Soap Up!
Because you might get a little dirty... watching day-time soaps! LOL
A soap opera is the perfect example of how to hook a reader. Every day millions of women and men spend an hour of their day watching these. Maybe more. Five days a week.
What makes a soap so compelling?
1) Hooks, hooks, hooks
2) Conflict
3) Drama
4) All of the above is constant
Why do you think soap operas are so addictive? Have you ever watched one? What elements of a soap opera could you incorporate into your writing to make it stronger?
A soap opera is the perfect example of how to hook a reader. Every day millions of women and men spend an hour of their day watching these. Maybe more. Five days a week.
What makes a soap so compelling?
1) Hooks, hooks, hooks
2) Conflict
3) Drama
4) All of the above is constant
Why do you think soap operas are so addictive? Have you ever watched one? What elements of a soap opera could you incorporate into your writing to make it stronger?
Comments
I know, I gave up soaps when I moved out of my mom's house because it aggravated me so bad how I'd have to watch every day to find out what happened!
(I notice in the ads that the same people are still having the same terrible things happen to them 20 yrs later! )
ANYWAY -to me, it's the cliff hanger endings used in almost every scene. Someone says something terrible and they all pause and look at each other. It's totally overdone and funny but it keeps people coming back.
PS Congrats on your 100% completion, Jessica!
You're right. They just suck you into the lives of the characters. And even though there's lots of unrealistic stuff, the characterization is strong. The emotions are real, even if they're to the extreme of ordinary. :-)
I have to admit to watching Days of Our Lives for years. Haven't watched a Soap in forever until the other day when I tuned in while flipping channels. Sure enough I knew almost everyone and the story lines.
I learn a lot from soaps by watching the interactions, expressions and emotions of characters on them. And I love how they definitely hook you! Learn a lot from the Soaps!
Thanks for the congrats. Now I'm smoothing things out. Or trying. LOL
I grew up with soaps too. It was a big thing. We'd all sit down with our lunch and just veg for an hour. LOL
That's funny how you forget the characters. It's been years since I watched All My Children but I remember the main ones. Who could forget Erica Kane? (Susan Lucci) She's amazing. LOL
I think the romance is a huge part of the lure of soap operas too. :-)
You're right, there is a ton of emotions in soaps. Makes them relatable, in a way. Funny, didn't we almost post on the same thing before too? Haircuts? LOL
Then college and life took over... but a couple times a year I catch a few minutes, or glance at the covers and sigh.
I agree they're popular and good writing fodder for the reasons stated above. But there's also things to learn NOT to do from a soap. Someone pointed out dragging the story out to long. That's one.
But my fave is how to NOT write dialogue. Often in soaps, they repeat something that earlier took place in someone's dialogue to remind the viewers of the incident, or where we're at in the story. It comes across as very contrived and lame, so it's helped me to be conscious not to do that in my writing.
Wow, it's been so long that I didn't remember that about dialogue. But I never watched DOL either, only AMC. Too funny! Yes, the dragging out would make me so mad!
I didn't know that about you and your mom! :-)
Awesome.
I agree. Some of the romances are verrrry compelling.
I think it does get repetitive after awhile. The producer people must be really loyal too, because I always think it's a hoot when a character who's been dead for ten years suddenly comes back on the show. LOL
It annoys me though to go back and see what's happened and how many characters I liked that they killed off. But then I tell myself that to just give it time because the dead always mysteriously come back :P I haven't watched them in years but occassionally if I'm home from work early enough, I'll get curious and change it to ABC to see what's happening on GH. But it never stays on long.
It also annoys me when they change who plays the characters...oh and when half the babies that are "born" either die or their born early because Mom gets pushed down stairs, or kidnapped, or in a car accident...
Oh and aging the kids. They like to make one that's supposed to be five ten years older in order to get the teen audience. Or something.
And yes, I can pick all of these out because I watched them for too many years, thanks to my mom (from about sixth grade through high school).
Congrats! I see your bar has reached the 100% mark! Yaaaaaaaaaaaay, Jessica! What's next?
smooches,
Larie
I hate it too when a character I loved comes back from the "dead" (LOL) but it's a different actor. Heh.
