Ok, this is not EXACTLY magic but i think it's magic related.
A conversation with Jack during the last gathering (about psychological research on the deception of magic) reminded me of some research and reading i did a little while ago on the use of
Literary Devices in magic presentation and/or routine plot.
One of the most concises and interesting bits i found was in Wikipedia (I LOVE THAT THING!) as "Mechanics of the Twist Ending".
Basically this is a list of all the different styles and ways which authors, playwrights and scriptwriters has been using to create a twist ending kind of story.
I found this interesting because I personally find effects that has a "twist ending" climax to be particularly fascinating, especially if the final twist has some relevancy to the main plot.
Some of these techniques are commonly found in magic routines/effects. For example, Spider vanish is a good example of using a
Red Herring.
Chekhov's gun is also quite commonly used in magic, the best example i can think of is Tommy Wonder's Cups and Balls routine.
So I am inclined to think that perhaps all of them has an application in magic, and if some more used than the others, that means there's room for development of the under-utilised techniques. :mellow:
Anyways, i'm just posting here so some of you bright sparks in here might read thru the list and something might struck you and you come up with a routine idea.
And if you've read this far, please list some known routines that you see is an application of a certain literary device in the list. I think by crossing these devices with examples of magic routines that uses them, we can all learn how to better apply them.
Wah, really long post. I hope at least some of you read this far. :huh:
Now I'm wondering how many get what I'm trying to say. :P
Here's the list, which you can also find at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twist_endingAt the page, each item has further linkage for more detailed explaination.
Literary devicesA
red herring is a false clue that leads investigators, readers, or solvers toward an incorrect solution. This device usually appears in detective novels and mystery fiction. A misdirection is similar in meaning to the red herring: the writer uses both to distract the protagonist, and by extension the reader, away from the correct answer.[1]
A
cliffhanger is an abrupt ending that leaves the main characters in a precarious or difficult situation, creating a strong feeling of suspense that provokes the reader to ask, "What will happen next?" Cliffhangers often frustrate the reader, since they offer no resolution at all; however, the device does have the advantage of creating the Zeigarnik effect.
Deus ex machina is a Latin term meaning "god out of the machine." It refers to an unexpected, artificial, or improbable character, device, or event introduced suddenly in a work of fiction or drama to resolve a situation or untangle a plot. In Roman and Greek theater, the "deus ex machina" ('ἀðὸ ìç÷áíῆò èåüò') was literally a "god" lowered onto the stage from a machine to save the characters. In its modern, figurative sense, the "deus ex machina" creates a twist ending to a narrative because it unexpectedly resolves what appears to be an unsolvable situation. This device is often used to end a bleak story on a more positive note. An example is in William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies: Just as the protagonist Ralph is about to be killed by the band of "hunters" at the end of the story, a ship appears from nowhere. One of the ship's officers rescues Ralph, and he and the rest of the boys are then taken away from the island and back to civilization.[2]
Flashback is a sudden, vivid reversion to a past event. It is used to surprise the reader with previously unknown information that provides the answer to a mystery, places a character in a different light, or reveals the reason for a previously inexplicable action. The TV show Lost utilizes this technique frequently as the show's mythos relies heavily on flashbacks. The finale of its third season added a new twist to a flashback revelation; a flashforward revelation. See also Racconto.
Anagnorisis (or discovery) is the main character's discovery of his or her own (or another character's) identity or true nature. Thus, a main character gains information about himself or about another character that the reader does not foresee. The most famous example of this is when Oedipus kills his father and marries his mother in ignorance, but later learns the truth of what he has done. [3]
Peripeteia is the sudden reversal or unexpected change of the hero's fortunes, whether it be for good (as when the central character is miraculously saved from a dangerous situation, as in a Deus ex machina) or for bad (as in Aeschylus' play The Oresteia, where the conquering hero Agamemnon is unexpectedly killed by his own wife Clytemnestra). See also plot point.
Nonlinear storylines work by revealing, in a random, nonchronological fashion, events that are occurring at other points in the story's timeline. This requires the reader to situate events correctly in order to piece together a correct timeline and thereby fully understand the story (such as in the film Pulp Fiction and in the book Invisible Monsters). Often, information within the narrative is withheld until the story's climax, which usually reveals new information that may place the previous events in a different perspective, thus giving the ending an unexpected twist.[4][5]
Reverse chronology places the traditional order of events from last to first instead of first to last, thereby ensuring that the reader does not know what has caused the chain of events until the end of the story. The film Irreversible and the color sequences from the film Memento are both examples.
Poetic justice is a literary device in which virtue is ultimately rewarded or vice punished in such a way that the reward or punishment has a logical connection to the deed. In modern literature, this device is often used to create an ironic twist of fate in which the villain gets caught up in his own trap. A recent example of this is the film The Departed where in the end Sullivan (Matt Damon) is unexpectedly killed for his crimes.
In medias res is a literary technique where the narrative starts in the middle of the story rather than at its beginning. Information such as who these characters are, where they are, and what they are trying to do is revealed through a series of flashbacks. This technique creates a twist when the reasons for the events that transpired in the beginning are not shown to the reader until the climax. This technique is used effectively within the film The Prestige where its opening scenes show one of the main characters drowning and the other being imprisoned. After these events, the storyline continues by showing flashbacks that reveal to the viewer how these two characters came to be at their current situations. See also Narrative hook and Foreshadowing.
Chekhov's gun is premised on the notion that the physical details of a story should relate to the plot, or should not be included. The term comes from a letter Anton Chekhov wrote to a colleague: "One must not put a loaded rifle on the stage if no one is thinking of firing it." In literature, Chekhov's gun refers to a situation in which a character or plot element is introduced early but not referenced again until much later within the narrative. This device is used in much of modern literature and film: A seemingly trivial event turns out at the end to be pivotal to the story's outcome. Similar to this literary device is a "plant." A "plant" is a preparatory device that repeats throughout the story. Upon arriving at the resolution, circumstances change enough to cause the "plant" to take on a new meaning. The technique is often used in the Harry Potter series. See also Foreshadowing.
The
unreliable narrator twists the ending by revealing, almost always at the end of the narrative, that the narrator has manipulated or fabricated the story the reader has just been following, thus forcing the reader to question the entire story. This motif is often used within noir fiction and films, most famously in the film The Usual Suspects (which, in turn, produced multiple imitators such as The Rich Man's Wife). The motif was also used within Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, a novel that generated much controversy due to critics' contention that it was unfair to trick the reader in such a manipulative manner [6].
Irony creates a gap or incongruity between what a writer says and what is understood. This often works in narratives to create a twist of fate where an eventual event reverts back on a previous one.