tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post2176943130179463294..comments2024-03-27T10:02:56.747-04:00Comments on Fiction University: Decisions, Decisions: Creating Character Choices That MatterJanice Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-5428900888046898842015-07-28T10:04:15.218-04:002015-07-28T10:04:15.218-04:00Most welcome :) I'm always happy to help, even...Most welcome :) I'm always happy to help, even if it sometimes takes me a little time to reply. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-38542307735180375702015-07-25T22:54:40.544-04:002015-07-25T22:54:40.544-04:00Thank you so much for your advice! Yes, it makes a...Thank you so much for your advice! Yes, it makes a lot of sense, and I really appreciate your taking the time to help me out on this. I think I really understand my characters and story better having heard it expressed from someone else's viewpoint.<br /><br />Thanks!C. W. Evonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-70637470338688226732015-07-25T10:28:31.696-04:002015-07-25T10:28:31.696-04:00Welcome! Good to have you :) Glad you've foun...Welcome! Good to have you :) Glad you've found so much helpful info.<br /><br />If that's how Birdie would act, let her act that way. It's her choice to love him even if he never acknowledges it, and she's suffer the consequences of that (and "suffer" can be many things). If crushing her helps him grow as a character, then that's her role. Maybe her unconditional love is what finally helps him, and the sad thing is he still crushes her, even as he learns from her. <br /><br />He might not have a choice to make regarding her, but he'll have other choices to make about her. Such as he'll chose to act in a way that hurts her, even if he doesn't see it. She's his friend, and his choices likely reflect that, even though she feels differently about him. <br /><br />If readers see Birdie's POV, then they'll know how she feels. So when Miles does things to hurt her, they'll likely feel her pain. So his choice will matter even if he has no idea how they affect her.<br /><br />Does that make sense? Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-3059588539517964832015-07-24T03:44:43.934-04:002015-07-24T03:44:43.934-04:00First of all I want to just say that I stumbled ac...First of all I want to just say that I stumbled across one of your posts when searching for how to choose a title. That was four hours ago, but I'm still here because the little links to other articles that you sprinkle everywhere are too tempting to resist! So I may never leave my desk again or write another word but you know. (The hardest part is the posts all get me so fired up about writing, but part of me would still rather click that next intriguing link, and that part wins!)<br /><br />Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone can help me on this. I'm writing a historical fiction right now, and one of the sub-plots is sort of a love triangle I guess you would call it, except that Miles, my protagonist, is only in love with Honora (better known as Honey May) and is oblivious to the fact that Bridie (short for Bridget, and my other viewpoint character) loves him, despite how many times she helps pull him out of the constant messes he gets himself into. In fact, he pretty much doesn't even think of her as a girl, just a buddy. So for him there isn't a choice to be made, really. But there are stakes because he is going to end up really, really hurting Bridie later on (as usual, not even realising that his actions affect others) and since he relies on her so much, you can see where there would be ramifications. <br /><br />My problem is, I don't think Bridie would stop helping him or plot revenge or whatever. She loves him so much that in many ways she is content to just be his friend and help him as much as she can. I know that's bad for the story, but it's who she is. <br /><br />What should be done, or should something be done? Again, this is a subplot, and the bit where he actually crushes her heart to pieces is near the end of the book, where it's starting to dawn on him that his actions (surprise, surprise!) have an effect on people's feelings. Any advice would be good. (Sorry if this was all confusing, trouble is I hardly know what exactly it is that I'm asking.)C. W. Evonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-69239069581245202012011-02-03T08:52:49.853-05:002011-02-03T08:52:49.853-05:00Thanks! I'm always taping "things to reme...Thanks! I'm always taping "things to remember" type quotes on my monitor so I guess I've started thinking in those terms now.Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-20312174759476756182011-02-02T23:54:34.319-05:002011-02-02T23:54:34.319-05:00You're so quotable: choices that don't cau...You're so quotable: choices that don't cause trouble are wasted opportunities.Shannonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00456068019298922261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-25304493967383115402011-02-02T15:52:04.847-05:002011-02-02T15:52:04.847-05:00Becky: I have a bit of a love triangle planned for...Becky: I have a bit of a love triangle planned for the next book, and I've been putting a lot of thought into how to make it interesting. Ideally, I want readers to flip back and forth over which is the better choice same as my protag :)<br /><br />Mallory: That's one of my TV pet peeves. That's one of the things I like about Gray's Anatomy. They kill off and get rid of characters just enough that you worry when a favorite is in trouble.