Thresholds of Distance
These include worlds apart in distance, such as East to
West, or civilization to wilderness.
Then too, is the distance created by time barriers as found in time
travel fantasy to move across historical eras, and science–fiction travel
crossing space and time?
Each one of these thresholds often includes a mechanism. How
will the crossing and re-crossing be accomplished? What new thresholds happen
if stranded? Is there a limit before a character must choose to stay or leave
permanently?
The movie Avatar
includes multiple layers. First there is the threshold to be permitted to
travel to Avatar. Then there is the different stratas of power and influence within
the mining colony. Next comes the limited access to the Nav’i, the inhabitants
of Pandora, with another hierarchy of status based on qualities almost
completely counter cultural to the business based colony. And within each
crossing and re-crossing is the threat of death from the poisonous atmosphere.
Take another look at the movie, or another time-space
crossing genre, and make a list of all the distance barriers: physically,
emotionally, mentally, spiritually and morally.
Exercise:
1. Choose one of the above categories and put your
character into that moment of choice. Overwrite all the sensory details.
2. Then write up the scene twice, once for each
possible decision: to flee or fight, or to submit the accepted ‘dogma’ either
socially or personally.
Share: Which one
has the strongest emotional reaction? Why?
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