Friday, February 22, 2013

Aspiring Advice: Lampshading Beyond A 60 Watt Bulb


The world would be a different place without lampshades ...

We would turn on the lights and be blinded whenever we looked at the bulb, no matter the wattage. We wouldn't have that cool dimming effect either, which adds atmosphere to the room, depending on its color. Indeed, without lampshades, the world would be way too bright.

Oh, that's right - that's not the kind of lampshade I wanted to talk about. There is an entirely different kind of lampshade, but it's for more than just a 60 Watt bulb ...

It's for writing!

A few months back, when I shared the beginning chapters of Undead to my critique group, one of my partners commented on a part that they really liked, following up his remarks with these words ...

"You lampshaded that really well!"

I smiled and thought .... what the Eisenhower is a lampshade?

That may not have been my actual thought, but it's close enough.

What is a lampshade when it's applied to writing?

I looked around for a while and found a lot of interpretations. Some people had their own idea of what it meant. Others said it was best to avoid them altogether. Such absolutes. What am I, a Sith?

Eventually, I came across a definition that made sense:

Lampshading: To intentionally call attention to the improbable, incongruent, or clichéd nature of an element or situation featured in a work of fiction within the work itself - from wiktionary.

In other words, it's a way to deal with any part of your story that would cause your audience to drop their suspension of disbelief. If something happens that does not seem possible, or if some kind of trope presents itself in the story, all the character(s) have to do is point it out for a second. We laugh (or nod) and we keep reading.

Want an example? Take this from one of my favorite video games:

Luke: "I sense a disturbance in the force ..."
Kyle: "You always sense a disturbance in the force ..."

Oh, Kyle - such a kidder!

That was a rather obvious example, by the way ...

Upon finding this out, I realized just how lampshaded my WiP is - almost the whole thing, and I didn't even realize I was doing this!

It is in the first person, and I did want it to be a kind of satire on the zombie subgenre, like Kung Fu Panda is to the material art of Kung Fu, only with kids and not talking animals. So my main character points things out that happens to them and sometimes he goes, "hey, I saw that in a movie once!" among other things. My guess is, because this story is told in the first person, and there's humor involved, the lampshades naturally found their way in there!

Is this a problem? Not really. It could be if I overuse the lampshade, but at the same time, I was using them in a subtle way, so they're not obvious or overused. Or so I hope. Only Beta readers will tell.

This is not the rule, just my thoughts on the matter. Like any writer's trick, we have to decide when it's appropriate to use. Will it enhance the story? Again, this is all up to us as writers, and knowing the tools of the trade will help us churn out quality work the first time around. This is but another screwdriver in the big box of writer's tools.

What do you think of the lampshading technique? Have you used it without knowing it? Where else have you seen it?

And so ends February! That went by quick, didn't it? I'm taking the rest of the month off to focus on writing and life managing, but be sure to visit on the 27th, when I will introduce our next Knight of the Cosmic Table! It'll be a good one, so don't miss it!

I'll be back to normal blogging status on March 4th.Until then, keep it real, keep being awesome, and keep on writing!

Update: I almost forgot! The randomly selected winner of a signed Larry Correia book goes to Al Diaz! Congratulations, Senior Dragon! Contact me with your address and I'll have it mailed to you promptly.

I'm David, and here's that picture with Edward I promised ...

Thanks, Jeigh!

50 comments:

  1. Lampshading - never heard that term until now!
    That doll is eyeing your food.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yeah new one on me too, interesting to find out about it though!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm curious who decided to call it a lampshade. I know I've unconsciously done that a few times. Especially deeper into my one series characters would start to think, jeez this again?!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Awesome pic, haha. I've never heard the term lampshade before, but I've definitely used this in my writing. I agree that it should be used sparingly, but I think it's important for the reader to know he's in good hands--the writer acknowledging the cliche helps with this, I think.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nice of you to take Edward to ...um, breakfast :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I've never heard of that before. I always learn so much on your blog! Thanks for being so brilliant so I don't sound too dumb.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL, Chad must have logged on from my computer yesterday. Sorry, this is Shelly. Though I would have never admitted it if I hadn't said that I was dumb.

      Delete
  7. Great pic!!

    And lampshading, never heard it called that before, but what a neat way of doing so.

    ReplyDelete
  8. That's a new word I learnt today. You know, I am from India and we don't use lamps, we use either CFLs or TFLs without anything to cover them. I guess we are too bright ;)

    Jokes apart, I love the coolness lampshades bring. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I couldn't help to laugh at the vision of you receiving that comment. I imagine you nodded knowingly as you smiled and said. "Yup, lamp-shading was in my mind all along. I'm glad it worked exactly as I planned it." Hahaha. If you didn't, I know I would have.

    Can't believe my luck today. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  10. hadn't heard of lampshading before, interesting though! x

    ReplyDelete
  11. That's a term I had never heard. Interesting though...

    LOL when I saw your face in that pic....

    Enjoy your time off! I hope to get to your chapters this weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I didn't know what lampshading was but now I can think of it being used many times on TV and movies. I don't think I've used it exactly.

    ReplyDelete
  13. ha ha ha ha ha. Best. Picture. Ever.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I've never heard it called Lampshading, but it is something I've used before. I agree that it can be overdone, but if used properly it can allow a writer to get away with certain things he/she wouldn't otherwise be able to do.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Lampshading...that is a new term to me. Have to see if I've unknowingly done this. Hmm...

    And did Edward have to be shirtless...cuz the doll actually has a few extra muscles lol!

