Every now and then I think about David Attenborough's brilliant narrative strategy, and how to apply it to my own writing.
I remember a nephew, when young, happily watching baby seals, then happily watching baby polar bears, & then... having his love for both brought into conflict.
Or following a chick's struggle to fly off a cliff face - cheering when he didn't crash! - just to get snapped up as prey.
To hold it all in tension & not despair is one of the greatest challenges of being human.
@MLClark Understanding that life is a balance, and that all life is sustained by its opposite, death, is a hard lesson.
Everything mortal has its season to grow, its season to thrive, its season to fade, and its season to end, no matter they be predator or prey.
Life is iterative, life never stops though the individual stops, but within every being there is a spark of the eternal that will go on.
Endings are commas, not periods.
I'm not sure it has to be a hard lesson, which is why I'm reflecting on what makes Attenborough an excellent storyteller. His approach allows each critter's struggle to have value *and* be part of something bigger.
A lot of Western narrative trades on individual exceptionalism, which leaves more critters in distress when their "main character syndrome" runs into the reality of ecosystems indifferent to individual thriving. Poor storytelling creates more trauma than necessary.
Agreed. :) I'm still chewing over how to improve the execution myself. Thanks for joining me in the mental nom, fellow writer of better worlds! 😊
@MLClark I am in full brain storming mode at the moment. I've already got the opener for today's chapter worked out, but I've found existing on coso and engaging as inspired helps me put things together.
^_^
@MLClark That is an incredibly insightful observation. I'm honestly humbled, I'm chewing on that one.
I am firmly with Attenborough, it all matters, every life and every death. He has my respect for treating each with the nobility they deserve.