Note: I promised last week a discussion of techniques in developing characters, however were I to append such a discourse to the material I have posted below I would turn this blog post into a small novel. Therefore, I shall touch upon the subject briefly, but leave an in-depth discussion for a later post.

Last week we scratched the surface on the subject of characters in stories—why, from an audience's standpoint, they are essential to any tale. But from the writer's standpoint, there is much more to be said on the subject, and what there is to say is far more interesting.

A number of films have come out recently that have had varying degrees of visual excellence, but have skimped on storytelling. Some of these movies I was inclined to like, such as the animated feature 9 and James Cameron’s Avatar, while others, such as J.J. Abrams’ reboot of Star Trek, have earned my distaste. All of these movies go wrong in the story department at some point, and much of it has to do with their use and development of their characters.

Since I'm making some substantial progress on some of my projects, I thought I'd enumerate what I'm working on for the benefit of any interested parties.

Are Star Trek fans insane, or are they just so hungry for more that all sense of, you know, standards in storytelling has left them?

I'm not referring so much to the upcoming Star Trek movie, helmed by the unworthy J.J. Abrams, but the series of comics released to bridge the events of the new film with the previous continuity. I have just finished reading the first in the series of comics, and I must say, though the thrust of the story is interesting, the execution leaves much to be desired.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

As I took a walk up one of my current city's hills, I found myself thinking about children's books. It's a difficult subject for an adult to wrap his head around, especially as there exists a point where our tastes shift and that which seemed so tantalizing and entertaining as a child strikes us as silly and mind-numbing. I personally do not envision myself writing children's literature. I find it too restrictive, as in children's literature you must watch your language, not let it become too violent or disturbing or—God forbid!—too sexual.