tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post8862892246900950580..comments2024-01-27T16:10:28.502-08:00Comments on Tara Maya's Tales: Choosing a Character who Sees DeeplyTara Mayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09095632631554776002noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-7477957731836117642009-06-21T14:00:54.165-07:002009-06-21T14:00:54.165-07:00Ah, yes, philosophical characters... I must say I&...Ah, yes, philosophical characters... I must say I've only created one. Some of my characters are intelligent, of course, but don't sit around thinking about how things ought to be or should be or are. Some are stupid. Some glimpse into the philosophical realm, but that's never the focus. <br /><br />This is a great post. It makes me think about how my stories present ideas. Through the characters? Or the narrator? Or the plot? My one philosophical characters lives in an apartment filled with classical literature. He couldn't help but "think deep" and lend a hand to the larger themes of the book. :DMichelle D. Argylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09696465137285587646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-15882037351340522572009-06-18T20:41:10.110-07:002009-06-18T20:41:10.110-07:00of course, 'dumb' characters could just be...of course, 'dumb' characters could just be faking it... the old bait-n-switch routine<br /><br />all four could not remotely have the same pov... else you have three useless oneslaughingwolfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08873675614347328116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-74191504442958276412009-06-17T13:38:17.224-07:002009-06-17T13:38:17.224-07:00I had an agent reject a full manuscript because sh...I had an agent reject a full manuscript because she felt the protagonist was too naive. I'd had similar comments from beta readers, and am now determined never to write a naive protagonist again--too many readers hate them! You might be able to get away with it if the character has other likeable qualities--especially if he or she is very good at something. For example, I'm sure I'd enjoy reading about a socially naive character, if she were also intellectually brilliant. But not if she's clueless across the board.AmyBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02636921840451091870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-46530453506763039412009-06-16T22:34:52.118-07:002009-06-16T22:34:52.118-07:00I agree, I can't stand dumb characters. But I ...I agree, I can't stand dumb characters. But I suppose what many of you are saying is that there is a difference between dumb and clueless. Even an intelligent character can be clueless for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the reader has information the character doesn't, perhaps the character has a blindspot or flaw (hubris), perhaps the character is too emotionally involved to see something obvious.<br /><br />Granted, philosophical and action books require different kinds of heroes. I just realized part of my problem may be that I've stuffed my action fantasy with philosophers but the characters in my philosophical literary book (the secret novel) has less introspective characters. Since this isn't really the kind of story where people shoot at each other (ok, not *much*) I'm feeling the pinch.Tara Mayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09095632631554776002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-16761024521919988972009-06-16T19:24:08.955-07:002009-06-16T19:24:08.955-07:00Sounds a bit deep for my taste. Generally, I let m...Sounds a bit deep for my taste. Generally, I let my characters shoot things and if the reader sees more in the situation that's great.<br /><br />I probably put it there, but the characters are people. And like most people, they aren't given to sitting for days thinking about anything. They live their life as they need to and the rest is... hindsight. <br /><br />At the end of the book you should be able to look back and see some greater meaning. But I prefer not to stop the action to spell it out for anyone during the book.Liana Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14587774916354749190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-46039400393462214162009-06-16T18:54:22.403-07:002009-06-16T18:54:22.403-07:00I tend to go with a mixture of the two. I like it ...I tend to go with a mixture of the two. I like it when characters are bright people and notice the world around them. However, I'm a big fan of dramatic irony, when they're also blind to what's right in front of their faces and don't see when they're wrong or being hypocrites or whatever. ("or whatever," he said, showing how brilliant a write he really is!) My protagonist is a bit of both. But I also have two very naive characters that I dearly love.<br /><br />I also like to have the situations bring the philosophical issues to the surface, rather than the characters but you probably are already doing that. But it's also true that I have one character lecture another outright on the idea of the Great Chain of Being, and I have two characters sitting on a wall discussing meritocracies. So my most unhelpful answer is: it depends. In the discussions I mention, characters are trying to convince others to think their way, to support their ends, so I think it's justified.scott g.f.baileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05726743149139510832noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-24400858887521079822009-06-16T17:23:45.775-07:002009-06-16T17:23:45.775-07:00Hmmm...I think it depends. For example, in Narnia,...Hmmm...I think it depends. For example, in Narnia, Lucy's not the brightest of the bunch, but she's very perceptive. They need to be good at something--be it problem solving the plot, or identifying character traits, or something. They can't be 100% naive, nor can they be entirely brilliant.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11431700962951592287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-89392516430903181842009-06-16T17:00:17.366-07:002009-06-16T17:00:17.366-07:00For most of the books that I've enjoyed, I lik...For most of the books that I've enjoyed, I like discovering things along with my characters.Charlie Ricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02347938747849177632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37083420.post-3075231698331259822009-06-16T16:33:21.125-07:002009-06-16T16:33:21.125-07:00i'm gonna say, for me, it's 50/50 1. becau...i'm gonna say, for me, it's 50/50 1. because i don't empathize well with dumb characters. if i can see something a mile away and they are standing around going 'duh' i get annoyed but, on the other hand 2. i do like to figure some things out before the character does. maybe pick up on some foreshadowing the character is not yet aware of but realizes sooner enough on their own. anyhoo, that's just my take.Banhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15450115293974960761noreply@blogger.com