Why Revolutions are Hard to Write
Summary
TLDRThis video script delves into the complexities of revolution in storytelling, exploring the interplay of characters, ideologies, and the tension that arises from conflicting goals within a revolutionary context. It discusses how narratives can be enriched by focusing on the personal struggles of characters, the transformation they undergo, and the challenges of maintaining a coherent vision post-revolution. The script also touches on the importance of realism versus mythic storytelling in conveying the depth and impact of revolutions.
Takeaways
- 📚 The script discusses the complexities of writing about revolutions, emphasizing the need to show personal struggles with injustice, alienation, and desperation.
- 🌐 It highlights the importance of understanding that characters and their relationships are interconnected, creating a web of tension that drives the story forward.
- 🤔 The video script suggests that while historical accuracy can add depth, the mythic and symbolic aspects of revolution in storytelling can be just as compelling.
- 🎭 It points out the common trope of focusing on the aftermath of a revolution, exploring the challenges of maintaining order and realizing utopian ideals.
- 👥 The script touches on the character dynamics that can arise from disagreements over revolutionary methods and the management of post-revolutionary societies.
- 🧩 It illustrates how the tension between ideology and reality can lead to characters questioning their beliefs and the morality of their actions.
- 📉 The video mentions the 'head of the snake' fallacy, where killing a single figure is believed to bring down an entire system, which is often not the case.
- 🌟 The script encourages writers to consider the personal growth of characters as a reflection of the revolution's impact, whether it leads to heroism or tyranny.
- 📖 It provides examples from literature and media, such as 'Les Miserables' and 'The Hunger Games', to illustrate how different stories approach the theme of revolution.
- 🔄 The video script emphasizes the cyclical nature of revolutions, suggesting that they are not single events but ongoing processes that require constant adaptation and struggle.
- 💡 Lastly, it encourages writers to think about the psychological aspects of revolution, including how characters reconcile with their past and the identity they once had within an oppressive regime.
Q & A
What is the main analogy used in the script to describe the interconnectedness of elements in a story?
-The main analogy used is a cork board with points connected by strings, where characters, objects, and places are all interconnected, creating tension as they pull in different directions.
How does the script relate the concept of a 'revolution' to the dynamics within a story?
-The script describes a revolution in a story as a situation where characters have conflicting ideologies and desires, which, when pulled taut, can lead to a breaking point that propels the narrative forward.
What does the script suggest as the common theme explored in stories of revolution?
-The script suggests that stories of revolution often explore themes of struggle, sacrifice, injustice in society, wealth and power dynamics, and the exploration of individual agency and cycles of history.
How does the script use 'Les Misérables' as an example to illustrate the concept of tension in storytelling?
-The script uses 'Les Misérables' to show how characters like Jean Valjean and Javert have opposing views of justice and morality, which creates tension that builds up until it reaches a breaking point.
What is the significance of the 'story web' mentioned in the script?
-The 'story web' is significant as it represents the complex interplay of themes, character arcs, and plot points that create tension and drive the narrative of a story, especially in the context of a revolution.
Why does the script mention the importance of showing 'Injustice, alienation, and Desperation' in a story about revolution?
-The script emphasizes these elements because they are common reasons that motivate people to join a cause or fight against a system, providing a visceral and relatable foundation for the revolution in the story.
How does the script differentiate between realistic and mythic approaches to writing about revolutions?
-The script differentiates by stating that while realistic approaches focus on the complex factors and logistics of actual revolutions, mythic approaches can be more symbolic, inspiring, and focused on the aesthetic of revolution to explore themes like sacrifice and loyalty.
What is the 'head of the snake' fallacy mentioned in the script, and why is it problematic?
-The 'head of the snake' fallacy refers to the idea that killing the leader of an oppressive regime will automatically bring down the entire system. It's problematic because in reality, such actions often lead to a splintering of power among competing factions, which may be equally bad.
Why does the script suggest that focusing on what happens after a revolution can be just as important as the revolution itself?
-The script suggests this because the aftermath of a revolution often involves significant challenges, such as reorganizing society, dealing with competing interests, and managing the psychological and physical costs of war, which can provide rich material for storytelling.
What advice does the script give regarding the portrayal of character arcs in revolutionary stories?