<br /><br />Paul: Thanks!Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-10944251435004082292011-02-02T08:22:58.495-05:002011-02-02T08:22:58.495-05:00Another post I'm going to have to store away f...Another post I'm going to have to store away for later use. Excellent.Paul Anthony Shortthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14393249001158230985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-65315614984136816482011-02-01T19:01:33.323-05:002011-02-01T19:01:33.323-05:00I very much agree about not worry about the protag...I very much agree about not worry about the protagonist dying. I see it done so much and I think, really? There's still half a season left!<br /><br />Awesome blog! Thank you so much!Mallory Snowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04052534468649766854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-86543017134167851232011-02-01T16:42:48.745-05:002011-02-01T16:42:48.745-05:00Re: love triangles in particular, though I won'...Re: love triangles in particular, though I won't call anything out by name, this sort of explains why one romance fell flat to me. (Probably not the one you're thinking of!) When it was introduced, the female protag said she loved one boy, but was being forced together with another, and... there was never any real stakes attached to either choice, and as readers we never saw much of why she wanted one and not the other. So yeah, totally flat. (In fairness, it also wasn't the main plot of the book, but that can also be said of the Hunger Games, too, and you point out how well that was crafted!)Beckyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17476469818875049798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-87260587382464998162011-02-01T13:08:24.666-05:002011-02-01T13:08:24.666-05:00Deborah: Most welcome :)
Elizabeth: Happy it help...Deborah: Most welcome :)<br /><br />Elizabeth: Happy it helped<br /><br />Chicory: It's a good test for almost everything in a novel, really. What does it do by being there?<br /><br />Misha: Anytime ;)<br /><br />Sophia: Good to hear! Nice to know the blog is helpful.Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-57447219914939328752011-02-01T12:55:19.119-05:002011-02-01T12:55:19.119-05:00I swear, the more I read your posts about stakes, ...I swear, the more I read your posts about stakes, the more I 'get it'. You'll make a writer out of me yet. <br /><br />And I second Chicory, asking whether the choices a character makes has (negative) ramifications is a good stakes litmus test.<br />- Sophia.Sophiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17926811798176739307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-32646221386317861042011-02-01T12:18:38.312-05:002011-02-01T12:18:38.312-05:00That is such a good way of looking at it. Thanks a...That is such a good way of looking at it. Thanks a lot for putting it in this perspective. <br /><br />:-)Misha Gerrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06364173848456424521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-51008307466786292692011-02-01T12:08:27.711-05:002011-02-01T12:08:27.711-05:00Ah, that makes a lot of sense. And you're rig...Ah, that makes a lot of sense. And you're right, if the choice isn't going to have any ramifications, why is it there? I'll have to use that as a choice-test.Chicoryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16504144663440678542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-9651834365842668592011-02-01T10:33:50.188-05:002011-02-01T10:33:50.188-05:00This was an excellent explanation! It makes comple...This was an excellent explanation! It makes complete sense to me. Thank you so very much for posting this.Elizabeth Poolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03214706118828699708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-9521868492716925662011-02-01T10:30:40.898-05:002011-02-01T10:30:40.898-05:00Awesome! Thank you!Awesome! Thank you!Debbie Burnshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01982833536997960549noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-35941960217202951992011-02-01T09:45:12.352-05:002011-02-01T09:45:12.352-05:00Porky: Totally. If you don;t feel you're gong ...Porky: Totally. If you don;t feel you're gong to die at any moment the game isn't as much fun.<br /><br />Juliette: Thanks :)Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-63976328078220441452011-02-01T09:19:44.114-05:002011-02-01T09:19:44.114-05:00Great post, Janice. I especially like the way you ...Great post, Janice. I especially like the way you ended it with the sports analogy! Excellent points, all of them.Juliette Wadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02879627074920760712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-57110843003714940962011-02-01T08:40:35.310-05:002011-02-01T08:40:35.310-05:00I'd agree entirely. Fiction comes in many form...I'd agree entirely. Fiction comes in many forms, and while the type we're talking about here we expect to be easy-reading, a kind of escapism, it does still need the frisson of potential failure to hold the attention.<br /><br />The subject makes me think of roleplaying, in which a player may well not want a character to die, but needs to believe they might to bring the game alive.Porkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00604351052444947490noreply@blogger.com