For the past year, I’ve been researching Madame Ching Shih’s life. Many of her stories were written by persons who were not Chinese. I gathered precise details to piece together her “Legend” life. In that society, she was an extraordinary lady, full of energy and drive. I’ve learned more about her struggles thanks to the history I’ve read.
As a result, when I come across some work on her, I pay more attention.
Madame Ching appears in Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils, which is an intriguing episode. This episode revolves around four characters: Doctor Who, Madame Ching, the Sea Devils, and Ji-Hun.
Despite the fact that she is only a borrowed and an important character, Madame Ching is without a doubt the most important. She establishes the setting and timeline for the story. The story is based on a few historical events, not on her. Here She is a borrowed element or material by writers.
Overall, I learned some adaptation skills from this episode, which were:
- Begin with the important character (not necessarily the protagonist); the more familiar, the better; she/he has more freedom to write, and it is better. This character will confirm where and when the story will take place.
- Find a way to relate this important character to our protagonist; in this case, the writers let Madame Ching lose her crew, and she wants to find the treasure to redeem them. Her desire or goal overlaps with the doctor who’s. (Ignore the real history).
- Taking characters from different areas is a fantastic way to combine a fresh plot. They can appear as conflicts if they are on the same topic. They, like Sea Devils and Ji-Hun, are not real people, but their combination is a suitable fit to help advance the plot.
THE END.