-The script advises that the way characters change over the course of the story can significantly influence the thematic meaning of the revolution, whether through positive growth into heroism, disillusionment, or the descent into tyranny.
Outlines
🧵 Story Webs and Revolution Dynamics
This paragraph discusses the complex interplay of characters, ideologies, and events in revolutionary narratives. It uses the metaphor of a cork board with points connected by strings to illustrate how elements in a story create tension and conflict. The paragraph highlights the importance of character disagreements, especially in a revolution setting with factions like the regime and the resistance. It also touches on the idea that characters may have different visions for the future, leading to a tangled web of relationships and motivations. The sponsor of the video is introduced, emphasizing the community's role in the content creation process.
🎭 The Revolutionary Storytelling in Les Misérables
The paragraph delves into the narrative structure of 'Les Misérables,' exploring how the story uses personal struggles and societal injustices to depict the broader theme of revolution. It discusses the character arcs, such as Jean Valjean's quest for redemption and the tension between his beliefs and actions, culminating in a pivotal moment that challenges the status quo. The summary also covers the portrayal of classism and the futility of the characters' struggles, emphasizing the gap between revolutionary ideals and their practical implementation.
📚 Writing Revolutions: From Desperation to Change
This paragraph examines the common starting points for revolution-focused stories, such as the realization of systemic failure or the involvement of a disenfranchised individual. It stresses the importance of grounding these stories in the visceral experiences of injustice, alienation, and desperation. The use of evocative writing to convey the characters' day-to-day struggles is highlighted as a method to engage the reader and illustrate the necessity for change.
🌐 The Complexities and Aftermath of Revolutions
The paragraph explores the complexities of revolutionary stories, discussing the challenges of depicting repression and the reasons why people might not rebel. It contrasts the narrative of 'The Handmaid's Tale' with other revolutionary stories, emphasizing the importance of understanding the experiences of those living under oppressive regimes. The paragraph also touches on the potential for stories to explore the consequences of revolution, including the moral dilemmas faced by characters and the potential for utopian visions to devolve into new forms of repression.
🌪️ Character Arcs and the Evolution of Revolution
This paragraph discusses how character development and change can shape the thematic meaning of revolution in a story. It uses examples from 'Dune' and 'War and Peace' to illustrate how characters' arcs can reflect the descent into tyranny or the disillusionment with revolutionary ideals. The importance of understanding the conflict characters face and how their experiences can inform the reader's perception of the revolution is emphasized.
🌿 The Mythic Nature of Revolutionary Stories
The paragraph addresses the mythic and inspiring aspects of revolutionary stories, arguing that they don't need to be realistic to be meaningful. It discusses the head of the snake fallacy often seen in stories, where the defeat of a single figurehead is mistaken for the downfall of an entire system. The paragraph also highlights the importance of stories that focus on the power of individual action and the potential for optimistic science fiction to inspire change.
🔄 The Chaos of Post-Revolutionary Worlds
This paragraph delves into the chaos and complexities that arise after a revolution, discussing the potential for in-fighting among factions with differing interests. It uses examples from 'A Song of Ice and Fire' and 'The Dispossessed' to illustrate the challenges of reorganizing society and the gap between utopian ideals and their execution. The paragraph also touches on the psychological aspects of post-revolutionary worlds, exploring how characters might reconcile their loyalty to a past regime and the moral ambiguities of their actions.
📘 Summary: Crafting Compelling Revolutionary Narratives
The final paragraph summarizes the key points discussed in the video script, emphasizing the importance of showing personal injustices, character arcs, and the mythic nature of revolutions. It also highlights the significance of exploring post-revolutionary worlds and the complexities of maintaining a society after the fall of an oppressive regime. The summary encourages creators to consider the tensions and conflicts in their story web, ensuring a rich and engaging narrative.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Revolution
💡Tension
💡Character Arcs
💡Injustice
💡Alienation
💡Desperation
💡Propaganda
💡Mythic
💡Post-Revolution
💡Utopian
💡Dystopian
Highlights
Cork board stories can be imagined as points connected by strings, creating tension as events unfold and characters pull in different directions.
Revolution stories often involve characters with conflicting ideologies and methods, leading to a tangled mess of interests.
The tension in stories can be released through a revolution, where characters' disagreements and struggles culminate in significant change.
