 Drama: September 03, 2008 Issue [#2592] |
  Drama
This week: Edited by: Elisa: Snowman Stik  
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| Ladies and gentlemen, the circus is in town! Actually, it's the Republican Convention, which means the Twin Cities area is in a bit of a frenzy. Regardless of attitudes toward the party or the convention in this area, it can be a little difficult to ignore its impact on our day-to-day lives. That thought inspired me to discuss political drama. True, farce is the more popular way to portray politics these days, but who's to say it's the only angle available? I'll be looking at writing about politics from a more dramatic approach, and this month's issue will focus on American politics. |
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I have no shame in admitting that politics is a subject I follow on a regular basis. For that matter, I took some classes on the subject to get a more detailed understanding of it. The jaded and/or uninterested may wonder what that has to do with writing. The answer is it taught me a bit about how to write a work of fiction with a focus on politics.
Whatever the government system of a given country, it is important to have more than a basic understanding of how the government system works. Okay, that is a tall order, so be prepared to do some studying. I would recommend taking some classes on the subject, even if it's just through community education enrchment programs. When writing political fiction, simply knowing and being able to identify the basic components of a government's setup will not cut it. Even having a working knowledge of what each component does is not enough. Be willing to learn the specifics processes involved in the component's basic function and learn about any other functions that part of the government serves. I will use the legislative branch of the United States government as an example.
 WHAT PEOPLE ARE TAUGHT
 Congress consists of two houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The basic structure of Congress stems from compromise, borrowing points from the Virginia and New Jersey Plans.
There are 100 seats in the Senate and 435 seats in the House of Representatives.
Congressmen are elected every two years while senators are elected every six.
The leader of the House of Representatives is the Speaker of the House.
 WHAT WRITERS NEED TO KNOW
Committees: how many committees are in each section of Congress, which ones are always active, when the committees meet and the typical agenda of each meeting; I could go on, but that would merit an entire article on its own.
The typical schedule of a Congressman/Senator
The schedule of terms for Senators; yes, they are elected every six years, but there is a schedule for when certain Senators are up for re-election.
Party setup in Congress. What are the responsibilities of majority/minority leaders and whips? How does this affect the overall function of Congress?
How seniority works in Congressional society
While that is a lot of information, an accurately written political drama will in some way incorporate all of it. Even small selections can reflect that type of knowledge. Here's a personal example I originally wrote for Leger~  's 15 for 15 contest. (For those of you who have seen this before, I have done some editing to correct tense problems and make the language a little more active.)
"Take a look at this young girl. Her name is Sarah Evans, and she is only eight years old. However, she is in danger of becoming homeless because of politicians like you, who continue to raise every tax her parents have to pay. Their efforts to keep up with the tax payments has put them behind on their mortgage, and they are facing repossession of their most valuable assets."
God, I hate committee presentations, even though I've only be dealing with them for the past 18 years. I admit I skipped out on a couple as a junior senator, but once I was elected committee chair, there was no way out. This particularly loathsome presentation, though, has me regretting accepting this post. I am not fond of Richard Hager, the mouthpiece of the Family Conservation Corps who is giving the presentation in an appeal to block the tax increase being considered by the Senate. Naturally, he came after my group, the Budget Committee. Though we represented five different political affiliations (Democrat, Republican, Green, Libertarian and Independent), all of us agreed that a national two percent hike in several taxes was needed. For the past 30 plus years, our infrastructure has become as good as that of an average African country, and the countless bonding bills passed by Republican dominated goverments lead to the downfall. It was time for us to actually pay for good roads and bridges. The only problem was we lacked the funds to pay for the intense work that had to be done lest the country completely falls apart. So we had no choice. We had to spike the taxes. Now that we are getting somewhere, we need more funds to ensure we continue to have quality roads.
Thus the Coffer Bill was launched by the House. It passed with an overwhelming majority, so it got sent to us. I know the president is considering at least a line item veto, so I have made sure the appropriate committee chairs are aware that we must make the language veto proof. This urging reached the ears of the Family Conservation Corps (which I scathingly called the originall FCC's deformed stepchild), which lead to this pseudo-filibuster of annoyingly epic proportions. This is the first time I had to deal with this as the Budget Chair, and I am not going to let it crack my committee. Tuning out Hager for a moment, I took a look at that picture. As I examine the girl's dark round eyes and multishade blond tresses, I realize she looks familiar. Shaking my head, I scrawl a phrase on the notepad in front of me, not paying attention to the words before steeling myself to endure the last half hour of this nonsense. When the meeting adjourns for the day, I look at my words: Minnesota Property Tax Fraud Bust 2016. What in the world? That's from my city council days! On a hunch, I snap a photo of Sarah Evans with my Blackberry before heading out. As I hoof it to my electric-powered Dodge Neon, I e-mail the snapshot to some people back in Minnesota. I have to see if my hunch is right.
