Posts Tagged ‘dots’
Dot/Map combo
Posted on: June 29, 2011
I thought I understood the dot, until I remembered the Dot for the Twist. Ugh.
While struggling with the idea of how to make my characters’ voices sound different, I came up with a Dot/Map combo. I don’t think it actually helped me, but it was fun. The map had an oval (Big Dot) for each of the characters and each Big Dot had three legs for some characteristic about their way of speaking.
I struggled with the whole dot thing when I went through the course the first time and finally decided to give up and move on. (I got the line part). Now I see the dots as mini mind maps that are limited to three items (so you won’t go hog wild.) Still don’t think I’m so good at the “extraordinary” idea.
I did use the Lines when I launched Black Poppy (which is still in progress) for the setting and world, to some extent. I see now that it had many more possibilities that I realized.
Also, I think I want to change the work sheets into little mind maps. Those boxes are are so not right brain oriented. Reminds me of art school where everybody’s idea of structuring their paintings, drawings, etc. was to put stuff in boxes. Yeah, it worked, but it also had a peavish side to it.
I decided to test out dots/lines on a book I know, which was cool and showed me some new things about a book that I practically have memorized. I want to try mind mapping w dots/lines some sci fi books when we get to that part of the HTTS course.
Here’s Gone with the Wind:
Lines:
North vs South
Free vs Slave
New world v old world
Atlanta v Tara (railroad “line” connects the two)
City v Country
Dots:
Scarlett
Rejects old ways/religion/morality while pretending to conform
Abuses the freedom she has
Accepts responsibility for others
Rhett
Secretly hurt by family which he disguises with cynicism and antisocial behavior
Tells the truth no matter how unpopular it makes him
Sacrifices for people he truly loves
Ashley
Clings to the old ways
Afraid of the new world (Scarlett)
Torn between duty/honor to wife and lust/love for Scarlett
Melanie
Intensely loyal – refuses to believe bad things about people she loves
Embraces freedom but also keeps her moral principles
Will fight/kill to defend loved ones
Tara
Slavery – bastion of non-freedom
House is pieced together/not a congenial whole
Precarious existence – pine forest threatens to take over.
(The house is a metaphor for the Confederacy – pieced together over time and not really a beautiful whole. While it manages to survive, it will never again realize the strength of its slavery days and subsides into being a mere farm that is constantly being threatened.)
calex3531 