Historical revolutions are not unified fronts but a complex mix of interests, which can be reflected in story writing.
The author discusses the importance of character dynamics in revolution stories, such as disagreements over methods and visions of the future.
Les Misérables is highlighted as an example of a story where personal redemption and societal justice intersect, creating complex character motivations.
The gap between ideology and reality in revolution stories is a common theme, with characters often grappling with the consequences of their beliefs.
The author emphasizes the importance of showing the visceral impact of injustice, alienation, and desperation on characters to make revolution stories compelling.
The Handmaid's Tale is presented as an example of a story where revolution is not an option due to the extreme repression and lack of autonomy.
Dune is discussed as a cautionary tale about the dangers of following a messianic leader in a revolution, highlighting the potential for liberation to become a new form of repression.
The Hunger Games is praised for its exploration of media narrative and propaganda in shaping the perception of injustice and revolution.
The author stresses the significance of character arcs in shaping the thematic meaning of revolution, with examples from War and Peace and The Hunger Games.
Revolution stories can be mythic and inspiring, not necessarily needing to be realistic to hold meaning or be compelling.
The post-revolution world often presents its own set of challenges, as seen in stories like The Dispossessed and Red Rising, where characters must navigate the complexities of a new order.
The author discusses the psychological impact of revolution on characters, including the struggle to reconcile past loyalties with new realities.
The summary provided encapsulates the key points on crafting compelling revolution stories, emphasizing the importance of personal impact, character arcs, and the mythic nature of such narratives.
Transcripts
look at this cork board stories Can Be
Imagined like a bunch of points all
connected by string pulling on each
other tugging because characters and
objects and places they're all connected
they all relate to each other in some
way creating tension as events unfold
and and characters pull in different
directions till eventually
something snaps something breaks and A
revolution is perfect for this kind of
makeup you've got characters on opposite
sides the regime versus the resistance
but maybe you've got characters who
believe in the regime and that it can be
changed from within While others demand
more radical methods
I'm using hijack Peter you've got
characters disagreeing over
revolutionary methods and then everyone
agrees on bringing down the regime but
not what comes after a symbolic Hunger
Games
historically revolutions haven't always
been a unified front of ideologies but
often a tangled mess of the rich wanting
power or workers wanting rights and
Liberation uh foreign countries wanting
concessions and agreements of
politicians and Elites wanting more
control of the system ideologues you
know having visions of the future that
are going to be difficult if not
impossible to implement and maybe all
the strings between these things are
loose while they're fighting the regime
while they have a common goal but once
that's over these strings are going to
get Tighter and Tighter and Tighter till
eventually you've got your characters
pulling in a thousand different
directions
and something comes apart so let's talk
about revolutions
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see I've been doing all these books and
stories and revolution is a Trope right
it's not a story by itself and when
we're writing stories of Revolution
we're really telling stories about
struggle sacrifice Injustice in society
how to organize ourselves wealth and
power why people fight the exploration
of feminine agency cycles of history the
shape of tyranny and dangers of
ideological utopian Pursuit and what the
revolution is really about comes through
in the story web you make where these
threads of tension pull your characters
is what your story is about Les
Miserables which is not about the French
Revolution but the 1832 June Rebellion
is my favorite musical and it's not just
about Revolution right you've got
Valjean trying to redeem himself and
pursuing him with this black and white
morality asking what Justice Means and
how the law can be unjust all coming to
head when they confront each other and
Belgian doesn't kill him and javer is
left asking why what reason does he have
to spare me is this tension between you
know theme what jivia believes about the
world this black and white morality and
what Jean Valjean does in the story and
it stretches and stretches till it gets
too much and
foreign
snaps then there's all these characters
stuck and squalor like Fontaine and
eponine trying to get out but unable to
till that eventually kills them too
pulling these strings in such a way to
expose how classism locks people into
positions in life then when the
revolution comes along and all of them
die basically and pointlessly and
achieve nothing empty chairs
and it's because the stories about the
gap between ideology and reality and how
we can get caught up in it like Javier
who was left questioning whether the
criminals might actually have a point
but if they do have a point then I'm the
criminal and in the end the poor die
because of rich people's greed and
grante Aaron and harlas disagreeing on
