Here's a question for the universe...

[nightwind69]

Why is that I can think up all of these complex stories and personalities for characters that hardly get any screentime whatsoever (Like, say, Snarl), but when it comes to writing one who gets a buttload of airtime (Like, say, Grimlock)...I got nuthin'. Seriously. I have taken about a squillion stabs at this Grimlock story, and NOTHING good ever

Comments

[synaltern]

*wonders if you, like several other authors, are actually capable of writing crap*

[nightwind69]

Oh, believe me, I am totally capable of writing crap! *laughs* Squeeing 14-year-old fangirls ain't got nothin' on me. The only difference between me and them is that I know what's crappy and what's not-so-crappy, and the crappy doesn't see the light of day.

[uguardian]

A little psychology 101 here...

The less airtime a character has, the more you can portray them however you wish, and thus the more you can develop and explore the character. This is what makes writing interesting in the second place. (the first obviously being sheer crack)

Also, the more airtime a character has, the more likely they will be depicted in different manners (ie, pre- and post- flanderization) or in ways that have already removed room for growth.

[nightwind69]

Yeah, I know. The "blank slates" are easier because I do can do whatever want with them and no one can say "boo" to me about it. Grimlock...not so much. Doesn't help that he has so many canon faces, even just in the original cartoon. Which one to use? Dare I try to stitch them together? Or do I just chuck it all and create my very own Grimmy-poo? (Which, of course, is what I want to do...)

[wyntir_rose]

Then write your own Grimlock! After all, I think just about every character is malleable in TF what with all the different canon sources. A fresh interpretation would be nice!

[nightwind69]

Yeah, I know. I should just get over it and light this candle, shouldn't I? Or write it, as the case may be. *sigh* I'll give it another shot tomorrow and see how I do...

I heart Grimlock

[jalaperilo]

I think Grimlock is a very complex character. Maybe i'm biased, cause I love Grimlock, but then again I absolutely adore about 90% of the entire cast of the G1 cartoon. But I can see where he can be very hard to write (Though I have not written him yet, I think its going to be difficult)

Its cause even though the writers may have been going with slightly dim, comic relief (Which was series three mainly. They made him wear an apron! Oh how I cry inside when I watch that episode) They accidently made him into a pretty deep character.

The way he kept challenging OP about leadership, his loyalty to his team and the rebellious nature he had when he felt that he was being used. And he was. and it wasn't just a plot device for one show! It was a long running characterisation!

I cant help but love him.

Also, is Wheeljack doing stuff FOR SCIENCE??? Squee!

Re: I heart Grimlock

[nightwind69]

Absotootly Wheeljack's doing stuff FOR SCIENCE! *insert fanfare here* *and a squee*

Grimlock is deep, and I love him just as I love the other four kooky kids...and therein lies the problem, in a way. The story that I want to write digs at a softer and very protective side of him that I've mostly-invented -- although he is on the 'toon sort of protective of the other Dinobots, so I say it's justified so there! :) -- but I fear that it just won't ring true for readers, given his characterization otherwise.

But maybe I just shouldn't worry about it. People have been very forgiving of "my" Dinobots, after all. And his canon characterization is...*ahem*...diverse, so what's one more version of him amongst friends, eh? (And Lord, don't get me started on the Season 3 Dinobots. That is the rant that does not end, my friend, and is indeed the main reason why I'm none too fond of the 3rd season.) Still, the uneasiness here is just kind of dogging at me, and I'm not liking what's coming out of my proverbial pen. Hate it when that happens. :p

[wyntir_rose]

I agree with jalaperilo on this. Grimmy is an incredibly complex character who has had a ton of interpretations. He's been everyone from Captain Caveman to King Grimlock to a battlefield genius. ... there's also the idea of him and the rest of the Dinos as a combiner, but let's not delve into the relm of pure crack.

I'm sure that Grimlock will let you tell his story when he's good and ready. And I'm positive that what you've written isn't crap.

[jalaperilo]

Dont even speak of THE BEAST! I refuse to entertain that that little comic was ever produced.

Oh, and Grimlock-love-high-five!

[nightwind69]

What, you think I haven't contemplated a Dino combiner? *dies* I have, indeed, but my thinking is that I do enough cruel and unusual things to them. I'll leave that notion to someone else. I see it in art; I'm really surprised it hasn't been done in fic. At least, not that I've seen...

And yes, Grimlock is stubborn and kind of...secretive. You'd think the secretive one would be Snarl. But nooooo! He babbles in my head for freakin' hours! Grim? I have to pry his mouth open sometimes. I think he's afraid of me... ;)

And *sigh* it IS crap, yes. One day, though, Grimlock will speak to me and I will be able to un-crapify it. At least, I live in hope that such will come to pass...

[wyntir_rose]

Honestly, I'm surprised that "The comic that shall not be named" was the first to explore the idea of the Dinos being combiners. But I am very glad that it isn't more pervasive. I like my Dinobots as they are, a lean mean fighting team of commandos ... wow, that sounds even more cheesy written than it did in my head ;)

[niyazi_a]

Grimlock's tough because he has so many different characterizations. It's almost like writing Bayverse--'canon' itself is schizoid and sometimes it's like a constant aneurysm to try to stitch this character trait together with this backstory bit and this other bit over here, and aaaaauuuuugghhh!!

But then again, I'm one of the queens of dragging in non-continuity characters just so I have a fairly clean slate for characterization, so I shove Barricade in TFA, write stories shipping two toys that have NO canon presence (Mindwipe/Skystalker), etc. It's just more fun that way sometimes.

Oooooor, I could just be lazy.

[nightwind69]

Yes, that's exactly it. The other Dinos are pretty much blank slates. The only one who comes close to being a "real" character is Swoop. And so...They're easy. For me, anyway. But Grimlock is an icon unto himself, and for some strange reason I have this fear of screwing him up. And the fact that he's been characterized in so many different ways is strangely daunting. You'd think it would make me less hesitant to just come up with my own thing and just add to the incarnations of him, right?

Well, no, instead I do indeed have this compulsion to stitch his disparate characterizations together like some freaky Frankenstein's monster. I don't know why. I really wish the compulsion would go away. If it it did, I could just write him, for pity's sake. :p