I don't watch much TV because I write like a fiend any chance I get, but I realize that lots of people watch shows on Netflix and Amazon and a bunch of different other providers. My hubby is a binge-watching addict, and occasionally I will catch an episode or two of something he's watching. Sometimes I like it; sometimes I don't, but at least it keeps me in on the story-telling conversation, so I consider it research.
For example, when I see The Walking Dead or Orange is the New Black, I can't help but analyze what makes the stories so compelling or the characters so nuanced. How do the writers do that? How do they get millions of people addicted to their work? Yes, it's visual, but there's more to it than that. Sometimes it's gratuitous violence or sex, but many times it's just gritty, gutsy writing that taps into the universal feelings we all have in an engaging context. What mastery some of these writers have!
What I don't like about TV is all the articles that discuss "spoilers" that have to do with cliffhangers of fan favorites. Whom did Negan kill? Who will get the Iron Throne? The articles promise spoilers but offer nothing but fan theory. I despise them so much, I think I will start writing some. They are very formulaic, and it would give me more reasons to do my "research," which is probably the reason authors write them in the first place. We writers are such a crafty bunch. :)
Back to my original thought--do you binge watch anything? If so, why? What makes you want to keep watching? Please do share. Happy Reading!
1 comment:
I usually watch shows as they go but with original programming from Netflix, Hulu, ect. I have watched some shows all the way through. The only ones that I came in late to the game and made me want to watch them all was Longmire and Saving Grace and for me it's all about the characters! I was just blown away by how complex the main characters are in both these shows. Down side to binge a show is that you really get invested in watching the story and then you finish all the seasons (Or it ends totally *sob ) and you then realize you have to wait forever to get your next fix lol.
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