how to handle the revolution that's them
pulling pulling these characters going
in different directions then dying
together
this web is the Revolutionary story of
Les Miserables it's what gives meaning
to the story and it's why it hits home
because it keeps stretching those things
till eventually it snaps and we spend
all this time in the story weaving these
strings so we know where the emphasis
and point of it is if you want your
Revolution your story to explore
something it has to come out here you
know and importantly you actually may
not realize what your story is exploring
right let me explain how like part of
the reason that some revolutionary why a
dystopian novels kind of fall flat is
that so many of their strings all return
to basically a love triangle right or
some other kind of like into character
drama that doesn't have a huge amount to
do with the themes that they were
supposedly discussing these sort of
triangles were often shallow but so much
time was spent on them so many things
were dependent on this point of tension
connect to it via these strings that
that was the point of the door that was
a New Zealand accent would that was the
point of the story look at what you're
actually putting time into in your story
what you're showing the reader what
you're foreshadowing where the tension
actually is because that's what your
story will become no matter what you
tell us a little scene at the end over
in the corner here not really connected
to the center with only a little tiny
pluck the reverberations of which aren't
felt throughout the rest of it well that
matters less when you spend all of your
time I'm stretching these plot points
over here it's hard to talk about War
and Peace of the same breath as
divergent but we will and we're also
going to talk about why the Hunger Games
keeps getting better with time part one
Injustice alienation and Desperation a
lot of Revolution focused stories start
one of two ways and this is not to say
it's realistic but these are the story
Frameworks we tend to return to over and
over we find compelling one the 1984 way
someone inside the system realizes the
system is broken and wants to bring it
down usually realizing a lot of what
they've believed is a lie or two The
Hunger Games someone disenfranchised by
the system gets wrapped up in a
revolution to bring it down But
whichever it is I found that a lot of
these stories the best ones really
grounded themselves viscerally in those
three things Injustice alienation and
Desperation common reasons for people to
join a cause Les Miserables shows Jean
Valjean suffering at the iniquity of the
justice system
fontaine's desperation to give her a
child being forced to sell herself in
her here for pennies and there's this
whole underclass of society who have
been constantly alienated by the system
for years and when you feel outside the
system when you feel that your problems
cannot be solved inside it there's this
realization that you are not
incorporated into the system then you
have every motivation to change it
simply telling me help help I'm being
repressed but not show me how it affects
people on a day-by-day level just
doesn't work as well on a line by line
level you've got to work at capturing
emotions like desperation so have a
listen to this from cormet McCarthy in
the morning they went on desolate
country a bar had nailed to a barn door
ratty wisp of a tail inside the bar and
three bodies hanging from the rafters
dried and Dusty among the one slats of
light there could be something here the
boy said there could be some corn or
something let's go the man said mostly
award about their shoes that and food
always food in an old badboard
Smokehouse they found a ham gambled up
in a high corner it looked like
something fetched from a tomb so dried
and drawn he cut into it with his knife
deep red and salty meat inside rich and
good they fried it that night over their
fire thick slices of it and put the
slices to simmer with a tin of beans
McCarthy's writing is incredibly
evocative he spends no time dwelling on
any single instance of desperation
because there is no time to feel it for
these people as soon as we read one
problem another is found only if they're
horrifically disturbing images to be
dropped in the middle a normal everyday
thing for them stopping only to dwell on
the food they find this is showing us
hunger and Desperation from our
character's perspective where their mind
is really at where they have the
bandwidth to think there's the
Simplicity to his writing that doesn't
even leave room for the normal horror
you would feel this sort of writing
helped helps us understand
why change needs to happen now this is
not a revolution story but this sort of
writing could definitely appear in it
you know those same feelings are being
channeled it helps us understand the
stakes that are at hand for the
characters on a very personal everyday
level and that is really important all
the time one of the reasons a lot of why
a dystopian Revolution stories don't
work that well is because the Injustice
or alienation just wasn't that
convincing or it was really contrived
because we're left asking who would even
organize a society like this what is the
point of it you're telling me that
everyone has to wear a mask based on the
size of their toes why whereas I know
exactly what the Injustice is in a world
like Les Miserables how that comes to be
it channels familiar angers and feelings
the scenes of Injustice desperation and
alienation are often the inciting
