Right now I am in University and Studying Drama, the whole acting, directing, ect. bit. And even though I love science especially genetics and programming I ended up going into drama.
Everything I am learning now I have already known: Subtext, Intentions, Implied Action, Voice, Character Bonds, and even beats. All learned by reading Enders Game. Subconsciously when I was ready that book as a kid (originally 6 then again and again) I developed the techniques of how to manipulate people through speech. Not necessarily in a bad way - though it is a amazing tool when performing.
So I as everyone have there been any skills that you may have learned from his books? I mean all of us are "geeks" to one extreme or another so what skills in life have you possibly learned from OSC Books?
Posted by Brinestone (Member # 5755) on :
That's cool. I think it probably means you have a gift for acting and see it in everything as much as it means Card is a genius. Posted by airmanfour (Member # 6111) on :
no. new ideas, but negative on the power of osmosis as relates to Enders Game.
Posted by Joldo (Member # 6991) on :
Not really. My brother and I worked out manipulation fairly early on, I think. Looking back, I'm beginning to think we may have manipulated people in tandem quite a lot . . .
Posted by Nell Gwyn (Member # 8291) on :
Well, OSC himself does have a pretty extensive theatre background. From his extended bio:
quote:It was as a theatre student that [OSC] first began to school himself to be a writer. "It's the best training in the world for a writer, to have a live audience." Not to mention the actors: "If an incorrect reading of a line is possible, the actor will invariably find it." Even now, Card says that he doesn't so much write his novels as improvise them in front of an invisible audience. "I'm constantly shaping the story so the audience will know why they should care about what's going on."
Maybe you subconsciously picked up on that, Sean.
Posted by Lucky_Sean (Member # 6223) on :
heh I actualy had no idea about that on OSC - I just read the bio and it's pretty interesting
Posted by ShadowPuppet (Member # 8239) on :
reading EG actually gave me the ability to create unicorns out of jello
using nothing but a stick of butter and a bald, willing, monkey
nothing major but it makes for a nice parlor trick
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
Yeah, I can definetely see how taking an acting class can help you with character development in writing. It's fun. Posted by Soara (Member # 6729) on :
I learned to not look at anything in black and white. That's a pretty useful skill.
Posted by ricree101 (Member # 7749) on :
quote:Originally posted by ShadowPuppet: reading EG actually gave me the ability to create unicorns out of jello
using nothing but a stick of butter and a bald, willing, monkey
nothing major but it makes for a nice parlor trick
But I bet that they taste better than buttered, bald monkeys. At least you've got that going for you.
Posted by Lucky_Sean (Member # 6223) on :
that is simply amazing
Posted by ShadowPuppet (Member # 8239) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lucky_Sean: that is simply amazing
you should see what I can do with a hoola hoop and an avacado...
Posted by odouls268 (Member # 2145) on :
quote: Right now I am in University and Studying Drama, the whole acting, directing, ect. bit. And even though I love science especially genetics and programming I ended up going into drama.
Everything I am learning now I have already known: Subtext, Intentions, Implied Action, Voice, Character Bonds, and even beats. All learned by reading Enders Game
You should try being in one of his plays, you even end up learning stuff about yourself that you likely would not have realized on your own until much water had passed under the bridge (mmm.. I love a good cliche' in the morning )
Posted by Lucky_Sean (Member # 6223) on :
hmm i should buy some - I actually have to do some one acts as both a director and actor in a couple classes heh
Posted by Somnium (Member # 8482) on :
Don't regeret your decision of going into drama!
I'm a comp. sci. major, and I'm basically throwing my degree to the wayside(anyone remember those wayside stories books from about 10+ years back?) when I graduate to goto graduate school for one of these there: Genetics/Bioinformatics/Genomics. In either case, I like the subject matter well enough. Yet, looking back on it, I wish I'd chosen something that would have let me travel more, like say, hmmm, DRAMA!
