CloverReef

Haha.
it was supposed to say I enjoy the slow burn you got going haha.
I know for a fact that you could give GoT a much better ending than what we got.

Contrasts also work great.
If the world is pessimistic but the character is staunchly optimistic. Or in a world where everyone doubts themselves. That one character just straight up loves themselves. Humanity is so wonderfully diverse.
having characters answer existential stuff can provide that blissful breath of life that makes your character far more real.
A microcosm in an macrocosm.
Do we shape existence as existence shapes us?
Are we alone in the universe because we perceive ourselves to be alone in the universe?
What if death is as limited as life?
The question of I
The ramifications of the meaning of life being different for everyone
What if there is no glory in war?
The massive implications of single individuals decisions helping shape history. 
Why is apathy worse than death?
Etc...

How about things like struggles with addiction (Smoking, drugs, alcohol, gambling), is not good spouse but is a great friend and/or parent. Someone struggling to make ends meet yet is terrible with money that opens them up to exploitation. A crooked cop that believes the system is fucked anyway so they’re just going to look after themselves (or perhaps some loved ones). A soldier that enjoys killing a bit too much, but has learned to channel it to the battlefield.

So truckstop?

There are genderless nouns that could be used in place of a name if the name is unknown. “The stranger”, “The figure”, or for example, using a nickname, like if she described them as ghostlike, then calling them the ‘phantom’, or something more in line with the narrator’s personality. 

Sorry, I’m sticking my nose in late to the convo but I do love to hear myself type! 

We use homestead still up here, but generally for a single family’s place. I’d go with hamlet. I think we have another word for it but I forget! 

There are genderless nouns that could be used in place of a name if the name is unknown. “The stranger”, “The figure”, or for example, using a nickname, like if she described them as ghostlike, then calling them the ‘phantom’, or something more in line with the narrator’s personality. 

Sorry, I’m sticking my nose in late to the convo but I do love to hear myself type! 

There are genderless nouns that could be used in place of a name if the name is unknown. “The stranger”, “The figure”, or for example, using a nickname, like if she described them as ghostlike, then calling them the ‘phantom’, or something more in line with the narrator’s personality. 

Sorry, I’m sticking my nose in late to the convo but I do love to hear myself type! 

What you said makes sense. Characters are people, and people are not the same. I know a couple who started off as a one night stand, and have been together for twenty years. I know another couple that held off for years, and then broke up after having sex. My cousin and his wife rarely argue over anything, and all my neighbors do is argue.
I need to think in terms of what is right for the characters, and not worry about what anyone else has to say. 
Thank you. 

Well said! It’s tragic you were discouraged before, but it’s good to see you’re powering through and coming back to your art. 
It’s great to write for yourself, but don’t be too hard on yourself for keeping your audience in mind too. Of course you can’t please everybody: some people out there will never be pleased no matter what. But you can get to know your particular audience, and what appeals to them so you can have fun playing with their emotions. 

But for the sake of staying on topic… Of course I agree with the people who said it depends on the characters and the situation. I personally don’t mind having chars jump into bed immediately, as long as there’s a damn good reason and it makes sense to the plot. Personally if I have a promiscuous main, I’ll have sex from the start, sometimes even with the main love interest, but if you do that, you need to balance it with a heap of conflict between them to make that initial roll in the proverbial sack interesting. 
Good luck with your story, and don’t hesitate to ask more questions! 

Well said! It’s tragic you were discouraged before, but it’s good to see you’re powering through and coming back to your art. 
It’s great to write for yourself, but don’t be too hard on yourself for keeping your audience in mind too. Of course you can’t please everybody: some people out there will never be pleased no matter what. But you can get to know your particular audience, and what appeals to them so you can have fun playing with their emotions. 

But for the sake of staying on topic… Of course I agree with the people who said it depends on the characters and the situation. I personally don’t mind having chars jump into bed immediately, as long as there’s a damn good reason and it makes sense to the plot. Personally if I have a promiscuous main, I’ll have sex from the start, sometimes even with the main love interest, but if you do that, you need to balance it with a heap of conflict between them to make that initial roll in the proverbial sack interesting. 
Good luck with your story, and don’t hesitate to ask more questions! 

I’m going from being amazed at the guest’s detective skills to worried that their searches are going to get them on a watchlist somewhere. 
That’s like half of the user’s stories deleted for being copy/past/name change jobs now – feels like it has been a busy moderation week for you, BW!

