Page Created: 08/15/19. Last Updated: 10/09/19.
LAURA LOMONACO
Websites:
..........Internet Movie Data Base: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3771505/
..........Speaker Website: https://www.lauralamonaco.com/.
MEETING DETAIL
Meeting Date: September 14, 2019.
Meeting Site: Bergen Highlands United Methodist Church. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
Attendance: 31.
Meeting Program: Talk / Q & A by Actress / Producer / Director.
Newsletter Account
The following account is reprinted from THE STARSHIP EXPRESS Copyright 2019 Philip J De Parto:
The September 14, 2019 General Meeting of the Science Fiction Association of Bergen County was held at the Bergen Highlands United Methodist Church in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Our speaker was actress / producer / script writer Laura LaMonaco.
Our Writers' Space Salon and Ice Nine pre-meeting discussions were robust and well-attended. Our thanks to moderators David Willison and Pamela Webber.
Laura LaMonaco appeared as an extra in ten episodes of the ABC Television science fiction comedy series, THE NEIGHBORS. She has also appeared in the web series / television movie, MOONBOUND 24, the thriller, FATAL PULSE, and the upcoming Capote's Hotel.
To be continued at the 2019 - 09/2019 Meeting on the club website.
Notes
The following handout was discussed at the 6:15 PM Writers' Space Salon Moderated by David Willison:
Topic: Goldilocks & the Three World Builders: How Much Is "Just Right?"
Many resources exist for how to incorporate wold-building into your stories. If done well, paragraphs and paragraphs worth of details can be fascinating, while even a sentence or two can be dull if done poorly.
But beyond this, how much (assuming it is done well) is necessary to engage the reader and suspend disbelief? What will a reader want to be explained to them, versus what will they simply accept?
How do you define technology, music, history?
What factors can influence how much is needed?
What are the pros and cons of minimalist versus detailed?
Genre:
Sci-Fi
High Fantasy
Urban Fantasy
Fantasy Romance
Use of Pre-Existing Archetypes & Mythology
Wizard
Mermaid
Space Alien
Flying Carpet
Star Gate
Some Examples - What Do You Think Needs to Be Explained, and What Not?
"The Kings castle was beset by frequent dragon attacks."
What kind of castle? What does it look like?
What does the dragon look like? How does it attack the castle?
What kind of king is it?
How frequently has this occurred?
How can a dradon remain airborne when it would appear to deft the laws of physics?
Why does a dragon bother to attack the king's castle, instead of the nearby village which is undefended and could cripple the kingdom's economy?
"The vampire Vlad struck again a the old hotel, claiming his sixth victim in as many weeks?"
What kind of vampire? What are his powers?
How does he strike?
Does the general public know that vampires are real? If not, how has this remained secret?
Are there more vampires in this world? How many? Are they all similar?
Why would a vampire attack a place where victims might be missed, thus drawing attention to himself?
"Elmer stood frozen in the field next to his barn, immobilized by a beam from the hovering alien spacecraft."
How can a beam immobilize someone?
How does the craft hover iin mid-air?
Does the public know about aliend? If not, how do they keep their presence a secret?
Why would aliens with such advanced technology have the slightest interest in a bunch of primitive hicks?
Can you think of any examples of concepts, characters, technology or powers that objectively make no sense, yet audiences seem to accept them?
Can you think of examples of concepts, characters, technology or powers that are explained in detail, yet many would question them?