Search Results for: Writerly Sound Bites

Writerly Sound Bites, Number 16: The Gentle Hand – When Force is a Detriment, Not an Asset

~ Caroline Furlong ~ 14 Comments

Previously we discussed self-discipline and its necessity for characters who have great power, especially powers that are not physical. Today we are looking at a parallel track that also does not always require physical ability. Rather than study what great power is, now we will consider how much effort goes into jobs requiring finesse, kindness, … Continue reading Writerly Sound Bites, Number 16: The Gentle Hand – When Force is a Detriment, Not an Asset

Writerly Sound Bites, Number 15: Threading the Eye of the Needle – “With Great Power…”

~ Caroline Furlong ~ 12 Comments

In some discussions with friends and acquaintances not too long ago, I got to vent a bit about a topic which has bothered me for some time. This is the tendency for empowered characters to be leveled up continually to godlike power status (or close to it) and to show either very little or no … Continue reading Writerly Sound Bites, Number 15: Threading the Eye of the Needle – “With Great Power…”

Writerly Sound Bites, Number 14: Saving the World – What Does that Actually Mean?

~ Caroline Furlong ~ 19 Comments

One of the (many) issues with modern writing is the tendency of present-day authors to have their characters “save the world.” As one writer I know notes, characters in modern blockbusters tend to be given short shrift by writers as their adventures usually revolve around “saving the world” from something. But, as this author – … Continue reading Writerly Sound Bites, Number 14: Saving the World – What Does that Actually Mean?

Writerly Sound Bites, Number 13: Show, Don’t Tell – Actions Speak Louder than Words

~ Caroline Furlong ~ 1 Comment

It has been said that you cannot teach someone how to write characters and to an extent that is true. You can’t teach a writer about the characters who have taken up residence in his head. The characters are simply there. While characters can be and to an extent are people, they are easier to … Continue reading Writerly Sound Bites, Number 13: Show, Don’t Tell – Actions Speak Louder than Words

Writerly Sound Bites, Number 12: Emotional Continuity for Characters in Fiction

~ Caroline Furlong ~ 5 Comments

Crossover Queen had a thought-provoking post on her site about emotional investment in the characters of her favorite stories. This was spurred by the tumblr post here, which is interesting reading in itself. Both of them pointed out that plots revolving around “saving the world” and a “Chosen One” – as they are presently presented, … Continue reading Writerly Sound Bites, Number 12: Emotional Continuity for Characters in Fiction

Writerly Sound Bites, Number 11: Write What You Know, or Who You Know?

~ Caroline Furlong ~ 2 Comments

Mr. Haldeman’s statement appears rather condemning at first blush. “Write what you know” – what do you know? In the speculative genres, none of us know what space travel or Faerie is like. We can study the biographies of astronauts, but that does not mean we know, firsthand, what it is like to visit space. … Continue reading Writerly Sound Bites, Number 11: Write What You Know, or Who You Know?

Writerly Sound Bites, Number 10: Character Progression – What About Characters Broken Beyond Repair?

~ Caroline Furlong ~ 3 Comments

Per the sixth installment in this series, we have seen that characters do not simply break due to an “earthshattering event.” The eighth installment, which had to be split into three separate articles, went into detail about how characters broken by other people can heal from this trauma. Some rightly ask, however, about the Character … Continue reading Writerly Sound Bites, Number 10: Character Progression – What About Characters Broken Beyond Repair?

Writerly Sound Bites, Number 9: Character Progression – When Does “Interesting” and “Realistic” Belie Contempt for an Established Archetype and Personality?

~ Caroline Furlong ~ 10 Comments

Hermes, messenger of the gods As I mentioned in this Superversive Livestream here, archetypes are the frameworks or skeletons on which one builds a character. They are not the entire character, as Living Anachronism ably explains here, but they give writers the broad design and understanding of the character’s place within a narrative and the … Continue reading Writerly Sound Bites, Number 9: Character Progression – When Does “Interesting” and “Realistic” Belie Contempt for an Established Archetype and Personality?

Writerly Sound Bites, Number 8: Character Progression – How Characters Broken by Trauma Recover and Rebuild, Part 3

~ Caroline Furlong ~ 6 Comments

Brunhilde (Marvel Comics) Thus far we have looked at how children and men are broken and remade in abusive situations. It is not a pleasant picture and the road back is rough even for the strongest members of each demographic. Manipulation cannot be overcome in an hour, perhaps not even a year; it takes time, … Continue reading Writerly Sound Bites, Number 8: Character Progression – How Characters Broken by Trauma Recover and Rebuild, Part 3

Writerly Sound Bites, Number 8: Character Progression – How Characters Broken by Trauma Recover and Rebuild, Part 2

~ Caroline Furlong ~ 3 Comments

Part one of this mini-series within the Writerly Sound Bites series focused on characters who suffered abuse in childhood that affected them in a variety of ways. But that meant the topic was limited to the most vulnerable among us: children. Children are incapable of defending themselves and are thus dependent almost entirely on adults … Continue reading Writerly Sound Bites, Number 8: Character Progression – How Characters Broken by Trauma Recover and Rebuild, Part 2