incident and these sorts of stories
because they give characters on tense
emotions that motivate them to act now
again this is really about Revolution
stories where our main character is the
boss who's gonna go and you know
fight it all out right the handmaid's
tale is kind of an antidote to a lot of
revolutionary writing and dystopian
writing Alfred is the object of
alienation Injustice and repression but
Revolution isn't really presented as an
option because the other side of
revolutionary stories right you've got
the stories where people rise up but the
other side is stories of repression and
the experiences of those under it of the
victims Revolution happens around Alfred
but she is not an agent in it lack of
autonomy and choice is fundamental to
the themes of the story to understanding
what it means to be repressed and why
Revolution is not an option for so many
Edward's writing is full of Genius
little turns of phrase that capture
offer its desire to Rebel but inability
to feel she can because of course we
love to think that we would Rebel and we
would fight for what's right that we are
not offered but a lot of us would be and
a really compelling way to explore the
desperation and alienation and effects
of your regime is to show
why people don't Rebel put this in your
story web and then you've got Alfred
story narrowing in on her conflicts with
a Serena Joy talking about how women are
pitted against each other in in
patriarchal systems put all these
together and you've got a really tight
bit of tension for why revolutions might
be something that other people do that
you just don't have the bandwidth for it
exposes the optimistic hope that
everyone can stand up for what they
believe in when they can't part two
Revolution as character arcs
cataracts are the lenses through which
we understand the tropes of our story
and spoilers by the way for Dune and the
full series skip to this point if you
don't want to see them but it is
actually a revolutionary story about the
dangers of following radical Chosen One
Messianic leaders even with the
admirable goal of overthrowing the
Imperial corrupt system Paula trades
becomes a religious zealot consolidating
power in himself and taking a
marginalized group The Freeman and
turning them into a conquering Force he
got some fantastic Charisma rolls and is
using them for all the wrong reasons
Liberation easily becomes repression
when you ruling becomes inevitably
better than your enemy and so a tradis's
desire for justice and peace and and
forging the empire together into
something better this desperation turns
into something horrible utopian Visions
can Galvanize a movement but they can
also justify atrocities Paul's negative
character Arc has slowed descent into
tyranny shapes the meaning of the
Revolution and the impact the story
leaves on us it's a filter for us to
understand and think about Revolution as
a theme and as a real force in the world
consider how your characters change
across the story and how their change
colors the meaning of revolution
thematically positive arcs where
characters grow into their heroism and
learn the importance of individual
action and societal change matter but
War and Peace sees Natasha rastava start
out with a romanticized view of the
French Revolution till eventually she
becomes more and more disillusioned and
loses her innocence and understands the
brutality of a revolution of the
violence it entails that ideas and
heroism and belief aren't enough and
they're also not what is put through the
fires of War but I hear you say but my
Lord I object
not all revolutionary stories say that
and I would say correct young man see
you've got to think about what conflict
the characters actually face and what
that says about the revolution just like
how how the characters change will color
the meaning of revolution right this is
the framing of the revolution
is pretty optimistic it's about a
marginalized people rising up for
Liberty equality and fraternity
the main obstacle Eevee Encounters in
the story is when V basically kidnaps
and prisons and torches her to harden
her into a revolutionary who never gives
up I know that sounds bad
it is bad you could call him an
anti-hero it takes up a significant part
of the plot but while she's imprisoned
she is given these letters about the
life of two women in love before the
autocracy kicked in there's this
juxtaposition of the dark reality she
now faces and the colorful life this
other girl lived and it gives Evie
something to cling to so that she never
gives in but the reason the story
doesn't focus on how a revolution could
be corrupted or the true violence
required and how dark and and brutal it
really is is because the story is so
much more about the importance of
individual action of sacrifice and
individual resistance and The Virtue
that is found in that it's about empathy
for others there's an optimistic view of
the world and Human Action in that the
revolution isn't one with a bloody war
and ugly consequences it's one with
individual action the choices of one per
person at a time human empathy those are
the forces that overcome Injustice and
alienation and Desperation that's the
Thematic messaging of the film in The
Hunger Games Candace and Peter have to
contend with the power of a media
narrative and propaganda how it frames
The Narrative of Injustice in the world
and in turn how it can be used to spark
Revolution one of the things that I
actually keep coming back to that I
really appreciate in the series is how
it frames the illegitimate anger of the
