Character Love

[scifishipper]

Hey writers! So, last weekend or so, I discovered a blind spot in my original writing. I realized that I have a significantly easier time writing fanfic because I already (and must) love the characters/pairings I write. So, that contrasts quite a bit with original fic for me, because I don't even know my characters, yet alone love them or need them

Comments

[scifishipper]

No, I'm definitely not talking about *love* as in wonderful shiny characters, but more the passion and devotion to writing a story that originates from "intense character interest". I think the passion you're talking about is what I mean...that the story needs to be told and that you don't stop until it's done. That is really what I am looking for, but for me it seems to originate from a spark of something intense for the character (what I label "love"). I don't know that I've struck that balance between my love for a character and the energy and devotion it takes to complete an entire work. The actual nature (good/bad/gray) of the character is irrelevant, it's the passion behind needing the story to be told that I'm looking at finding. *sigh* I am continuing to try. :/

Thanks, bb! <3

[scifishipper]

Yes! Maybe that is true...that the potential exists and I need to let them percolate and think about them more. It is true that my love deepens for my non-OCs through time thinking and writing about them. I need to allow the love to grow instead of insisting that it be present immediately. *stamps foot* ;)

((HUGS)) I am happy to be writing after that long hiatus last year. It feeds me and I am never happier. It helps to have successful, talented writers around to support me. YOU! :):D

[beesandbrews]

The OCs I write are created to drive my plots. But I always, always try and write them as completely as I can so that they come across as people rather than plot devices. Having said that, I don't know that I ever truly fall in love with the characters I write. I do get a warm glow when readers comment that they would like to see a character appear again or they comment that the character resonated or felt 'real' to them.

[scifishipper]

That is exactly the approach I used for a significant draft for my recent work and it ended up being rather empty and readers couldn't connect. (I think it requires a skill that I don't seem to have, alas!) Then by contrast, I wrote a longer fanfic piece that focused on the character, and it really shined and was very well received. It got me thinking that I really need to find the middle ground...not sure how to do that.

Thanks so much for commenting. :D

[beesandbrews]

Do you use the 'and then what happened?' approach when you write? If you do it from the viewpoint of the character, even if you're writing from an omniscient POV narrative, it tends to reveal a little more of what they're thinking and feeling and tends to make the character ring more authentically.

[scifishipper]

I have thoughts and feelings for the character, so I don't think that's the issue, but I am not sure that there's enough character "glue" when I don't feel a strong sense of the character. I am so character-driven in my writing that while I enjoy plotting, everything ties together so nicely when I have the passion underpinning. I guess, for me, I really need to feel the character love to write well. I would like that process to be different, but I am not sure it will work. I do think there could be room for balance, however, but I am not sure what it is. Maybe a little character love and a little "and then what happened" to carry things a long better.

*sigh* Still a work in progress, right? Writing is a tough business...