Current Events > Committing to a decision is the hardest part of writing.

(+) Yeah! (+)

I'm watching a video about cancelled video games and they're talking about how the programmers kept borrowing elements from other games they were playing at the time and how the lack of a consistent vision ultimately prevented the game from moving forward.

The other day, I rewatched Robin Hood on DVD to celebrate the 50th anniversary. When the film was over, I took time to look over some of the concept art. They had human characters in Medieval Europe, animal characters in Medieval Europe, and animal characters in the American Wild West. They also had an alternate ending. They decided on an setting and saw it through to fruition. But you can tell from the production that they kicked around a ton of ideas before making their commitment.

Right now, I have an outline for my story that I'm working on. But I have one of three options to choose for my protagonist's personality, one of three options to choose for my deuteragonist's personality, and one of three options to choose for my tritagonist's personality. I'm putting the cart before the horse too because I'm focusing on the second and third most important characters instead of the protagonist. The protag sets the pace, not the supporting cast.

Tldr
people reading what you wrote is the hardest part of writing

KanWan posted...

I feel like everything would fall into place if you picked who it is your protagonist first. Deciding between three distinct personalities for the protagonist would shift the entirety of the narrative in most cases >_>

It's said that characters who drive the plot are more interesting that characters who follow where the plot takes them. I'm sorry to say that this is a case of the latter. But I have a good reason for it.

If you look at The Wizard of Oz, the protagonist is a farm girl in an extraordinary world. If you look at the first Star Wars, the same is true of Luke. He's a teenager on a farm who dreams of becoming a hero. You could absolutely have a story like that outlined, then go back and modify the protagonist's personality to suit.

"What if Luke is a consummate gambler? What if he bets on everything and we use it as a sign of his immaturity which he must overcome?"

That wasn't a real consideration, but it wouldn't have likely gotten in the way of the finished film if it had become a part of the character.

I guess maybe it's just because there's not a specific example here, but I'm not sure how you even have "a character" if you don't have a personality for them? If you get what I'm saying.

The biggest barrier to writing is procrastination.

One of the forms this takes is overthinking every detail and part of the process.

Get down to putting stuff on paper and then do the editing afterwards.

ai123 posted...

One of the forms this takes is overthinking every detail and part of the process.

Big fucking mood right there

My flaw is that I hate showing anyone my work until its completely and totally DONE and even then I want to just throw it at them and run away with my ears covered.

For me its like showing someone your naked body or something.

Anteaterking posted...

I guess maybe it's just because there's not a specific example here, but I'm not sure how you even have "a character" if you don't have a personality for them? If you get what I'm saying.

It's like grocery shopping when you're hungry.

I have a base personality for the character, but everything I see sounds good. I see Top Gun and I feel the character should be cocky and competitive. I see Lady and the Tramp and I feel the character should be laid back and carefree. I look back to Spider-Man or Evangelion without so much as a rewatch and I think the character should have Spidey's quick wit or Shinji's crippling self-doubt. If I read a book, I spend the first half thinking of how much my protagonist is like one of the characters in the novel that I'm reading before I think, "Nah, that's not him."

This is probably a case where an impulse decision is the right choice to make. Because an impulse decision represents my subconscious hopes and desires for the character.

FortuneCookie posted...

It's like grocery shopping when you're hungry.

I have a base personality for the character, but everything I see sounds good. I see Top Gun and I feel the character should be cocky and competitive. I see Lady and the Tramp and I feel the character should be laid back and carefree. I look back to Spider-Man or Evangelion without so much as a rewatch and I think the character should have Spidey's quick wit or Shinji's crippling self-doubt. If I read a book, I spend the first half thinking of how much my protagonist is like one of the characters in the novel that I'm reading before I think, "Nah, that's not him."

This is probably a case where an impulse decision is the right choice to make. Because an impulse decision represents my subconscious hopes and desires for the character.

Yeah, idk maybe it's just the way that I approach writing but I feel like either I have 1) a plot sketch or 2) A fully fleshed out character where I want to see "where they go". In both of those cases there are dials that I can turn a little here and there, but e.g. in the plot sketch situation I don't think I can have a plot where it feels like the characters are driving the plot but where I could also just trivially change between Maverick or Shinji for that character.

Anteaterking posted...

Yeah, idk maybe it's just the way that I approach writing but I feel like either I have 1) a plot sketch or 2) A fully fleshed out character where I want to see "where they go". In both of those cases there are dials that I can turn a little here and there, but e.g. in the plot sketch situation I don't think I can have a plot where it feels like the characters are driving the plot but where I could also just trivially change between Maverick or Shinji for that character.

Everyone writes differently. I have an outline. I can make modifications to it based upon character changes.

Recently, I decided that I disliked the deuteragonist and decided to modify her personality. I highlighted everything I took exception to in red and realized that, if I excised all of those moments, she would drop from the number two spot in the story to the number four spot. I think I'm going to leave her with the personality that I didn't care for just because it's what suits the story best. There's a certain undercurrent to the story which she exemplifies.