yukihimedono

What about “Curator” or “Concierge”?

What about “Curator” or “Concierge”?

What about “Curator” or “Concierge”?

What about “Curator” or “Concierge”?

What about “Curator” or “Concierge”?

My new mission in life is to one day start a scene, maybe even a story, with the word ‘Penis’. Thanks guys. We classy. 

How much time do you spend trying to create the Perfect Woman? She's brilliant, passionate and the life of the party. She can cook, clean, raise children and hold down a job with no problem. There's nothing she can't do.
It's a great thing to dream about but there's a problem – no one, even characters, are perfect. In any movie or novel you read, there is always some obstacle that the heroine has to overcome and these barriers allow the reader to connect emotionally to your character. If you start out with a perfect character then there's no place for them to grow with the reader. There isn't anything compelling them to follow your story and character, wanting to know what will happen next or will she be okay. That doesn't mean she has to have gone through some horrible situation but small problems can mount up, so keep that in mind.
Regardless of the genre there are eight basic heroines.
The Boss is a take charge woman. She demands respect and her goals are her most important things in life. She doesn't accept failure and she won't give up. She's a workaholic, confident, competitive, arrogant, and her attitude must be consistent with her behavior. Imagine how she would act in a situation – I use key words like the ones listed in the previous sentence.
Examples: Working girl climbing a corporate ladder, a pampered princess. Katharine Hepburn is a good example. She's played many 'boss archetypes' (Eleanor of Aquitaine in The Lion in Winter).
The Survivor is mysterious, manipulative and has many charms. She's street smart and her intelligence is always hiding behind a seductive smile but she always keeps her wits. She hides a very strong streak of distrust in anyone and it's second nature to size up everyone in a room the minute she enters. Cynicism guides her every action. Her survival instincts gives her the means to do whatever is necessary to come out ahead. She skates on thin ice and may seem more of a villainess than heroine. Eventually a hero comes who is able to see through the wall she built around herself.
Examples: Margaret Mitchell, who crafted the icon of a Survivor through Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind, Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct, Madonna in Evita, or Bette Davis in just about anything.
The Spunky Kid is funny, supportive, reliable, the All-American Girl. She's not looking to be at the top, just in her own little niche. She's the team player, always ready to lend a hand. She maybe a cheerleader but never captain. She doesn't have any enemies and plenty of friends. Her humor helps her through the bumps of her love life, "ever the bridesmaid" ring a bell? She's more comfortable to hang around the guys than dress up. She never runs away and can forget the differences between her and the hero if it can stop an escalating situation. She also worries for others more than herself.
Examples: Meg Ryan in Sleepless in Seattle, Melanie Griffith in Working Girl, and Janine Garofalo in The Truth About Cats & Dogs.
The Free Spirit is "original", playful, fun loving, acts on a whim and follows her heart, and not head. She sets trends and is always looking for new experiences. She travels through life with a hop, skip and jump always stopping to smell the flowers and admire the colors. She can be a little ditzy but is sincere and willing to help. She scoffs at danger and resists any effort to be pulled to safety, enjoying the excitement and would be high from the adrenaline rush.
Examples: Lucille Ball, Goldie Hawn, Jenna Elfman from Dharma & Greg, and Calista Flockhart in Ally McBeal. These women share sincerity and imagination, with a strong sprinkling of an impulsive need to meddle in their friends' lives.
The Waif is the original damsel in distress. Think Cinderella, Sleepy Beauty, Rapunzel. Her innocence evokes a protective urge from the hero. She has a tremendous amount of will and will endure instead of fighting back. She's pure at heart, too trusting and insecure. She seems untouched by the harshness of the world and is patient and adaptable to any situation. She'll carry on looking for the day she will be free of her suffering but takes little action to bring herself closer to that day. If she's cornered, she will take desperate measures when there is no other option.
Examples: Marilyn Monroe in The Misfits and La Femme Nikita (I guess I could see Nikita as a waif in the beginning).
The Librarian is prim and proper but has a passionate side. She's learned to lead with her brain and not her body. She doesn't wear revealing clothes and always has an answer, which can make her quite stubborn to others opinions. She's serious, efficient, and may have to overcome feelings of inadequacy. She's prefers a well-reason debate to settle differences, is practical and takes a moment to study the situation, trying to find the easiest way to safety. She can take care of herself but wouldn't turn a man down.
Examples: Shelly Long in Cheers, Shirley Jones in The Music Man, (wonderful movie), Ellen Barkin in The Big Easy.
The Crusader is a modern heroine who doesn't scream in fear. She's not a damsel in distress. She has a mission and marches over anyone in her way. This woman is headstrong, tenacious, keeps her eyes on the goal and brushes off any opposition. You can't calm her down or force her to do anything and she doesn't need to be protected. If you aren't helping her, then you're in her way – or even an enemy. So if she has to save or protect something, she's a crusader.
Examples: Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy, Lucy Lawless in Xena, Wonder Woman, BatGirl, Supergirl.
The Nurturer is not always Suzy Homemaker but she takes care of everyone else. She listens, is happy to see you, serene, capable, optimistic, calm, cool, collected and always has the answers. Her role is to take care of family and friends so anyone can depend on her.
Examples: Julie Andrews who played Mary Poppins and Gabrielle from Xena.
(Will eventually post the Eight Male Archetypes.)