oppressed that is mahogany that
oppressed peoples are not allowed to
exhibit anger and rage and Desperation
because it's not polite it's not good
Society manners you know and the rich
and the powerful use that as an excuse
to dismiss your concerns well if you're
not going to be reasonable to talk about
oh well I'm not going to listen am I
this is sometimes called respectability
politics so Peter understanding this
figuring this out he rolled high on
Deception pulls out an Ace card if it
weren't for the baby
this is something that does play by
those rules but because of how Collins
chose to present Revolution because of
the obstacles to it that she gave
Katniss and Peter we see how the poor
and marginalized are forced to refine
themselves for the rich and Powerful
Revolution is about controlling a
message you know the regime wants to
convince people that these are just
thugs destroying the streets and all
that right but the revolution wants
people to believe that they are a just
Fighters fighting for Liberation and
then there's character conflict on top
of this stories thrive on failure we all
know this they're what make the eventual
successes meaningful right Candace
failing to save her sister Prim in the
end in the final book after volunteering
to protect her in the first is a great
subversion I I really like that because
it brings her into conflict with Gail
someone who played a role in the bombs
that did kill her in the end there's
this horrific redundancy to the
revolution that says a lot manifesting
realities about your revolution in
character conflicts with real
consequences brings it down to earth and
you might be saying ah yes the love
triangle at the heart of The Hunger Game
string Gail and Peter and Kenneth but
not really like that's there technically
but it's really quite secondary and the
conflict between the characters isn't so
much about like them falling out of love
or anything like that it's about
disagreements over methods of Revolution
and the conflicts that come out of that
and the redundancy of her decision in
the first book so Gail's character Arc
of joining the revolution ties into
Katniss's decision at the beginning
which ties into the themes of the story
and how as President Snow is not
wasteful in his character development
it's all very connected in an
interesting way so yeah maybe two
characters disagree on methods and that
drives a wedge between between them or
it even leads to betrayal maybe they
disagree on what Society should look
like after the revolution or their
experiences in the war drive them apart
with one becoming cynical and the other
remaining an optimist or being inflicted
with PTSD Revolution gives the
opportunity for a ton of fascinating
character Dynamics the leader faced with
moral dilemmas the follower getting
disillusioned the noble confronting
their role in the horrors of before the
Optimus made cynical the afraid turned
hero so to bring it back to our story
web it's not just about where these
strings go and kind of how different
things connect but how they change over
time how different points of tension
become related to certain characters or
scenes or or plot points as characters
change and it changes the nature of all
that pulling because part of a story
part of what makes it interesting is
that the stuff that drives the story at
the beginning the tensions that are
there at the start are not necessarily
the ones at the end a character might
start out loyal to their Homeland but
slowly become disgusted by it those
strings changing right or the strings
might stay the same throughout the book
but grow more complex deeper and full of
knots they're loyal to their country but
they have to question who and what
they're loyal to exactly is it the
ideals the government or the people one
figure out the strings of tension where
they go and start and two figure out how
they change how they grow more tense and
where they get redirected then look at
the meaning your readers will derive
from this if you want your story to say
something it'll come from the scenes
that have the most time from the
character conflict that you spend time
on part three do revolutions need to be
realistic writing revolutions is hard
right because it is easy to dramatize
Injustice and personal vendettas think
the innocent girl shot by the police
state a black and white narrative but
less so Collective action and Logistics
and international support even though
I've find all of those fascinating all
of which are fundamental to realistic
revolutions go check out my video on on
World building them in the dictator's
dilemma that is a lot of information
you'll find relevant collectively
studies kind of point out these five
things are critical to realistic
revolutions and though Injustice is one
of them Injustice tends to actually be a
moral framework that gets attached to
pre-existing Community instability
economic social political with
instability and opportunity being a far
bigger motivator and often not for great
reasons you know see Wagner's weird-ass
coup that happened in Russia recently
and then there's the question of what
the hell is injustice people are going
to disagree and you've seen how easy it
is to convince large groups of people
that someone deserved to be shot by the
police because that is something that
people believe for some reason Studies
have shown villages in Vietnam were more
likely to support once side or the other
during the Civil War depending on
whoever happened to be bombing them
which you know fear we get caught up in