I’m amused that my thread about flaws turned into a thread about redemption. Just to clarify what I meant by ‘redeemable’, it’s not so much that they kill some one and go off and pray it away. I meant more balance within their ongoing traits rather than a pivotal redeeming event in the story (which is great too). For example, he’s a killer, but he’s also really good at flower arrangements. He’s got a major flaw, but he’s also got a major strength that makes him likeable despite his flaw. 
My interest in this topic hasn’t waned mostly because my love for ugliness is going strong and I’m aware it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. I’ve gotten more than enough reviews that told me so. “OMG U NED 2 MAKE UR CHARS LIKEABLE STOOPID!!” And yeah. Of course I do. Mr. Murderous whoreyface is totally likeable, so I dunno what they’re talking about. 
As much as I intend to keep my chars flawed when I wanna, being aware of the expectations of the audience and finding some semblance of balance helps sometimes. 

I’m amused that my thread about flaws turned into a thread about redemption. Just to clarify what I meant by ‘redeemable’, it’s not so much that they kill some one and go off and pray it away. I meant more balance within their ongoing traits rather than a pivotal redeeming event in the story (which is great too). For example, he’s a killer, but he’s also really good at flower arrangements. He’s got a major flaw, but he’s also got a major strength that makes him likeable despite his flaw. 
My interest in this topic hasn’t waned mostly because my love for ugliness is going strong and I’m aware it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. I’ve gotten more than enough reviews that told me so. “OMG U NED 2 MAKE UR CHARS LIKEABLE STOOPID!!” And yeah. Of course I do. Mr. Murderous whoreyface is totally likeable, so I dunno what they’re talking about. 
As much as I intend to keep my chars flawed when I wanna, being aware of the expectations of the audience and finding some semblance of balance helps sometimes. 

I’m amused that my thread about flaws turned into a thread about redemption. Just to clarify what I meant by ‘redeemable’, it’s not so much that they kill some one and go off and pray it away. I meant more balance within their ongoing traits rather than a pivotal redeeming event in the story (which is great too). For example, he’s a killer, but he’s also really good at flower arrangements. He’s got a major flaw, but he’s also got a major strength that makes him likeable despite his flaw. 
My interest in this topic hasn’t waned mostly because my love for ugliness is going strong and I’m aware it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. I’ve gotten more than enough reviews that told me so. “OMG U NED 2 MAKE UR CHARS LIKEABLE STOOPID!!” And yeah. Of course I do. Mr. Murderous whoreyface is totally likeable, so I dunno what they’re talking about. 
As much as I intend to keep my chars flawed when I wanna, being aware of the expectations of the audience and finding some semblance of balance helps sometimes. 

It's been my experience that a character like this usually has something I haven't found out yet that will explain his crazy. By a certain point, the characters are pretty much dictating the story to me anyway.

I gotta admire the detective work.

I'm so glad you're in! Welcome back!

I now have a mental image of the Diablo 2 Sorceress’s lightning powers being harnessed towards charging a smartphone.
*Hits chain lightning*
*Phone explodes Samsung style.*
“Whoops! Too much juice there….”
 

Well said! It’s tragic you were discouraged before, but it’s good to see you’re powering through and coming back to your art. 
It’s great to write for yourself, but don’t be too hard on yourself for keeping your audience in mind too. Of course you can’t please everybody: some people out there will never be pleased no matter what. But you can get to know your particular audience, and what appeals to them so you can have fun playing with their emotions. 

But for the sake of staying on topic… Of course I agree with the people who said it depends on the characters and the situation. I personally don’t mind having chars jump into bed immediately, as long as there’s a damn good reason and it makes sense to the plot. Personally if I have a promiscuous main, I’ll have sex from the start, sometimes even with the main love interest, but if you do that, you need to balance it with a heap of conflict between them to make that initial roll in the proverbial sack interesting. 
Good luck with your story, and don’t hesitate to ask more questions! 

Well said! It’s tragic you were discouraged before, but it’s good to see you’re powering through and coming back to your art. 
It’s great to write for yourself, but don’t be too hard on yourself for keeping your audience in mind too. Of course you can’t please everybody: some people out there will never be pleased no matter what. But you can get to know your particular audience, and what appeals to them so you can have fun playing with their emotions. 

But for the sake of staying on topic… Of course I agree with the people who said it depends on the characters and the situation. I personally don’t mind having chars jump into bed immediately, as long as there’s a damn good reason and it makes sense to the plot. Personally if I have a promiscuous main, I’ll have sex from the start, sometimes even with the main love interest, but if you do that, you need to balance it with a heap of conflict between them to make that initial roll in the proverbial sack interesting. 
Good luck with your story, and don’t hesitate to ask more questions! 

Ikr? Been writing online since the dinasaurs and this was the only place I kept coming back to. 
 

Anytime, guys! I like to give credit where credit is due, and you definitely deserve it! Keep up the good work.
@CloverReef Yeah, when it comes to a majority of other forums out there (writing ones or not), a friend of mine’s was saying, “You end up needing escapism to get away from your escapism.”
 
 

Ikr? Been writing online since the dinasaurs and this was the only place I kept coming back to. 
 

Ikr? Been writing online since the dinasaurs and this was the only place I kept coming back to.