tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post7792555788248764070..comments2023-09-06T05:28:26.542-06:00Comments on David Powers King: Tuesday Tropes: The Mind ScrewDavid P. Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17259276981865439853noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-75548471213648041402012-06-20T14:17:18.246-06:002012-06-20T14:17:18.246-06:00The mind screw is such a difficult device to get r...The mind screw is such a difficult device to get right, but when it works it's amazing. Inception got it back on in my opinion.Christine Murrayhttp://www.mermaiden.ienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-25105321685241143882012-06-20T07:41:22.012-06:002012-06-20T07:41:22.012-06:00Lord of the Flies was definitely a book I would cl...Lord of the Flies was definitely a book I would classify as horrifying, sort of like Shirley Jackson's The Lottery.mshatchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06308916014310536449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-85388471385628506112012-06-20T07:03:33.636-06:002012-06-20T07:03:33.636-06:00I love some absurdity when it's done well. But...I love some absurdity when it's done well. But I have to confess, I've seen Alice in Wonderland in several movie forms and never liked it. It's like all improvisation and notmelody. Maybe I should break down and read the book.JoLynne Lyonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01029955836072785693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-27549729096929320212012-06-20T05:23:01.133-06:002012-06-20T05:23:01.133-06:00Yes. Love this post. Inception is one. Total mind ...Yes. Love this post. Inception is one. Total mind screw. Lord of the flies is my fav too. :)Mina Burrowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14483363743530076604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-78778810553111496792012-06-20T01:22:10.325-06:002012-06-20T01:22:10.325-06:00Haven't used the mind screw... but my writing ...Haven't used the mind screw... but my writing has definitely screwed with my mind... Does that count?Mark Koopmanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03634424953074803816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-23924385373992345952012-06-19T23:31:00.315-06:002012-06-19T23:31:00.315-06:00This is actually one trope that I have never reall...This is actually one trope that I have never really connected with. I've even read (okay, tried to read parts of) some of your examples and realized they just weren't for me. So I know that it's not the kind of writing I'd be decent at. But it might be fun to give a try one of these days just for kicks.Leslie https://www.blogger.com/profile/17430815366297302202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-89058644060681341912012-06-19T21:54:30.682-06:002012-06-19T21:54:30.682-06:00Oh, this is a tough one. If you do it right, it...Oh, this is a tough one. If you do it right, it's great and you leave your readers in stupefied wonder, trying to catch up. If you misjudge it, though, readers are either confused or irritated...<br /><br />I've read/seen some good ones, but never attempted one myself.Nicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10680066584646789184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-33385529779686484382012-06-19T20:39:20.717-06:002012-06-19T20:39:20.717-06:00I don't know that I could create one. More th...I don't know that I could create one. More than that, I like to guess when they are coming.Tasha Seegmillerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11489911822054861132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-85310553033638064122012-06-19T18:39:41.754-06:002012-06-19T18:39:41.754-06:00I don't know if I've ever used it, seeing ...I don't know if I've ever used it, seeing that I don't understand it. I couldn't figure out Inception no matter how many times my daughter tried to explain it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-42359023614087435542012-06-19T18:19:36.001-06:002012-06-19T18:19:36.001-06:00Nope, haven't done the mind screw but they are...Nope, haven't done the mind screw but they are so fun in movies. And yes, Lord of the Flies is totally scary.Lydia Kanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00484415427764822386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-69585074254352621022012-06-19T18:18:07.440-06:002012-06-19T18:18:07.440-06:00Yes, this takes serious talent to pull off. But I ...Yes, this takes serious talent to pull off. But I agree with others, when done well, it's awesome.Kelley Lynnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06373650788799372118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-82640633366540543122012-06-19T17:27:55.161-06:002012-06-19T17:27:55.161-06:00I do not believe I could pull it off and as of rig...I do not believe I could pull it off and as of right now, am too afraid to try. Inception was a fabulous movie, but that stinkin' top at the end still drives me crazy to this day! <br /><br />Great post, as always, David! I always come away from your posts smiling.Sabrina A. Fishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14854713472424756485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-89026337244189192512012-06-19T15:58:49.859-06:002012-06-19T15:58:49.859-06:00I love that sense of bewilderment that mind screws...I love that sense of bewilderment that mind screws leave behind. They really make a story stick if they're done right.