Why did this work?

IReidandWrite · Mar 3, 2009

I had long believed two of my characters, at different stages of writing, to be unwritable. I finally got 'em working. I also believed them to be completely....un....um....Not unloving, but unlucky in love.

My solution?

Make the two of them gay. I don't know why that worked.

But now I seem to write them better.

Sadly, they're not together. I'll leave that to the ficwriters.

Why did that work?

tehuti88 · Mar 3, 2009

Because that's what they were all along, you just didn't consciously realize it yet?

That's often the case with my own characters. I kept trying to settle one of my characters down into a stable relationship and he would never stay, no matter how decent I made it. I finally got him settled down into a relationship...which is very chaotic and abusive and unbalanced. But he's staying in it. Go figure. No wonder he wouldn't settle down into a nice calm relationship--I guess chaos is what he wanted all along!

I also have a character who turned out to have DID (multiple personality disorder), which I hadn't at first realized even though I'd been writing him that way all along, and when I found this out a LOT suddenly made sense.

Clair Dickson · Mar 3, 2009

Probably because of how you view the world? Maybe you couldn't figure out why the characters were acting as they did (esp. the unlucky at love)? Maybe they seem likable enough to you) so you came up with a reason that made the characters more complete for you?

I find it extremely difficult to write characters when I don't understand what motivates them.

And, honestly, I don't have a clue what's motivating you to ask such a question with so little information. I don't know why you think some random person on this forum will have the ability to see into your mind... but best of luck. Hope you find the answer you're looking for.

IReidandWrite · Mar 3, 2009

Clair Dickson said:
Probably because of how you view the world? Maybe you couldn't figure out why the characters were acting as they did (esp. the unlucky at love)? Maybe they seem likable enough to you) so you came up with a reason that made the characters more complete for you?

I find it extremely difficult to write characters when I don't understand what motivates them.

And, honestly, I don't have a clue what's motivating you to ask such a question with so little information. I don't know why you think some random person on this forum will have the ability to see into your mind... but best of luck. Hope you find the answer you're looking for.

Yeah, for some reason I have always been quite vague about my forum posts. I'm working on that.

But, it's like....I had no interest in writing them. I wonder if it's because they WEREN'T complete. They had no relationships, nothing to make them human. Sure, they interacted with others, but no truly personal interactions. They were just kinda there...And now they're at least a little easier to write for.

tehuti88 · Mar 3, 2009

I just got the impression the OP was more curious about our opinions and possibly personal experiences on the matter (which I myself found interesting, too), rather than asking us to read their mind, but that's just me and I'm naive that way. *shrug*

Wayne K · Mar 3, 2009

I don't know what your feelings about gay men are, good, bad or otherwise, so it's hard to say what makes you write the way you do about them. Stop questioning it and write.

Dave.C.Robinson · Mar 3, 2009

It worked because it gave you a way to approach the characters.

MumblingSage · Mar 3, 2009

Project nachonaco said:
I had long believed two of my characters, at different stages of writing, to be unwritable. I finally got 'em working. I also believed them to be completely....un....um....Not unloving, but unlucky in love.

My solution?

Make the two of them gay. I don't know why that worked.

But now I seem to write them better.

Sadly, they're not together. I'll leave that to the ficwriters.

Why did that work?

Mystical of me, but I guess I agree with Tehuti. Sometimes characters just work a certain way, and they refuse to work any other way (I have two male characters who are probably soul mates, but are unfortuantly straighter than slide rules). I'm glad to hear you overcame that hurdle, though. And now you have fangirl appeal!

IReidandWrite · Mar 4, 2009

MumblingSage said:
Mystical of me, but I guess I agree with Tehuti. Sometimes characters just work a certain way, and they refuse to work any other way (I have two male characters who are probably soul mates, but are unfortuantly straighter than slide rules). I'm glad to hear you overcame that hurdle, though. And now you have fangirl appeal!

Are there even other yuri fangirls out there?

I thought it was just me....

(I am a proud Kigo shipper....Kim/Shego, from Kim Possible. Hee.)

MumblingSage · Mar 4, 2009

Meh, I'm a yaoi fangirl myself, sorry to disappoint. But I know you aren't alone--I've met some of your, what would you call them, fansisters

?--on some other forums. The oens I know seem to congregate around Tamora Pierce.

CarnalPIE · Mar 4, 2009

tehuti88 said:
I also have a character who turned out to have DID (multiple personality disorder), which I hadn't at first realized even though I'd been writing him that way all along, and when I found this out a LOT suddenly made sense.

MAJOR kudos just for using the correct term! (D.I.D.) My exwife has it and I can't tell you how annoying it is when people confuse it with schizophrenia or (less annoying) use the archaic term "multiple personalities." D.I.D. is probably the single most misunderstood disorder out there so I'm glad to see some people getting at least the basics right.

Atari · Mar 4, 2009

Project nachonaco said:
Are there even other yuri fangirls out there?

I thought it was just me....

(I am a proud Kigo shipper....Kim/Shego, from Kim Possible. Hee.)

Did somebody say yuri fangirls? I now belong in this thread. >=D

elae · Mar 5, 2009

Atari said:
Did somebody say yuri fangirls? I now belong in this thread. >=D

Just what I was about to say~ XD

And i definitely read a lot of Tamora Pierce as a kid. I guess it was a sign.

MumblingSage · Mar 5, 2009

I wonder where one might start a yuri (or yaoi) fangirl thread on this site?

Hopefully not the erotica subforum...

MAJOR kudos just for using the correct term! (D.I.D.) My exwife has it and I can't tell you how annoying it is when people confuse it with schizophrenia or (less annoying) use the archaic term "multiple personalities." D.I.D. is probably the single most misunderstood disorder out there so I'm glad to see some people getting at least the basics right.

Agreed. While I don't have any experiance with D.I.D., I personally get extremely frustrated when people confuse Manic Depressive/Bipolar disorder with multiple personalities, or with mood swings (I realize some people do swing from mania to depression in a matter of hours, but normally it takes much longer, and I don't think it ever happens in a few seconds). It kind of makes me wish abnormal psychology was a standard part of curriculum.

Why did this work?

IReidandWrite

tehuti88

Mackinac Island Fanatic

Clair Dickson

A dark core to every cloud

IReidandWrite

tehuti88

Mackinac Island Fanatic

Wayne K

Dave.C.Robinson

... with the High Command

MumblingSage

Inarticulate Herb

IReidandWrite

MumblingSage

Inarticulate Herb

CarnalPIE

... instead I sleep.

Atari

elae

time to draw

MumblingSage

Inarticulate Herb