tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82029509350899249192024-02-19T08:22:07.449-08:00Creature Of GraphiteAutumn Graysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02725139473643379824noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8202950935089924919.post-89587293220481658672020-05-31T18:59:00.000-07:002020-05-31T20:08:07.167-07:00Reading Journal -- Review of When Heaven Came Down By Bryan Davis:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kn8CySseYlRneJAH4zH36FsdJSmG_dvE_9QSZTsoBNuGfXf-nsO8VsGx8QfnDhQdRFXKtsud4nWagXajRhFa33JGbWCcPJs-WnFYQmVnXpOD0uheZKuQ28HWuQQV_lA8SUjn0jtuum4/s1600/98367078_10158440721859712_7453170049986068480_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="621" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kn8CySseYlRneJAH4zH36FsdJSmG_dvE_9QSZTsoBNuGfXf-nsO8VsGx8QfnDhQdRFXKtsud4nWagXajRhFa33JGbWCcPJs-WnFYQmVnXpOD0uheZKuQ28HWuQQV_lA8SUjn0jtuum4/s320/98367078_10158440721859712_7453170049986068480_n.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: cyan;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088QS4G4F/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B088QS4G4F&linkCode=as2&tag=daviscrossing-20&linkId=5a4a1f1a882683a9f61b6671a377eb56&fbclid=IwAR0iCuMrAZCRrlv88GEvbHzR-2V8T1by6pvGMHlwZFqyx0I6GHPd6E5PsZQ">Click To View This Book On Amazon</a></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">I was offered a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-b5f1bd56-7fff-b459-837d-cba1484fed00" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="color: white;">Premise:</span></b></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">In a time of chaos, creatures known as angels took over the world, enslaving humans as their hosts. A rebellion is desperate to get rid of the angels, but the odds are not in their favor. Even so, the rebels do everything possible to solve the problems in their way and complete their mission to free humanity.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="color: white;">Audience:</span></b></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Not many content cautions in this one. As implied by the angels mentioned in the book's synopsis, there are a few mentions and brief discussions of religious topics, but it shouldn't be too much for most people. And while this book features adult protagonists, the content is probably clean enough for both teens and adults.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="color: white;">Pros:</span></b></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The idea of the angels and how they operated was easily my favorite aspect. It's nice that, instead of simply having their mission and trying to fulfill it, the plot requires the chars to learn interesting tidbits about the angels.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Another upside is that the story emphasizes platonic relationships instead of relying on a romantic subplot. There's nothing wrong with romance in stories, but sometimes it's nice to read tales where that isn't the focus.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">There were several specific things I liked about the plot and angel design, but I won't get into them because they take place far later in the story and I want to avoid lacing this review with lots of spoiler warnings.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="color: white;">Cons:</span></b></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The characters in this book weren’t as interesting as they are in some of Davis’ other tales. A few basics of their backstories and personality were there, including things commonly fit into action characters (losing/trying to save a spouse or child) but since the story didn't feel as rooted into the characters' perspectives, it was hard to connect with them beyond the initial acknowledgement that they were going through a hard time(just like any other set of action movie characters). And while there were differences and development for each character, those aspects felt more at a surface level of assigning a few beliefs/traits without using the narrative in a way that made us feel the pervasiveness of those traits. So it was harder to experience the full breadth of each person's perspective/relationships. </span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Some of the speech patterns and such also reminded me of several character types in Davis' other books. That isn't bad in and of itself since it can be a stylistic thing, but when combined with the lessened depth to character perspectives, those speech patterns felt a little recycled, rather than simply following a style.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Because of that, everything seemed centered mostly on the plot, action, and creature design of the angels. That’s actually not a bad thing. It’s perfectly valid for a book to emphasize the situation/mission/etc, rather than harping on the unique perspectives of the characters and their feelings. But since the book wasn't very long, it would have been nice to have a little more description and depth to character things and scenery.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="color: white;">Conclusion:</span></b></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It's very rare for me to give five star reviews, and since the characters weren't as well developed as other Bryan Davis books I've read, I'm going to go ahead and rate this book as a three star. But it's not a bad book at all, and I do recommend it for people that prefer quick sci fi reads focused more on plot, action or creature design.</span></span></div>
Autumn Graysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02725139473643379824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8202950935089924919.post-71557924155190299072020-02-19T23:28:00.001-08:002020-02-24T23:05:34.735-08:00Review -- Let The Ghosts Speak by Bryan Davis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFn4gInUHATJpEKpXxoAdtkBZbS6glyzcpP3QiBfDrcEPk4RUkN7crnqannkzWD9DriB8F8AekwqTehNfqXJOaKbdgBg21vBLkT_W40K4g5DtLNh6NzcD-PxfcsXZFnZ21SMghBMN4vU/s1600/Let+the+Ghosts+Speak+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFn4gInUHATJpEKpXxoAdtkBZbS6glyzcpP3QiBfDrcEPk4RUkN7crnqannkzWD9DriB8F8AekwqTehNfqXJOaKbdgBg21vBLkT_W40K4g5DtLNh6NzcD-PxfcsXZFnZ21SMghBMN4vU/s1600/Let+the+Ghosts+Speak+Cover.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 12pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">To listen to the audio version of this review, click here: https://youtu.be/1qxNSJHdkwI</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: white; font-family: arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Or, if you just want the text version of it, read on :)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Hello everyone. Recently I was given the chance to read Bryan Davis’ new book, Let The Ghosts Speak, in exchange for an honest review. The link to the book’s Amazon profile can be found here: </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 12pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Let-Ghosts-Speak-Bryan-Davis-ebook/dp/B084J7ST65/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=let+the+ghosts+speak&qid=1582172503&sr=8-1"><span style="color: white;">https://www.amazon.com/Let-Ghosts-Speak-Bryan-Davis-ebook/dp/B084J7ST65/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=let+the+ghosts+speak&qid=1582172503&sr=8-1</span></a></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 12pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let The Ghosts Speak is a mystery story set in 19</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="vertical-align: super;">th</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> century Paris. The protagonist is Justin Trotter, an orphaned English immigrant doing his best to provide for himself and his little sister. Justin’s faced tragic circumstances before, but he endures far worse after attending a party where his friend’s mother is found dead. Unfortunately, Justin is a prime suspect, and must navigate ghostly entities and unjust circumstances as he tries to clear his name.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 12pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Audience/Content Cautions:</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> This story discusses a lot of religious themes and matters, so it is best suited for those that don’t mind that. Also, this story is mainly intended for older teens and adults, and thus contains a few mature themes. Although this book is fairly clean, there’s still some morbid content like hangings and beheadings. Furthermore, a character is accused of a very heinous sexual act. Discussions around the issue are not gratuitous, however, and depict sexual abuse as the evil that it is.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 12pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Pros:</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I don’t read mystery and historical fiction much, even though I don’t mind those genres, but Let The Ghosts Speak has an interesting premise with a touch of fantasy that makes it a fascinating read. At the very least, it’s worth hearing the way ghosts operate in this story world.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 12pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The tale itself had a dreary, tragic atmosphere with a bit of hope at the end. Several real life topics were discussed, such as societal injustice, finding ways to be at peace when everything goes wrong, and not letting romantic feelings lead to blind trust. There were also some portrayals of family conflict that were reasonably well done. Justin, as an outsider looking in, saw several hints of resentment from two of his friends, but later on he saw that those hints were only the tip of an ice berg of family drama.