tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post838029577030900416..comments2023-04-12T06:15:02.968-04:00Comments on Fantasy Debut: The Villain MonologueTia Nevitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489109929908389257noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-17193703141966801072008-10-18T18:55:00.000-04:002008-10-18T18:55:00.000-04:00I agree with Janet in that the villain monologue i...I agree with Janet in that the villain monologue is overdone. But sometimes they work. The really poor ones stand out terribly, but with the good ones, I don't even realize that there's a monologue going on. Like I just finished reading Brandon Sanderson's <I>The Hero of Ages</I> this morning, and until I read this post, I never realized that he used this technique.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-9235281510023075852008-10-16T16:26:00.000-04:002008-10-16T16:26:00.000-04:00I actually thought they handled Syndrome's monolog...I actually thought they handled Syndrome's monologue very well, even when they weren't making fun of it.Tia Nevitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05489109929908389257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-84550403578663507122008-10-16T15:41:00.000-04:002008-10-16T15:41:00.000-04:00I hate any kind of artificial infodump. If the st...I hate any kind of artificial infodump. If the story is set up so that passing on the package of information is entirely natural in context, that's fine.<BR/><BR/>The villain monologue isn't necessarily unnatural. The desire to gloat is very human. But the device has been so overdone that it really requires a deft hand to seem fresh and believable. As a writer, I would avoid it.Janethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04600030574995481267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-44756190663798664942008-10-16T15:30:00.000-04:002008-10-16T15:30:00.000-04:00"In case you don't like monologues in general you ..."In case you don't like monologues in general you also won't read monologues."<BR/><BR/>I'm not really sure I caught the meaning of this. In the context of this article, I meant a monologue in the term of a villain infodump. The makers of <I>The Incredibles</I> coined the phrase; I just followed along.Tia Nevitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05489109929908389257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-30666227223361013742008-10-16T12:07:00.000-04:002008-10-16T12:07:00.000-04:00It's up now! Enjoy!It's up now! Enjoy!Tia Nevitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05489109929908389257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-79445885120814609822008-10-16T11:01:00.000-04:002008-10-16T11:01:00.000-04:00Great post! And can't wait to read what you have ...Great post! <BR/><BR/>And can't wait to read what you have in store for us tomorrow! :)K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07021443799614584092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-54106255826181036472008-10-16T07:27:00.000-04:002008-10-16T07:27:00.000-04:00I look forward to your One year later series.I did...I look forward to your One year later series.<BR/><BR/>I didn't watch the Incredibles.<BR/><BR/>Anyway monologues are like a lot of other topics partly a question of personal likes and dislikes.<BR/><BR/>In case you don't like monologues in general you also won't read monologues.ediFanoBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11129248787624088717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-78851776836325506962008-10-15T21:46:00.000-04:002008-10-15T21:46:00.000-04:00That's me. When I run into a monologue nowadays, I...That's me. When I run into a monologue nowadays, I think of Syndrome.Tia Nevitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05489109929908389257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-31930231851095328442008-10-15T21:30:00.000-04:002008-10-15T21:30:00.000-04:00I like POV... I think I tend to prefer it to monol...I like POV... I think I tend to prefer it to monologues, as, frankly, anywhere someone DOES start monologuing, all I can think of is <I>The Incredibles</I>. ;)<BR/><BR/>I think it's more fun when monologues are used a bit tongue-in-cheek, but if you set up the fact the villain talks like this, all the time, I'll buy it. What I find annoying is when the villain is prattling on in a monologue and hasn't done this before, and is only doing it because the author needs to explain everything about the Master Plan. :P<BR/><BR/>I want to smack them and tell them to hurry up and shoot the hero already. <BR/><BR/>Heh.<BR/><BR/>That's just me though. If done well, I can enjoy a monologue, info dump or conversation. <BR/><BR/>But, like I said, I will always associate that with Pixar's movie now ;) which, ahem, sometimes it makes it hard to take monologues seriously.<BR/><BR/>~MercMerchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14164221022350926808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-69167519823141540402008-10-15T20:30:00.000-04:002008-10-15T20:30:00.000-04:00POV doesn't bother me. Maybe that's because I read...POV doesn't bother me. Maybe that's because I read lots of genres, and head-hopping is more common in other genres. And it's pretty common in the classics.<BR/><BR/>Clever infodumps are always appreciated!Tia Nevitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05489109929908389257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-71102269791584692782008-10-15T20:25:00.000-04:002008-10-15T20:25:00.000-04:00The one year later idea is fantastic! I'm looking ...The one year later idea is fantastic! I'm looking forward to that one.<BR/><BR/>As far as monologues go, I read fantasy and like you pointed out, generally you know who the bad guy/girl is and usually (not always) they play their roles from afar. Now info dumps in general, I hate. I'm a fan of showing, not telling and I HATE "Well you know Bob...." type scenes where Bob gets a description of stuff he has known from birth.<BR/><BR/>On the other end of the scale, I love it when info dumps are handled with skill, reality and inventiveness such as a person who could not possibly know the information getting it told to them for very logical reasons.<BR/><BR/>LOL, hope that made sense!Mulluanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01525878564470398696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-17225596879902936802008-10-15T19:59:00.000-04:002008-10-15T19:59:00.000-04:00Strangely, I prefer monologues to changing POV all...Strangely, I prefer monologues to changing POV all the time. Yes, in some writing it's painfully obvious that it's an infodump--but in some ways, it's just expected. I don't usually mind it all that much, especially if it is handled gracefully.<BR/><BR/>POV, however, is a very quick way to make me put a book down. It requires an attention shift, which gives me time to...go get something to eat. Go outside and check the weather. Check my email. Too many shifts back and forth and I don't finish the book.<BR/><BR/>Shrug. Everyone is different and some things work for some readers that won't work for others!Mariahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11234907275906877802noreply@blogger.com