In regards to the article, I agree with Desiderius and Dirty.  It was only 187 words with no real explanation of how to use Histrionics other than to say “don’t use it”.  (And yes, I actually checked his word count.)  Honestly, in my opinion, that article was a joke.  Just telling others that such devices shouldn’t be used is a little presumptuous considering there is no context to the advice being given.  The author does not know the degree of writing experience of his audience and does nothing to exaggerate on the meaning he is trying to convey, which leaves the readers confused and unsure of how or whether to use this literary device.  That would be like having a gay character not be flamboyant in any way or having a surfer not use any beach slang.  It also constrains the character and his/her actions within the work and, if a writer is attempting to create a realistic situation with real characters, then such actions like slamming a door or punching a wall or throwing a book would be necessary as they are real-life actions taken by real-life people.
Okay, I’m done ranting now. 

In regards to the article, I agree with Desiderius and Dirty.  It was only 187 words with no real explanation of how to use Histrionics other than to say “don’t use it”.  (And yes, I actually checked his word count.)  Honestly, in my opinion, that article was a joke.  Just telling others that such devices shouldn’t be used is a little presumptuous considering there is no context to the advice being given.  The author does not know the degree of writing experience of his audience and does nothing to exaggerate on the meaning he is trying to convey, which leaves the readers confused and unsure of how or whether to use this literary device.  That would be like having a gay character not be flamboyant in any way or having a surfer not use any beach slang.  It also constrains the character and his/her actions within the work and, if a writer is attempting to create a realistic situation with real characters, then such actions like slamming a door or punching a wall or throwing a book would be necessary as they are real-life actions taken by real-life people.
Okay, I’m done ranting now. 

In regards to the article, I agree with Desiderius and Dirty.  It was only 187 words with no real explanation of how to use Histrionics other than to say “don’t use it”.  (And yes, I actually checked his word count.)  Honestly, in my opinion, that article was a joke.  Just telling others that such devices shouldn’t be used is a little presumptuous considering there is no context to the advice being given.  The author does not know the degree of writing experience of his audience and does nothing to exaggerate on the meaning he is trying to convey, which leaves the readers confused and unsure of how or whether to use this literary device.  That would be like having a gay character not be flamboyant in any way or having a surfer not use any beach slang.  It also constrains the character and his/her actions within the work and, if a writer is attempting to create a realistic situation with real characters, then such actions like slamming a door or punching a wall or throwing a book would be necessary as they are real-life actions taken by real-life people.
Okay, I’m done ranting now. 

In regards to the article, I agree with Desiderius and Dirty.  It was only 187 words with no real explanation of how to use Histrionics other than to say “don’t use it”.  (And yes, I actually checked his word count.)  Honestly, in my opinion, that article was a joke.  Just telling others that such devices shouldn’t be used is a little presumptuous considering there is no context to the advice being given.  The author does not know the degree of writing experience of his audience and does nothing to exaggerate on the meaning he is trying to convey, which leaves the readers confused and unsure of how or whether to use this literary device.  That would be like having a gay character not be flamboyant in any way or having a surfer not use any beach slang.  It also constrains the character and his/her actions within the work and, if a writer is attempting to create a realistic situation with real characters, then such actions like slamming a door or punching a wall or throwing a book would be necessary as they are real-life actions taken by real-life people.
Okay, I’m done ranting now. 

In regards to the article, I agree with Desiderius and Dirty.  It was only 187 words with no real explanation of how to use Histrionics other than to say “don’t use it”.  (And yes, I actually checked his word count.)  Honestly, in my opinion, that article was a joke.  Just telling others that such devices shouldn’t be used is a little presumptuous considering there is no context to the advice being given.  The author does not know the degree of writing experience of his audience and does nothing to exaggerate on the meaning he is trying to convey, which leaves the readers confused and unsure of how or whether to use this literary device.  That would be like having a gay character not be flamboyant in any way or having a surfer not use any beach slang.  It also constrains the character and his/her actions within the work and, if a writer is attempting to create a realistic situation with real characters, then such actions like slamming a door or punching a wall or throwing a book would be necessary as they are real-life actions taken by real-life people.
Okay, I’m done ranting now. 

