About Time Weird Time

Post 944:

Time is one of the most mysterious forces in the universe. What? I’m not trying to be weird, but it is. I always come back to the singular nature of time because there are things about it that are very much impervious to understanding. I also come back to it because I have compulsive disorders that one doctor called “serious,” but who cares about that guy.

I want to talk about time in story. Let me get more specific. How much time do you wait for the main plot to jump off or for characters to develop? How long is the dramatic pause between the foes in order to get the most drama? Does the boy get the girl at the very end or does he get her in a shorter amount of TIME?

It’s everything. And there’s no good answer. The combined, boiled-down prevailing wisdom is that you need DRAMA and CONFLICT and TROUBLE and you need it constantly and now. In other words, don’t give it much time. It’s settled, then. OR……………………

This is where I bring up the other hand. Here goes. Recently I’ve been reading some old westerns and watching some old classic movies. There’s not a lot of revolutionary new stuff being put out these days, though I’m probably missing some good additions to film and literature, what with trying to survive all the slings and arrows that I’m sure you too are dealing with. Anywho, I’m going back and checking out the oldies. I notice that they often took more time back then.

I think I was watching a scene in Ben Hur. Heston and the evil Roman are saying very little to each other at the beginning, even though they’re old friends and there’s lots to say. I was thinking, there could be a lot more dialogue here. Instead, they wisely chose to take time and pause so the viewers can draw their own conclusions. The drama is obvious enough, and the patience makes it better.

Can this go too far? Absolutely. Have you ever watched a movie or read a book that had a good premise but just couldn’t seem to get itself off the ground? Yeah. That’s a time deal. You got to have it. One blink of an eye is the difference between being Babe Ruth and some guy we’ll never hear of. It kind of sucks, but it’s also great when you feel it working for you. You won’t always get the timing right, but push hard enough and you’ll get to know the sensation. I got it once. Fifteen years ago. Good times.

Don’t wait, but be patient. I hate me too. See you after.