Writers' Corner

[Keeper]

Lazy8: I don't know how helpful this would be, but I tend to draw from myself and the people around me for characters. If you lived in this society, how would you feel? How would you prepare? How would your friends react to it similarly or differently? Etc. etc. etc...

[Lazy8]

Lazy8, I think you might have touched on the solution yourself. Maybe, just as a practice or something for fun to do for yourself at the moment, play around with this premise as a fanfic. Perhaps this is something that's happened after Year 0, for example, something that's experienced all over the known world or only in one country? And then the OCs will come trickling in. It'll be a nice little trap to get those OCs to show themselves! Hope this helps!

Also: what a neat idea!

Glad you like the idea! Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't know whether I want to turn this into a fanfic. Because then it'll just turn into a fanfic permanently, and I wanted to do an original work.

Lazy8 > I don't know if that helps but, this would be a very good opportunity to play with a character who's doing bad things for good reasons, whose actions are well meaning but misguided, to explore the discrepancy that can exists between "acting in a good/right/moral way" and "not causing unnecessary suffering".

Oh yes, I like that idea. Maybe for future installments? (Look at me, I don't even have a real plot and I'm already planning sequels, seriously me, stop it. ) That, and the fact that this only happens once, so there's nothing stopping anyone from hurting people after except for an enforced sense of empathy, and not everyone is going to be affected that way - some will just keep right on lashing out and trying to hurt other people like they've been hurt. Plus there's always the possibility of a serial killer who had enough restraint or was simply lacking in opportunity, and managed to live past it, and realized that he had free reign at any point after...

Lazy8: I don't know how helpful this would be, but I tend to draw from myself and the people around me for characters. If you lived in this society, how would you feel? How would you prepare? How would your friends react to it similarly or differently? Etc. etc. etc...

That was actually kind of where the idea came from. I'm seriously going to have to think on this some more...

[Róisín]

Tangentially, I'm reminded of that character in Pratchett who, when one of the witches shows her her true nature, rather than collapsing in a sobbing heap and repenting of her evil and murderous ways, glories in it and insists she would have been twice as evil had the opportunity occurred.

[OwlsG0]

Tangentially, I'm reminded of that character in Pratchett who, when one of the witches shows her her true nature, rather than collapsing in a sobbing heap and repenting of her evil and murderous ways, glories in it and insists she would have been twice as evil had the opportunity occurred.

It's always refreshing when a character or an author defies conventions. For example, I really do like Pratchett because he was always doing his own thing, and nuts to what the rest of the literary world used in stories. His were not so formulaic, and you really got the sense you were reading something original.

The villains of stories are always the most difficult to accomplish, I think, because it means working with a set of values which are alien to most of us. And there's always the pressure to make the villain distinct in some way- for example, loveable, as seems to be popular in Hollywood these days (ie: Loki from Avengers), or too damned sophisticated for their own good (ie: every Bond villain ever). In writing, it is so much easier to encounter villains who are just villainous, like Hannibal Lecter, Voldemort and a personal favourite, that crazy Mrs Danvers from 'Rebecca'.

[Róisín]

I much prefer villains or antagonists who have, or believe they have, a perfectly valid and consistent reason for what they do.

[OwlsG0]

I much prefer villains or antagonists who have, or believe they have, a perfectly valid and consistent reason for what they do.

Even if that reason is just "Hey, I like being evil!"

[Lazy8]

It's always refreshing when a character or an author defies conventions. For example, I really do like Pratchett because he was always doing his own thing, and nuts to what the rest of the literary world used in stories. His were not so formulaic, and you really got the sense you were reading something original.

The villains of stories are always the most difficult to accomplish, I think, because it means working with a set of values which are alien to most of us. And there's always the pressure to make the villain distinct in some way- for example, loveable, as seems to be popular in Hollywood these days (ie: Loki from Avengers), or too damned sophisticated for their own good (ie: every Bond villain ever). In writing, it is so much easier to encounter villains who are just villainous, like Hannibal Lecter, Voldemort and a personal favourite, that crazy Mrs Danvers from 'Rebecca'.

My personal favorite villain was always David Xanatos of Gargoyles fame. Not least because he was very genre savvy (I swear, he knew he was in a Disney cartoon and enjoyed every minute of it) and avoided falling into a lot of stereotypical villain traps, had an understandable and very human motivation, was completely unapologetic about doing whatever it took to get what he wanted, but also knew which lines not to cross if he still wanted the heroes to occasionally ally with him.

That said, I personally would not try to write a David Xanatos. I don't think I could do that type of character justice, at all.

[LooNEY_DAC]

I put something up on the SSSS AU Thread that probably should be linked here.

[Juniper]

Ah hmm so years ago I used to be super into creative writing and did it all the time and really loved it, but the past several years I've been bombarded with schoolwork that's taken away a lot of my time and ability to be creative. But with graduation coming up in just a few weeks I'm looking forward to using my extra free time to get serious again about doing creative things including writing, so I guess what I'm asking and sorry if this has already been touched on and I missed it, does anyone have tips for getting back into writing and digging back up the buried creativity and skill ?

