Martin Page on "The Strife Ray"

Martin Page is a long-time Internet friend, and one I've actually met a couple times in real life. Among his many talents, he's a master of the German longsword, a technical writer, and someone who's recently begun earning a living as a fantasy novelist.

His emphasis tends to be on warfare, but in a recent blog post, he eloquently demonstrates how an otherwise dry tale can be invigorated by a judicious injection of strife (the "strife ray" of this post's title). I've copied my comment on his post here, in case the link breaks:

It’s certainly true that opening up a can of whup-ass can invigorate anotherwise dry tale, but what may be less obvious is that the same technique can be applied without bloodshed. Think of all your favorite witty banter from books and movies and you’ll get the idea.

For example, one of my favorite lines in Joss Wedon’s Avengers movie is when Steve Rogers (Captain America) clashes verbal swords with Tony Stark (Ironman):

Cap: “Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off and what are you?”
Stark: “Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.”

Or an older remark from Babylon 5 that’s among my favorites of all time: “Ah, arrogance and stupidity all in the same package. How efficient of you.” (I try not to be that efficient, but don’t always succeed.)

In one sense, no blood is spilled. In another, Cap and the human admiral who bore the brunt of these assaults lie eviscerated on the floor, while everyone else in the room falls over laughing rather than trying to administer first aid. The pen may or may not be mightier than the sword, but the cutting remark from a sharp tongue can be every bit as painful — and, in the right circumstances, just as damaging.