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 12pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Some issues mentioned in the book, such as the dark historical conflict between Protestants and Catholics, could hold a parallel to our modern day. Such issues are reflected in conflicts between Democrats and Republicans, Conservatives and Liberals. Those fights are usually less violent, but they still stem from harsh judgments and cause lots of harm and damaged relationships.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 12pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Cons:</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> There were, however, times where this story came off as a little preachy. This is somewhat understandable since it’s told in first person and therefore all the character’s judgments and opinions are more in the reader's face. But it was more blatant with several characters that were teachers to other characters. There's nothing wrong with the teacher dynamic, and many times teacher and student conversations can be good for relaying information naturally, but now and then those conversations </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">didn’t</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> feel like a natural discussion these characters would have. The heart of their lessons surrounded good topics like love and mercy, but since they didn’t come across as natural, it sometimes just felt like the author preaching through the text.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 12pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some characterization aspects could have also been better. I’ll discuss one example really quick, but please note that it is a bit of a spoiler, so read it at your own peril: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><spoileralert></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Near the end, Inspector Fortier talked about how the people of his era needed to stop being blind to their own injustices. That’s certainly true, and he did try to help Justin at various times, but the fact was that Fortier was part of the reason Justin’s life ended the way it did. Fortier jumped to a conclusion and arrested Justin before checking the facts and finishing the investigation, which led to Justin’s execution. In spite of this, Fortier did little, if anything, to show regret for that.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 12pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fortier did express sadness, but it was more in response to societal injustice and trying to prevent a bad thing at the last minute, rather than acknowledging the part he played. And that’s a real shame, because Fortier could have gotten more character growth from that. Realistically, it would have compounded Fortier’s grief even further and made the story more powerful after showing that Justin forgave him in spite of everything. Or Fortier could have taken it as first hand proof of how easily someone could have a hand in injustice, and decide to do everything possible to avoid making such a mistake again.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But there wasn’t much, if any, indication that Fortier noticed his own faults, so instead of us seeing what Fortier would do after realizing his own contribution to injustice, he just seemed lacking in self awareness instead... Particularly after criticizing the rest of society for an unjust outcome that he technically took part in. Everyone lacks self awareness in </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">some area, but this seemed like a situation where most people would at least </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">notice</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> their part in this tragedy, even if they didn’t feel bad about it. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></spoileralert></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-cd90f1c1-7fff-a36c-7351-5deea4612477"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Conclusion:</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> All that said, characterization is something I can be rather picky about, and a lot of the characters were still very interesting even though I didn’t always like the way they were presented. I </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">liked the dreary tragic atmosphere present in this tale, and the story felt a little different compared to what I normally read, so it was enjoyable even just from that standpoint. So if you like ghost stories, historical fantasy, mysteries, or explorations and critiques of society, this book might be for you.</span></span></span>Autumn Graysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02725139473643379824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8202950935089924919.post-65757741785721643722020-01-01T13:07:00.001-08:002020-01-01T13:07:36.624-08:00Entering 2020 With COPPA<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/brIoPGTzUjM" width="480"></iframe>Autumn Graysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02725139473643379824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8202950935089924919.post-90690194704599229512019-09-24T13:32:00.000-07:002019-09-24T13:47:12.645-07:00Writing Tips -- How To Make Heroes Deep And Realistic But Not Evil Pt 1:<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">An interesting thing that crops up in story commentaries is the idea that bad guys are the ‘cool’ ones. The ones with the awesome theme songs, the ones with edgy character designs, and the ones that sometimes gain the audience’s sympathy whether or not their behavior would be acceptable in real life.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">This happens partly because the heroes aren’t allowed to be fully fledged beings often enough. Real people fail and make mistakes. Real people are wrong sometimes or even hold subconscious beliefs that we might not. In short, real people have depth and struggles, regardless of how we might perceive those struggles.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Thus, this post will explore some ways to make heroes deep and realistic without making them evil. Now, some of that could depend on how one defines evil. Does evil mean fighting for what the viewer considers to be the wrong side, regardless of the reasons? Or does it mean that the character makes upsetting choices? Or, heck, does it just mean that the character knowingly hurts others for fun or for their own gain on a regular basis?</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">For the sake of this discussion, let’s put all that aside and make a separation between people and their behaviors. Most people will do both good and bad things over the course of their lives, so when I say ‘good’, I don’t mean it in the sense of someone that never makes grave mistakes. Instead, I’ll be referring more to who that person is at their core, or perhaps even what they will become in the future.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-size: large;">Now, to begin addressing the issue of depth in hero characters, begin asking these questions about the heroes:</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">What are they fighting for and why?</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">At what points do they question themselves?</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">What do they struggle with and why is it important to them?</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">What shifts do they make over the course of their lives?</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Do they ever have doubts that make them wonder and change their minds eventually?</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">In terms of personality and beliefs, what about them is different, especially from those that are on their ‘team’?</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">That’s just a starting point. But, if two or three questions like that aren’t important to the character, that’s a pretty decent sign that they’re too shallow. A character like that risks coming off as a Mary Sue, or being boring or annoying for some other reason. They might also bother the readers because in spite of the author’s best efforts, that character might still be wrong or come off as pointlessly arrogant, and if there isn’t enough questioning or growth to offset that...the character’s realism and appeal will decrease.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To fix this, consider what positive and negative actions a character will take, given his beliefs and desires.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Don’t idealize him too much. Not even our favorite people will be consistently able to avoid being disappointing. Instead, allow for a realistic pondering of cause and effect. For example, if people have an important belief or goal, they often won’t be nice to someone that treads on that in some way, especially when they’re younger and less understanding. Figure out what it would take for the character to act in a less than ideal manner. Furthermore, how does that affect his life and the behavior of those around him?</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Everyone will have some sort of flaw that lasts a lifetime, but good people often realize at least a few of their flaws and try to get a handle on them. Beliefs also change in response to new information, or perhaps even horrific situations that force a character to reevaluate their life and figure out where things went wrong.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">At those points, it’s not necessary or always realistic for a character to flip a 180 and turn his back on everything he thought before, though he might feel he has to for a while. Instead, he might simply develop more nuance and perspective to his mindset. Or maybe he changes the way he expresses or acts on his beliefs. He could, for example, continue to disagree with a friend’s viewpoint or even feel upset about it in his head from time to time, but he could also decide that he still respects and cares about his friend regardless of any differing opinions. Thus, those two chars fight less.