The hardest part of a story, for me, is the beginning. I never know where to start. Someone told me a long time ago that you should catch the reader's attention in that first page, and maybe that's why I freeze up. Seems like there's a lot of pressure on the first few paragraphs of whatever I'm writing. If I screw those up, no one's gonna bother with the rest. Obviously, I need some help. I need to see some good examples and bad examples. This is why I'm prone to picking up a book and only reading the first few chapters, or only watching the pilot episode of a TV show and just...stopping there.
The most recent example of such research is...Hart of Dixie. Now, I know you're thinking, "Dude...why on earth would you watch a show with a pun for a title, starring Rachel Bilson?" In truth, I didn't even really know who Ms. Bilson was until I watched the show. Sure, I knew her name, but that's about it. The only reason I tuned in was because...well, the series involved the South, and I've always had a bit of a soft spot in my heart for the Old South. Not the racist part...the cultural part. It really is America's old, original culture, despite the name it's managed to make for itself.
All that aside, I watched this pilot, hoping to learn something about the art of the opening chapter, and maybe something about a female character arc. Can't say I was very satisfied. The show started off with a voice-over...which is never a good idea these days. The entire cast's introductions were forced--the first time you walk into a new town, you won't necessarily be intricately involved with the first six people you meet. Mother figure, rival, love interest, bad boy, professional rival/symbol-of-oppressive-patriarchy and "kid sister"/sidekick were all the first people she met. Ehhh...
They did use a theme that might speak to the age of the creators. See...a lot of female characters these days have absent fathers, and end up following in that father's footsteps, idolizing and deifying him, at the cost of their own emotional (read: romantic) development. Hart of Dixie does the same thing. She's kind of a reverse House, MD. Thing is...that is probably a common trait in women who hit their professional stride in the 70s, 80s...maybe 90s. I don't know if girls and women these days have the same dilemma of sacrificing "feminine balance" for "masculine goals". So, they might be missing their mark.
What's worse, they're obviously leaning toward the horrible romance formula where the female rival is romantically linked to the love interest...but that rival is so disgusting there's no reason why it should be that way. Also, Magical Black Mayor. I'm waiting on that one.
I'm gonna keep my eye on this one, not because I want to know what happens to these characters, but...I want to see how they go about infusing southern culture into the show, and if they can do it without making fun of it. To be honest, it's very important to me.
Time for bed...
J
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