Wow!  Going to the link to see the entire blurb written, I would have to agree that this ‘advice’ does not apply ‘across the board’ and I don’t say that because I’ve used the ‘slamming door’ action to emphasize something a character just said.  I've also used it when that same character was alone but was so completely frustrated or angry there was a need to expend energy. 
I have hot-headed characters as well as those who hide that aspect of themselves from others.  Therefore, in private they react in what would be viewed as a violent manner to release some of the anger or even rage they feel inside.  For example, I have this one character who is viewed by most of the other characters as 'meek and mild' yet she threw a book across the room because she was pissed off.
I feel old cliche's do have a place in writings as long as they fit within the characters established personality and the setting they are used.  Using them does not reflect poor or substandard writing skills, in my opinion.

Well, I think the blog writer is not really writing for us as his audience. He’s writing for the really new people who don’t include much more to this than the drama queen door slam. We’re already adding emotional description and doorjam breaking.

His essay is actually pretty short, and half is a shill for his service. The meat is almost in this one sentence: “This involves punctuating the end of a scene with a physical action aimed at evoking an emotional response in the reader.” Putting all the emphasis on the door slam, the gun shot, or the choking of the pregnant Senator instead of the rest of the fight. Focusing on the violence of the scene instead of the meaning. Describing and showing the rest is a lot harder than describing the slam.

There’s nothing really wrong with the hint, but it’s a bit simplistic as written. Sort of like coming down hard on a drama queen slam, instead of explaining the whole problem in the scene.

I think that makes it a funny slam, because he’s written the same thing he’s complaining about. And it doesn’t do that much to make his skills look good.

...and As usual, TCR is late for the party!...  Everyone's gone...  Damn it…
From everything I've read, I'll probably end up repeating things here.  But...  Repeating is my middle name, so…
Honestly, I feel this whole blog editing advice is bull for this.  Ending it to make up for a lack of style?  Huh, wonder if anyone told King or Crichton or any number of other major authors that used a slamming door or other (as much as it wasn't used in the post) over the top actions?  If, and this has been pointed out, the character in question is naturally hot headed and prone to outburst, or even if they aren't but emotionally it has set them off in that way so it feels natural, then a slammed door is a good indication.
This isn't lazy or a lack of style, this is making a human character be human.  Humans are, mostly, emotional creatures, for better and worse, and, as such, react emotionally.  If it's set up that A has pissed B off to the point B is fuming like an erupting volcano, then have B erupt.  
That said, in my questionable opinion, it has to be set up properly.  Having an argument that reads like a pair of old grandmas having tea end with a door slam probably isn't the most likely…
That said, I'll stop rambling now.

It’s poor form only if there isn’t a reason to be slamming doors.  Teenagers do it all the time but I once saw a guy slam a door so hard it dented the frame and deafened the dude sitting just outside it.  Cliches exist because they are common and are not intrinsically bad, in fact they can be very good if the writer uses them correctly or plays with them.  In the above scenario, it was a very dramatic moment to all who witnessed it, but then it became funny when we found out the door got busted and a guy had ringing in his ear.  TV tropes has things like playing it straight, exaggerated, zig zagged, parodied, deconstructed, reconstructed etc.  How is balling fists less cliched than slamming doors anyways?

Okay, I need to talk about this because it made me angry. As things usually do when they start calling writers who do a certain thing ‘lazy’. 
http://inventingrealityeditingservice.typepad.com/inventing_reality_editing/2014/09/cut-plot-cliché-of-histrionic-exit.html
I somewhat agree with avoiding cliche plot things, but the histrionics? We’re advising writers to cut bold actions now just because they’re dramatic? People do dramatic things. Some people slam doors when they’re angry. The little gestures like the balling of fists is good advice, but telling the writer not to have characters slam doors just seems totally counter intuitive to me. And Ending a scene on that note, when appropriate, and when it fits the characters and the circumstances, doesn’t seem lazy to me. 
Can I get an “Amen”? Or a “fuck you clovey”? No, really, someone tell me I’m not crazy, please. 
Edit: plus WTF? Since when are we telling writers to delete relevant physical actions? 
Edit 2: This kinda turned into a rant, but it’s meant to be a discussion lol. I’m stressed. Let me be pissy. 