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">If you’re worried about the character having such big flaws that they would be seen as villainous, realize that the character’s flaws don’t have to be huge and obvious at first. It could just be a couple small flaws, like procrastination, having a temper, etc. Just make sure to give those flaws the exploration they deserve. Things like that will permeate every fiber of a person’s being and affect them in ways they don’t anticipate. Procrastinating could, for example, make someone miss a deadline and thus make them lose a job opportunity. The fallout and how the character handles it is what will shape him.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Depicting realistic mind changes takes practice, though, which can come in the form of authors putting themselves in other people’s shoes more. They can also think back to how their own behaviors and beliefs changed over time. Paying attention to how these shifts happen in other people is also a useful tool. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other than showing realistic growth in a good hero, it is also vital for authors to consider how they’re presenting their characters in the first place.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Does the hero in question seem to have his own life and identity, or is the author merely using him to say ‘this is a perfect model for this one thing I’m talking about’ or ‘this character’s opinions are definitely right all the time’. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s not to say that stories can’t have a message portrayed through the characters, but like it or not, someone in the readership </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>can</i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> find some flaw in the hero. And then they will probably bristle if that character is pushed as some kind of ideal example when the flaws make him anything but.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Using characters to represent themes and ideas is a great storytelling tool, but if the story details the character’s thoughts and actions, don’t approach them in a shallow way. Don’t fall into the trap of acting like the character is right about everything. Instead, simply show the character’s journey. Allow for challenges or mistakes in the character’s ideals, because if the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">authors</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> are afraid of depicting such things… That will only weaken the presentation of their beliefs and characters. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lastly...be willing to show true challenges to the characters themselves.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> This is somewhat in line with everything else, but there’s another aspect I want to discuss. Occasionally characters will argue with someone the author would disagree with, and the character in question will know how to make all the good points, and will almost seem to be talking to a straw man for how little their opponent can put up a fight. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It’s not to say that heroes can’t win arguments, but it’s important to ask how likely that would actually be under the circumstances. Furthermore, how realistic are their opponent’s responses? Consider that the opponents have their own backstory and reasons for their beliefs and might be able to throw the hero for a loop, whether or not they’re on the ‘right side’ in a debate. Regardless, the opponent probably isn’t saying things because they woke up one day and decided to be stupid and wrong for the sole purpose of aggravating people. They have reasons, and addressing those reasons will make the story stronger and maybe teach the hero something.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">This can actually make a story much more exciting, because just like with a physical fight, the readers might wait in anticipation for who will come out the victor. And just like with a physical fight, losing can motivate the hero to question what he’s been doing all this time and make necessary changes in his life.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Alright, that’s all for now. I’m thinking about doing a second part to this at some point, so let me know if you liked this or have questions. Have a good day!</span></span></div>
Autumn Graysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02725139473643379824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8202950935089924919.post-66874046107327733072019-07-14T09:49:00.000-07:002019-09-24T13:34:08.450-07:00The Bestiary Tag<span style="color: white;">Doing my first tag! This one is from </span><a href="http://storitorigrace.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: cyan;">http://storitorigrace.blogspot.com/</span></a><span style="color: white;"> Check out her blog if you haven't already.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: white;"> I will also be cross posting this on my tumblr,</span><span style="color: cyan;"> <a href="https://creatureofgraphite.tumblr.com/"><span style="color: cyan;">https://creatureofgraphite.tumblr.com/</span></a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: white;"> The Rules:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="color: white;">Include Victoria's graphic somewhere in the post and/or link back to her, pretty please. This is the link to her blog/the original tag:</span><span style="color: cyan;"> <a href="http://storitorigrace.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-bestiary-tag.html"><span style="color: cyan;">http://storitorigrace.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-bestiary-tag.html</span></a></span></li>
<li><span style="color: white;">Answer the questions on your blog! </span></li>
<li><span style="color: white;">Tag three or more fantasy fans! </span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<div>
<span style="color: white;"><br />The Questions:<br /><br />1.) What is your favorite mythical creature?<br /><br />2.) When was the first time you heard of this beast?<br /><br />3.) What is your favorite portrayal of this creature in media? <br /><br />4.) If you could shapeshift into a mythical beast what would you pick?<br /><br />5.) What mythical beast would you love to have as a pet?<br /><br />6.) What is your favorite mythological story surrounding a fantastical beast like in Greek Mythology, Egyptian Mythology, etc.?<br /><br />7.) What mythical creature would terrify you the most if you encountered it in person?<br /><br />8.) What is the most unusual mythical creature you've ever heard of?<br /><br />9.) What uncommon mythical beast do you wish you saw more of in books and movies?<br /><br />10.) If you could create a mythical creature what would it be?<br /><br /><br />My Answers:<br /><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"> 1.) What is your favorite mythical creature?</span></b> Out of all the preestablished ones? Probably gryphons. They seem very cool, agile, versatile, and reasonably powerful.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">2.) When was the first time you heard of this beast?</span></b> When I was a kid, I watched Quest For Camelot by Warner Brothers. The gryphon in that show was the coolest thing ever.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">3.) What is your favorite portrayal of this creature in media?</span></b> Quest For Camelot's version is pretty cool. Narnia's wasn't half bad. There's also a book series called The Summer King Chronicles by Jess E Owen. I haven't read much of it yet, but it's about gryphons and contains a lot of elements I like so far. I'm also working on writing a comic about gryphons and dragons, so I'm having fun with designing the lifestyle of the gryphons in that story.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">4.) If you could shapeshift into a mythical beast what would you pick?</span></b> Man, I dunno. Depends on a lot. Would the shapeshifting be permanent, or could I turn back and forth at will? And what kind of story world would I be in? In some story worlds, it would be more advantageous to turn into something small that way I could hide and sneak around. But, in other instances, it'd be nice to be able to turn into something big, like a gryphon or dragon, that way I could have more fighting power. Whatever creature I pick...hopefully it would be cool, and something that wouldn't get me killed in whatever world I lived in this scenario.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">5.) What mythical beast would you love to have as a pet?</span></b> Well, a gryphon would be cool, but hopefully I could live in a fantasy world with wide hunting grounds that could sustain such a large predator. Either that, or have an omnivorous gryphon, that way it could eat plants too. That said...I dunno. Dogs and cats are obligate carnivores and it's actually not that hard to keep them. Maybe if we had pet gryphons in the modern world someone would make kibble based food for them.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">6.) What is your favorite mythological story surrounding a fantastical beast like in Greek Mythology, Egyptian Mythology, etc.?</span></b> I like a lot of Japanese ones. I can't really single one legend out as my favorite, though.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">7.) What mythical creature would terrify you the most if you encountered it in person?