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fandomhigh2012-01-18 06:50 am
steel-not-glass.livejournal.com) wrote in fandomhigh2012-01-18 06:50 am
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Is A Cigar Just A Cigar, Wednesday, Period 3
Class met in the Danger Shop today, though when they stepped through the door, they'd find themselves outside the gates of the school. The gates themselves were closed, and the only sign of Cindy was in fact a literal sign; fastened to the gates was a sheet of paper that said Meet me at The Perk.
Apparently, they needed to travel a bit to enjoy the privilege of a lecture. But at least there would coffee at the end!
After their adventures getting into town, they would find Cindy sitting inside, sipping a peppermint mocha. "Glad to see you all arrived," she said. "Get yourself something warm to drink and let's talk about that quest you just went on." She smiled at them. "Oh, didn't you know? All trips are quests. All birds are ducks."
"Almost anytime you see someone traveling in a novel, that trip is more than just a trip from Point A to Point B," Cindy said, once her students had gotten themselves situated. "What you are reading is a quest, even if it doesn't appear that way on the surface. This is obviously true in novels that are specifically about a trip, like The Odyssey, for example, but anytime an author bothers telling you about the journey a character is taking, it's because it's important. Remember, an author is consciously choosing what to include in the novel. If something is unimportant, they'll skip it. So if the author is going to spend several thousand words--and however much time it took him or her to write those several thousand words--describing a bus trip to Duluth or whatever, it's because there is a reason. That reason? Usually because it is a quest."
Cindy pulled out a marker from her purse and began writing on the table--upside down, of course. She wasn't writing it for her benefit:
A) The hero
B) A place to go
C) A stated reason to go there
D) Challenges and trials en route
E) The real reason
"So, A is obvious. That's the character we're reading about. B and C are also pretty obvious: wherever the character is going and why they have chosen or been told to go there. The reasons don't have to be all that noble and heroic--running away is just as valid as a rescue, as is a plan to go do something not very nice, like buy or sell drugs or commit violence. They don't have to be all that great as a reason because the stated reason they're traveling is never the actual reason. Odds are, the hero is never actually going to accomplish the stated reason for the task, and, if he or she does, they usually come to regret it and try to undo it if they can. Why? Because the real reason for a quest is self-knowledge. So whether your hero is questing around in search of the Holy Grail or just on his way to work in the morning, what they find is a deeper understanding of the self, what they're capable of, and what they want to do with their life."
"Keep in mind that when I say 'all trips are quests,' it's about as accurate as saying 'all birds are ducks.' Sometimes, I may slip up and use words like 'always' and 'never.' Trips are always quests. Spring is always about fertility and growing things. 'Always' and 'never' are wrong: while things are commonly or usually true, there is nothing I tell you in this class that is set in stone. People are always experimenting, forging ahead to try something new, or using irony to subvert the common meanings of things. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, sometimes a trip really is just a trip. This isn't like math or science, where there really are concrete answers to things. In nine books out of ten, a trip really will be a quest, but it's that tenth book that can trip you up. So don't be afraid to call me on it, if I use 'always' or 'never' and don't be afraid to point out things you've read that don't agree with what I'm saying, okay?"
She finished her mocha and set the empty cup back on the table, careful not to obscure her lecture notes. "So, let's break down your quest to get here." She pulled out a book of fairy tales and held it up for them. "Thinking traditionally, a quest involves a knight, a goal or 'Holy Grail', a dangerous road, a dragon or two, an evil knight, and a prince or princess. What parts of your walk corresponded to which parts of the quest? Was this a true quest at all?"
[Please wait for the OCD is up!]
Apparently, they needed to travel a bit to enjoy the privilege of a lecture. But at least there would coffee at the end!
After their adventures getting into town, they would find Cindy sitting inside, sipping a peppermint mocha. "Glad to see you all arrived," she said. "Get yourself something warm to drink and let's talk about that quest you just went on." She smiled at them. "Oh, didn't you know? All trips are quests. All birds are ducks."
