This is number 142 in the blog series, “My Writing Life.” I encourage you to join my Patreon community to support my writing.
I learned a valuable lesson from the Doobie brothers in 1979: “What a fool believes he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away.” I know Kenny Logins sang it first, but I don’t remember ever hearing his version. It’s one of the reasons I seldom comment on social media posts from friends and relatives I disagree with.
It does bring up a significant issue for writers because what a character believes, sometimes no amount of “proof” to the contrary will change.
I freely admit that assuming I understand Asian culture because I watch a lot of Chinese short dramas would be equivalent to assuming I understand Native American culture because I watch a lot of westerns. Yes, many people have an understanding of one culture or another based on fiction portrayals. We as authors fuel that with everything we release.
But my addiction to ‘short dramas’ has helped me see and identify a significant trope in a lot of fiction, including my own.
I’ll start by saying there are many short dramas that seem to follow the same script. In fact, for many, the script has only changed the actors, location, or names. One script that I see often is the story of a poor common person who runs a food stall, is a courier, is a security guard, or is a janitor who is later revealed to be a billionaire CEO, martial arts god, legendary healer, business genius, or combination of all of the above.
The conflict comes when, in the process of being revealed, a former classmate, family member, ex-spouse, or business rival, will insist the protagonist is not the legendary hero because he “knows” him. This person will have an objection that convinces all the other characters the protagonist is a fraud.
This is in the face of superior characters who identify the protagonist, documents and symbols proving his/her identity, demonstrated martial arts, business, or healing skills, and other incontrovertible evidence. The antagonist will insist the evidence is fake, the documents are forged, the blow was just lucky, the stock price fall was all a coincidence, or the witness is mistaken. Sometimes I look at these people and think, “What idiots!! The evidence is right in front of you!”
I’m thankful to short dramas for being so obvious about some of these storylines. When a plot device is so blatant and is used in story after story, it is easier to begin to spot it in other forms of fiction, like my own writing. For example, the ‘Give me a minute” ploy.
I came across a Dungeons and Dragons meme the other day that took an interesting twist on this ploy. I don’t play the game, but this scenario was obvious enough that I could identify it at once. The monster demon stops the troupe of adventurers and says, “You can’t go forward until you make a deal with me.” The Paladin immediately steps up and says, “This is so sudden. Can you give me five seconds?” The demon laughs and says “Sure.” Five seconds later the Paladin says, “Okay, let us pass.” Everyone is amazed because the Paladin proposed a deal to the demon, “Give me five seconds.” The demon agreed. Five seconds later the deal was completed. The demon watches the party go on.
I think there are fewer gambits that work out so smoothly for the players (characters) in short dramas. In the storyline, the first level offender is defeated and says, “Just you wait. I’m calling my big brother.” He gets on the phone and begs his big brother to save him because he’s being bullied. A minute later, big brother shows up. He gets beaten up and says, “Wait five minutes! The boss will be here.” Five minutes later, the boss and a batch of thugs show up and get beaten up. And so on. It is an ever-escalating battle until the CEO shows up, recognizes the protagonist and apologizes for his underlings’ behavior. Then go back to the ‘Fool believes’ scenario above.
Later, the scenario is reversed. In the big reveal scene, the antagonist shows his ‘proof’ the protagonist is a fraud. The protagonist picks up his cellphone and barks, “Have Joe Smoe here in three minutes.” Joe Smoe is the antagonist’s father or boss and arrives three minutes later to apologize to the protagonist and discipline his son/employee.
Then someone else shows up who backs the opposition and the cycle continues to escalate until all the most powerful families/corporations in town have been wiped out.
Of course, it’s a serial, so in the next episode, some discontented antagonist is going to come back with reinforcements and try to force the issue again.
I’ll keep an eye out for other insights as I entertain myself endlessly with short dramas and the B1G Women’s Basketball Tournament.