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Monday, April 23, 2012

T: Terrible


Are writers terrible people? Perhaps. You can’t be easy on your characters and create awesome stories.
A good story isn’t one about nice things that happen to nice people. It’s about taking a character and putting them in the worst possible scenario. If your character’s worst day doesn’t happen at some point in the book, then maybe you’ve written the wrong story for that character.
So after you put your character in hot water, then what?
Make it worse.
Remember when it comes to characters, writers are terrible people.
If you ever think that you’ll make it easier on the characters, don’t. Keep the tension by increasing the problems and not taking the easy way out.
So remember be terrible and be a great writer.
Ps. Another reason writers are terrible people:
Two am, you’re reading a book, feeling so exhausted that your eyes barely stay open. You’re certain you’ll be a zombie when you have to wake up the next day. You plan to put the book down when you finish the chapter. Then something big happens to the character, leaving you scrabbling for the next page. All the way to the end at four am.
Writers do this on purpose! Ghastly, I know.
Happy writing!

10 comments:

  1. Lol, when you put it that way, writers really are terrible people! :D

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  2. I do sometimes actually sulk if a writer has been particularly terrible to my favourite character.

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  3. I loved this, are all writers terrible? I don't think so.
    All the writers I have come across here seem extremely lovley people.

    Yvonne.

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  4. LOL, I hadn't thought about it this way, but it does make me feel like a bit of a sadist when I make my characters more miserable all the time. It's a little bit too much fun. Great T post! :)

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  5. I know, right? My hubby complains all the time about the conflict in books. lol

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  6. Terrific!
    http://bethlapinsatozblog.wordpress.com

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  7. haha, i have had this discussion before--it's a good one!

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  8. I feel bad being so mean to my MC. After all, he's such a nice boy. But it's gotta be done. bwahaha!

    Margot
    Inklings @ margothovley.com

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  9. A writer's gotta do what a writer's got to do!

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  10. It's all very criminal, indeed.

    Lucy

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