---
I think the argument would be that the failure of those messages to get through is part of the problem.
the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
--- Quote from: TheWinterEmissary on September 08, 2011, 12:41:54 AM ---I also have to disagree with the assessment of the Long Price Quartet as excellent. Obviously such assignations are ultimately only a personal determination, but ime there is something approximating a 50/50 split between those who are impressed by it and those who are not.
I only ever read the first book
--- End quote ---
I would argue, in that specific case, that the cumulative build through the series is more important than in many series. Though I would also disagree with you on the quality of the characterisation, so some of this may well be down to taste.
Figging Mint:
--- Quote from: the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh on September 07, 2011, 07:19:50 PM ---I'm not willing to work on a basis that denies the existence of quality altogether.
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If we use a subjective interpretation of quality it can easily be phrased as "A pre-existing metric by which something could be liked by others". Which can rework your statement here into "My work pleaseth me not, if it pleaseth only me." (And yes, there is a jokey implication in there about book series too). Do you intend this meaning?
For an objective interpretation of quality, we strictly need a showing of quality no one likes.
black omega:
As a big fan of foreign stories, movies and myth, I can't resist commenting on this one.
Most of what is complained about I would not describe as an AMERICAN trope.
I’m tired of plots that value individualism and egotism above all else
The pejorative term hurts this point, but I would agree rugged individualism is a very American feature.
to be active and not take anything that life deals at them lying down
Odysseus disagreed with this. Ranma disagrees. There are countless examples that predate America of this.
Eh, I can't list them all. Heroes of destiny, meet Water Margin and King Arthur. Violence as a resolution instead of seeking a peaceful resolution meet Beowulf. 'in which women exist only to be sidelined or as surrogate men' Seriously? A thousand thousand stories that predate America have this. Which is valid, after all, the author of the blog makes the point we can't accept American concepts of equality is as the only correct answer.
I would agree super heroes re in many ways uniquely American, based on the old vigilante concept of the American wild west. But they are not universally American.
'Plots featuring America as the centre of the world, where aliens land near LA–and decisions are made in NYC for the entire world.'
I would agree on this. Just like plots that feature London as the center of the world tend to be British tropes, and plots that feature Hong Kong or Beijing as the center are Chinese. Writers tend to center their stories on where they are from. Greek writers put Greece at the center of the world, etc.
It's a fun rant, but I can't take it seriously as anything more than a rant. The spread of American culture is real enough, the culture of a superpower being popular outside thgat nation has been true throughout history. And right now with the ease of communication that influence occurs much faster and is more easily noticed.
the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
I've always thought of rugged individualism as a character flaw, myself. We shall see how well the influence of this on my fiction affects its chances of selling.
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