At least I won't have to move anywhere to find a good job in either field since the Triangle area has supplanted Silicon Valley, and especially since North Carolina is apparently the world leader in Biological Technologies Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
I don't know that many people who actually do for a living something closely related to what they majored in. I majored in theatre ... and it was good training for lots of things, but I've rarely been paid for my theatre work (in fact, usually it costs me heaps of money).
The best thing about college is the general education and the discipline - and theatre is definitely a discipline that requires you to be bold, take risks, and produce work before the merciless judgment of an audience. Not a bad education, that.
And it's great for pre-law <grin>.
Or pre-novelist ...
Posted by Lucky_Sean (Member # 6223) on :
Hmm I could never see myself as a lawyer - even though for a joke a took the LSAT and passed. But art related I will see myself in. Oddly theatre tech is always an interest of mine.
As for the profession of a novelist - well my writing isn't that strong. I mostly can write dialogue and that is effective for playwriting which I've recently taken some stabs at.
It changes everything being in Canada too heh. Regardless thanks for the reply and heck - make people informed of any way to audition for the movie when production finally starts.
Posted by BandoCommando (Member # 7746) on :
quote:Originally posted by Orson Scott Card: I don't know that many people who actually do for a living something closely related to what they majored in. I majored in theatre ... and it was good training for lots of things, but I've rarely been paid for my theatre work (in fact, usually it costs me heaps of money).
The best thing about college is the general education and the discipline - and theatre is definitely a discipline that requires you to be bold, take risks, and produce work before the merciless judgment of an audience. Not a bad education, that.
And it's great for pre-law <grin>.
Or pre-novelist ...
I majored in music education, and now I'm a band director! But then, I'm one of those college students that knew what I wanted, got in, got out, and started my career.
Unfortunately, I may have missed out on many of the general education aspects of University life. I took classes outside the School of Music only because I was required to, and even then, spent very little effort for those classes. Nevertheless, I consider myself to be a reasonably well-rounded, educated person, due in large part to the influence of Mr. Card's books.
I think I am not alone among Hatracker's when I say that much of who I am today comes as a result of the shared experiences between me and the characters spawned by the mind of Mr. Card. But then, of course not. That was the point of the original poster, was it not?
Posted by dantesparadigm (Member # 8756) on :
I find EG extreemly helpful in dealing with people. Like when an authority figure (say teacer) is trying to push you to do something or say something, I constantly find myself "thinking ass backwards like a battle school brat"
Posted by Lucky_Sean (Member # 6223) on :
quote:Originally posted by dantesparadigm: "thinking ass backwards like a battle school brat"
This is reminicent of grade school - sadly I can only do this less frequently as my grades now are determined occasionally on how much you agree with the professors opinions. Which of course is bullshit but hey it happens.
Posted by dantesparadigm (Member # 8756) on :
I'm still in highschool, but since im generally a Republican, and apparently every teacher in New England has the exact same asinine liberal dogma grinded into their heads, conflict tends to arise. I do my best to keep from inserting a sharpend pencil into eye sockets when I start hearing about how Israel is an evil oppressor and the cause of the poor Palestinian’s suffering.
Posted by Survivor (Member # 233) on :
For me the best thing about college was that I occasionally learned non-trivial/false things I didn't already know.
Okay, that happened in some of my high school classes, but only if you count the collegiate level courses.
From SongMaster I learned that all my feelings were actually getting stored somewhere and I could let them out purposefully. I recall being very impressed after trying it and discovering that something like that actually worked. It was a big deal to me.
Posted by ThePygmalionEffect (Member # 8649) on :
I found lessons from Bean to be the most helpful, whenever I have a situation come up, I always think: How would Bean take advantage of this situation to benifit him? Bean's the man.
Posted by Lucky_Sean (Member # 6223) on :
quote:Originally posted by ThePygmalionEffect: I found lessons from Bean to be the most helpful, whenever I have a situation come up, I always think: How would Bean take advantage of this situation to benifit him? Bean's the man.
Hard but good - with bean I love his transformation - he is always self-concerned at first but eventually he becomes the opposite almost altruistic. Bean is a much closer to home character cause I find myself as the "second" best at many things.
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