Supernatural, fantasy and occult

[krhen]

...see what happens when I wake up early in the morning?

One more thought occurred to my subconscious mind last night I wanted to put to the group. The difference between parables and story telling may be subtle, but here's what I was thinking.

The parable of Lazarus by Jesus is a true parable, akin to the Tortoise and the Hare - its point is to illustrate a truth. They are not stories about characters, they are stories about a point (and are short to it).

Novel writing is not just about the point - in fact it is about the truth of the characters - how they act, what they believe, how they evolve/grow and how they handle the world into which we thrust them.

For this reason, comparing the two, IMO, may not be valid. Thoughts?

[Lazarusrizing]

Thank you, krhen.

That's quite a lot of information. A lot of good points you make.

If something more should pop up, I'll comment further.

Thank you for your kindness.

LZR

[Lazarusrizing]

krhen,

On second thought...

I don't take for granted that a parable is to the point of Truth. Certainly, I don't remember saying anything to the contrary. I'm a playwright, I don't write novels. Not that there is too much different in the process of creating characters and plot, but I consider character to be very, very important to the plot and story. Without character, you have no story- at least this is my favored application to writing. Because the character wants something and we find the truth of the character through what he does, and how he goes about getting to what he wants.

I don't know when I compared novel-writing, to comic-book writing or playwriting. Respectfully, I think my points are very valid. If I made any comparisons it was to the purity of story-telling, not to the type of discipline applied to that.

But thank you again. Blessings.

LZR

[krhen]

I don't take for granted that a parable is to the point of Truth.

Webster's disagrees, but we'll leave it at that

–noun 1. a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson.

I think my point was that not much "character development" occurs in either the Tortoise & the Hare, or in Jesus' parables, or other parables. Of course characters support the truth-telling, but they are very much secondary (or even tertiary). Can't be so in novel-writing.

For example, I could tell the parable of the T&H using "a fast man" and "a slow man" and the truth would stand soundly ("slow and steady wins the race") - however, that is the antithesis of character development.

[Lazarusrizing]

Hello krhen,

Well you (and Webster) are entitled to disagree with my last post. I'm not particularly interested in crossing swords, or trying to one-up anybody. I can get that all day long in the secular world from writers who want to take their insecurities out on me. I'm a pretty honest guy who wants to be good to people. I want peace above all things.

So point taken. I understand in the allegory there is little character development. I'm not certain where you're trying to go here, because I think I've made it unfailingly clear that I'm interested in character development, which is very important in theater writing. I would even say that in The Lord of the Rings films there is much character development. You know I wouldn't be able to get into fancy technical words with you, but clearly Frodo, Aragorn and King Theoden grow in those movies. Theoden like a lot of the kingdoms in those movies were hung up with grudges and offenses but they get over it to join the battle. Amen. This to me is exciting story-telling. Does that take away from the allegory or parables? Absolutely not. But I'm a writer for character. That's my position.

I hope I'm more clear now.