Writer's Block Daily

Well, I guess the worst they can do is say no, right? It's not like they're going to come to my apartment with a meat cleaver and murder me for sucking so badly... right?

I must disagree at least in part. Actions often speak louder than words. If you always have to break up the actions to simply tell what the character is feeling rather than let their actions speak for themselves, that's worse writing than never showing how they feel.

Sometimes, it's a necessary form of telling. Sometimes you might have the character feel a new feeling or change in the midst of the moment of actions. Sometimes however it's better to have their actions speak for themselves. Do you interrupt an erotica scene full of sweaty hot sex to remind the reader that Johnny Bigdick is feeling madly in love with the other? Or do you simply convey it entirely through actions?

edited 1st Aug '12 3:13:31 PM by MajorTom

I'd agree if he could write at all. He can't. He's writing an unlikable character that is impossible to relate to.

Like I said, I write a mute character, and I ONLY show. I know what I'm doing. He doesn't.

edited 1st Aug '12 3:19:20 PM by MrAHR

Well the problem is that he said he wanted critique and now he's taking that back, really.

^^ But he's got a point. You're your own worst enemy to please when writing. If you don't like it, quite often your audience won't either.

There are people who do not care what characters are feeling inside and need not be shown or told that. If you write what you like, the audience will follow. Kinda like "If you build it, they will come".

Now answer me this. Is this person's writing just simple fumbling stuff e.g. he was never good at English class? Or is he willfully ignorant of absolutely everything?

(Also, an unlikable character that is impossible to relate to may in itself still be a well-written character. Nobody can relate to Char Aznable, but that doesn't stop him from having many fans. Same thing with Gendou Ikari, nobody likes him but he still has fans.)

edited 1st Aug '12 3:20:28 PM by MajorTom

He's writing for a LARP group. This isn't exactly a solo project. It's essentially like an RPG. There is an element of audience-writer relations there.

I see.

Which also means that "character" he's writing is his LARP character. So his "main" character. Who is supposed to be likable.

I disagree with some of what you've been saying, but I agree wholeheartedly with this. And the fact that it's an RP doesn't change things, really, though the fact that he intends the character to be likeable does.

AHR, would you mind posting an excerpt of his writing? It would be... amusing to read.

I also want to read his writing, but it's because I want to see if I can give some advice.

Er. I don't think you should post anything without his permission.

Might I ask what? Tell me, we can have an honest, civil back and forth about it. Who knows, we might find something out.

...That is true. If he doesn't want it posted, it's fine.

Yes, from what I've heard of this guy, he doesn't seem like the kind of person who would want his work torn apart by hungry piranhas analyzed by us.

@Major Tom: Primarily this bit:

It seems to be doing the Appeal to Popularity thing I keep seeing around here. The objection Mr AHR is raising is not "no one will like this", it's "this isn't good."

Oh So Into Cats: Well, I guess the worst they can do is say no, right? It's not like they're going to come to my apartment with a meat cleaver and murder me for sucking so badly... right?

Yep the worst they can do is say no.

So Story Police with meat cleavers are going to come to your apartment to murder you.

You have to admit, that would make a good story...

Pff. Perhaps, after I write the one about the demon summoned by eating cookie dough.

I set out to write a magical girl story, but it's looking like my cast is too diverse in the gender and age departments for it to classify as a magical girl tale anymore. Oh well...

Must resist urge to soapbox.

Yeah, I don't have his permission to post, and it's not horribly bad. Just...not good.

Really? I was more under the conclusion it drifted more towards Author Appeal. See my contention is if you write what you like and make a good job of it (given, since bad stuff will rarely receive publishing or circulation over time) the audience will come to that. Kinda the inversion of Appeal to Popularity.

Your contention is that what you the author like is irrelevant no?

procrastination I hate you. Almost as much as I hate myself for following you again!

No, my contention is that how successful you are is not necessarily an indicator of quality. So to say "Write what you like and readers will come" isn't really answering Mr AHR's claim that this (that is, not caring about the internal workings of your protagonists) is bad writing.

Indulging in full-blown Author Appeal is probably not a good thing, but certainly it's best to write about things that matter to you. That's certainly what I'm doing. What I'm objecting to is the "getting readers = good writing" equation.

edited 1st Aug '12 5:47:08 PM by nrjxll