Characters
This week’s reading from Lamott went well with our class discussion about the differences in stories and essays. The reading provided things we need to keep in mind when doing either. When talking about character creation, Lamott asked, “why should we care about them anyways?” I think this is a fair question for our subjects too. I think it’s also a hard question to answer. Our reasons for finding a subject interesting might bore another person. I guess the best way to answer the question is to answer it for ourselves. I should care about this subject because… I think it shows to the audience when we care about a subject, and hopefully that will hook them in too. We could argue that this subject’s situation is representative of others like him or her, or that it’s an important issue, but in the end, I think the audience can see when we, the narrators, just don’t care. As Lamott points out, audiences appreciate a likable narrator.
Her section on plot had some other good pointers. She writes, “characters should not… serve as pawns for some plot you’ve dreamed up.” Let’s admit it. Upon receiving an assignment, most photographers begin wondering, if not planning, what photos to get. In some cases, preparation helps, such as with remote sets or something we’ve never shot before. However, some photographers start planning out the story before they arrive, and are inflexible when faced with a situation that differs from their pre-conceived notion of the story. Yes, it helps to have some ideas going in, but be flexible if a new story presents itself while there.
Lamott also suggests finding out “what each character care most about in the world because then you will have discovered what’s at stake.” I think this holds true for our subjects. By discovering what matters to them, why they are doing something, it in turn gives us something to focus on. We get a better idea of who the person is and what drives her. The more we know about the subject, the more accurately we can present her, her beliefs, and her actions. We do this getting to know the person. Sometimes this means putting aside our ideas. Sometimes they match, sometimes they don’t. Either way, we owe it to the subject to learn what motivates our subjects.
