tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401296522737471037.post5744408055802128964..comments2023-12-26T09:58:45.306-06:00Comments on Writer Musings: Why Should I Care?Tabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17420910182752981979noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401296522737471037.post-1033212374202879502009-01-21T10:26:00.000-06:002009-01-21T10:26:00.000-06:00Not late at all. :)I haven't read HIVE, but I wil...Not late at all. :)<BR/><BR/>I haven't read HIVE, but I will go check it out. Thanks for the recommendation!!Tabithahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420910182752981979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401296522737471037.post-80425680699111856532009-01-21T00:38:00.000-06:002009-01-21T00:38:00.000-06:00So this comment is a bit late, but have you read H...So this comment is a bit late, but have you read H.I.V.E.? (Stands for Higher Institute of Villainous Education) <BR/><BR/>I read HIVE first and then Evil Genius, and I was disappointed. I wanted another fun super-villain story and I just felt bleh about Genius. HIVE, on the other hand was very involving and entertaining.Miriam Forsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08773194271144793485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401296522737471037.post-53819865298038837752009-01-16T10:49:00.000-06:002009-01-16T10:49:00.000-06:00Beth - yeah, not my favorites. The first is bette...Beth - yeah, not my favorites. The first is better than the second. Not as predictable, more character growth, etc. But still, nothing to write home about.<BR/><BR/>Carrie - if you read them, please share! These are definitely plot-driven books, but if you like Artemis Fowl then you might enjoy these. <BR/><BR/>Mary - introverts, unite! :) It's so hard being an introvert and a good writer...scary, actually. :)<BR/><BR/>Jacqui - good point. If the characters themselves don't care, why should we? <BR/><BR/>Christy - exactly! Gotta have well-rounded villians, too, or he won't seem believeable. People are people, not labels.<BR/><BR/>Lady Glamis - as long as the distance isn't a plot device, I completely agree. Especially if a close relationship was established early on.<BR/><BR/>Mary - LOL!! I've read some books like that too. Makes me wonder why I try so hard to finish *everything* I pick up. :) Anyway, if you're having trouble getting your character on the page, take a look at how much she's doing versus how much she's telling us what's going on around her. Action combined with her opinions may be all you need here. :)<BR/><BR/>PJ - so true. And if we aren't close to the character, we don't really know how much of them is in us.<BR/><BR/>Angela - thanks! :)<BR/><BR/>Merc - I think this is probably the difference between character-driven and plot-driven books. I've also enjoyed some plot driven books, such as JUDE by Kate Morgenroth. I didn't care about him as much as I could have, but the plot was so engaging that I didn't mind. :)<BR/><BR/>Marcia - I've always written in close POV too. And I SO agree on the originality, too. It's funny you mention it now, because I've got a post coming up that discusses this. :) One of these days, we're going to write the same post on the same day. :)Tabithahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420910182752981979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401296522737471037.post-90667056747806363132009-01-12T21:41:00.000-06:002009-01-12T21:41:00.000-06:00Interesting. I've never seen these books. I really...Interesting. I've never seen these books. I really agree that the reader has to live vicariously through the character, which is I think a big advantage of first person and third close. In fact, I've never written in a POV that wasn't close. I also think that putting ourselves out there in the MC (who may not be us but is always some aspect of us, I find)is a big key to originality. When you're honest enough with the emotion in a scene to nail it with just the right word, dialogue, action, you make that connection and with originality as well.Marciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10006966091789130047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401296522737471037.post-63872576362813437282009-01-12T20:37:00.000-06:002009-01-12T20:37:00.000-06:00Great post, and indeed, I agree getting close to t...Great post, and indeed, I agree getting close to the MC is important. <BR/><BR/>Some of it depends on the style for me, as I have enjoyed novels that are distanced from the MC (I'm reminded of Simon R. Green's Nightside series, which sometimes has Taylor a bit distanced and withheld from the reader, for all the world is endlessly entertaining), but in general I like getting close.<BR/><BR/>I have to work on this more; I went through a stage I felt all my characters were too emo :P so I started backing off, but that didn't help, and with voice changes (in terms of narrative/character voice) some of the characters just refused to show emotions without a fight... *sigh* It's an uphill battle :P but I'm working at it.