Meta-Story Appeal of OOTS

[DreamCreator]

Hi friends, fellow readers of OOTS

I was contemplating the consistent appeal I find within Order of the Stick. This is one of those posts that I could probably do abuot 15 pages of writing on.

It's pretty clear to me that the story appeals to me because of it's depth, character developments, cleverness.

Another thing that I feel OOTS does very well is hit that balance between "light" and "serious". That is, the comic itself always feels lighthearted enough that I never feel stressed, while simultaneously exploring very deep concepts that many of us have pondered in our lives. The characters all are exploring themselves in ways that are highly relatable and let us question and examine our own lives in a positive way.

Now, to have these qualities in any story would make it something worth reading, and continuing to follow.

And, there is something else that I feel goes even beyond these qualities in OOTS.

I think it is the way that the 4th wall is dealt with, and integrated into the comic.

That is, the breaking of the 4th wall.

I think that Rich wrote somewhere in an introduction or I'm not sure where.. that of course this whole comic started and just a way to get people to come to the forum and website more - so he really wasn't taking it very seriously.

He was playing with all kinds of unusual ideas that came to him - the breaking of the fourth wall being one of them. Most people here probably know what that means but I'll clarify in case you don't. Breaking the fourth wall means when the characters reference in a story reference themselves being in a story or in some way indicate that they are aware they are int he story. Thus, the 4th wall is broken because in a traditional theater play that is the equivalent of the fourth "wall", which faces out to the audience.

To have characters refer to themselves as being within a story is not done often, I believe this is because it is challenging to maintain the audience or readers believing that the characters are having true responses to their situation, because they know it is just a "story".

Thus, the breaking of the fourth wall is done almost exclusively in comic/comedic styled stories, where things aren't being taken "seriously" anyways.

I'm sure people can reference some exceptions to this rule, I can't think of any off the top of my head.

Ok, back to the way this has been developed into OOTS and the Meta-story element of it.

Drumroll?

I think the breaking of the fourth wall is something which actually aids many people in recognizing the fourth wall within their (our?) own lives.

The way the character in OOTS are able to recognize that they are in a comic or story of some sort, while simultaneously being all-in on saving the world (I mean the universe?) and fulfilling their role to the best of their abilities is a very liberating and in many ways positive perspective on life.

In the real world (IRL) this looks like balancing the perspective of everything being the utmost serious, while also taking nothing seriously at all.

In simpler terms, this is being totally stressed out about everything that happens, being on one side of the spectrum.

And the other side being that nothing matters so we might as well act with no regard to anything or anyone (usually viewed as insanity) on the other spectrum extremis.

These are things I feel everyone contends with, every day of our lives.

And OOTS shows characters striking this balance in a very fine way. They aren't going crazy, and they (mostly) aren't so upset by every little thing that happens.

They aren't too upset by things because they realize they are in a comic.

Yet, they still take life and their conscious experience as something to work with and be intentional about.

I do the same.

So I see OOTS reflecting out the reminder to me that this life could be considered just a story. I give the story of my life utmost seriousness - I strive to live and to grow in the best (highest) way.

Yet, I know it's a story. And, like Elan, I want it to be a good story, but I don't take the good story for granted, I have to choose it. And be light about choosing it, and be light about when I accidentally might've chosen something that isn't as good of a story as I wanted, or isn't the story I thought I was creating.

Some food for thought. Or some thought that might taste like food. I appreciate those that appreciate this comic, because I appreciate this comic and believe it has a very good impact in this story.

(Thanks for being in this story.)

________

Written mostly in free flow, apologies for potential run-on sentences or unclear grammar choices that didn't translate from my semi-stream of consciousness.