tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1859940184293909528.post7190898702797035216..comments2023-04-28T04:20:05.766-07:00Comments on WRITER on WRITING: Why Do We Like These Guys...?Virtual Strangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01040333093180694172noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1859940184293909528.post-9702924550689929172012-04-26T00:08:37.647-07:002012-04-26T00:08:37.647-07:00Hey, Rakie. Sorry it's taken me so long to an...Hey, Rakie. Sorry it's taken me so long to answer.<br /><br />I think the points here could be applied to a redemptive story, although my points here were really for "the asshole we like from the start." Having your stc moment halfway through does make it tough, but it worked for Rick in <i>Casablanca</i>.<br /><br />Consider that in <i>A Christmas Carol</i>, and all the many versions of it, we get to see early on that Scrooge wasn't always like this. The Ghost of Christmas Past lets us see that he was once a happy little kid, and it was only a few small choices that turned him into... well, Scrooge. So even if we don't like him, we understand him.<br /><br />Similarly, while Wikus in <i>District 9</i> does some pretty awful and cruel things, it's pretty clear he's doing them out of complete ignorance. He's not evil, just... well, an idiot.<br /><br />And, yeah, that whole dinner scene at the end of <i>Hannibal</i> is just creepy as hell, isn't it? :)Virtual Strangerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01040333093180694172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1859940184293909528.post-77841397346137373852012-04-22T05:42:56.576-07:002012-04-22T05:42:56.576-07:00PS. I've just remembered the bit in the third...PS. I've just remembered the bit in the third Hannibal Lecter book where he eats a bit of someone. Eeeeek. Thank you so much for reminding me of that. :)Rakiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03787205403166404103noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1859940184293909528.post-74343934082250186972012-04-20T02:58:31.357-07:002012-04-20T02:58:31.357-07:00There's vaguely related question i meant to as...There's vaguely related question i meant to ask you at some point, about horrible characters who are redeemed during the course of the story, a la "Scrooged" or "District 9" (to pick examples at random). I'm trying to write a redemptive story at the moment, and am having problems in that my main character starts out being hugely unlikeable (which i'm assuming they'd have to be to some extent, in order to make good later). Do you think the points you make today might work in this case? My save the cat moment doesn't come until at least halfway through the story, and i worry this is too damn late for anyone to care about the character by then...<br /><br />congrats on -14- btw!!Rakiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03787205403166404103noreply@blogger.com