</span></b> Malevolent spiritual entities have always creeped me out. Along with pretty much anything that could move through the dark and seems almost impossible to see, much less fight. I can't pick only one of those things. Thankfully thinking about that stuff doesn't terrify me as much as it used to.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">8.) What is the most unusual mythical creature you've ever heard of?</span></b> Some yokai are very strange. Like, I dunno, wasn't there one about a floating head attached to a wheel that had fire on it? I've seen something like that in anime now and then, at any rate.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">9.) What uncommon mythical beast do you wish you saw more of in books and movies?</span></b> Does a unicorn or pegasus with a dark/serious take on them count? Cutesy versions of these animals appear a lot in memes and accessories and such, but there aren't a lot of modern stories where they're taken seriously. That's probably why they're seen as prissy and girly. Nothing wrong with the sparkly take on those creatures, it'd just be nice to have more dark and serious ones as well. I plan on writing stories like that eventually, but that probably won't be for a while.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">10.) If you could create a mythical creature what would it be?</span></b> Creature design is one of my favorite things, so most of my story worlds have at least a few made up animals in them. Something I've been doing with one of my more recent story worlds is to take some beasts common to that world and form legends around them. So, those mythical creatures end up with a similar vibe to yokai and fairies, but with an entirely different mythology and culture surrounding them.<br /><br /> I tag:<br /><br /> Jessi L Roberts (If she wants) from <a href="https://jessilroberts.wordpress.com/">https://jessilroberts.wordpress.com/</a><br /><br /> And everyone else who reads this post and is interested in the tag :P</span></div>
</div>
Autumn Graysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02725139473643379824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8202950935089924919.post-6997152555057908072019-07-12T12:04:00.000-07:002019-09-24T13:35:30.090-07:00Writing And Being -- What I Learned From Rushing Into A Story Contest:<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">In Fall of 2018, I decided to participate in Tapas’ annual writing contest. The story I submitted is called Ascending Spires, and although I liked the idea of it, it probably won't get finished until I have more inspiration for it. Meeting the contest deadline was a little stressful, but there were a lot of good things about participating that are worth reflecting on.</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-633c07ca-7fff-ef51-2880-efccf375240b" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Participating opened me up to some opportunities that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Tapas offered everyone participating in the contest a chance to join the Tipping Program, even if they wouldn’t normally qualify based on the amount of subscribers they have. If Tipping is activated on a Tapas author’s profile, it means that readers can tip them with Tapas Ink, which the author can then exchange for real money.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">This was pretty awesome for someone like me that is just starting out and would like to begin implementing ways to make money off my work. Furthermore, Inksgiving was going on during this time, which meant that I had a series that I could design an ad for and submit to the list of Inksgiving episodes asking for Tips. Although I didn’t get many tips off of this, at the very least Tipping is now implemented on my profile and available for when I start posting comics more regularly.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This event also encouraged me to post more work online.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Sometimes it's hard to cross that line and put a story out there for the world to see. I've already posted fanfictions on other sites, but outside of roleplaying, I haven't posted many of my original stories. Entering the contest got me started with that.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The contest provided a way to test Tapas' author user interface and get an idea of potential click through rates.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Participating in the contest kind of brought home the fact that, for novels at least, a lot of people might bookmark a series that sounds interesting, and then completely forget about it until a much later date. This really seemed to be the case when looking through the series' analytics day to day. Often, people would only read a chapter or two at most before moving on or bookmarking the series and forgetting about it. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Of course it isn't impossible to make people read more consistently, but those posting on Tapas need to be aware that even when someone bookmarks a series, it can easily get lost in a sea of other free stories. It takes time and planning to facilitate reader engagement, and participating in the contest helped me get a better idea of how that might work on this platform.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Also, I gained further proof that forcing myself to work on something I’m not truly inspired for under a short deadline is bad for me.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I already know I have a hard time forcing myself to write things I'm not inspired for. Learning to write decently under pressure is an important trait to develop, but this contest served as an example of why those circumstances are not usually conducive to forming my best work.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Overall, this experience was both exciting and stressful. But I did learn from it and so far don't regret it. Do you have any art/writing related experiences that were both stressful and educational? Do you have any input as far as facilitating reader engagement or churning out better work even under pressure? Let me know in the comments!</span></span></div>
Autumn Graysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02725139473643379824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8202950935089924919.post-15922668003365741322019-05-16T11:53:00.001-07:002019-05-16T11:53:24.054-07:00Writing And Being -- Why We Should Think About Characters and Their Authors Separately:<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Reading is a wonderful medium that invites people to think, discover, and challenge. Since readers are invited to contemplate a book's meaning and draw conclusions about the story and its characters, there is always the risk of misinterpretation, especially since many of the best authors won't bluntly state the point of every tale.</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-4c5f5919-7fff-3e30-3daa-a05fa2253c7b" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">I know there's been times when I've disliked statements I've read in stories, and from some comments I've noticed online, most people have had the same experience. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">That's perfectly alright. We are only human, it’s important to oppose bad things, and some authors do have beliefs that deserve to be challenged. But, there are times when an author's intent is completely misunderstood .</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Writers will often design their stories based on their beliefs and what lessons they want to convey, so to that extent, a story can and often does reflect its author, but not in the way we think. Someone can write bloody horror without being a serial killer. People can write a racist villain without actually being racists themselves. A person of one belief system can write about characters of a different belief system.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">This is often necessary, especially when tales have a large cast, go through a plot line that puts characters through heartache, and reflects an expansive world with complex cultures and history.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Furthermore, when writing from a certain character's point of view, we see what that character thinks and feels. We get to learn each character's journey, see how and why they got there, and perhaps even feel angry or disappointed at their chosen path. But that is vital for understanding how people operate. Knowing how people behave can make it easier to solve problems or even keep ourselves from becoming destructive.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">People have to be careful when writing about things they haven't experienced, and writing about groups they are not a part of can be particularly challenging. But, pretty much every story requires authors to step outside their own experiences in some way or another.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">This is important on a personal level, because it makes authors empathize with others and invites their readers to do the same. It is also important for at least some authors to show the world as it is. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Bad people exist, and villains reflect that. If villains aren't bad people and don't do bad things, there's usually not a good reason for the heroes to fight them.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Furthermore, heroes are people, just like us. Everyone has flaws. Sometimes those flaws are major and not socially acceptable by our modern standards. Sometimes authors want to express that reality in a story, or even take those characters on an adventure that forces them to face their flaws and change their perspective.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Keeping that in mind increases our chances of interpreting a story accurately and getting something wonderful out of it, instead of getting angry and assuming the worst about an author. This also helps us in writing our own tales. Why not study other people closely and learn how to write them accurately and fairly, even if they have a completely different belief system? Why not illustrate the fact that bad things exist and have consequences? </span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The hows and whys of that are important, and would constitute entire videos of their own, but, hopefully this was food for thought. So, what do you think? Have you been angry at something an author wrote, only to learn that they meant something entirely different? What's your opinion on the relationship between what an author writes and how an author actually thinks? Let me know in the comments below!</span></span></div>
