tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post1839526401325675669..comments2024-03-29T09:30:44.859+00:00Comments on MOODY WRITING: Sympathetic Characters Part 3: Noble Soulsmooderinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-38208751534505047562013-02-12T16:40:26.152+00:002013-02-12T16:40:26.152+00:00@Al Diaz - Please do.
@Rusty - If only I put this...@Al Diaz - Please do.<br /><br />@Rusty - If only I put this much effort into my actual story writing...mooderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-10799307228450965652013-02-12T14:24:36.412+00:002013-02-12T14:24:36.412+00:00I think I like this installment the best of this s...I think I like this installment the best of this series that I've read so far... it really resonates. Rusty Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09887821877521181811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-62187854114733822402013-01-29T21:50:14.081+00:002013-01-29T21:50:14.081+00:00Excellent information. I will take it into conside...Excellent information. I will take it into consideration.Al Diazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08107619009321980764noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-60076251960746737752013-01-24T19:46:00.734+00:002013-01-24T19:46:00.734+00:00@CS - cheers.@CS - cheers.mooderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-43330829405190987382013-01-24T18:50:23.792+00:002013-01-24T18:50:23.792+00:00Great advice offered here. I was especially intrig...Great advice offered here. I was especially intrigued by what to reveal and hide from the reader about the MC vs. other characters. It gives me a lot to think about when working on my own novel. Thanks!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02433372760860510949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-60405177769590509572013-01-24T11:49:53.478+00:002013-01-24T11:49:53.478+00:00@Michael - I think it can be harder in some POV...@Michael - I think it can be harder in some POV's but still possible. Requires a little common sense thought, You can't have the first person narrator endlessly refer to something in his past and not reveal it until the last page, that would be very frustrating. But you can hint at something and foreshadow it.<br /><br />@Jack - YVW!mooderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-21717643432129979452013-01-24T01:34:37.480+00:002013-01-24T01:34:37.480+00:00This is good. I've been trying to get a handle...This is good. I've been trying to get a handle on a character I've been writing, and you just did it for me. Thanks! My character puts up a front for his friends, cracks jokes, smiles, acts fine, but when he's alone at night he chain smokes to calm himself and shakes. I think you've really hit the nail on the head with the difference between keeping characters in the dark and keeping the readers in the dark. Not too many people realize there's a HUGE difference. Thanks!Jack Dowdenhttp://100stories100weeks.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-37349320392761417612013-01-23T23:35:15.771+00:002013-01-23T23:35:15.771+00:00I wonder if some of these are harder to do dependi...I wonder if some of these are harder to do depending on what person you are writing in. I mean, if you're in first person, it may be hard to say...have the protag hide something from the reader.Michael Offutt, Phantom Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10557969104886174930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-75748362709639402812013-01-23T22:36:28.128+00:002013-01-23T22:36:28.128+00:00@Charmaine - getting the reader to empathise with ...@Charmaine - getting the reader to empathise with characters other than the MC is a sign of a good book, I think.mooderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-62826693514606353582013-01-23T21:19:41.268+00:002013-01-23T21:19:41.268+00:00I've ben a bit scarce online lately, but this ...I've ben a bit scarce online lately, but this is a fantastic post and now I must go read the leading up sympathy posts. I always feel most sympathetic with the characters that make the worst mistakes, usually the bad guy... or maybe that's empathy.Charmaine Clancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18059559142070140041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-4929236439719850322013-01-23T10:57:07.785+00:002013-01-23T10:57:07.785+00:00@Anon - no, but there are lots of fantasy specific...@Anon - no, but there are lots of fantasy specific sites that cover that sort of thing. Google will bring up a bunch.<br /><br />@Donna - Cheers, your comments are always welcome.mooderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-39365851148870385172013-01-23T08:24:57.004+00:002013-01-23T08:24:57.004+00:00Good points here. Sorry, I didn't comment on a...Good points here. Sorry, I didn't comment on all the posts but enjoyed them all the same.<br /><br />......dholedolorahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08715849844092553699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-35945031269975163502013-01-23T01:20:33.344+00:002013-01-23T01:20:33.344+00:00You give great advice! Just wondering... have you ...You give great advice! Just wondering... have you ever created an article on cliches in fantasy? I'm starting to write a book and I want it to be as original as possible.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-53715556416704980542013-01-22T22:30:02.642+00:002013-01-22T22:30:02.642+00:00@Elise - reluctant emotional attachment is a power...@Elise - reluctant emotional attachment is a powerful tool for the writer to use on her victims, er, I mean readers.mooderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-80511090905550040812013-01-22T21:17:26.651+00:002013-01-22T21:17:26.651+00:00I'm reading Anticipation of the Penitent by Na...I'm reading Anticipation of the Penitent by Nancy LaRonda Johnson. The mc in her novel has a big, horrifying secret. She hides this secret from other characters until finally she reveals the truth. Despite the truly awful things the mc is involved in, I still can't help but feel sympathetic on some level with this character. This is a book that I would normally never pick up, not my genre of choice, BUT I'm glad Nancy sent it to me because the characters are so well written, that I've found myself emotionally invested in this horrifying story and I'm less than 100 pages in. Elise Fallsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14734537117333738468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-61471527240903110422013-01-22T17:52:51.016+00:002013-01-22T17:52:51.016+00:00@nutschell - and they get extra mad at the charact...@nutschell - and they get extra mad at the character who acts selfless but really isn't. Always great to see that guy get his just desserts. mooderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-24603484238526125152013-01-22T17:42:27.414+00:002013-01-22T17:42:27.414+00:00love this series! Readers always go for the charac...love this series! Readers always go for the character who acts out of selflessness. <br />Nutschell<br />www.thewritingnut.comnutschellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10967710710805174781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-56780522897801579102013-01-21T20:01:12.673+00:002013-01-21T20:01:12.673+00:00@Michael - cheers!@Michael - cheers!mooderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-43477670211399779762013-01-21T19:42:00.579+00:002013-01-21T19:42:00.579+00:00As always, terrific examples for us to really GET ...As always, terrific examples for us to really GET THE Point. I like the selfless act getting punished angle. That is brilliant.Michael Di Gesuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17047267262428143113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-54791984768697100042013-01-21T18:35:19.225+00:002013-01-21T18:35:19.225+00:00@Alex - I think finding the right balance is total...@Alex - I think finding the right balance is totally a personal thing. <br /><br />@Michael - Sometimes I wonder if I'm just encouraging people to do terrible things...mooderinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01523337588830695638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-90277769851687897482013-01-21T18:29:26.061+00:002013-01-21T18:29:26.061+00:00I like this advice. It gives me direction in an on...I like this advice. It gives me direction in an online story I've been working on. I need to heap on the suffering! Thanks Moody.Michael Offutt, Phantom Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10557969104886174930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1061937348591302555.post-43717133418515315402013-01-21T18:14:13.560+00:002013-01-21T18:14:13.560+00:00I think I held back the truth about my main charac...I think I held back the truth about my main character a little too long in the first book. Then again, he didn't even realize it until halfway through the story.<br />Good advice, as always!Alex J. Cavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.com