After a record night of sleep (a whole six hours, which is insane for a senator), I check my 10 e-mail accounts while nibbling on leftover raspberry crepes for breakfast. Checking my Minnesota office account, I spot an e-mail from Terry, my chief researcher in my home state. He included a very large attachment, and I wonder if I have time to read it. On a hunch, I open it only to find my hunch confirmed. The girl is not Sarah Evans but Mikailah Waterson, a Minnesota girl whose parents organized the property tax fraud ring that sapped the state of nearly $116 million dollars in the 2015-2016 fiscal year, and this photo is over twenty years old. I call an emergency pre-meeting with several committee chairs to share this information with them before my committee would go to town on Hager. After that, I check my schedule for today, noticing I have time to confront Hager himself after my spur of the moment meeting. This is going to be fun.
From 15 for 15, date 6/14 (prompt: sad [a girl with a pouty face])
As you can see, knowledge beyond the basic teachings seen in compulsory schooling makes a big difference in making a political drama come to life. Such in depth knowledge is not restricted to the legislative branch, either. If you want to write about the president, you better know about executive orders, proxy wars and how many government agencies are ultimately controlled by the executive branch. Those of you ambitious enough to write about the Supreme Court should know how many cases the court will take on each year and rulings the court frequently revisit or use in arguments. You should also be aware that associate justices being promoted to chief justice is rare and often troublesome for the court. The same advice also applies to writing drama based on state governments as well. Be sure to research some state history before you do political research, though. That way, you can get some context for the setup of a state's government system, as there are as many variances in government setups as there are states (if not more).
Not sure you want to go in depth into the setup of the government? Perhaps politically charged issues would suit your taste. With such issues, research involves having an understanding the various perspectives on the issue itself. Keep in mind that perspectives aren't just limited to two sides. To make your story stand out, seek out opinions that most people overlook, such as that of a black Republican or an atheist that does not support various forms of activism. Balance your perspective research with the nuts and bolts of the issue. Look at the history, the current obstacles, the role money plays in the larger issue and who would benefit the most and least from changes (among other factors). When you sit down to write the story, keep everything in mind but focus on your character's perspective, and make sure it's not your perspective running rampant over the story (a point I covered in "Drama Newsletter (June 11, 2008)" ).
Writing political drama can be a lot of work. However, no matter how many people deny it, they find themselves at least taking a peek at political fiction. Though political drama does not always have the largest audience around, it has an audience that can really focus on the story and appreciate it for what it is: fiction. In terms of quantity/waulity trade-offs, it's one of the better deals out there. So if you're willing to break out the figureative elbow grease, try out some political drama. You just might learn something along the way.
Until next time,
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The sports drama article got some comments, although I was hoping for a little more. I personally think regardless of gender sports is an interesting avenue in fiction writing, but that's just me. So...what did you have to say?
From NanoWriMo2018 Into the Earth  : you know, i think i need to study your NLs more. Maybe I could pick up some tips on how to write one.  Great job, Elisa!
To be fair, I've been doing this for years. In fact, it'll be three years in November. My, does time fly! Still, writing newsletters, like other types of writing, is something you have to do a fair number of times (and with some feedback) before it becomes anywhere near second nature. And hey, yours are pretty good from what I've read. 
From fleckgirl: Elisa-another awesome Drama NL! No matter what topic you choose, I can always rely on the fact that it's been well researched, thought provoking, creative and inspiring! Thanks~
I guess all those years of following issues pertaining to the Olympics really paid off! Still, I hope that the observations I shared resonate with sports readers and writers no matter what sport they like best. If nothing else, I hope I've given them something to think about.
From paddy  : I have writtena a script based on olympics , so I can identify with your article; your article is very nice
Thank you. I hope you decide to share your Olympics script with us, and if you find yourself stuck, check out http://www.olympic.org . It's a great start for anything pertaining to the Olympic Games.
From katherinerose Elisa, interesting newsletter on sports. It has inspired me to write a story about Roller Skating. I have always loved this sport, and it will also be good writing practice. Thank you.
Roller skating? Sounds like fun (although the last time I tried it I nearly broke my tailbone). I admit I didn't see any stories about that activity while cruising the site, so it would certainly be something different around here. Feel free to share it with us when you finish!
I will continue the political drama tangent next month with a more global look. I probably won't focus on specific systems as much, but I will mention them. I appreciate comments on various political systems throughout the world (including links with solid explanations), but if you wish to send more general feedback, go ahead! Keep in mind I do like to chat in my responses, so please send thought-provoking comments if possible. 
And if you happen to miss or misplace a newsletter, feel free to stop by "The Drama Box" [13+]. |
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