10369 réponses à ce sujet

[Sarah1281]

Oh, I can't stand to be too mean to characters and they absolutely must have a happy ending.

In fact, if I'm reading something and it has an unhappy ending, I will just assume that eventually things work themselves out.

Modifié par Sarah1281, 07 janvier 2011 - 02:02 .

[Jafari]

I've largely been corrupted by George. R.R. Martin, 'A Song of Ice and Fire'  I like a tiny bit of darkness in a story. I wouldn't say I'm not for a happy ending, I just want to make sure my characters earn it. Geez I must sound evil! o_o

Modifié par Links-2-3-4, 07 janvier 2011 - 02:26 .

[maxernst]

A European film director remarked (can't remember which one right now) remarked that America was the "happy endings country."  Although I personally don't like endings to be too depressing, one thing I have noticed is that works of art that aren't structured in a way that you expect a happy ending can really heighten your suspense.  I remember finding the film The Piano a very intense experience because at certain times--like when her husband raises the axe after finding out about her infidelity, or when she goes overboard tied to the piano--I really didn't know what was going to happen, because nothing about the film suggested that it would necessarily have a happy ending.

On the other hand, I'm reminded of my sister Sheila's remark after watching Hamlet as a child.  "It's all over, Mommy.  Everybody's dead."

[Jafari]

maxernst wrote...

"It's all over, Mommy.  Everybody's dead."

Epic quote! xD 

I like characters to fight for something and then come to acrossroad, if their selfish desire or if they're prepared to be selfless. I really try make my characters to have some relatable trait so the "un-happy" moments effect the reader. So in a sense, just like the Piano, I don't really want a story to suggest a happy or unhappy ending. Shades of Grey. There was one book I read that really effected how I write because in the past, loads my characters pretty much ran around happy as Larry with no negative traits whatsoever.

Of course I say this, and chances are I actually fail at portraying it.

Modifié par Links-2-3-4, 07 janvier 2011 - 03:37 .

[jackkel dragon]

Links-2-3-4 wrote...
I like characters to fight for something and then come to acrossroad, if their selfish desire or if they're prepared to be selfless.

I'm actually trying to make this work in my current story about Tayte. The previous few chapters have been setting up a massacre, basically. "I'm alone and bitter, so everyone else should be!" There's going to be a sizable body count in this story (more than originally intended!)

Of course, I'd also hope that I can make it make sense without making Tayte look like a maniac. I hope to portray anger and bitterness combined with "power corrupts" rather than Xykon style evil. There can't be redemption if there's nothing to redeem...

I hope it works...

[DreGregoire]

Mean to your characters?!?! What is wrong with you people? LOL just kidding. I got told by a reviewer of a story one time to leave the main character alone. I refused of course. LOL. I love reading as people go through changes it makes the progression of a story all that more interesting. I don't think it's abnormal for people to react before thinking. I remember playing rage of the grey warden recruit on a few playthroughs where I killed anybody I could and pissed off everybody else. aaaaaaaaahhhh the good times. LOL. It didn't take me long to find out Alistair actually has a backbone. LOL

[LupusYondergirl]

Mahkara wrote...

LupusYondergirl wrote...


@Mahkara : Trust me, it really wouldn't work in my fic. And it would involve massive betrayals of the people they both actually do love, which would make the whole thing kind of tragic.

I'll take your word for it.  Even if I must admit that the moment of "OMG, what have we done...." is one of my favorites to read about/write about.

Then again, what is it that Tolstoy said?  "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." I totally like watching characters be totally miserable.  I'm a horrible sadist.

I've done the "OMG, what happened" thing with them, as a joke a while back, not long after they met.  Normally I'm all about putting them through hell, it's basically all I do these days.  Having them do something wildly out of character just to create drama would bug me, though. 
Plenty of ways to make someone miserable, after all.

[Maria13]

I guess I take my cue from the setting and DA:O is not, overall, a happy ending world but characters can find some happiness if they strive for it along the way.

As regards reviews, I am content to have a few more reviews than chapters on my main fic although I find it somewhat annoying that one of my stories which I think is pretty good has no reviews on FF.net whatsoever, but that is the way the cookie crumbles.

I have made some narrative changes following readers' suggestions and I think overall they are for the good. I would not however, make a radical change to my 'master plan' as that is what driving my writing in the first place.

GRR Martin is a genius and a model but I could not, I don't think, portray such a relentlessly gloomy world.

Modifié par Maria13, 07 janvier 2011 - 08:42 .

[maxernst]

LupusYondergirl wrote...

Mahkara wrote...

LupusYondergirl wrote...


@Mahkara : Trust me, it really wouldn't work in my fic. And it would involve massive betrayals of the people they both actually do love, which would make the whole thing kind of tragic.

