Why I Love Lost (from a writer’s point of view)

I don’t watch a lot of TV, but I’m addicted to Lost.  I didn’t really start watching until this season, after I had checked out the first two seasons on DVD from the library…and had to keep watching to see what happened.  I’m sure I could name a lot of reasons why I’ve become hooked, but one of them is that I love the way the show is written.  I think there’s a lot to be learned from this show about how to write plot, characters, and action.

Here are a few of the ways Lost continues to impress me:  

1) They know how to write a cliffhanger.  If the episodes were manuscript chapters, they’d have no problem getting an impressive book deal and landing on the best seller list.  Granted, it can get frustrating when questions are not answered, but they do know how to leave you wanting to know the answers, leading you from one episode into the next.

2) The characters are well developed.  Everyone has a backstory.  The backstories relate back to what’s happening on the island and why/how someone is reacting to their current situation.  The backstories are revealed piece by piece in a way that enhances the story line and are often inter-connected, but also stand alone as an interesting anecdote.

3) It uses lots of cultural references.  Even though they’re on an island where a lot of weird, inexplicable stuff happens, the characters are constantly throwing out literary and pop culture references.  It’s done in a way that makes the dialogue believable and trusts the viewer to know what they’re talking about without dumbing it down.

 There is more…perhaps I’ll continue the list next week. 

If you’re not already a Lost fan, a quick search (simply on the word “lost”) will reveal more information than you ever wanted to know about the show…including character connections, conspiracy theories, and someone who actually came up with a recipe for the fish biscuits.