Autumn Graysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02725139473643379824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8202950935089924919.post-73924878499369504542019-01-10T21:09:00.002-08:002019-01-10T21:10:59.048-08:00Writing Tips -- 2019 New Years Resolutions For Writers<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Here’s a list of New Year’s resolutions (or just writing goals/challenges if you’re like me and don’t exactly make official resolutions). There are a wide variety of them that will be useful to people at varying experience levels, so just pick the ones that appeal or apply to you.</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-d68cb749-7fff-55b1-df20-10043e1761a2" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Write 100 words a day, at least. Preferably on every current WIP.</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This one’s great for busy people that have a hard time getting themselves to make progress on their stories. A hundred words isn’t much at all, so it’s a good way to chip away at projects bit by bit, and as the months go by, there will eventually be a decent amount of writing accomplished.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Write in a different POV style.</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This can be in terms of writing a POV you aren’t used to (perhaps you normally write in third person, and want to write in omniscient POV for this challenge.) Or, this could be in terms of challenging yourself to write in a POV you dislike(maybe you like writing in third person but normally hate writing in first person. Writing a few short projects in first person could help you learn to write first person in a way that you like or help you figure out exactly why you dislike this POV).</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thoroughly research a different physical condition and write about it.</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Again, do your research and write about it in a way that doesn’t disrespect people in real life. But, let’s say you’ve never written a blind character before. This would be an opportunity to come up with one and explore what it’s like to be in that char’s shoes. In this case, it would be good to figure out exactly what caused their blindness to make the research more precise.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Take at least one or two of your most prominent characters and give them a Myers-Briggs personality test. Then, incorporate your findings in the character somehow.</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This can be useful because it will force you to consider the character’s habits and thoughts more. Also, once one understands a character’s personality type, it can be fun to research and incorporate quirks that that personality type is known for.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Research an obscure philosophy and consider adding it to your character’s story world.</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe not the entire philosophy, and perhaps in your story world the philosophy would go by a different name, but philosophies have a huge impact on how societies form and how people behave and thus can give worldbuilding a nice kickstart.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Find a culture, philosophy, mindset, species, etc. you’ve invented for your story world that is represented by multiple individuals, then make sure those individuals actually act like individuals.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Even when two people grow up in the same culture and have lots of similarities, they will always have differences that will eventually make a huge difference in their lives. Extroversion is usually valued to some extent in the United States, for instance, so I’ve learned to get out there and talk to people when need be, but I’m still highly introverted and often avoid unnecessary conversations. But practically no one will handle social contact in the same way. Different people have different levels of talkativeness, and they also have different types of social situations they will embrace or avoid.</span></span>Autumn Graysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02725139473643379824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8202950935089924919.post-16702638542822379502018-10-04T12:28:00.000-07:002018-12-06T19:55:46.097-08:00Writing Tips -- How To Invent Psychology For A Species<span style="color: white;">When people think about creature design, they often think about the physical appearance of an animal, as well as occasional behavioral points. A cool, functional appearance is important for the creatures we invent, but the psychology of a being matters just as much, if not moreso.<br /><br />This is especially true when it comes to a sentient being. Sentient beings are often faced with complex social situations throughout a story, and their psychology would, plausibly, affect everything they say and do. If they are not human, it makes sense to assume they would think at least a bit differently than us.<br /><br />Being human ourselves, and not having any other sentient species to study the psychology of, how can we invent thought processes that genuinely feel different than ours?<br /><br />Here are a few tips that have helped me explore what a different creature’s psychology could be like:<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Think about what key traits the being has, then think very long and hard about why they have those traits/what the effects are.</span></b> Nearly any trait will affect a being on a deep level. Let’s say the key trait is that, due to biology, the creatures’ natural lifestyle is a solitary one. Their psychology would vary greatly from that of social beings like humans. Humans might be alright with living alone, or can become so upset with people that they separate from society, but that isn’t usually their default state, and they can usually still form attachments to a special few. In fact, if a person can’t stand human companionship, they might be tempted to replace that hole in their lives with a pet, just because having some sort of companion tends to lessen human stress.<br /><br />A being whose species has a biological tendency toward solitude might think differently, however. They might only see social rules and interactions as a threat, hindrance, or, at best, a way to further their own agenda. A solitary creature tends to handle everything itself, and any other beings it encounters will probably either be predators or competition. The solitary creature’s mind will be wired accordingly.<br /><br />So, consider stepping into the shoes of a being like that. Day to day, how do these creatures handle themselves? Members of their own kind will often pose a direct rivalry for territory, food, etc., so encountering members of their own species might dredge up feelings of hostility or anxiety. Members of other species are less likely to be competitors, and thus may only be met with indifference or a hint of wariness(depending on whether they are a dangerous predator or not). <br /><br />Once an author figures out how their creature operates in a natural setting, they can think about the ins and outs of how that creature might interact in a social setting. If a solitary creature joins the hero’s quest to save the world, he might only do so to obtain something he wants, or to keep the villain from destroying his territory. Thus, he’s forced to be social for the sake of that goal. How does this affect him? Does he cooperate on a surface level, but actually find the social setting stifling? He could even have some very extreme thoughts, like seeing society as evil. He probably has reasons for this that sound perfectly logical to a being ill suited for a social lifestyle, so a glimpse into his mind would probably make his beliefs sound passionate and/or reasonable.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Keep biology/environmental niche in mind.</span></b> Humans are diurnal, which means active during the day. As such, we have poor night vision and are innately afraid of the dark/night. Primarily because it’s easy for things to sneak around at night and eat us, and we wouldn’t see the threat until it’s too late. As a result, we speak of darkness and shadows as evil. <br /><br />Keeping this in mind, how might a strictly nocturnal animal feel about brightness? Maybe it scares them because it makes them feel exposed and in view of a predator. Or they see a need for excess light as a sign of weakness. At the very least, their psychology is different from ours in that they are more comfortable in the darkness, and we are not. Many of their beliefs and social norms, or at least way of describing the world, will stem from that psychological quirk.<br /><br />Some other biological factors and niches to keep in mind are lifespan, location in the food chain(especially whether they are predators or prey), habitat, whether or not the creatures are generalists or specialists(generalists are usually more adaptable), if the animals are social, and what the relationships in their social group normally are.