"Almost anytime you see someone traveling in a novel, that trip is more than just a trip from Point A to Point B," Cindy said, once her students had gotten themselves situated. "What you are reading is a quest, even if it doesn't appear that way on the surface. This is obviously true in novels that are specifically about a trip, like The Odyssey, for example, but anytime an author bothers telling you about the journey a character is taking, it's because it's important. Remember, an author is consciously choosing what to include in the novel. If something is unimportant, they'll skip it. So if the author is going to spend several thousand words--and however much time it took him or her to write those several thousand words--describing a bus trip to Duluth or whatever, it's because there is a reason. That reason? Usually because it is a quest."
Cindy pulled out a marker from her purse and began writing on the table--upside down, of course. She wasn't writing it for her benefit:
A) The hero
B) A place to go
C) A stated reason to go there
D) Challenges and trials en route
E) The real reason
"So, A is obvious. That's the character we're reading about. B and C are also pretty obvious: wherever the character is going and why they have chosen or been told to go there. The reasons don't have to be all that noble and heroic--running away is just as valid as a rescue, as is a plan to go do something not very nice, like buy or sell drugs or commit violence. They don't have to be all that great as a reason because the stated reason they're traveling is never the actual reason. Odds are, the hero is never actually going to accomplish the stated reason for the task, and, if he or she does, they usually come to regret it and try to undo it if they can. Why? Because the real reason for a quest is self-knowledge. So whether your hero is questing around in search of the Holy Grail or just on his way to work in the morning, what they find is a deeper understanding of the self, what they're capable of, and what they want to do with their life."
"Keep in mind that when I say 'all trips are quests,' it's about as accurate as saying 'all birds are ducks.' Sometimes, I may slip up and use words like 'always' and 'never.' Trips are always quests. Spring is always about fertility and growing things. 'Always' and 'never' are wrong: while things are commonly or usually true, there is nothing I tell you in this class that is set in stone. People are always experimenting, forging ahead to try something new, or using irony to subvert the common meanings of things. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, sometimes a trip really is just a trip. This isn't like math or science, where there really are concrete answers to things. In nine books out of ten, a trip really will be a quest, but it's that tenth book that can trip you up. So don't be afraid to call me on it, if I use 'always' or 'never' and don't be afraid to point out things you've read that don't agree with what I'm saying, okay?"
She finished her mocha and set the empty cup back on the table, careful not to obscure her lecture notes. "So, let's break down your quest to get here." She pulled out a book of fairy tales and held it up for them. "Thinking traditionally, a quest involves a knight, a goal or 'Holy Grail', a dangerous road, a dragon or two, an evil knight, and a prince or princess. What parts of your walk corresponded to which parts of the quest? Was this a true quest at all?"
[
Re: The Walk into Town (Part 1)
The dog's growling brought her up sharply, and she noticed the chewed-through leash and hole in the fence with something resembling panic. She forced herself to fight it down. This wasn't a monster; just a dog. She didn't want to lash out with magic and hurt it. Imagine if someone did that to Angelo.
Thinking of Angelo made her remember she carried dog treats in her pockets, if she could get to them before he got to her.
The dog was on a leash; clearly, the dog had an owner, and that meant maybe, maybe the dog had been trained?
She straightened her shoulders and tried to project fearlessness. "Sit," she said sharply.
Re: The Walk into Town (Part 1)
Either way, the dog was still coming.
Re: The Walk into Town (Part 1)
If worst came to worst, she'd whistle Angelo in here and see if she could get the dog to back down.
She finally reached the bag of treats, noting helpfully that it was most of the way full. Good. She yanked it out of her pockets and held it up over her head.
"Treat-treats!" she shouted, jiggling the bag for effect. Wait, should she open it first? Make sure he could smell it? He might not recognize the magic words of treat-treats. "Treat-treats?"
She tore at the bag, still holding it over her head. See? See that bacony-fake-meaty smell? Didn't that smell awesome, puppy?
Re: The Walk into Town (Part 1)
What? What was that? That thing that smelled delicious and good? Could he have one? Or more than one?
PUPPY EYES, RINOA. RESIST THEM. GO AHEAD.