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Help! I need some advice on premises

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MrsRatched Judging you from Nowhere Since: Sep, 2011 Relationship Status: Crazy Cat Lady
Judging you
#1: Aug 6th 2015 at 5:47:03 AM

I'm considering writing two stories, and I beg for your advice abouth both of them.

The first story might be about a Knight Templar The Fundamentalist type who gets a Heel–Face Turn and aknowledges how his ways were way extreme and unfair. This story appeals to me as how much allows me to explore forgiveness and everybody's right to go and try being a better person, but it just seem very difficult to write as writing a character with certain political/social adherences as a Villain Protagonist seems too anvilicious and, at the same time I don't want to get preachy about how worldviews that are absolutely not mine are wrong it faces the risk of alienating people as they might get sick of reading about the deeds of such a disgusting folk, or such a more-or-less righteous folk that i'm trying desperately to make look evil and barbaric, for that matter

I'm watching American History X about how such a premise might be played effectively, but even American History X has been vindicated by far-right extremists so I wonder there's no way to avoid Misaimed Fandom, as long as you try to depict some group accurately, even if not sympathetic, members of that group will feel attached to them. And the more accurate you are, the more attached they will be, even if what you show it's terrible (such thing was the dreaded effect of Der Untergang)

It seems quite a bit thorny.

OTOS, I'm considering a coming out,Coming of Age Story that is set in the late nineties and is way much self biographical.

This sets a whole mess of questions-

- How do I avoid generic-ness of the story? - How do I work on actual facts and events from my very own life without getting literally ostracized from my friends and family, who might aknowledge themselves in the story? - Does an alternating narration between a current trend of events and a late, flashback-y trend of memories actually work?

Haw Haw Haw
Yewleaf Anti-conformism through conformity Since: Aug, 2014 Relationship Status: Hoping Senpai notices me
Anti-conformism through conformity
#2: Aug 6th 2015 at 5:35:10 PM

In door number one I have bad news. You're right. It'll be insanely difficult to pull that off. Which is exactly what makes it an interesting story. Try it and if you decide you aren't a skilled enough writer yet half way through put it on ice until you are. As for advice I'll tell you to keep in mind that there are no real villains. Everyone does some good and a whole lotta bad. What's worse is when they do bad it's almost always because they think they're doing good. As for misaimed fandom unfortunately people rarely admit they're wrong. Just make sure they're the minority of your fans.


now in door number two my advice to avoid being generic is to make your book about you sound like you. All that bull bad kid's shows told you about you being unique is actually true. I've no idea if it'll make you interesting but you won't be generic. My advice for your friends is if you have three options A.) don't tell the story, B.) roll the dice on the story, or C.) ask them if it's okay. Beyond that you'll have to decide for yourself on a case by case basis. Finally for your set up. Your the writer, you have to decide if it works. Now get to work.

~Hey Yew! Don't tell me there's no hope at aaaaallllllll!~
Faemonic Since: Dec, 2014
#3: Aug 6th 2015 at 8:02:24 PM

This story appeals to me as how much allows me to explore forgiveness and everybody's right to go and try being a better person, but it just seem very difficult to write as writing a character with certain political/social adherences as a Villain Protagonist seems too anvilicious and, at the same time I don't want to get preachy about how worldviews that are absolutely not mine are wrong

If you want to explore forgiveness, you might also want to explore transgression. If you want to write a better person, you might also want to start off writing somebody who is not at their best. It doesn't have to be about worldview. You can write small on that and less anvilicious. But you might also really want to think about what you do consider really wrong and why, or even somewhat wrong (somewhat enough that readers could see themselves having been, or becoming, a transgressive Worse Person.)

I'm considering a coming out, Coming-of-Age Story that is set in the late nineties and is way much self biographical.

How do I avoid generic-ness of the story?

How do I work on actual facts and events from my very own life without getting literally ostracized from my friends and family, who might aknowledge themselves in the story?

Does an alternating narration between a current trend of events and a late, flashback-y trend of memories actually work?

1. Avoid generic-ness? Well, first you find your own voice and style. Then you can't help but write as you, uniquely. But if you achieve generic-ness anyway then there's a market for that genre.

2. Give them copies of the finished manuscript to edit (before publishing), if you're so concerned. It would be a lot more work to re-edit it, and you might not feel like you have any creative integrity at the end, but don't you value other people's opinions more than your own perspective? If you don't, then I recommend you become enough of a jerk to call it as you saw it without remorse. Besides, how self-deceptive and thin-skinned are the people around you that they can't take a recounting of their deeds without falling into a grump and ostracizing who wrote it? Or would they do that anyway instead of requesting edits, if they just don't like what they read?

3. Alternating narration can work, but it can also be handled badly and often is.

editerguy from Australia Since: Jan, 2013 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
#4: Aug 6th 2015 at 10:48:55 PM

I'm considering a coming out, Coming-of-Age Story that is set in the late nineties and is way much self biographical.

How do I avoid generic-ness of the story?

What parts of your coming out/coming-of-age were unique? You could expand and exaggerate them to overshadow the more generic aspects of your experience when you write the story.

Tungsten74 Since: Oct, 2013
#5: Aug 7th 2015 at 1:55:36 AM

Your work is going to end up reflecting your worldview whether you mean it to or not. I mean, just with your choice of character and their intended arc, you've already made it clear that you think stubborn self-righteousness is a bad thing, that a person needs to overcome to be their best possible selves.

MrsRatched Judging you from Nowhere Since: Sep, 2011 Relationship Status: Crazy Cat Lady
Judging you
#6: Aug 7th 2015 at 6:31:16 AM

Those were very useful advices, thank you very much grin

I guess that what bugs me is the possibility of people angry at me for frivolize with their dramas or private lives and, well, possible armchair psychoanalysis on me

Haw Haw Haw
Khantalas ... Since: Jan, 2001
...
#7: Aug 7th 2015 at 6:33:55 AM

You will always get armchair psychoanalysis if your work has a sufficiently large audience. For example, while you might think the ketchup stain on a character's apron indicates his clumsiness, someone will suggest that you really placed it there because of potentially violent tensions underlying your relationship with your father.

It's gonna happen. Accept that. Ignore that.

"..."
DeusDenuo Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
#8: Aug 13th 2015 at 1:34:09 PM

Use a pseudonym when writing about yourself, and recite a variation of Crom's Prayer to your beta readers.

EDIT: And because I apparently have more time than I initially expected to, please enjoy The Writer's Prayer to Crom (or beta reader).

"Crom (or beta reader), I have never asked much of you before. I have no tongue for it. No one, not even you, will remember if I was a good man(?) or bad. Why I fought, or why I died. All that matters is that I and my pen stood against many. That's what's important! Valor pleases Crom... so grant me one request. Grant me vengeance! And if you do not like my story, then to HELL with you!"

edited 13th Aug '15 2:02:34 PM by DeusDenuo

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