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Have them perform similar behaviors to animals or people in real life, but for different reasons.</b> </span>Going back to our first example of a solitary creature, how might the ‘same actions for different reasons’ idea be used?<br /><br />We discussed the idea of the solitary creature joining the hero’s ‘save the world team’ in order to protect his territory. Normally, a social creature might think in terms of someone bringing large quantities of food back to camp out of a generous desire to feed everyone. So, let’s say the solitary creature kills a deer and, out of instinct, drags it back to the place he is staying the night so he can eat his meal in relative safety.<br /><br />Afterward, he eats his portion and then walks to his part of the camp and sleeps, which clears the way for his comrades to eat a portion of the deer. His comrades might think him generous for bringing food back to camp every night, when in actuality, the creature is selfish and indifferent. He is used to hunting a large animal, eating his fill, then leaving the rest to scavengers. He is simply following that behavior, and doesn’t bother explaining that reality to his comrades because he doesn’t care if they know the truth and knows that it is to his advantage if they see him as kind and generous.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Consider manufactured/learned/ imitated behaviors vs. innate/normal behaviors.</span> </b> Let’s consider our solitary creature again(I’m just going to call him Solitaire from now on). If Solitaire learns that he encounters issues whenever he behaves in ways his comrades don’t expect, he will probably alter his behavior accordingly. This can be as simple as teaching himself to say please and thank you to smooth over conversations, or expressing concern for a comrade regardless of whether or not he feels it. Sometimes learning how to cope in a society might fascinate Solitaire, but there will also be times when the learning process is inconvenient.<br /><br />Learning the rules may be easy enough (show compassion, be helpful, apologize after upsetting someone, etc) but following them at all times is not. Learning how to apologize is easy in and of itself, but knowing when isn’t always. It’s easier for humans, since we’re usually wired to at least try and cooperate with each other, so it’s easier for us to recognize when we’ve genuinely hurt someone and desire to make amends.<br /><br />That is not how Solitaire’s wired, however. He may learn to apologize whenever someone seems visibly upset at him, regardless of whether or not he means it. So what happens if he does something offensive, but the person he wrongs doesn’t show how hurt she is? Solitaire’s other comrades might demand he apologize, causing him to refuse, feel annoyed, and justify his behavior.<br /><br />At this point, Solitaire’s manufactured behaviors become clear. He learns certain things in order to get by, but since social behaviors are not innate for him, he falls very short of social norms, though he often hides it. Of course humans can make fake apologies as well, but Solitaire’s reasons for being fake are a little different and far less likely to change. In fact, depending on the psychology the author chooses for him, he may not even have the ability to feel guilty for harming someone.<br /><br />Solitaire may not like having to expend the effort to fit in with a species that expects so much of him, either. Even after learning to imitate social behaviors, he may sometimes dwell on the fact that he never had to deal with this when he was alone. He might also wonder why social creatures love living in a way that forces them to adhere to others’ expectations.<br /><br />So, yeah, these were the first few ideas that came to mind. I may do a follow up post with a few more ways to brainstorm different psychologies.<br /><br />What do you guys think? Do you have any methods for developing different psychologies for your characters? Are there any creatures/characters that you think have a unique or fascinating psychology?<br /><br />Feel free to comment with questions as well. If anyone wants me to expand on anything in this post, feel free to ask and I might do a follow up article. Feel free to subscribe to this blog if you want to read more.</span>Autumn Graysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02725139473643379824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8202950935089924919.post-91012810653839327662018-09-13T21:17:00.002-07:002018-09-13T21:18:11.295-07:00Writing Tips -- Why To Avoid The Word 'The'<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">How many titles have you seen that start with ‘The’? (The Grand Escape, The Greatest Showman, The Swiss Family Robinson, The Girl Who Owned A City, etc.) How often and how easy is it to start our descriptive sentences with The?</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-bbbf8c2f-7fff-9742-055c-0cc5ca997a7b" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Obviously, there are plenty of things that don’t start off with The, and it's fine to use The now and then. But growing up it sometimes felt like this word was everywhere, beginning so many titles and, as I began to notice, starting a lot of my written sentences. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">After a while, the overabundance of The started to get grating, primarily since it made many of my sentences sound repetitive. So, here came the self imposed challenge: Use The when need be, but otherwise, try to avoid using it to start sentences and titles. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Simply reducing the use of that one word had some interesting results. My titles became more interesting and creative, my prose less repetitive, and ideas expressed in my stories started coming through more vividly. Being unable to use The very often made it necessary to learn and adapt, or even completely rethink scene descriptions and sentence structures.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">So, for those looking to improve their writing, avoiding The as often as possible may be a useful exercise. Or, for those already using The only on rare occasions, they can consider finding one or two other words that are repeated a lot in their writing and try to avoid using them. Ultimately, exercises like these encourage authors to dig deeper and find titles/prose that are more unique and meaningful to the story.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">So yeah, just a little something that’s helped me. </span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Have you tried something like this at some point? What words do you repeat the most? Are there any writing quirks, mistakes, or too often used words that have become a pet peeve of yours?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Feel free to comment, or subscribe to this blog for more posts. Thank you for reading :)</span></span></div>
Autumn Graysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02725139473643379824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8202950935089924919.post-68569476602846831132018-08-14T17:41:00.000-07:002018-08-16T17:56:52.060-07:00Writing Tips -- Why Is Romance Important?<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Romance kind of gets a bad wrap for being silly and frivolous when included in a story. In some cases, this is for good reason. Mainstream media often depicts romance in a stereotypical manner, or in a way that’s so cheesy most can’t help but scoff at it. As a result, some might see it as an annoying interruption, a deviation that has nothing to do with the main plot. Furthermore, some people have little to no personal interest in romance, and thus have no desire to include such things in their story.</span></span></div>
<b id="gmail-docs-internal-guid-03eb17be-7fff-f7a5-e0a8-17796f25ba56" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Some stories are indeed better when devoid of romance, but there are many cases where a tale may actually benefit from the inclusion of romantic elements. For the sake of this post, ‘romantic elements’ will encompass the normal connotations of falling in love, but also other issues that surround it, such as lust and marital conflict.</span></span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">First and foremost, romance benefits stories by reflecting reality.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Romance impacts everyone, even those that abstain from relationships. When people’s parents don’t get along, that shapes their childhood. Furthermore, practically no one would be born without romance and lust. In general, even societies that lack romance and handle reproduction through more scientific means were probably affected by romance in some way. In all likelihood, something in their history made them see romance as a hindrance to progress and thus caused them to focus on other means of sustaining their population. Thus, even then, some sort of romantic element might merit discussion to explain the origins of that society.</span></span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">There are ways to avoid a story being impacted by romance, but they often require writing about beings vastly different than us. Having all the chars be immortal is one method. Another is to write about a completely asexual species that has always been like that and has no contact with creatures that reproduce other ways.</span></span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Romance can provide sequel material.