tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post3922864167653013100..comments2024-03-17T06:03:00.362-04:00Comments on Fiction University: Are Your Characters Too Stupid To Live? Janice Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-50222289022505931792017-11-12T11:28:17.844-05:002017-11-12T11:28:17.844-05:00Sounds like a good flaw to work with to allow him ...Sounds like a good flaw to work with to allow him to make mistakes, but not appear TSTL. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-1090494449752394562017-11-12T11:27:35.667-05:002017-11-12T11:27:35.667-05:00I only know him from the show, but he was a bit to...I only know him from the show, but he was a bit too trusting, eh? Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-14493897138975553062017-11-12T11:27:14.782-05:002017-11-12T11:27:14.782-05:00That's why I stopped watching that show.That's why I stopped watching that show. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-7799240056993264962017-11-11T22:29:08.772-05:002017-11-11T22:29:08.772-05:00My characters (save 2) were all from history, but ...My characters (save 2) were all from history, but my main character came out sounding too smart to fall victim to the fate he actually met. I gave him flaws consistent with his actual history: he was a politician, ergo too eager to please everybody, or willing to overlook danger signs. That was his downfall.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02063337064422578885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-69543325926521651702017-11-10T16:00:04.819-05:002017-11-10T16:00:04.819-05:00Ned StarkNed StarkOllamhahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00597336770218598087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-75495062441217927882017-11-10T10:49:18.084-05:002017-11-10T10:49:18.084-05:00To me, Two Broke Girls and Teachers act in ways th...To me, Two Broke Girls and Teachers act in ways that make them TSTL.Pennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14136129053417294743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-1829722846122053742014-05-22T10:51:05.958-04:002014-05-22T10:51:05.958-04:00Nope :) But it sounds like it has the same issues....Nope :) But it sounds like it has the same issues. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-59546364611676045082014-05-22T09:39:10.973-04:002014-05-22T09:39:10.973-04:00Any chance the show you refer to in the article is...Any chance the show you refer to in the article is The Following? During the second season I found myself screaming at the TV because there were plenty of times when the characters acted in the complete opposite way of their own self-interest.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00879337794584805047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-42359676576809276412014-04-21T14:20:09.071-04:002014-04-21T14:20:09.071-04:00I have a crit partner who's very good at spott...I have a crit partner who's very good at spotting these, so I'm pretty lucky. But yep, I'm with you, whenever someone mentions a credibility issue, I fix it.Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-34337843126771673752014-04-21T10:40:56.614-04:002014-04-21T10:40:56.614-04:00Too stupid to live...that's so funny! I have d...Too stupid to live...that's so funny! I have definitely had to re-write scenes and sections because of this. When my critique partners question something like this, it's time to get to work.Julie Musilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02150454913885915017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-13884633885234242642014-04-17T13:45:54.659-04:002014-04-17T13:45:54.659-04:00Never hurts to take a second look :) Characters C...Never hurts to take a second look :) Characters CAN have reasons to act like idiots, so if it works for your story, go with it. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-47466020845127479142014-04-17T13:44:43.168-04:002014-04-17T13:44:43.168-04:00You'd have to consider what you want from the ...You'd have to consider what you want from the story. If part of her arc is to learn to think before she acts, then showing her being TSTL at first might work well. But if you have another character that might make a better hero, you could think about giving her a secondary role. <br /><br />Think about what you want from the story and the character as a whole. Yes, it's a trope, but that doesn't mean you can't make it work if that's what you want to do. :)Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-7685808206342576072014-04-11T11:42:33.143-04:002014-04-11T11:42:33.143-04:00Ahahaha, TSTL! This trope simultaneously frustrate...Ahahaha, TSTL! This trope simultaneously frustrates and amuses me. I think my favorite moments are the ones that start out as straightforward TSTL, and just when I'm ready to kill the character...oh hey, cops are right outside!<br /><br />I have a TSTL moment plotted. I'm trying to tell myself the MC will be established as arrogant enough to make it work, but maybe I should go back with your checklist instead :PRachel6https://www.blogger.com/profile/15138745237488029817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-54134041453763501292014-04-11T04:33:14.746-04:002014-04-11T04:33:14.746-04:00Once again your article strikes so well where it w...Once again your article strikes so well where it wasn't expected!<br /><br />This makes me wonder...my main character IS too stupid to live, this is how I write her. She is eager for some action and she acts before she thinks, that's partly how the story moves forward.<br />So maybe I should shift the POV and make her the funky unpredictable sidekick that puts the hero (with a deeper arc, now that I think about it) in awkward situtations?<br /><br />That gives me a lot to think about, I will never say thank you enough for all your good ideas and advice!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-14401613691287567502014-04-10T16:28:05.924-04:002014-04-10T16:28:05.924-04:00Yeppers.Yeppers.Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-91414311373733576452014-04-10T14:55:37.717-04:002014-04-10T14:55:37.717-04:00I know what you're saying, I'm just making...I know what you're saying, I'm just making the point that for this story, too much "screwball" would be wrong for the characters and story involved involved, that's all. That's a fair point, you know?Taurean Watkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16604609379930060667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-65656139718946192952014-04-10T12:10:29.031-04:002014-04-10T12:10:29.031-04:00Some days so do I. I can forgive them the blood tr...Some days so do I. I can forgive them the blood trail thing though in most cases, since that's kinda their job (grin). But yeah, after everything they've seen and know, you'd think they'd be a little smarter about certain situations and trusting certain demons. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-55447307986861867232014-04-10T12:09:09.055-04:002014-04-10T12:09:09.055-04:00Characters can be stupid from time to time, and do...Characters can be stupid from time to time, and do absurd things when the story calls for it. It's just helpful to be aware of that line that keeps them from being believable vs TSTL. <br /><br />Glad your revisions are going well with your editor! Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-53142864340613724612014-04-10T12:06:59.024-04:002014-04-10T12:06:59.024-04:00It does happen fairly often, especially in TV (I t...It does happen fairly often, especially in TV (I think the shorter format makes it harder to work around it sometimes). I think one reason is that authors know how they want a scene to turn out and write it that way, even if it doesn't quite work from a logic standpoint. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-9465923409904527692014-04-10T12:05:25.438-04:002014-04-10T12:05:25.438-04:00Sometimes it can ruin an otherwise good story. Sometimes it can ruin an otherwise good story. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-75461670109909238342014-04-10T12:05:13.370-04:002014-04-10T12:05:13.370-04:00Aw, thanks! This one was all my friend Alex. I had...Aw, thanks! This one was all my friend Alex. I had dinner with her the other night and we were talking about TV and tropes and this one came up. I thought it would make a good addition to the site :) <br /><br />But usually topic ideas come from things I notice when I'm writing, questions people ask me, things I see in the RLDs, or random things that inspire me. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-66568136432020811862014-04-10T12:03:06.840-04:002014-04-10T12:03:06.840-04:00That's a great example of someone who isn'...That's a great example of someone who isn't TSTL, just foolish in some ways due to their circumstance. If you never learned that impulsive behavior can cause problems, then it makes sense to dive in. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-44182227073075989752014-04-10T12:01:44.979-04:002014-04-10T12:01:44.979-04:00That sounds like a fun way to handle it. That sounds like a fun way to handle it. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-57320609952040982212014-04-10T12:00:52.913-04:002014-04-10T12:00:52.913-04:00LOL, love that. LOL, love that. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-61897490241509755602014-04-10T12:00:13.277-04:002014-04-10T12:00:13.277-04:00Absolutely, rashness or other traits can be perfec...Absolutely, rashness or other traits can be perfectly acceptable. It's when it tips over into TSTL it can become a problem. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.com