Nov. 28th, 2008

kippurbird: (O_o)
Could someone internet/computer savvy help me with this?

I was posting a comment and I meant to put this: Photobucket icon up.

I got this one: Photobucket

But when I tried to show it to someone else they couldn't see it.

And then this icon vanished and my usual icon appeared.

Anyone know what happened?
kippurbird: (Default)
I was feeling silly.



Hrmm... I think I need to fix the second two.


Anyway, I was thinking about how it seemed like I was harping about the fact Eragon wasn't wearing any pants. And maybe I was, but it is a rather important point in regards to writing: What you put on the page is what happens. If you don't put an action on the page it doesn't happen. At least, during a scene where you're having all the actions expositated. We see everything else Eragon does, he sits, he clenches his staff... *sniggers* he eats bread, he waves away Roran, he smells things. So we clearly can see him doing stuff.

We see him do it, like it were a movie. Not a very good one but still, a movie nonetheless. There hasn't been a cut scene, so to speak. It's been completely continuous and since we never see Eragon pull his pants back up, he's still pant-less.

I know we're supposed to assume he does. I mean, that's the logical thing. People assume that if you pull your pants down, you'll pull them back up. This is obviously what Paolini assumed. However since a book is not a visual medium, we can only rely on what the words tell us. If the words don't tell us that he pulled his pants back up the he doesn't, no matter what the reader assumes.

True, most readers will just assume that his pants go back up. And they do, I'm sure, once there's a cut scene. But since in this particular scene we don't see it happen, it doesn't. It doesn't matter what the reader assumes, the text tells us otherwise. I know that 99% of the readers who read that section completely glossed over the fact that Eragon never pulled his pants up. It was just assumed. It's the 1% of us left that noticed it.

While one percent isn't bad at all, it's still there.

Writers should never assume that something happens unless they put it there. Things usually meaning events of importance or of note. When at home it's assumed that a person goes about their business eating and sleeping. Unless they're poor, then the lack of food should be of note and mentioned. Even if it's a broad over-view of "We rarely had anything more than potatoes and cabbage to eat". Then the reader can assume from that point onward that the characters don't have much to eat beyond cabbages and potatoes. And when they find something special for their diet, say meat, it should also be mentioned.

If there was a specific food scene though, where the people are sitting around eating, then again the description of food must be described. They had roasted potatoes and cabbage soup, thinned greatly with water. Their stomachs grumbled in hunger and maybe the long for the smells of richer people they know. But the food is mentioned, as it's apart of the scene.

Here the dropping of the pants is part of the scene, but Paolini never follows through with the action. We, the readers assume that Eragon pulls up his pants, because that's what people do. Even when they would, possibly, drop their pants in front of their cousins. But the text tells us other wise, and the lack of pants could be a potential plot point later in the scene.

Like they're attacked before Eragon has time to pull them up.

Or they rip.

The thing is, as well, it makes it seem like Eragon doesn't care that his pants are down, becuase he's not putting htem back up.

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