ideological motivations when we're
writing stories like this but most
people just want to grill revolutions
are a storm of complex factors that all
come crashing together at once where
pre-existing instability means choosing
now between two different types of
instability the status quo or the
revolution but okay
this is a big point for me and it's the
point that you see in so many stories
revolutions don't have to be realistic
you don't need to get fixated on that
they can be Mythic and inspiring and
optimistic and they can use the
aesthetic of Revolution or dystopia to
talk about other things
1984 is a ridiculous world it is absurd
it is baffling it doesn't make any sense
it never made any sense that's the point
of it right but that is intentional
stories like Arcane or snow crash or
Star Wars are meant to be Mythic and
hopeful and legendary even if they
explore real world things like sacrifice
and found family and loyalty well snow
crashes meant to be a horrifying and
bizarre projection of human weirdness
these are still stories about people in
Revolt they can still be compelling and
that's just fine it's awesome I love
these stories well Arcane and Snow Crash
list Star Wars but this does often
manifest in the head of the snake
fallacy ending with killing the person
at the top like Emperor Palpatine brings
down the whole system when in reality I
mean it just Splinter into a mess of
competing factions probably equally as
bad it's one of those stories that even
in those Mythic revolutions right people
are getting a bit tired of it and
they're kind of looks like you know you
didn't put in that much effort not to
mention it's often connected to the if I
kill you I'll be just the same as you
which is I mean obviously for the most
part that's a terrible false equivalency
still in these stories the biggest
conflicts are about uh winning battles
and resisting the the urge to the dark
side and and giving inspirational
speeches and inspiring others and and
actually accessing and controlling your
full Powers those will turn the tides of
the war but people love this stuff right
Doctor Who has been doing optimistic
science fiction for like this for
decades when someone doing the right
thing in the face of tyranny can turn
the tides of War and these sort of
stories there is a power in that stories
do not need to be realistic to hold
meaning and they certainly don't need to
be realistic to be compelling part 4
chaos and Revolution now of course
revolutions they're all about Breaking
Chains of Oppression and and
establishing a new free liberal order
right well in theory yes in practice
see we have a romanticized view of
Revolution especially those of us who
grew up in the why a dystopian teen love
triangle everyone is divided into
arbitrary category zero or fiction a
hero is plucked from the messes to
overthrow the oppressive regime in the
name of equality Liberty and fraternity
with nothing than a schlocky
determination and probably a dead sister
or something the reality is though a lot
of revolutions tend to be a lucky
Collision of a lot of different groups
at the same time whose interests are
compatible in bringing down the existing
regime but not necessarily in what comes
after especially given revolutions
attract well more radical politics but
that is why a lot of stories focus on
what comes after the revolution George R
Martin famously said A Song of Ice and
Fire after Robert's Rebellion that was
the righteous Rebellion against the evil
King who was murdering people and there
was this final Mythic showdown between
our hero and antagonist on the Trident
it was cinematic Robert and rhaegar but
that's because George R Martin was more
interested in what came after how do you
reorganize Society how do you keep it
from falling back into chaos revolutions
naturally attract radical religious
economic ethnic ideologies and when the
common enemy is gone those Clash I've
already mentioned Dune but ursuluguen's
the dispossessed is a fantastic look at
a post-revolution world anaris is this
Anarchist Society founded on supposedly
a quality communal living Corporation
but it struggles with sustainability
with forging a cohesive identity for
itself with isolation and trying to
realize lies these ideas and our
characters are forced to choose as they
experience more of the flaws of these
utopian ideas looking at that Gap that
can develop between the aims of the
Revolution and how to get there here's
the thing Revolution isn't just
something that happens once and then
it's done it has to keep happening to
adapt and be flexible and utopian ideas
often aren't Revolution is a constant
process full of growing pains not a
single moment and you can use that to
create tension between your characters
famously Katniss chooses to kill prison
and coin instead of President Snow
because she fears coin will become a
dictator starting another Hunger Games
and you know what she was right
autocracy is less complex a system than
democracy so it's easier for autocracies
to rise out of instability than
democracies PS Brown's Red Rising does
similar in exploring how revolutions can
be poisoned by competing interests in
the various factions of a
post-revolution world thousands of
Augustus and the sons of Aries all have
ulterior mode is leading to devastating
consequences Darrow our main character
has to contend with them all what does
it mean to remain moral in a
post-revolution world how do you keep
people feared and working and deal with
chaos when you're finally in charge who
