The Exception Proves The Rule

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  • The Exception Proves The Rule

    Here's the most common exchange I've identified on DD:

    NewUser: Here's the rule.
    SomeoneWithExperience: No, it's not.
    NewUser: Yes, it is.
    SomeoneWithExperience: No, and here are examples.
    NewUser: Those are pros. The rules are different for them.
    SomeoneWithExperience: Here are examples of amateur writers doing it successfully.
    NewUser: Those are exceptions.

    We've seen it on everything:

    "You can't use 'we see.'"
    "You can't use passive verbs."
    "You can't use songs/camera angles/asides."
    "You can't get an agent without having connections."
    "You can't sell a script that's more than 120 pages."
    "You can't sell your first script."
    "You can't put a picture in your script/on the cover."
    "You can't use anything but this one exact font."

    Etc, etc, etc.

    I'm going to get pedantic for a minute.

    There are no exceptions to a rule.

    If there's an exception? The rule isn't true.

    "But what about the saying, 'the exception proves the rule?'"

    Glad you asked. The saying actually is using the word "prove" to mean "test." What it means is, when you see a seeming exception to a rule, that's an excellent way to see if the rule is true or not.

    Scientists use this principle all the time. Find an anomalous result; test it to see if the rule needs to be modified, or if it's not anomalous after all.

    But you can't have a rule, and have exceptions to it.

    An actual exception disproves a rule.

    So please, please, please... When someone points out that some long held belief you have is actually not true, and backs it up with examples, learn from it. Accept it. Move on.

    And if you absolutely can't learn from it because you're sure that you, the amateur, you know better than all the people who have experience in the field... At least have the decency to shut the hell up.

  • #2
    Re: The Exception Proves The Rule

    http://gifs.gifbin.com/1238157980_sc..._explosion.gif

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    • #3
      Re: The Exception Proves The Rule

      At least have the decency to shut the hell up.
      If that happened the only action on this forum would be tumbleweeds. Perhaps the occasional cricket chirp.
      Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue

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      • #4
        Re: The Exception Proves The Rule

        Originally posted by JeffLowell View Post
        We've seen it on everything:

        "You can't use 'we see.'"
        "You can't use passive verbs."
        Did you do this on purpose?

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        • #5
          Re: The Exception Proves The Rule

          if people would just stop using the word "rule". there are no rules, only suggestions. and some suggestions are better than others.

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          • #6
            Re: The Exception Proves The Rule

            Perhaps "rule" should be added to the list of words that the forum ****s out.

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            • #7
              Re: The Exception Proves The Rule

              Originally posted by JeffLowell View Post
              The saying actually is using the word "prove" to mean "test." What it means is, when you see a seeming exception to a rule, that's an excellent way to see if the rule is true or not.
              I don't think that is quite right - I believe the origin of the expression is slightly different. There's a principle in English Law that 'stating an exception' is the same thing as 'stating that there is a general rule to the contrary.'

              eg: A sign that says "No Parking: Saturday 9am - 4pm" implies that there is a rule - you can park there at other times.

              A quick check on Snopes:

              "Exceptio probat regulam in casibus non exceptis", which translates into English as The exception confirms the rule in the cases not excepted. More simply, 'The exception proves the rule exists' - the fact that certain exceptions are made in a legal document or announcement confirms the rule is in force at all other times.
              Thankfully the law seems to have largely abandoned that principle these days: "You told me not to park my car on your front lawn. Therefore I'm going to interpret that as legal permission to park my car on your back lawn. See - I have a Latin phrase that supports me. I must be right!"


              To get back on subject, this basically means that when someone says "Wow - did you hear that he got someone to read his script, despite the fact it was written in crayon on urine soaked paper?" .. it means that there is a general rule to the contrary .. that, sadly, it is normally considered a really bad strategy.

              Mac
              New blogposts:
              *Followup - Seeking Investors in all the wrong places
              *Preselling your film - Learning from the Experts
              *Getting your indie film onto iTunes
              *Case Study - Estimating Film profits

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              • #8
                Re: The Exception Proves The Rule

                Scroll down wikipedia one paragraph.

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                • #9
                  Re: The Exception Proves The Rule

                  Originally posted by JeffLowell View Post
                  "You can't use 'we see.'"
                  Rising to speak in my defense -- I didn't say "you can't use". I was talking about what I felt about it when I came across it in a script.

                  I did it kinda gauchely, but I wasn't bringing down an edict.

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                  • #10
                    Re: The Exception Proves The Rule

                    Originally posted by JeffLowell View Post
                    Scroll down wikipedia one paragraph.
                    This time Wiki agreed with me *before* I edited it.

                    It must be the exception which proves the rule ...

                    Mac
                    (Insert Winky Icon)
                    New blogposts:
                    *Followup - Seeking Investors in all the wrong places
                    *Preselling your film - Learning from the Experts
                    *Getting your indie film onto iTunes
                    *Case Study - Estimating Film profits

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                    • #11
                      Re: The Exception Proves The Rule

                      I call them "Screenwriting Superstitions".

                      I bold sluglines, change margins to make it a slimmer read, use "We See", embed a page 2 picture, use a custom title font, and use songs in every script.


                      F' em.

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                      • #12
                        Re: The Exception Proves The Rule

                        Some writers are babies, and rules are their bottles.
                        It's the eye of the Tiger, it's the thrill of the fight

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                        • #13
                          Re: The Exception Proves The Rule

                          While I agree largely with the OP, I do have one question regarding fonts: do you mean some people think only a particular kind of Courier is fine (like Courier Final Draft, for instance) or are you implying that fonts that don't belong to the Courier family are okay?

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                          • #14
                            Re: The Exception Proves The Rule

                            Some people use other monospaced 12 point fonts. I think the family is called "vintage typewriter" fonts, but don't hold me to that.

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                            • #15
                              Re: The Exception Proves The Rule

                              The funny thing is, ever since pdf's became the standard, no one talks about brads anymore.

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