I much prefer villains or antagonists who have, or believe they have, a perfectly valid and consistent reason for what they do.

I've also really enjoyed this too, it's much more realistic. Most people in real life sees themselves as the 'good guy' and thinks what they do has justifiable causes and is the right thing, even if it's not. I want an antagonist who feels human and who I can relate to, I feel like it just gives the story more depth.

Although, my favorite kind of characters are the old "trickster" trope found in a lot culture's folklore from around the lore, the chaotic, clever, and mischievous character. I think this wikipedia article does a better job of summarizing it than I do. I'd really like to write a main protagonist who follows a lot of the old trickster trope. I'll probably bring this up in the OC thread eventually, but I've been toying around with an idea of a main protagonist who's part fay, and given some of the old Celtic lore of fairies and how incredibly chaotic, mischievous, and unpredictable they can be I think someone part fay would easily fall into the 'trickster' trope making a good anti-hero. I really have a weak spot for anti-heroes.

[Róisín]

Yeah, trickster is interesting. Coyote, Raven, Loki and that lot.

[OwlsG0]

Juniper, with regards to your soon-to-be-ended creative block, I'd recommend starting slow. Don't throw yourself into a giant project straight away if you're just finding your voice again.

Here's something that worked for me a few times when I needed to rekindle my creative spark: pick something to describe. an object in your room, a tree you can see out your window. Something like that. Describe it once, then try to describe it without using an obvious words.
For example, if you are trying to describe a tree, then do it without employing words like 'bark', 'trunk', 'leaves' or 'tree'. I've had a few hilarious results with this exercise.

Also, reading is always a good way. Pick up a good, solid book with some engaging writing and you'll be back in the swing of things soon, hopefully.

[Yuuago]

I put something up on the SSSS AU Thread that probably should be linked here.

This jives with a lot of things I've seen elsewhere when people talk about writing AUs. So you're definitely not alone in your philosophy.

Personally, character is only 50% of the draw for me, which is why I prefer the kind of AU where it's "everything is mostly the same but an extra thing is added".

Ah hmm so years ago I used to be super into creative writing and did it all the time and really loved it, but the past several years I've been bombarded with schoolwork that's taken away a lot of my time and ability to be creative. But with graduation coming up in just a few weeks I'm looking forward to using my extra free time to get serious again about doing creative things including writing, so I guess what I'm asking and sorry if this has already been touched on and I missed it, does anyone have tips for getting back into writing and digging back up the buried creativity and skill ?

Limited-wordcount prompt challenges work best for me. Probably because there's no need to worry about the story getting too big for me to handle if I'm restricting myself to 100 (or 200, or 300) words. The focus on keeping everything concise helps.

I've also found that reading poetry is a good way to get into it, especially if I'm planning to take the restricted format route with getting back into things. There's something about rhythm and structure that just... works for me.

Have no idea how I'd approach writing original fiction again, mind you, but this has worked for me fic-wise so far.

[Juniper]

Thanks a billion to you both for the suggestions, I'll definitely keep those in mind ~

[KicknRun]

Honestly, I've just read a book that was really good in the concept(if a little silly), but the characters were bad, so I had no fun reading it. I would have probably a better time reading a fictional history book about the story I was reading. 

I tend to overly focus on emotions when reading, and I tend to see stories that i can connect to emotionally as better than ones with good stories, but emotions i can't connect to. And if the story is kind of bad, but the emotions are good, then I'm way willing to over look it.

and i have an example! ya!

If i had more time, I'd pull out comic panels, but since i have no time, ill probably come around next.. week with some talk about the differences between Jonathan Hickman's and Matt Fraction's runs of the FF comic.And I'll say things about Hickman's run on the avengers too, probably.

[Asterales]

If I can help it, I will never again stage a failing assassination in my life! >.<

It's no fun. I have thought up about 20 different scenarios by now and still haven't found a satisfying solution.
Untrained, weaponless 15-year-old against trained, non-stupid, non-clumsi assassin with a plan is a bit too skewed in favor of the assassin, it seems. Especially if it happens in a secluded spot (did I mention non-stupid?). I also don't know how to turn the situation around so it is the assassin that ends up dying... It might just come down to changing the MC's birthday date -_-
Because things are connected you know? *nods vigorously*
If the MC is born in a different season he will come of age in a different season, which will change his perceived threat level, which in turn might cause people vying for political power to act, should it coincide with other (un-)convenient deaths. But the timeframe is also important, because of distance and information transmission... I need the season to allow for a slightly more hazardous ground and less cover... (If this is the solution that turns out to be viable, that is.)
But if I change the birthday date in a way appropriate for enabling this particular scenario, the character will have to be born at a time that is still associated with snow.
Thats no good! Because snow is associated with whiteness, which is associated with a certain important ancestor and fabulous magic, so that would be good! - Only the character's birthday is not supposed to happen at an auspicious time! *sob* ;_;

Why is it so difficult not to kill somebody?!


Have you ever read any convincing non-assassinations at all? (I'm getting a bit desperate here!)
Or convincing assassinations? I might need that later on...
What made them convincing to you?