<br /><br />Great post!Golden Eaglehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08721520451194318436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-76107004406002300022012-06-19T15:36:33.035-06:002012-06-19T15:36:33.035-06:00We also read Lord of the Flies and Animal Farm dur...We also read Lord of the Flies and Animal Farm during the underclassman days of high school. I thought Animal Farm was a bit more of a mind screw...Lord of the Flies wasn't surprising at all =P<br /><br />Mind screws are what give me life in fiction. There's nothing like a great mind screw to make you go "AW YEAH THIS". I don't know if I've used them though. Maybe just little ones.Hildred Billingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10995415129197042871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-73669687412378476352012-06-19T13:52:04.670-06:002012-06-19T13:52:04.670-06:00Lord of the Flies scared the crap out of me in hig...Lord of the Flies scared the crap out of me in high school. My freshman English teacher even pulled a Lord of the Flies on us by not showing up for class the day we were supposed to discuss it & leaving us group assignments on the board, groups assigned via drawing from a hat. I think he was a bit disappointed that when he turned up near the end, we were ready to present even if some of us were just about ready to throw the class clowns off the island.<br /><br />This was around the same time I read Animal Farm, which I've always found a total mind screw.Callie Leuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09535505792102190920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-2822721965328487142012-06-19T13:11:59.012-06:002012-06-19T13:11:59.012-06:00Hmm, not sure I could pull one off. But I do love ...Hmm, not sure I could pull one off. But I do love when they're done well--as in all the examples you mentioned!<br />"Anybody want a peanut?"Faith E. Houghhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03823750019164801104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-6140579015053599242012-06-19T11:12:21.818-06:002012-06-19T11:12:21.818-06:00OOH! I love this trope! Inception is STILL killing...OOH! I love this trope! Inception is STILL killing me! Darn them and that blasted top!<br /><br />And I will always love Princess Bride! A total fave of mine!Leigh Covingtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16377634002477171615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-63356567495467319682012-06-19T10:43:51.505-06:002012-06-19T10:43:51.505-06:00'the mind screw' is the key element in eve...'the mind screw' is the key element in every short story I've ever written... even going back to grade 11 English where a story I turned in at the beginning of the year got me sent to the counsellor's office ;)1000th.monkeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16835988128285459745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-47294535661298552442012-06-19T09:45:41.298-06:002012-06-19T09:45:41.298-06:00Inception is a masterpiece, although I have to giv...Inception is a masterpiece, although I have to give it to the Princess Bride.Alex J. Cavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-88455594856755279032012-06-19T08:58:19.123-06:002012-06-19T08:58:19.123-06:00David Lynch! OMG he gives me a headache. I had to ...David Lynch! OMG he gives me a headache. I had to watch Mulholland Drive three times before I really thought I had a grasp on the movie.Michael Offutt, Phantom Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10557969104886174930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-89993596561882491352012-06-19T08:35:43.558-06:002012-06-19T08:35:43.558-06:00'Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise th...'Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise.'<br /><br />No one can mind screw like Lewis Carol.Sarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10444784814793987285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-54224659615769893052012-06-19T08:16:24.969-06:002012-06-19T08:16:24.969-06:00This one is so hard to pull off but amazingly effe...This one is so hard to pull off but amazingly effective if done correctly. I think you have to be a little wacky to do it well :)Jennie Bennetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17331827076858223497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-53947865052856437692012-06-19T08:15:39.348-06:002012-06-19T08:15:39.348-06:00Pfft, there was nothing at all confusing about Inc...Pfft, there was nothing at all confusing about Inception. Actually I Tweeted yesterday that I had just watched a DS9 episode from 1999 that had the exact same premise as Dr. Bashir and Chief O'Brien went inside a Federation agent's head to pry a secret out of it. So I guess that was a mind screw too.<br /><br />Anyway, stuff like Alice in Wonderland or the Hitchhiker's Guide may not make sense to the literal world but they make sense in their own worlds.PT Dillowayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09394481476862013009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135194497307080856.post-6547368643198137962012-06-19T08:09:12.586-06:002012-06-19T08:09:12.586-06:00I've tried to apply a 'mind screw' but...I've tried to apply a 'mind screw' but in the end I'm the one getting confused haha. They're extremely hard for me to work out! By the way, I loved Inception. Totally confusing, but it was awesome :)Jesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02000569858548717605noreply@blogger.com