That's good! While they have some good qualities for us to study writing-wise, morally they're not the best. LOL
As for the manuscript, I reached my word count, now I'm going to print it up, read through it, then find some readers to tell me what's still wrong with it. :-)
What I see as a strength of soap operas are the characters we grow to love (or not) and the strong hooks we're left with at the end of scenes and episodes. Those lingering questions keep viewers coming back. As you said, these are aspects we want to incorporate in our stories.
As a teenager, I'd race home from school to catch, "Another World." As they grew raunchy, I abandoned them.
There's very little I watch on TV now. Antiques Roadshow, American Idol, and Christian TV - that's about it.
Blessings,
Susan :)
I think you're right though that soaps do have that ability to keep people watching. I think there greatest ability is being able to sustain tension over a long period of time.
Having said that, I broke that habit years ago. I'm on to much more spiritual things. You know, like blog hopping.
~Brenda
I like to entice people by leaving something at the end of a chapter or sometimes the beginning, but I don't know if I do it always, and effectively! :)
I'll bet you do it great! Still have your book on my wish list.... but very soon, I'm snatching it up!
Is that still on?
And is Reva still in love with Josh???
I think the hooks, drama and conflict all kept me coming back for more. But it was so unrealistic!!! (Of course, I didn't think it was terribly unrealistic at the time...)
Wonder if I could spice up the drama in what goes on around my house to make my writing more fun? *grin*
I think this show has had a huge impact on my writing...I write contemporary romance/women's fiction. I even wrote a novelette about a woman who writes and got a gig writing for her favorite soap and eventually became one of the show's stars! LOL!
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-I didn't watch this but I've heard she's a little bit snobby.
Maybe they get paid so much because of the hours and the work? Did you take drama? Hmmm, now I'm trying to remember about your comment on my post...or if you made a comment. LOL! I'm sorry.
Anyways, do you know how many scenes they have to do over and over and over. Blech.
I don't doubt at all that actors and actresses work hard. I think they're overpaid but at the same time it's the demand for them that does it. So those who do well and enchant people deserve recompense for their hard work.
But she... well, my sister can't stand her so I bet it's the way she's talking that irritated you. Maybe I will watch it after all. LOL!-
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I was in drama for a while in school and I do feel bad for all the other actors who were working 17 hours, but the way she said it came off snobby and entitled to me...I would just hate to be a starving actor who hasn't gotten a break that would do anything to have an acting job like hers and hear her complaining about long hours. If it happens way too much-that's different, but I read somewhere else that the long shooting days she was having this year was to accommodate her schedule for promoting her new movie and to keep with union regulations. She just rubbed me the wrong way-I know it's an exhausting job, but I just felt it was out of line. I worked at a juvenile detention one year and had to pick up some extra shifts when a bout of the flu hit my coworkers-I slept there like 6 days a week and worked about 18 hrs a day...but I was doing counseling-something I LOVE, and I was lucky to have a job-They selected me and my other 5 coworkers out of 300 candidates. I just can't imagine complaining publicly about such an amazing opportunity. I was hurting for all the other unknown actors.
ANYWHO- Sorry this comment was CRAZY long! AND-Sorry it took me a couple days to get back to u on the question :)
LOTS of love!! :)
I didn't even expect you to get back to me, so thanks! ;-) No, I agree with you and though I still didn't watch the clip, I def. think it was her and how she talks. Maybe she got famous too fast? YOu know? Never had to work at it... I don't know. Maybe she was really exhausted when she did the interview, snort! I just hope she's careful 'cause the public is fickle and nobody likes a snob. We like Sandra Bullocks and Meg Ryans. LOL!!!
As for books, I agree with you there too! Really! I'm actually fixing to pitch a book that I think is my strongest because of the unique premise, but if no one wants it then I'll be writing something new rather than pitching my others, simply because my others don't have such cool hooks. I think they're solid plots, but not "great" enought to break me into the industry.
Thanks Penny, for commenting! I always like reading what you have to say.
I'm not sure any personal kind of drama can be fun. *sigh* Only other people's drama is hilarious. LOL Particularly fiction!
I'll bet you have some great hooks then! :-) My mom always loved AMC and I liked it too. While I got annoyed with the waits and sometimes with the "reappearances" of characters, most of the time I thought the characters were very real and very relatable. They do a good job of rounding out their villains too. Everyone has a goal and a motivation.
Wonderful post! You amaze me.
LOL Why do I amaze you? :-) I've never heard of that show before. Now I need to google it!