Writing
August 10th 2005 -
So, I’m struggling with a recalcitrant plot. It’s just not twisting in the way that I want it to: there are elements that just don’t want to be moved, and I need them out of the way. I call Jon in despair and say I can’t make it work; we’ll just have to go with what we have, which is perfectly decent as it is. But it still doesn’t feel *quite* clever enough.
Today, I realise these recalcitrant elements – the ones that don’t want to move – are, in fact, virtues. They are perfect just where they are. I was trying to have the plot avoid them, when it works even better if the plot smashes straight into them instead.
I slap my forehead, dash off a quick note to Jon, and now feel happy.
What prompted this realisation? It was a game of “Cow Trader” I played at lunchtime. The end-game of Cow Trader can be very complicated, and has to be managed carefully. Occasionally, you will be in a position where you have one card of a set, and someone else has the remaining three. In order to win their three, you have to win two trades. The trouble is, spending too much on the first trade means you lose the second trade. It’s a very fine balance, and there’s a tipping point: sometimes you bluff, sometimes you put forward an honest bid, as low as you dare, and sometimes you go all out.
Anyway, I won both trades, and the game (which isn’t the point – two of the opponents were first-time players) with big, sudden inversions. And I realised, right there, that there was a similar fine balance in the story, and that it could be similarly inverted.
So, that’ll be a couple of ‘nerd’ points for me, then.
Lexifab Says:
August 11th, 2005 at 11:12 am
Just so long as we get a novel out of it. Snap to it!
Marco Parigi Says:
August 12th, 2005 at 5:02 pm
Novel? I thought it must have been a movie script….
student Says:
October 5th, 2006 at 7:59 pm
Where did you get the game “cowtrader”? I’ve been looking for it but can’t find it anywhere! Any suggestions?
admin Says:
October 21st, 2006 at 8:54 am
Hiya Student – sorry it took me so long to get back to you! Cowtrader was renamed to “You’re Bluffing!” and should be available from specialist games stores – or via the web, from boardgamegeek or equivalent. Good luck – it’s one of my favorite games, but people hate playing it because it can get very vicious indeed!