    ReplyDelete
  16. New term to me, but I've used it. When Marna is trying to get her boat docked in a hurricane in Homecoming:
    "She didn't actually see the island until she rounded the south side and tacked her boat into the little southwest-facing harbor. It was like sailing into the teeth of a hurricane, she thought, and then had to laugh at the aptness of the cliché as she dropped the sail and TK'd the boat the last few lengths into the boathouse."

    ReplyDelete
  17. Edward has nothing on your lamp shading skills DPK!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Dude,

    Was that an Indian curry (Korma, Vindaloo?) I didn't even notice Edward 'til later... Me *heart* spicy Indian food :)

    Have a relaxing - if possible - rest of the month off and see you on the flipside :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. I wondered if Lampshading was like Gaslighting, and if so why somebody would use it as a compliment. You learn something new every day!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I'd heard of the concept, but never that word for it. Cool. It's like addressing and refuting your opposition in a persuasive speech.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I had never heard of lampshading either - very interesting. Have a nice couple of days off.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I also hadn't heard of lampshading. And you look much more interesting that Edward (and you seem to be sparkling less as well).

    ReplyDelete
  23. I'd heard of the term 'lampshading' before, but never knew what it meant. Definitely learnt something today. I don't think I've actually done that much lampshading myself, but I know that my sister does this all the time. She's very skilled at getting away with large amounts of it too.

    ReplyDelete
  24. That's a new term to me. Interesting. I find myself writing more non-fiction than anything else, so I can't say I've used it yet. At least not on purpose.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I've never heard of lampshading before, that's interesting :) Thanks for sharing this with us... I can't recall using the technique myself, but I'm sure it's slipped in somewhere without my notice. Nonetheless, I shall be on the looking for it from now on.

    Nice picture...

    ReplyDelete
  26. I had never heard of lampshading before but I've seen it done and it's interesting because it works.
    That pic with the doll is hilarious, and I loved Alex's comment.

    Happy Writing!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Can vampires eat curry? And how did I know you were Team Edward?

    ReplyDelete
  28. i learned something new!

    i thought it was just sarcasm!
    have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Never heard of the term, but I can see how it would work if done well. I may have done it, but not sure how effectively!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Had no clue that's what it was called, David. I'll confess I had a brief thought that it was a term for Internet weirdness like 'catfishing'. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  31. Never heard of it until today! Thanks for keeping me updated on all of the "hip" writing lingo.

    Edward is much shorter in person than I would have thought :D

    ReplyDelete
  32. Love adding new terms to my personal dictionary. Great post!!

    Should I be embarrassed to admit that I have that doll? Does it make it better to tell you it's still in the box tucked away in the back of a cabinet in my office? *blushes*

    ReplyDelete
  33. Thanks for the new term...hadn't heard that one before. Don't believe I've used it, because everything I write is always 100% believable. Nothing is ever sketchy or dodgy...you know, always on the up and up. : D Oh, and get that doll a shirt, he's far too sparkly!

    ReplyDelete
  34. I think your example "Hey, I saw that in a movie once..." is really more of an absence of genre blindness, which commonly afflicts stories, especially zombie apocalypses. Everybody's seen zombie movies, so it would seem weird if the characters in your book hadn't, right? In Stephen King's It, the characters are big fans of monster movies, so they compare all of their own encounters with monsters to their experiences with movies.

    ReplyDelete
  35. I like the lampshade reference, not sure why I've never heard of this before-sheltered I guess :) I must be more simple minded, like "yeah! without lampshade we would be blinded!"

    When Mine Became Ours

    ReplyDelete
  36. I've never heard of lampshading either, but I like the idea of it. I can see how it might be overdone, but I bet you did a great job with it. :)

    And that picture was totally worth the wait. :)

    ReplyDelete
  37. You have such a great presence in your written word. That was incredibly entertaining to read, and I leaned something new. Lampshade. I think I've done it once or twice in my current novel.

    ReplyDelete
  38. haha Love the picture.

    I've never heard of the lampshading. Interesting idea. I have no idea if I've ever done that--accidentally, of course. lol

    ReplyDelete
  39. I never knew that lampshading was a term--interesting! Makes sense though, and when I've seen it used in movies it always gives me a laugh! Hope you have a good week off!

    ReplyDelete
  40. I think I have used lampshading without knowing what it is called. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Now I can talk like a more educated writer and name drop some terms LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  41. I thought it was something to go on a lamp. I learned something new today. :)

    ReplyDelete
  42. Ha! Great pic.

    I've heard of lampshading on Writing Excuses, but I can never tell when I'm using it. I think you're right that sometimes it's an instinctual thing.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Lampshading can be a great writing tool, although it only works well if done with subtlety. It sort of falls in the same place in my head as foreshadowing, although they serve different purposes.

    See you when you're back!

    ReplyDelete
  44. I love lampshading, although I've never used this technique. I think the movie Independence Day had a bunch of lampshades.

    ReplyDelete
  45. I've never heard of this term before, though I've heard of the principle. Can definitely be handy! Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  46. The only time I'd heard of lampshade other than the obvious was when I bought some Farrow and Ball paint called lampshade grey the other day. Thank you for this I shall now be looking for it.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Lampshading... interesting concept :)
    trivial things works in mysterious ways

    ReplyDelete
  48. I have never heard the term lampshading, but once you explained it I immediately recognized the concept. It definitely is used a lot in the humor/satire genre. Thanks for teaching me a new term. LOL, and you look so serious in that picture, like you are trying to discern the reason such a doll exists.

    ReplyDelete