I’ve been meaning to share this clip for a while; it's the
first in a series of videos called Kid History. A lot of you have probably
seen them, but if you haven’t, here’s how they work: The kids retell a story from
their dads’ childhoods, a story they’ve clearly heard a million times, and then the dads act out their kids’ retelling of it, with their kids’ dialogue and
everything.
Adds a whole new meaning to the expression “unreliable
narrators,” don’t you think? :)
But it also raises an interesting question: Would your manuscript
be more exciting if you let another narrator tell it? Something to mull over
while you check out the first episode of Kid History...
My favorite Kid History episode is actually the second one, so if you have a minute, you might pop over to Youtube and check it out. And I hope everyone has a great Friday and an even greater weekend!
14 comments:
My kids (and husband) love kid history. I hadn't thought of it in terms of an unreliable narrator. Great post!
Love unreliable narrators! My current project is in first person and I'm enjoying it so much.
That was great! Thanks for sharing it Krista
HOLY SCHMOLY, Krista. I'm laughing so hard right now. I watched ALL of the Kid History videos.
I'll be giggling all day. FAAAC-T. :)
That was freaking awesome!!! I am laughing so hard, I can hardly type this comment!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING!!!
Ditto, Janice. And I like them a lot, too:) We're quoting them all the time. (My four- and two-year-old do the "Raan-dy? Raan-dy?" part from the second episode especially well.)
Sarah, Steve is in first person, too. He's the first manuscript I've attempted in first person in a while, and it's been a fun adventure.
You're so welcome, Charity! Glad you liked it!
Yay, Marybk! So glad you liked them! I think they're hilarious (and the kids are so adorable).
You're welcome, elizabethreinhardt! This is how every family should do their home videos:)
Oh my gosh, I'm laughing so hard. That's awesome!! Thanks, Krista!
I love me an unreliable narrator. It's so much fun to realize, the deeper you get into the story, that maybe everything isn't the way your viewpoint character sees it.
That's so funny! I love the fathers "speaking" with the kids' voices. Thanks for sharing and I hope you have a lovely weekend as well!
My husband and I have been watching these lately. They are so hilarious! POV is such an interesting thing. It's one reason why I found FLIPPED so delightful because of how differently the two main characters view the same events. So fun!
Good question about which character should be narrating. Love your blog title. So true over here!
Amy, I teared up the first time I watched these as well:)
Kate, I must say, I can't think of many books with unreliable narrators. What are some of your favorites?
Jeni, just today, I heard the dads talking in their real voices for the first time as I was watching another clip, and I was like, "Hey, that's not what they sound like!" :)
Liesl, thanks for the reminder that I need to order FLIPPED from the library! Teenage relationships definitely lend themselves to multiple interpretations of events:)
Rebecca, I had to rewrite my last manuscript, Bob, when I (finally) realized that the bulk of the story belonged to someone other than my main character. It was a tough decision to make, but I think making that change vastly improved the story.
Okay, this was so hilarious I had to share it on Facebook! I laughed so hard I could barely watch it through my tears. Looks like Utah?
In my family for reunions we like to make funny music videos or movies. This might have to be our next attempt. Thanks for sharing! Loved it!
Melinda, you're not the only one tearing up over these Kid History episodes:) And yes, it is Utah - Utah County, if I'm not mistaken. That was one of the first things I noticed about them, too. ("Hey, that looks like a Utah neighborhood!")
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