Pointless Reverie

The best way to be a better writer is to write! So what if it seems pointless?

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Random Musings on Fiction

I just finished watching "Grey's Anatomy". No, this posting isn't going to be a review of the show, nor am I going to write any spoilers here! (I would hate to ruin anything for anyone who might be reading this.) I will tell you that it was quite an emotional show.

Which has me thinking: why do we get so emotionally involved in things we know are not true? Books, television shows, movies, etc. (The small and big screens do rely on writing as a starting point before they can even think of filming.) We allow ourselves to become personally invested in works of fiction, and become attached to the characters and scenarios despite knowing that at the end of the book, or the end of the episode, the real world won't be all that different just because so-and-so died, or what's-her-face ended the relationship with oh-that-guy.

I know I do it all the time. Fiction is by far my preferred reading/viewing material, and when I finish a book or a movie, I try to get my hands on the sequel (or, if it does not exist, fan-fiction, which while not usually anywhere near as good as the original, can serve as a good surrogate) as quickly as possible to find out what happens next. I need the story to continue, I need to know what else happens to these people that don't really exist.

In an absolutely perfect universe, I think there would be some dimension where the story does continue, where fiction is true and all the characters of books, films, TV shows, and theater live out their lives. The Doctor is out there saving the planet, the Scarlet Pimpernel is rescuing French aristocrats, and (SPOILER WARNING if you are one of the few people in the world who doesn't know how Pride and Prejudice ends) the Darcy’s are living happily ever after.

Maybe that's why we need fiction in the first place. Compared to the worlds that writers create, ours can sometimes pale in comparison. We live in a society where everything has an explanation. Reading or watching a piece of fiction allows us to escape into places where unicorns exist, time travel is possible, and true love really can conquer all.

Of course, the show or the book always ends. There isn't always a sequel, and a series can't last forever. And that is where we learn our lesson from fiction. We can't make it real. We can't travel to that alternate dimension. However, we can make the most of our own lives, to make of them stories worth living. Or reading. Because, hey, truth can be more interesting than fiction.


*Side note* Many apologies for waiting so long to write a second post. Really though, this is my third blog post ever written, because I guest wrote for Aching Hope over at Slumpvis Musings! Okay, end of shameless plug.

2 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

Huh, this is something I've spent a lot of time thinking about. Actually, I just had a long conversation with God about this (I was ranting like no tomorrow.) Good thoughts. Thanks for sharing :)

May 21, 2010 at 7:00 PM  
Blogger Juliegoose said...

I think this is very interesting to consider. I have thought about that, strangely about Grey's Anatomy, because I am a fan, and have wondered the same thing. Why should I care if Izzy and Alex break up? Or if Meredith and Mcdreamy get together? Why does it matter in everyday life? And I have come to the conclusion that it only matters if the memories of it make us modify our behavior throughout our lives. So, if you are nicer to your boyfriend because you remember what a bitch Izzy is to Alex than it's changed your life for the better, and it was worth while. Also, if you are seeking the deep answers to your life and what it's all about and you watch an episode where Meredith is still dealing with her mother and what is going on it may help you solve your own mysteries because she works through hers.

May 23, 2010 at 1:56 PM  

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