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> If the main character’s story arc is over, either because they died or they are done adventuring forever, sequels are going to have to focus on other characters. Although it may be possible to use previous side chars or new chars as the sequels’ protagonist, focusing on the next generation instead may have more impact. This gives authors a chance to build off the previous arcs of well loved chars and show how they impacted others. A character’s behavior is often going to impact their family greatly, after all. Even further, the character’s children can provide a fresh perspective on previous events and people.</span></span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Using next gen characters is also usually easier than starting completely from scratch, since next generation stories ground readers in pre-established situations instead of having to take time for exposition to introduce new ones.</span></span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But next generation characters are harder to introduce without some degree of romance(unless the stork dropped them on the parent’s doorstep one day). If someone has a biological kid, the question of who that kid’s other parent is will likely come up at some point. Maybe the question would realistically occur in the story, or it will simply be something readers want to know. But having a kid is a process, an entire segment of the character’s backstory, and thus would impact the character almost regardless of the circumstances around their child’s birth. If, for instance, a man has a child because he got married and his wife died in childbirth, that should have some bearing on his characterization. In turn, this will have a bearing on their child’s characterization.</span></span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Writing romance well can be very vital in cases like that. Main characters have the spotlight on them. If everything else about them is well written, yet their romance arc is flat, stereotypical, and/or barely discussed, it might weaken the story’s quality. Or, even worse, it can cause people to misread the character. If a character is supposed to be kind hearted and empathetic, yet his spouse dying in childbirth has no impact on his behavior going forward...he may come across as callous, or at least inconsistent. It would also be strange if that romance arc didn’t impact the character’s child in some way. The child might not be sad, due to not knowing the mother, but such things would impact how the child grows up and sees the world. This can fuel a sequel by giving the next generation character challenges to work through.</span></span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Romance is an excellent way to explore human psychology.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Many normal relationship dynamics, such as friendship, conflict, etc. are present within romantic relationships, but the two characters are more deeply intertwined. Because of the impact they have on each other, their relationship dynamics are magnified. If two regular friends don’t get along, it’s usually a lot easier for them to go their separate ways, so we may not see what would happen if their conflict worsens due to close proximity. </span></span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">In a romantic relationship, however, breaking ties can be harder. The two chars are more likely to be emotionally bound, or they built a life together that will fall apart if they stop interacting. Factors like that may force them to stay together and in conflict far longer than people who are just friends. This is the perfect opportunity to show how a detailed, somewhat inescapable conflict looks like over the long haul.</span></span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But conflict isn’t the only psychological aspect that can be explored through romance. There’s also long term friendship and camaraderie. Normal friends have a higher chance of moving away and growing apart, but a romantic partner may very well stay there a lifetime, if all goes well. This can be used to explore how such close friendship impacts someone’s life. When people always have someone they can count on, that greatly affects their behavior. People might be a little more daring or effective if they know someone’s always got their back, for instance.</span></span></div>
<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Romance doesn’t have to be cheesy or stereotypical.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Not only can it can be an intricate study of human nature, but it can be used as a well thought out plot device. The way people treat their significant others, for instance, says a lot about them and helps with characterization. A romantic partner can be a help or a hindrance, depending on the story. When characters responds to each instance of that, they show who they are and move the story along. At that point, the romance doesn’t have to be sappy and cheesy, but an interesting set of behaviors instead.</span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">If authors want to write stories and characters that feel real, they often need to address romantic elements at some point or another. Simply because of that, learning to write romantic elements adds another tool in the author’s arsenal. One way to start learning is by finding shows/comics/etc. with well written romantic elements and various types of relationship dynamics. When people find romantic elements in a story they enjoy, it becomes far easier to internalize how to add those elements in their own tales. Additionally, pay attention to romantic elements that occur in real life and compare them to romance stories that seem poorly written. Based on what is seen in real life, what did those romance stories do wrong and right?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">So, just my two cents worth on the subject. What are the best and worst examples of romance writing you've seen? What are your habits/opinion when it comes to romance in stories?</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Thank you for reading! Feel free to leave a comment, or follow the blog if you want to read more.</span></span></div>
Autumn Graysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02725139473643379824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8202950935089924919.post-48448480454607107452018-06-20T00:18:00.000-07:002018-06-20T00:18:12.737-07:00Writing Tips -- Good Cooks In Stories<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Recently I've been watching Kakuriyo -- Bed And Breakfast For Spirits, and it's an enjoyable break from all the serious stuff I normally watch. As the story progresses, however, it's obvious that (so far) it's fallen into a trope common in stories involving a skilled cook: characters tend to automatically like whatever food is made by the skilled cook, regardless of individual preferences.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Here are a few brief responses and proposed solutions to this trope:</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Let some taste testers dislike the food</span>. Everyone has different tastes. Some things are so gross to me that I can't imagine them tasting good to anyone, like this really bitter tea I had once. But then someone else near me tried it and liked it. This can be a challenge when writing good cooks because it is necessary to show how skilled they are. And the easiest way to do that is to show everyone loving their food.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">It's not necessarily 'bad' to depict characters that are so skilled their food is always perfect for whoever eats it. But to make the story more realistic and deep, the author can also show what happens when someone doesn't like what the skilled cook prepares. Such a thing could be an opportunity to explore and address ways of politely telling someone 'I don't really like this'. Or maybe to show how the cook handles criticism and learns from it.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">The taste testers don't have to dislike the food very often, but it would be realistic for that to happen once or twice. For a real life comparison...when people go to a fancy restaurant, all the food is made by competent chefs, but that doesn't necessarily mean they'd enjoy every single thing on the menu.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Allow skilled cooks to mess up now and then.</span></b> Of course this shouldn't happen very often. These cooks have to appear competent after all. But allowing them to mess up now and then can provide good character building moments. Are they distracted by worries or excitement? If so, they may accidentally burn a batch of whatever they're making. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Are they learning to make something completely new and out of their realm of expertise? Show that they are skilled enough to make good guesses when it comes to cooking this new thing(which could be an entirely different genre/culture of food) But also show them making a mistake that causes the dish to be lower quality than their food normally does.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Have them receive input from another skilled chef.</span></b> This can be someone on the same level as them, or someone more advanced. Even if the skilled cook's food is normally good, that doesn't mean they do everything completely right and could still benefit from another's chef's tips and tricks. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">To address the taste and personal preference aspect of this... If a professional chef dislikes a certain type of food, they might still be able to tell if it is well cooked or well prepared. This might not always be the case, but in some instances at least, the professional will understand the 'standard' for common dishes and judge the dish based on that criteria, rather than their own taste buds.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">So, yeah, just my two cents and observations on the matter. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Have you noticed this trope yourself? What are your thoughts on it? Are there any other cooking story tropes that come to mind?</span></div>
