Just found an old Northern Exposure website, and I find myself missing those characters. One of the few fully character-driven series I've seen. The plot of the episode was never important. I was just there to see the characters. I don't have cable so I can't watch the show anymore. I'm hoping they'll put it on DVD someday.
Anyone else ever inspired by a particular series or movie?
Actually, while I'm writing this, anyone have a list of good movies for/about writers?
Posted by Joe (Member # 1412) on :
two words about that
GILMORE GIRLS
Posted by Falken224 on :
Star Trek?
*Ducks to avoid flying objects hurled at him by bystanders*
Okay, okay, okay . . . Babylon 5?
*flees wildly*
No, seriously, now . . . The Abyss . . . the director's cut. The theatrical release REALLY sucked, but the special edition has about 30 minuts more footage, and it makes ALL the difference in the world. It's an INCREDIBLE story, well filmed and well told. And I think it's the last movie James Cameron did that was worth watching. It's the movie responsible for that drive in me to tell stories.
Posted by chad_parish (Member # 1155) on :
[This message has been edited by chad_parish (edited April 16, 2002).]
Posted by srhowen (Member # 462) on :
A movie tha inspired me? Or a TV show?
Roar
It is the only one I can think of--I loved that show.
Shawn
Posted by MLE (Member # 1362) on :
Gilmore Girls, Gilmore Girls, Gilmore Girls. They're showing it twice a week now--new episodes Tuesdays, last season reruns Thursdays. Best-written television show I have ever watched (including, IMO, Northern Exposure).
Posted by writerPTL (Member # 895) on :
Yes yes yes!!! I'd like to go through a time warp and hook up with the mom. Okay, so that's a bit immature, but she's witty, smart, ambitious, and gorgeous . . . and they pull it off realistically, not dawsonscreekishly. If you don't believe me, catch the show, and go here for transcripts of old episodes if you wanna catch up or you miss some of the incredible dialogue--
Also, Six Feet Under seems to have very good dialogue so far, but it's quite adult. I'm not allowed to WATCH it, actually, but i was quite curious so I read some of the transcripts online at www.sixfeetunderfans.com. It's a good show too, just a bit more morbid and grown up.
Posted by Soule (Member # 1250) on :
Dawson's Creek? Maybe Days of Our Lives? *runs screaming for life, hiding behind a nervous Falken* Ok, seriously, honestly, Pay It Forward. It could have been a horribly stinky movie, I only saw the last twelve minutes, but they were so good I cried for an hour - those dozen moments are what inspire me. If you can make someone cry with only your ending, it must've been one heck of an ending.
Posted by JeremyMc (Member # 1400) on :
A few of my favorite movies about writers/writing:
Wonder Boys Dead Poet's Society A River Runs Through It Finding Forrester (Okay, not on my favorites list, but it is about a writer)
Posted by Liza (Member # 1123) on :
TV Shows? Characters? Prime Time with Jiminy Glick. And(also ducking) Star Trek TNG. Liz
Posted by uberslacker2 (Member # 1397) on :
I can't think of a single movie/tv show that inspired me to write. The only thing I can think of as inspiring me so far is music (not making my mood so I could write but making me want to write. "Unforgiven" by Metallica is where I first came up with the concept that my current 20,000+ word work is based on) or real life. Making somebody cry with something I wrote just makes me want to write more. No movies though. Uberslacker Oh except maybe West Wing I love the dialogue in that show.
[This message has been edited by uberslacker2 (edited April 17, 2002).]
Posted by srhowen (Member # 462) on :
Now music is a whole different game---each thing I have written had a piece of music behind it.
My most recent "Medicine Man" inspired by Remembering the Elders from the Vision Quest CD of Native Americna music.
Guns and Roses have inspired others. As well as Metalica's Nothing Really Matters--may have that one wrong as I listened to it in Germany and the radio announcer said the title in German. Never did find the CD it was on--anyone know the name of it?
