As my mind wandered, talking to new characters, a bit of advice popped in that I'd heard long ago. Publishers don't like stories that end up being just a dream.
Really?
Can someone please tell me how "It was all just a dream" The Wizard Of Oz is one of the most-loved stories of ALL TIME?
Just wondering...
You are so right, Laura.
ReplyDeleteKaren
LOL Karen. :) It just kinda hit me in the face this morning.
ReplyDeleteThat's funny because I always assumed Wizard of Oz turned out to be one of those "It was a dream...Or was it?" films. I'll have to watch it again.
ReplyDeleteI can think of several books and movies that were just dreams...
ReplyDeleteDid I just dream this or did I really read it?
ReplyDeleteI think (IMO) what publishers/editors dislike about the 'it was just a dream' is that it tends to make the story weak, kind of an 'easy-out' ending. I think if you want to write 'it was just a dream' story, you need more of a twist at the end, something that wraps it all together than just being a dream.
ReplyDeleteI do know that dreams are always a big fascination with people of all genre tastes, so I don't think dreams in stories are a bad thing. "Don't Look Back," is just one story of my many that deals with dreams. They are cool material to work with; writers just have to keep thinking of new ways to weave them into stories.
Great post, Laura!
Maurice - Very true. At least Dorothy didn't think it was a dream. :)
ReplyDeleteAlex - I can too!
Christopher - That's hard to say... ;)
Erin - I agree. People (and writers) are fascinated with dreams. It was just my rant against blanket statements I've heard.
Thank you all for dropping by!
When stories end in a dream, it seems like a cop out. But in the W of O, each character is so strong and based on a real person in Dorathy's life, that the reader doesn't care. At least, I don't.
ReplyDeleteManzanita - I don't care either. If a story is good, who cares if it's a dream?
ReplyDelete#1 I think it's a little ambiguous whether it was a dream or not in the 1939 film classic you're talking about
ReplyDelete#2 The original novel portrayed Oz as a REAL place Dorothy visited. The dream-thing was only the film version's ending.
#3 The "all just a dream" technique seems to work better in cinema (or TV, i.e. Bob Newhart), but not so well in books
#4 Why not in books? Probably because there's more of a investment in reading a book, and the reader feels cheated
#5 Probably because of the overuse of the technique, publishers don't like it
#6 If you're clever enough, you can pretty much throw away #4 and #5
Jay - It didn't work so well in the Dallas series...where they threw out an entire season as a dream. LOL!
ReplyDeleteGood points, especially #6!
Remember Who Killed JR? That was a cop-out!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt seems obvious to me:
ReplyDelete1. The Wizard Of Oz is one of the most-loved stories of all time
2. Publishers do not like it
See? No more logical inconsistency!
Cathy - Yep! A whole season down the drain. :)
ReplyDeleteTim - Thank you for explaining that! ;)
Jay's spot on. I'd only add one point: like most editorial rules, the problem actually arose from such a thing occurring in so many stories it became unbearable. Most of these stories were bad to begin with. Even more were unoriginal. Somebody probably could write the magic bullet of a tale that ended that way and did gangbusters, but it would have to in order to satisfy weary editors.
ReplyDeleteI think there is a difference between the 'just a dream' stories and tales like Wizard of Oz. I've read so many books that let down because the dream feels like a cop out. I think this statement is like all the others in writing, show vs. tell, no adverbs, etc...If you write a great story, people will read it. IMHO
ReplyDeleteJohn - Good points. Overuse and unoriginal generally lead to "rules" against something.
ReplyDeleteCiara - Definitely a difference there. In Wizard of Oz, the dream WAS the whole story, not a quick means to an ending.
Excellent question. I love your new look :)
ReplyDeleteNever thought of that Laura. Always telling my Year 9s, never end a story that way!
ReplyDeleteDenise
I think Jay already said it but in the book it wasn't a dream. But now I can't stop thinking about the book.
ReplyDeleteIt was good but weird. I think the munchkins were blue. Anyone? And there were more witches.
Um...just look at the four seasons of "Enterprise" and how that show tanked. The series finale revealed that it was all just a holodeck recording being watched by Troi and Commander Riker on board the "Enterprise".
ReplyDeleteReally? Four seasons of Star Trek became a meaningless dream?
It pissed off sooo many people and almost killed the entire franchise.
There's a reason why people don't like the huge "dream" reveal. It makes them feel cheated.
Carol - Thanks!
ReplyDeleteDenise - Excellent advice. I think it takes a lot of skill to pull it off.
Southpaw - I never read the book. Blue munchkins sound cool!
Michael - REALLY? Ugh. I couldn't get through the first season of it, never clicked with me. I had no idea it ended that way. How awful!
I never though of that. My dreams are so weird I think they would make for a great story.
ReplyDeleteHi, Stephen! I get a lot of story ideas from dreams. :)
ReplyDelete'cause we know it wasn't really a dream--the excuses we make to make the grown-ups happy?
ReplyDeleteSheila - Yeah, those grown-ups don't know nothin'. :D
ReplyDeleteJay's point is good. Due to the nature of the way the story was presented in the movie, the dream concept works. In books the dream gimmick is a cop out that leaves a reader feeling cheated unless it is pulled off exceptionally well.
ReplyDeleteLee
Tossing It Out
Hi, Lee. When I was little I could have sworn the movie ended with the ruby slippers being shown in the closet...but not in later years - which would make it not a dream. Or maybe I dreamed it. LOL!
ReplyDeleteYou're right, it wasn't used as cop-out ending.
One persons classic is another persons crap. I think terms like most loved are invented by the advertising department. I liked the film when I saw it as a child (on the cinema -rerelease around 1964) but never saw it again for years i played it to my children and they did not like it that much. We are all different, don't let the hyperbole get you down.
ReplyDeleteHi, Paul! Too true about the classic/crap for many things. It'd be pretty boring if we all liked the same thing.
ReplyDeleteGosh, can't believe November is flying by, but I prob won't think about December until after Thanksgiving:)
ReplyDeleteHi, Mark! Thanks for stopping by. December is sneaking up too quickly.
ReplyDeleteHi Laura, it's good to meet you. I followed you here from your comment on my guest post on Under the Tiki Hut. Thank you for your kind comment. I'll visit your blog regularly for inspiration. Greetings, Jo (Kenya)
ReplyDeleteHi, Jo! It's nice to meet you and thanks for following the blog!
ReplyDeleteThey'll tell us wizards don't sell soon, but Harry Potter will still be famous.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Sheila!
ReplyDelete