Autumn Graysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02725139473643379824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8202950935089924919.post-56191799816062962962018-06-05T00:58:00.000-07:002018-12-06T19:42:08.593-08:00Writing Tips -- Pros And Cons Of First Person Narrative:<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">This is a partial reboot of an old post from my tumblr, creatureofgraphite.tumblr.com. I decided to delve a little deeper into the topic of first person than that initial post did because I've found that first person is one of my least favorite point of view styles. Although there are several first person stories that I do like, it's still the POV I tend to avoid. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">This made me wonder what it takes to make make a good first person story. Unpacking what I like and dislike about first person POV sounded like a good writing exercise as well, so here we are.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">So...some cons of first person:</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><b>First person is, to an extent, less common, and thus a little jarring at times.</b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> While this tends to vary a bit based on the genre, as well as time of publication being discussed (the popularity of different POV styles probably ebbs and flows) other points of view seem to be a more favored now days. This is especially true when we add visual media to the mix. Most movies aren't in first person at all. If first person is included, it is usually only at certain parts of the film, rather than all the way through. So first person is more likely to feel a bit jarring, except for the readers that habitually seek out first person stories. Interestingly enough, first person is usually the POV type I see people actively saying they dislike or try to avoid.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><b style="font-size: medium;">Prose sometimes suffers, and we are less likely to feel like we're inside the character's head.</b> These are in the same section because they stem from a similar issue: With first person, it is easy for authors to fall into the trap of using 'I' sentences too much. Instead of simply reporting visuals or running through thought processes, there may be too many sentences that say 'I saw that' or 'I thought that'. It is very much like sitting down and having Grandpa tell a story. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it means a lot of detail is omitted and we are not given much detail on character thoughts. Now days, many readers want to feel immersed in the story, which tends to mean being in the character's head.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">'I' sentences are fine when used sparingly, but only when necessary. 'I saw a mouse sniffing at the open packet of food. I hated mice. They were always chewing holes in things so they could steal food and make messes for me to clean up. I grabbed a jar and stalked over to the table.' isn't as vivid as something like 'The rustling on the table was a mouse, sniffing at the open food packet. Nasty. Those stupid little rodents were always chewing holes in things so they could steal our food and leave their poop around. Where was that useless cat? Shaking my head, I snatched a jar from the counter and crept to the table.'</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">The second option sounds slightly better from a prose standpoint, and gives us a better window into the character's thoughts. Why? The first example has the narrator simply reporting actions and a few blunt thoughts. It also included a few unnecessary 'I' statements that could have been removed in favor of more description. The second example, however, is almost like the narrator is a better storyteller, able to communicate their thoughts more vividly to the reader.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><b style="font-size: medium;">First person narration presents a more obvious bias.</b> Bias is an important aspect of writing, but is often more blatant in first person. This isn't an immediate problem, but it can annoy some readers that prefer to form their own conclusions instead of having a narrator telling them what to think. This annoyance often multiplies when the reader disagrees with the narrator. Character bias is extremely realistic in a first person narrative, but it is important to ensure that the story is well suited to first person.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Obviously, the audience is going to form some of their own conclusions regardless. In the Emperor's New Groove, for instance, the viewers probably view Cuzco as selfish and bratty no matter how many times he describes himself as a nice guy. But this is fine because a story like The Emperor's New Groove works wonderfully in first person. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Yet, in other cases, stories are more fun when the reader/viewer can simply watch events unfold without feeling like a character is directly speaking to them and demanding they interpret things a certain way. This is a factor that should be considered when deciding on POV type, since it will affect the mood and audience perception of the story. Narrator bias is good, but shouldn't be used in a grating way.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><b style="font-size: medium;">Narrator bias and personality quirks should be present, but often aren't.</b><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>Imagine a dog chasing a cat around the neighborhood. That story would sound different based on who's perspective the story is told from. How would the dog report the scene? How would a cat narrate it? What about the thoughts from the human watching the chase? <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">A cat, for instance, might try to gain sympathy by talking about how upsetting it was to be chased by the big, mean dog, but intentionally leave out the fact that the dog only gave chase after being insulted and scratched on the nose. But the audience might assume the insult happened, depending on how the cat tells the story. The way characters tell their stories based off their personality and audience is a fascinating dynamic. The issue is that many first person stories don't do this nearly as much as they should. In fact, now and then, a first person story might be so lacking in these dynamics that some may wonder why the story wasn't simply written in third person or omniscient instead. If the story doesn't lend itself well to bias, that might be a sign that first person isn't a good POV for it.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Now for some pros:</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><b style="font-size: medium;">Done right, first person can inject just as much, if not more, personality than third person.</b> This is someone telling us their blunt thoughts, or at least the ones they are willing to share. And done right, these speech patterns can tell us a lot about the narrating character. This often means the author needs to have a vague idea of where and why the narrator is telling the story, along with the narrator's intended audience. Is the narrator a grandparent looking back over their life with regret, perhaps telling their story as a cautionary tale? Or is the narrator a sneaky criminal trying to paint himself in a better light? This can even be a fun way to enhance the story's lore. Is the story in first person because it's written in a journal? The fact that the journal exists in the first place can be an important plot point. What inspired the narrator to journal the story down at all? </span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">It's easier to portray a first person narrator as more biased/unreliable.</span></b> This branches off the previous point, but the unreliable narrator thing deserves a paragraph of its own. If someone wants to do an unreliable POV story, first person is often a great way to go, especially if the author wants to make it obvious, fun and quirky. The Emperor's New Groove is a great example. The audience knows that the narrator is unreliable because his words don't match up with the story's circumstances, and when narrators don't notice such discrepancies they've probably deluded themselves. While a similar effect can be accomplished with third person, first person unreliability is a bit different. At the very least, it makes the unreliability more obvious, and the audience is more likely to know that the discrepancies are a deliberate part of the narrator's character.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><b style="font-size: medium;">It gives the story a different feel.</b><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>Depending on how the first person aspect is used, it may make the story feel like an old classic like Where the Red Fern Grows. Or, the story may <i>need</i> to be in first person to accentuate the fact that the tale is the character's diary or collection of letters.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Overall, first person isn't a bad POV to use, but it should probably be chosen only if it fits the story and the narrative is developed in an entertaining way.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">So, yeah, just my two cents on the subject. I'll probably go through and make a similar post for each of the main POV styles. What do you think of first person POV? Do you have anything to add to the pros and cons list, or any tips for those writing first person?</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Thanks for reading! :)</span></div>
</div>
</div>
Autumn Graysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02725139473643379824noreply@blogger.com0