How Far Down The Rabbit Hole Will You Go?

Any Losties out there? 

Oh yea- that show had me from the very first episode.  My husband and I got into it sometime around the fourth season, which was great because we didn't have to wait to watch all the episodes in Seasons 1-3.  Once we were all caught up, we waited with baited breath for each new espisode.  We talked about episodes for days dissecting each and every plot twist.  We laughed, we argued, we winced, and in the final days we cried.  Nevermind that the end left us a bit...disappointed.  We will always be fans.

Mining For Details

So my husband (thoughtful guy that he is) purchased the Lost Encyclopedia (affiliate link) for me as a birthday present.  I've cracked it open  a few times, and felt like I'm drowning in happy memories.  Every character, every location, everything that came together in the absolute perfect way to create the world of Lost is there.  And even though I've seen every episode, I learn something new in almost every entry.  What is most overwhelming are all of the things that are there that I don't remember, or didn't even know was relevant at the time.

Making People Care

But of course, it was each one of those details that captivated the audience and made the show what it was; we had never seen something like it before.  It was the nuanced, flawed backgrounds of each character that made us relate and like them (or hate them).  Plus, there were secret clues hidden everywhere.  You'd have to be Sherlock Holmes to have found them all.   It seems like the writers of the show thought of everything- things way beyond what I, as a viewer, would ever think of.  But that's what made it believable, and that's what kept you on the edge of your seat week after week.

Reading through this gigantic tome made me realize that in my work, especially my fiction, I need to be willing to take the plunge down the rabbit hole.  I need to go deep into the details because it's those things that make people notice, care, and come back for more.  Our time is so valuable that we want- no, we need- to be able to feel the texture and complexity of the story.  Then we'll follow the threads of the story's tapestry because we want too.  Those stories suck us and don't let go.  That's the kind of story I want to write.

(photo by marioanima)

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