Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Kate's Week 4 Post


I really liked Kendra’s QT presentation. I’ve never really given too much thought to Quentin Tarantino’s movies or works before I watched Kill Bill. Before that I had heard his name being thrown around here and there in conversation, but never took the time to find out anything about him. Unfortunately, I still have not spent any time to take a look at his work to see what he is all about. Also, after watching Kill Bill for the first time—I still wasn’t quite sure what I had just experienced. I was in shock, thrilled, upset and entertained all at the same time.

It was interesting to find out that QT uses three different types of narratives, uses nicknames for characters and practices non-linear storytelling (all writing tools I am really interested in learning about and observing in other writers). Another really interesting aspect about QT that I learned was that he is a method writer: he becomes the characters in his stories.

I love the quote she used in her presentation: “…my characters come from where I have been,” QT.

That really resonated with me because the main character in my story is a version of myself. I mean she is an idea of me—fictionalized and stretched into a tool that I can use to twist and pull during her journey into finding her place in this world as a sexual woman. My character not only comes from where I have been-but she also is taking me somewhere I have never been before.

Out of the few QT movies that I have seen, Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill are definitely my favorites. Mostly because I think he takes huge risks in both of those films. Especially in Kill Bill because he really explored a non-linear storytelling approach—that is what I really thought was interesting. Even though the story seemed to start in the end or end of the middle, I was still really enthralled with it and interested to see how and when certain flashbacks of history will be revealed to us. That was one of the most exciting factors of Kill Bill. In the story that I am writing I struggle with how and when I will bring in background/historical need to know information into the story or when a flashback might work.

This presentation was a big eye opener: reminding me that I need to read about a different artist every week/month as often as possible.

Cheers!

2 comments:

  1. I think our group just needs to have a Quentin Tarantino movie night because he is clearly a huge inspiration to the three of us. Seriously, I've been thinking about the way he uses time, and it's so great to have a visual representation of how a nonlinear strategy could work. I can really see it now, and it's helping me to see how it could work in my story. Yay. Also, I like how you described the character you're working on. I can't wait to see where she goes.

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  2. wow, that's amazing that so many of you resonate with him. i appreciated Kendra's illumination of his narrative styles. something that is completely transferable.

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