So, instead of writing, I wasted my Sunday watching Jessica Jones on Netflix. No, actually it WASN'T a waste.
I spent the time introducing a friend to the character. Something I never did when the source material Alias was published. The on screen adaptation was a much better product than the comic. But I think the greatest benefit was what *I* learned from the Netflix series.
Unlike (too) many "crime procedurals", the series had a wonderful balance of expository dialogue and natural conversation. Of course, a visual medium has an easier time *showing instead of telling*, but many creators seem to forget that. Comics, Graphic Novels, Movies and Television often stick us in an observation booth watching characters speak to *US* rather than each other. I don't need you to give me a step by step breakdown if it's not natural. Put in the effort to make the information conversational, exclude it or give me a nice editorial popup/addendum.
Of course, the problem of providing your reader information becomes magnified in the prose medium.What's the best way to describe settings, provide backstory or share informational tidbits? These are some of the questions I'll be asking myself, this weekend, as I do a second pass on many of my earlier scenes, trying to remove POV narration where possible and replace with natural dialogue.
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