I'll take your word for it.  Even if I must admit that the moment of "OMG, what have we done...." is one of my favorites to read about/write about.

Then again, what is it that Tolstoy said?  "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." I totally like watching characters be totally miserable.  I'm a horrible sadist.

Having them do something wildly out of character just to create drama would bug me, though. 
Plenty of ways to make someone miserable, after all.

Yes, but I always think it's better if they bring their misery on themselves (classical tragedy) rather than suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.  The problem is to make sure that it's in character.  I'm worrying about this in my current fic, where my story line requires my protagonist to make a serious mistake.  I'm hoping that both his choices and the reactions of the other characters will be convincing.

[Addai]

Links, people, links. LOL Unless you'd rather not name names, I'm interested in some of these stories people think don't get enough attention.

I've given up trying to predict how things will be received. There are certain things I feel have to be in a story because that's the story (kind of like it's being dictated to me?), and in the interim I try to make it up as best I can, but I have no clue how it's really going to come off to someone else.

I'll start and say one of the DA things I had so much fun writing that got no attention was a little Deep Roads adventure called Fire. I can't link to it from here because my work filter blocks ffnet, but you can follow the link in my signature.

Modifié par Addai67, 07 janvier 2011 - 03:55 .

[Sialater]

I'm all for making characters suffer. But they get a happy ending after their suffering.



As far as reviews go... I love them... but I'm not terribly bothered by not getting them. I'm writing an AU Mass Effect piece with two others and we get few reviews. Not because it sucks, but because AUs have such a horrid reputation, people are gunshy about them.

[Follow Me on Twitter]

I like the reviews not so much the writing.

Modifié par Follow Me on Twitter, 07 janvier 2011 - 05:17 .

[LupusYondergirl]

maxernst wrote...

Yes, but I always think it's better if they bring their misery on themselves (classical tragedy) rather than suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.  The problem is to make sure that it's in character.  I'm worrying about this in my current fic, where my story line requires my protagonist to make a serious mistake.  I'm hoping that both his choices and the reactions of the other characters will be convincing.

Believe me, there are thousands of ways for people to bring about their own misery that don't involve simply tossing someone in bed with their best friend like it was an episode of Friends.  Really. 

(Also not entirely sure how "it would be wildly OOC for my character to sleep with Alistair or cheat on her SO" has somehow been interpereted as "I don't make my characters suffer."    Believe me, they suffer.  Ask anyone who reads my fic.)

[Mahkara]

Modifié par Mahkara, 07 janvier 2011 - 07:38 .

[Maria13]

Mahkara wrote...

Cage 4'33"?

[Merilsell]

DreGregoire wrote...

Mean to your characters?!?! What is wrong with you people? LOL just kidding. I got told by a reviewer of a story one time to leave the main character alone. I refused of course. LOL. I love reading as people go through changes it makes the progression of a story all that more interesting. I don't think it's abnormal for people to react before thinking. I remember playing rage of the grey warden recruit on a few playthroughs where I killed anybody I could and pissed off everybody else. aaaaaaaaahhhh the good times. LOL. It didn't take me long to find out Alistair actually has a backbone. LOL

This.

And I do love to write my main character differently as well. Although Lenya lately got called "a Racist who doesn't even trust the Ally that saved her life" by an anon reader. Lol. Yeah maybe she is all that, but there are reasons why she acts like that aside being Dalish. Oh well reading between the lines seem to be hard for some...

Anyway, that being said... my chars are my favorite chewing toys. I love to send them to hell and (not) back. It gives me warm fuzzies.

[Mahkara]

Maria13 wrote...

Mahkara wrote...

Cage 4'33"?

My computer hated me.  

[Corker]

Maria13 wrote...

Mahkara wrote...

Cage 4'33"?

*golf clap*

[Sarah1281]

Did stats break again?

[maxernst]

Maria13 wrote...

Mahkara wrote...

Cage 4'33"?

Shouldn't it be measured in pixels rather than time?

[Mahkara]

maxernst wrote...

Maria13 wrote...

Mahkara wrote...

Cage 4'33"?

Shouldn't it be measured in pixels rather than time?

<--is proud to serve as the comic entertainment this evening

[DreGregoire]

hmmmp, I was just rereading one of my old story posts and came to the realization that something somebody said or rather complained about (a spelling error on my part) on this thread could have been directed at me. Stupid spelling errors. Ah well can't win them all *winks*

[DreGregoire]

Hey! I've exceeded the word count of my first fanfiction story. Woot!

[Gilgamesh1138]

WOOT go Dre! I broke 300k on my main fic! EEP!

[DreGregoire]

Gilgamesh1138 wrote...

WOOT go Dre! I broke 300k on my main fic! EEP!

Overachiever! hahaha just kidding congrats. I don't think I'll ever get that many words