Elan and Storytelling

[O'Hare]

A few simple ideas:
1. What if Elan is conscious of the author's existence and can predict what will happen based on the author's writing style?
2. What if Elan uses Dramatic Convenience to his advantage?
3. What if Elan and the author could communicate?
With Dramatic Convenience (temporary boost in ability or survivability due to importance to the story) Elan could charge into enemy territory and survive, provided he isn't acting like "his usual self". That is to say he for some reason competent.

I think Elan isn't just comic relief, but rather makes everyone believe he is. By setting himself up with a "safe" character role, he won't have to worry about permanent death. I wouldn't be surprised if future comics would reveal Elan to have ulterior motives by using advanced storytelling + self-consciousness to the story.

Thoughts?

[FujinAkari]

Nope!

OOTS is too good to pull the tired "Author-character" cliche

[Mike Havran]

A few simple ideas:
1. What if Elan is conscious of the author's existence and can predict what will happen based on the author's writing style?
2. What if Elan uses Dramatic Convenience to his advantage?
3. What if Elan and the author could communicate?
With Dramatic Convenience (temporary boost in ability or survivability due to importance to the story) Elan could charge into enemy territory and survive, provided he isn't acting like "his usual self". That is to say he for some reason competent.

I think Elan isn't just comic relief, but rather makes everyone believe he is. By setting himself up with a "safe" character role, he won't have to worry about permanent death. I wouldn't be surprised if future comics would reveal Elan to have ulterior motives by using advanced storytelling + self-consciousness to the story.

Thoughts?

I would be very surprised. Elan is just plain old dumb. The closest he can come to an "ulterior motive" is to offer 8000 gold instead of 6000 in order to become the best haggler ever.

[NerfTW]

By setting himself up with a "safe" character role, he won't have to worry about permanent death.

I disagree strenuously that Elan is somehow able to communicate with the author, as opposed to the same level of fourth wall breaking as everyone else. This particular point, however, I think is valid. In fact, it was the whole purpose of the Haley in danger and the Therkla plots.

Elan has spent his whole life without any responsibility. He's never had to account for the fact that his carefree attitude endangers people, because it's never been more than minor inconveniences before. With Nale's attempt on Haley's life, and then Therkla, who was in love with him, being killed to hurt him, he's realizing that his role as the "silly bard" is putting people in danger. Hence his focusing once more on his ability to cast spells and optimize his class.

And then his obsession with not seeing the bad part about his father resulted in the torture and deaths of escaped slaves. His entire plot arc in the series so far has been about breaking out of the safety of standing in the back and taking charge instead.

[rgrekejin]

I think Elan isn't just comic relief, but rather makes everyone believe he is. By setting himself up with a "safe" character role, he won't have to worry about permanent death. I wouldn't be surprised if future comics would reveal Elan to have ulterior motives by using advanced storytelling + self-consciousness to the story.

It seems unlikely. I seem to recall a comment by the Giant (and I don't remember if it was online or in a book) that essentially said that Elan's childlike good nature was his way of making sure that the comic never got too dark or serious. If it turns out that Elan has all along been gaming the system with masterful metagaming (try saying that five times fast... :P) that seems to be more along the lines of the dark-ish sort of twist that Elan's presence here is specifically meant to avoid.

This sort of metagaming (metastorytelling?) seems like just the sort of thing Tarquin meant when he bemoaned that Bards were underpowered, to be honest. If anyone might be trying to game the rules of drama for their own benefit, my money is on Tarquin, not Elan.

[KillianHawkeye]

This sort of metagaming (metastorytelling?) seems like just the sort of thing Tarquin meant when he bemoaned that Bards were underpowered, to be honest. If anyone might be trying to game the rules of drama for their own benefit, my money is on Tarquin, not Elan.

This is exactly what I was going to say. :smallsmile:

[B. Dandelion]

For all the references characters have done to their own existence within a storyline, I can't recall an instance where they directly acknowledged an author -- even in the book forwards, it's all, "they were asked" by someone or something to take up a pen. Redcloak refers to "producers."

They could certainly pick up on things like style and use dramatic convention to their advantage (they pretty much do already), but I don't think the Giant's going to make himself a character in his own comic. I'd really prefer he didn't in any case.

[Jay R]

1. What if Elan is conscious of the author's existence and can predict what will happen based on the author's writing style?

These forums are full of people who are conscious of the author's existence, and provide constant proof that it doesn't provide the ability to predict what will happen based on the author's writing style


2. What if Elan uses Dramatic Convenience to his advantage?

Then he'd be able to trust his dramatic instincts and feel the scene calling out to him, asking him to arrive in the nick of time (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0392.html).

He'd also be able to tell when they are obviously supposed to be captured, and decide not to get his b*tt kicked first (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0556.html).


3. What if Elan and the author could communicate?

That could only happen at the author's instigation, obviously. It will occur if and only if Rich considers it to be funny and to aid the plot, neither of which you've shown.


With Dramatic Convenience (temporary boost in ability or survivability due to importance to the story) Elan could charge into enemy territory and survive, provided he isn't acting like "his usual self". That is to say he for some reason competent.

So far, he has always been able to charge into enemy territory and survive, acting like his usual self. That's how he stumbled over the plot.


I think Elan isn't just comic relief, ...

Of course he isn't. He never has been. He be tha heart an' soul o' the team, lad (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0153.html).


... but rather makes everyone believe he is. By setting himself up with a "safe" character role, he won't have to worry about permanent death.

Why would he need to do that? He already knows that this story will have a happy ending - for him at least (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0331.html).


I wouldn't be surprised if future comics would reveal Elan to have ulterior motives by using advanced storytelling + self-consciousness to the story.

Thoughts?

A. This comic strip is already "advanced storytelling".

B. You have some interesting ideas, but they aren't needed, and won't help the story. It feels like you're trying to re-write a well-written, very popular character for the purpose of adding things that are already there.