Wednesday 17 April 2013

A-Z Challenge: O: The O.C.


What I Learned About Writing from Watching TV: O

Oh so tempted to do One Tree Hill or Once Upon a Time.  But THE O.C. has a special place in my heart. (And not just because I once went on holiday to THE O.C. where we were sad enough to find a 'map of the O.C.' and drive around and visit all the places on it. Also: Newport Beach on 4 July was AWESOME).


This fits much the same place as Gilmore Girls for me. Seth and his snappy dialogue are much of the reason why I love it.

I picked it because there is a temptation in YA writing to have no parents about whatsoever. They are absent. The MC can go around doing what they like with no consequences. Yet the parents in The O.C. are very present. Ryan is only there, as catalyst for the show, because Sandy brings him home. The Cohen’s are very much part of the fabric The O.C.

And it works.

Also a prime example of meta-fictional humour. They watch ‘The Valley’, an O.C esque show and make fun of people’s criticism of The O.C. within it. Would love to see that in a novel. A gifted writer could pull that off.

Quotes: Hey. If it's a Ryan problem, it's a Cohen problem. 

7 comments:

  1. It was amazing how big The OC got and then collapsed just as quickly. A weird phenomenon.

    mood
    Moody Writing
    #atozchallenge

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  2. Peeked at O.C. a few times but it wasn't for me.

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  3. I haven't ever watched that show...

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  4. Haven't seen this one. As to getting rid of parents . . . I kind of like having having at least one if not two in the story. There are so many opportunities to develop the MC, even when the parents are in the background.

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  5. Mooderino - that's true, season 1 it was MASSIVE and it sort of... lost it, somehow.

    Sheena - ah I guess it was a particular taste

    Alex - I really enjoyed ;)

    C. Lee - very true!

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  6. I watched a few episodes of the O.C. but I was much more of a Gilmore Girls fanatic. I love that you take what you learn and translate it into what you could do with your writing.

    Have fun with a-z.

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  7. Jessica - ah I enjoyed GG muchly!

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Please comment, I'd love to know what you think! :)