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the thoughts on this!<BR/><BR/>~MercMerchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14164221022350926808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401296522737471037.post-42006445161829815682009-01-12T18:11:00.000-06:002009-01-12T18:11:00.000-06:00great post.great post.Angela Ackermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01808259088625142389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401296522737471037.post-60051374720484065372009-01-12T13:11:00.000-06:002009-01-12T13:11:00.000-06:00I think relating with the MC is huge for a reader ...I think relating with the MC is huge for a reader to really care at all. We have to see things in that character that remind us of ourselves.<BR/><BR/>BTW, I haven't read the books.PJ Hooverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02602205868934777662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401296522737471037.post-58529633966269224812009-01-12T11:33:00.000-06:002009-01-12T11:33:00.000-06:00Last month, I finished a book for adults that feat...Last month, I finished a book for adults that featured a protagonist I didn't much like. By the end of the book, I was happy to have gotten through it just for the sake of finishing it. I felt supremely irritated with the main character and glad to be shot of her. <BR/><BR/>For these past two months I've been working on an MG novel, trying to get it just right. I want to believe that my protagonist is someone readers will care about, but one piece of advice I've gotten is that her thoughts and feelings aren't always easy to read. This can't be me, though -- I wear my heart on my sleeve! I keep going back to revise...it all takes so much time.Mary Witzlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401296522737471037.post-59051487409545202932009-01-12T10:22:00.000-06:002009-01-12T10:22:00.000-06:00Very good post. Thank you! I think you are right a...Very good post. Thank you! I think you are right about being close to your characters. However, sometimes it is good to have distance in order to create suspense. But if the reader already feels close to the character, this shouldn't be a problem.Michelle D. Argylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09696465137285587646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401296522737471037.post-77328789597471942672009-01-12T10:04:00.000-06:002009-01-12T10:04:00.000-06:00true, I think that's why editors and agents make ...true, I think that's why editors and agents make a big deal about having well rounded characters. It draws the reader in more when we can relate not only to the portagonist, but to the villian as well. Or, even if we can't relate, even if we can understand why they do the things they do. . . <BR/><BR/>christyC.R. Evershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09034891037873664976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401296522737471037.post-25311908854409741082009-01-12T09:35:00.000-06:002009-01-12T09:35:00.000-06:00I haven't read those books, but I think you make a...I haven't read those books, but I think you make an important point, especially about showing/telling. I'd also add that lately I've read a couple of books where the characters themselves didn't seem to care that much, or pretended not to. It was very hard for me to care about those too.Jacquihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08277260387578439327noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401296522737471037.post-26815349270775710082009-01-12T09:19:00.000-06:002009-01-12T09:19:00.000-06:00Your post is a good reminder, especially for us in...Your post is a good reminder, especially for us introverts.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08049856273690606839noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401296522737471037.post-85612630562966685132009-01-12T07:00:00.000-06:002009-01-12T07:00:00.000-06:00I've been wanting to read this, and it'll be inter...I've been wanting to read this, and it'll be interesting to do so with these comments in mind. Having said that, I completely agree. I tend to gravitate toward first person because I prefer character driven books, although I realize that I'm just wimping out because you can do that with third too. ;)Carrie Harrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14893023777471521703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1401296522737471037.post-71430924627426489942009-01-12T06:27:00.000-06:002009-01-12T06:27:00.000-06:00Ugh, I'm so with you on the Evil Genius books. I p...Ugh, I'm so with you on the Evil Genius books. I picked up the second one by accident, thinking it was the first one, and never found it engaging enough to finish--which is really rare for me.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11431700962951592287noreply@blogger.com