tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post703112670009502719..comments2023-08-10T03:35:55.682-07:00Comments on The Prosers: What Reality Television Taught Me About Writing.Sheena Boekweghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227547053651725634noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post-7421543743035395922012-08-15T18:12:32.885-07:002012-08-15T18:12:32.885-07:00I've never been a fan of reality TV, but recen...I've never been a fan of reality TV, but recently the kids and I watched a season of The Biggest Loser on netflix. Do you know how silly the stall looks without an actual commercial break?<br /><br />Sally, your current weight is....beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, big drumroll music (and everyone looks horrified)...Sally, your current weight is...beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, drumroll music (and everyone looks ecstatic).<br /><br />Yeah, that doesn't add much to the conversation, but I agree that doing the stall right is extremely important.Melanie Crousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10353025724182677932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post-10505426833986174542012-08-14T08:54:39.378-07:002012-08-14T08:54:39.378-07:00I think the stall is neither empty nor off-topic. ...I think the stall is neither empty nor off-topic. If you fill with words that aren't interesting, I'll get annoyed at the blatant manipulation ;) But if you veer really off-topic and the tension can't support it, then the bubble bursts and I stop caring. <br /><br />So if your first moment is a gun to the head and a finger moving on the trigger, and then you go into a UFO in the sky, I'll probably keep remembering that there's a gun there. If you stall from a moment of waiting to see who gets picked to answer a math question (and haven't set it up to be as tense as being held at gunpoint) then you probably don't want to talk UFOs if you want me to still care whether the character escapes the blackboard.<br /><br />I have a huge pet peeve with people who follow the commercial interruption model of reality tv by switching to a less interesting POV on a big cliffhanger. That's one of the dangers of multiple POVs, IMO.<br />Sarah McCanlesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05692009969291537927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post-63947372383852379812012-08-13T18:58:11.922-07:002012-08-13T18:58:11.922-07:00Hmmm, I never thought about the stall being an emp...Hmmm, I never thought about the stall being an empty moment. I always have filled it with deepened POV. Very interesting. <br /><br />Great Post, Sheena!MaryAnn Popehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08618345950149423623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post-58347170493192359912012-08-13T18:10:49.043-07:002012-08-13T18:10:49.043-07:00I'm not sure why, but I never got caught up in...I'm not sure why, but I never got caught up in the reality competition shows. I should have. Everyone I know watches Idol, and when I was in high school, Survivor was still a BIG deal. I think part of the reason I never cared for them was because...<br />I'm not a fan of "The Stall."<br />At least not on TV. I'm hooked on shows like New Girl and Bunheads, mostly because each episode stands alone. I don't mind a cliffhanger ending when the season is wrapping up. It usually does the trick and forces me to come back the following season. I just can't take it every episode.<br />It's a great point, though. "The Stall" is a powerful tool, when used correctly. (And sparingly.)<br />Great post as always, Sheena!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07572122401159709175noreply@blogger.com