Shawn
Posted by Falken224 on :
Ditto on that west wing dialogue, uberslacker! It came a bit too late to inspire me to write, but if I could be part of writing (or shooting, for that mattter) a show like that, I'd consider myself a success.
Actually, more music has inspired me than any movie or TV show ever did. I came up with an entire 2-book long plot line where I made the moods flow and change to match the musical changes in Dvorak's 9th.
And currently, as my own side project, I'm working on storyboarding a music video for Creed's 'What If'. The one they actually made sucked some serious bootay, and I've always wanted to make the RIGHT video for that song.
And on and on. Everyone from Blues Traveler to Beethoven to Take 6 to Metallica to The Crystal Method have inspired SOME sort of story or plot that have stayed with me for years at a time. Kind of strange how that works. :-) I guess I'll just have to keep listening to music.
-Nate
Posted by Falken224 on :
I think it's 'Nothing Else Matters' you're referring to. Great song. And they never did a better version of it than on their S&M CD. (IMnsHO) Talk about cool music. The San Francisco Orchestra and Metallica together . . . who in their strange delusional minds came up with that? But DAMN did it work!
And I can DEFINITELY see how that would inspire a story. The most vivid ones in my head were always 'Enter Sandman' (his poor kid's gonna be scarred his whole life after hearing that song!) and 'Wherever I May Roam'.
Anyway, this is an inspiration thread, not a Metallica thread. :-) So I'll let it be and turn the thread over to someone else for a while.
Posted by GZ (Member # 1374) on :
I think I’m more with Falken224 in saying that music is more inspiration than TV/Movies for my writing (Although, I too much enjoy the dialog byplay of the West Wing).
The new theme song I’ve latched onto lately is “alla luce del sole” off Josh Groban’s self-titled diebute (Overall great CD if you like almost opera vocals). Minimal idea what he is actually singing, since I don’t speak Italian, but the sound of it all is inspiring and fits into the vision I have of my current work.
The Queen of the Dammed soundtrack has some awesome tracks on it too, very dark yet hauntingly melodic in a metal rock way, especially the 5 tracks written specifically for the film (The film -- I must say I have some issues with what they did with that film. Anyway…). Great mood setting music (of a different variety of above), as long as you don’t mind some less than polite language.
Soundtracks of the instrumental kind are so great, ‘cause they have an overall mood (the mood of the movie, in fact <grin> ) that can really set the tone for a writing session when you just can’t quite get there on your own.
On the flip side of music and writing, does anyone else associate certain pieces or CD’s with reading a particular book? I’ve got a few that whenever I hear them, I’m taken back to a particular story I read while listening to that piece.
Posted by srhowen (Member # 462) on :
Just ordered the Metallica CD----thanks!
Shawn
Posted by JOHN (Member # 1343) on :
Anything by Tarintino or Kevin Smith. They are the masters of natural dialogue. Now most of my novels have a very cinematic feel to them, but in most cases it works. Party of Five was a guilty pleasure of mine because while the overall plot was so unbelievable (evryone died!!!) and the plots of the indidvidual episodes' were very soap operatic the characterization was great. It heled me realize that while plot is fairly impotant it's all about the characters baby!
As far as quotes, though--I gotta go literature and Catcher in the Rye. (attempted quote/more than likely paraphrase) "Even if you had all the time in the world you couldn't wipe away half the f--k you signs."
JOHN!
[This message has been edited by JOHN (edited April 17, 2002).]
Posted by JeremyMc (Member # 1400) on :
Personally, I agree about the music vs. movies. But I figured there were very few movies about writers/writing. Nobody will agree on music.
My major inspiration comes from reading, then music, and eventually from movies.
Kevin Smith is funny.
Posted by Cosmi (Member # 1252) on :
"Inside Us All" by Creed always makes me think of _Ender's Game_. Movies and music have given me some pretty neat ideas, but nothing that's panned out...yet. on the flip side, i found that the movie _K-Pax_ sort of reminded me of a story i wrote. that really bugs me.
