tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1859940184293909528.post8884327217740085176..comments2023-04-28T04:20:05.766-07:00Comments on WRITER on WRITING: All PurposeVirtual Strangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01040333093180694172noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1859940184293909528.post-13630887756781112422016-04-21T17:26:17.477-07:002016-04-21T17:26:17.477-07:00Hey, Andy,
Sorry for the long delay answering you...Hey, Andy,<br /><br />Sorry for the long delay answering you. Extreme/excessive personality traits can be tricky, because (like you said) they can wear out their welcome really fast. I've touched on this sort of thing before, usually talking about <a href="http://thoth-amon.blogspot.com/2014/04/no-capes.html" rel="nofollow">superpowers</a>, <a href="http://thoth-amon.blogspot.com/2011/10/god-is-my-co-writer.html" rel="nofollow">gods</a>, or a character type I call <a href="http://thoth-amon.blogspot.com/2015/11/beware-mosquito.html" rel="nofollow">a mosquito</a>.<br /><br />Personally, I think most good writers think about a character's existence pre- and post-story (assuming they make it through). What they went through before is going to affect who they are now, so it's good to have that sort of thing in mind.<br /><br />That being said... a very early draft of <b><i>The Fold</i></b> actually had Mike much more open and comfortable with his abilities, almost to a point of arrogance. But when I started working on it full-time and thinking about his abilities, I realized what a hell it would be to actually have them--and changed his character accordingly.Virtual Strangerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01040333093180694172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1859940184293909528.post-63372784310881742462016-03-28T18:33:18.587-07:002016-03-28T18:33:18.587-07:00I dont think there's ever a good time / reason...I dont think there's ever a good time / reason to point out typos but....<br /><br />in regards to the blog (great by the way) what are your thoughts on characters that have "extreme" motives or personality traits?<br /><br />one thing that always sticks with me in all story telling, is when a character is introduced with a personality trait that is excessive or extreme, it works well within the story being told. But there's the sense that if this person had this trait throughout their entire life, then there's no way that they could have managed to stay sane / useful up to the point where the story begins?<br /><br />I've just finished The Fold and whilst I dont relate Mike, to my above statement, there were moments in the book where i would try and imagine him going through normal life with his condition and still maintaining sanity. I think the ants were a great cover for this and totally worked, but theres a lot of authors / writers that dont include that mechanism and just have someone extreme pop up and work. <br /><br />When you write do you take into account how their traits may have worked in none story related issues? Or would you be happy to just let something like that slip?<br /><br />The Fold by the way, amazing. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01743565399586260059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1859940184293909528.post-33396508744260365112016-03-23T20:46:57.269-07:002016-03-23T20:46:57.269-07:00No problem! I didn't want to be *that guy* who...No problem! I didn't want to be *that guy* who points out spelling/grammar mistakes, but judging from some of the other posts I'd read, I figured you'd rather have someone point it out than let it go unchecked.<br /><br />The empathy advice makes sense. I actually have started digging through some of the older posts on this topic, as well as just browsing in general. I thought <a href="http://thoth-amon.blogspot.com/2013/12/voodoo-zombie-vs-biochem-zombie.html" rel="nofollow">Voodoo Zombie vs Biochem Zombie</a> had a particularly relevant section and was a great post in general. I've discovered I can easily kill an hour reading one post because I find myself wanting to read all the related posts linked in the content. Then those posts have links, etc.<br /><br />Nevertheless, it's great stuff! You should write for a living or something. :)Nick B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10475880376989863485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1859940184293909528.post-32900205997966399542016-03-23T17:43:56.153-07:002016-03-23T17:43:56.153-07:00I did. Jeeez, how'd I mess things up that bad....I did. Jeeez, how'd I mess things up that bad...?<br /><br />Thanks!<br /><br />As for your question... It's tough to say because every story's different. There is no rule of thumb because what works for my story won't necessarily work for yours. It becomes an empathy issue where I (the author) have to be very aware of how you (the reader) are going to interpret things.<br /><br />I've posted a bit about motives and reveals in the past, if you hit the tag cloud. There may be something that strikes a chord with your particular situation there.<br />Virtual Strangerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01040333093180694172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1859940184293909528.post-54879507064822492082016-03-19T20:05:22.766-07:002016-03-19T20:05:22.766-07:00Hey Peter,
I recently found your blog and can hon...Hey Peter,<br /><br />I recently found your blog and can honestly say I have gotten a lot of value out of the posts I've made it through thus far. Glad to see you are still alive!<br /><br />It's interesting that you bring up this issue, because it's one I have wrestled with both as a reader, and as an aspiring writer. I've read stories where the character (or characters) behaves in a certain way that almost seems idiotic to me as a reader, and it is only when everything is revealed much later that the story more or less made sense. Prior to knowing the full plot, I felt frustrated because it seemed as you described: "It’s been plotted out and the characters need to do *this* now so *that* can happen later." I believe the story eventually revealed believable motivations and purposes, but is there a rule of thumb for handling that? I don't think the author intended on frustrating the reader in that manner.<br /><br />I guess another way of asking is... What is a good way to keep from revealing crucial elements too early and still make a character believable, when said character's motivation *is* a crucial plot element?<br /><br />Good luck at WonderCon!<br /><br />- Nick<br /><br />P.S. Did you mean "In the big scheme of things" and "investigators"?<br />Nick B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10475880376989863485noreply@blogger.com