McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Opinions requested
meg_evonne:
I'm with Seekmore. You've got a character--(maybe/maybe not as Neurovore posted). The question isn't, 'is he interesting?', but whether his story is interesting.
I fear there isn't any character type that is especially marketable--only over done characters, but it is always the story, the hook seems to be what an agent is looking for.
In your posting I didn't get a 'hook' sentence. I'm not sure, if you had one--good or bad that you should post it. This is going to have to be your call. Maybe the fact that you are questioning his strength in your post, is your self-conscious telling you to not do it?
I've held the opinion that a good character grabs you by the gut and won't let you go--ever. If he isn't doing that, maybe he needs to be left in the drawer until something else gels in his story or his character to re-hook your interest. Remember you'll be living with this guy for a long time.
One exercise that might be revealing is to take your character and dump him in an unlikely setting for a short story. Do you still find him intriguing or is he boring the cr** out of you? I think finding a good character is harder than finding a good soulmate--and maybe, they are one in the same in the long run. LOL
the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
--- Quote from: meg_evonne on August 03, 2009, 06:57:49 PM ---In your posting I didn't get a 'hook' sentence. I'm not sure, if you had one--good or bad that you should post it. This is going to have to be your call. Maybe the fact that you are questioning his strength in your post, is your self-conscious telling you to not do it?
--- End quote ---
Maybe it's not a story that needs a hook. Maybe it's a story that needs a net.
Grabbing you with the first line is one way to make a book work. A first line that makes you want the seccond line, and a first page that makes you want the second page, and a first chapter that makes you want the second chapter, so you end up awake all night thinking you'll put it down in five pages' time, is also a valid way for a book to work.
BobForPresident:
--- Quote from: neurovore on August 03, 2009, 08:27:20 PM ---Maybe it's not a story that needs a hook. Maybe it's a story that needs a net.
Grabbing you with the first line is one way to make a book work. A first line that makes you want the seccond line, and a first page that makes you want the second page, and a first chapter that makes you want the second chapter, so you end up awake all night thinking you'll put it down in five pages' time, is also a valid way for a book to work.
--- End quote ---
I disagree. I think you're in the right part of the woods. Ya just need a flashlight. :)
For me the fun of the Dresden Files was never the magical goo-gaws or the political stuff (though that definitely added to the flavor), but it's Dresden himself that keeps me reading. He can't keep a woman. He lives in a bachelor pad with a dog and a cat. He rarely shaves. He loves Burger King. Sometimes he defaults on his rent. He's a flesh and blood human being with soooo much we can all relate to.
These traits are what make him accessible, and that's extremely vital in the fantasy genre. Reason being, I can't relate much to a guy who can throw fireballs and lightning around unless when he turns off the lights at night he's a bit like me. So my suggestion is tweak the character (though I suspect you've already given him some interesting character traits and just didn't mention them above) so that he's more accessible. Does he smoke (pipes, cigarettes, marijuana or your world's equivalent)? Does he have an old wound that acts up from time to time? Does he have family beyond those mentioned in the core of the story?
These things seem just like cinematic, surface stuff, but they can really pull your story along.
KINCAID ex cursori:
You might do well to go off the beaten path and just name the species, i dont know, anything, but stay away from the werewolf schtick.
A humble suggestion- if you intend to go with the lycanthropic stuff, then people will log it in with werewolves, unless you give a non wolflike explanation. All in all though, sounds like a good cast, if in need of a little refinement
KINCAID ex cursori
belial.1980:
I think you should write it and go where it takes you. Maybe just write a short story and see if he comes to life on the page. I've found that helpful and have learned things about characters I wouldn't know otherwise.
As a personal thing I'm not big on werewolves or supernatural hyrbids. However there's always room for a new spin. From my experience, writers tend to give hyrbids the strengths of both species and none of the weaknesses so they can have some super bad@ss (and often angsty) character. I recommend taking a different route and marking the character less adept than either species, but more versatile since he's got the abilities of both.
IE, his senses aren't as strong as a normal werewolf and he couldn't go to to toe in a fight with one but he could summon magic to help. Likewise his magic might not be as strong as other wizards, but he's got his superhuman abilities to fall back on that give bring him up to par. That route that could provide interesting challenges. Who knows, maybe he chases some high-and-mighty-wizard lord's black cat familiar up a tree. That could always be fun. ;)
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
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