do you blame and how do you manage it
when the war tore the country apart and
destroyed so much of its infrastructure
that you no longer have what you need to
build the society you promised what do
you do about the groups who joined the
revolution but for different promises
for a trade deals you took support from
you know foreign interests and how do
you protect the rights of people who
might have been previously oppressive
and how do you deal with them there are
costs to war physical psychological and
sometimes no Victory heals all wounds
one last really interesting point is
that people
will idealize the past even oppressive
regimes because the reality is that
every regime is good for someone and
often more people than you think a 2019
poll found 59 of Russians felt the
Soviet Union took care of Ordinary
People 66 even regretted its dissolution
an undemocratic regime that repressed
over a dozen surrounding countries in
2011 56 percent of lithuanians felt
their standard of living had fallen
since the Soviet dissolution and even
though a majority in almost every
country except Russia believed the
Soviet Union did more harm than good
elderly people really did depend on the
Soviet Union's very generous pension
plan they worked to it their entire
lives and suddenly gone they they grew
up in that culture and it was taken from
them separating one's identity from a
critique of how that Society might have
run can be really really difficult for a
lot of people this again can create
conflicts between your characters in
that post-revolution world where people
people feel some loyalty to how things
might have been even if they kind of do
understand the problems with it that's a
really fascinating place to take your
characters psychologically how do they
reconcile their connection to a place to
a job to a regime with what they find
out it did or the things that maybe it
did but there's not enough evidence or
alternatively it might genuinely be
morally ambiguous as to whether the
regime was bad at all what are they
Justified of themselves and what do they
let go of all these questions and
tensions can create a really interesting
story web right in your revolutionary
world and the best ones always know
which ones to tangle and which ones
to snap let's bring all this together in
a summary but first go get my book I
mean if you've made it this far into the
video then this is the book for you if
you only want to get one of them that's
okay but I say get volume two I think it
has a better selection of topics but I
will say volume three coming later this
year is going to be the best of them all
I'm really happy with how it's turning
out and I'll put it out to a vote but
we'll be picking between these two kind
of cover Concepts before I send it off
to the artist to develop it more as said
these have all of the writing and word
building discussions I've had and More
in more detail expanded analysis and I
am astounded with how well it has sold
like genuinely like 80 000 copies or
something I expected 500 when I first
published these thank you so much from
the bottom of my heart and if you want
to check out my writing I recommend
reading two robots at the end of the
world that was published with Utopia
science fiction magazine I actually have
my first poetry publication coming this
month I've never really tried it that
much but I wanted to give it a hand and
yay thank you so much if you do there
are links down below keeps Channel life
keeps me having some faith in myself
thank you so much on to the summary
firstly revolutions are only as
compelling as the reasons to lead them
show the reader the Injustice alienation
and Desperation on a personal level
second the substance of your character
arcs and conflicts will color the
meaning and themes of the Revolution
itself thirdly realistic revolutions are
drawn from a complex mix of proximate
socioeconomic instability alienation
collapse the social order of elite
infighting and Justice and international
support some are harder to dramatize but
can make your story more grounded
fourthly stories don't need to be
realistic to be meaningful or compelling
revolutions are often Mythic however
this can also lead to the head of the
snake problem fifthly it can be equally
important to show the reasons why people
don't revolt and sickly many stories
focus on what happens after the
revolution in fighting the struggle to
realize a utopian dream and the gap
between ideals and execution all of this
can create a fascinating story web so if
you were to create your story and lay it
out kind of like this what is in the
center what points of tension which
characters what characters are doing
right what's in the middle what connects
what's out on the edges and which of
these strings do you tug on most
stay nerdy and I'll see you in the
future
who is this man what sort of devil is he
to have been caught in a trap and choose
to let me go free it was his hour at
last to put a seal on my face Wipe Out
the past and watch me clean up the Slate
all it would take was a flick of his
knife Vengeance was his and he gave me
back my life time to fall live in the
dead of a thief then if I yield at the
end of the chase I am the Lord and the
Lord is not mocked I am Hospitality
right back in his face there is nothing
on Earth that we share it is either Val
Jean nor Javier
how can I not allow the man how do I how
can I know allow this man hold dominion
over me this desperate man that I have
hunted oh my gosh
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