Feedback use to effect me and how I would write a story.  I had one work called ‘The Gates of Heaven and Hell’ and it ended up with two split timelines – one that the readers seemed to like then the one that I originally envisioned.  Needless to say that the “favorite” version was never finished.  I lost interest even though readers seemed to like it because I wasn’t as invested in that storyline as I was in my original one.  That taught me an important lesson.  I think it’s a Catch-22.  It’s hard to find a balance between what you enjoy writing and what readers will enjoy.  If you aren’t happy then chances are the work won’t see a conclusion.  Plus, you have those readers who are ardent followers of a writer and will read anything and everything said writer publishes.  My process is different now.  I tend to write several chapters before I consider posting any work, and most of the time it doesn’t see the light of the internet.  LOL. 
Saying all that, I do have one work where I have had lots of reviews and that has encouraged me to continue writing, though things don’t get put out there as much.  And I do work collaboratively with other writers and readers.  There have also been suggestions (some in reviews and some emailed to me) that I have taken into consideration and even implemented into the work.  I believe that it’s based on a “case by case” scenario.  There are some stories that you create and don’t want to see major changes and then there are some that you feel free enough to take those risks.  I think it depends on how you feel about a work as to how it progresses, whether that is the pace of your writing or the plot of your story.

Feedback use to effect me and how I would write a story.  I had one work called ‘The Gates of Heaven and Hell’ and it ended up with two split timelines – one that the readers seemed to like then the one that I originally envisioned.  Needless to say that the “favorite” version was never finished.  I lost interest even though readers seemed to like it because I wasn’t as invested in that storyline as I was in my original one.  That taught me an important lesson.  I think it’s a Catch-22.  It’s hard to find a balance between what you enjoy writing and what readers will enjoy.  If you aren’t happy then chances are the work won’t see a conclusion.  Plus, you have those readers who are ardent followers of a writer and will read anything and everything said writer publishes.  My process is different now.  I tend to write several chapters before I consider posting any work, and most of the time it doesn’t see the light of the internet.  LOL. 
Saying all that, I do have one work where I have had lots of reviews and that has encouraged me to continue writing, though things don’t get put out there as much.  And I do work collaboratively with other writers and readers.  There have also been suggestions (some in reviews and some emailed to me) that I have taken into consideration and even implemented into the work.  I believe that it’s based on a “case by case” scenario.  There are some stories that you create and don’t want to see major changes and then there are some that you feel free enough to take those risks.  I think it depends on how you feel about a work as to how it progresses, whether that is the pace of your writing or the plot of your story.

My mistake was listening to that editor, who was also doing a contemporary MF with some D/s tossed in, miles removed from my post-dystopian MM sequel. The characters were established in the first book, and it felt like I was supposed to rewrite them in the second book to conform to the other work she was editing.
On the bright side, I would up meeting a terrific photog in St. Petersburg, and using one of his models for the covers, so that was something.

Feedback use to effect me and how I would write a story.  I had one work called ‘The Gates of Heaven and Hell’ and it ended up with two split timelines – one that the readers seemed to like then the one that I originally envisioned.  Needless to say that the “favorite” version was never finished.  I lost interest even though readers seemed to like it because I wasn’t as invested in that storyline as I was in my original one.  That taught me an important lesson.  I think it’s a Catch-22.  It’s hard to find a balance between what you enjoy writing and what readers will enjoy.  If you aren’t happy then chances are the work won’t see a conclusion.  Plus, you have those readers who are ardent followers of a writer and will read anything and everything said writer publishes.  My process is different now.  I tend to write several chapters before I consider posting any work, and most of the time it doesn’t see the light of the internet.  LOL. 
Saying all that, I do have one work where I have had lots of reviews and that has encouraged me to continue writing, though things don’t get put out there as much.  And I do work collaboratively with other writers and readers.  There have also been suggestions (some in reviews and some emailed to me) that I have taken into consideration and even implemented into the work.  I believe that it’s based on a “case by case” scenario.  There are some stories that you create and don’t want to see major changes and then there are some that you feel free enough to take those risks.  I think it depends on how you feel about a work as to how it progresses, whether that is the pace of your writing or the plot of your story.

I agree it’s kinda on a case by case, IMO. 
@Tcr mentioned lack of feedback, which is feedback itself, however, the lack is much harder to discern because there’s a TON of reasons for lack of feedback, and AFF readers, in general, tend not to give as many reviews per view as other websites.  In the absence of reviews, the dragon print counter is the only feedback I typically have, so I kinda measure “interest” by how much it jumps after I post.  In the case I mentioned, I tried splitting a story, based on a setting change, and the dragon prints kinda hinted that wasn’t a great move, so I backtracked.  As @BronxWench mentioned, though, sometimes a revision based on feedback might not be best for the story (and in that case, editor feedback carries more weight than a reviewer).
So, guess the moral is to take feedback with a grain of salt.  Some feedback, like grammar or ambiguity can be better to heed, while others (ie. the mating pairs of characters) might be better to simply thank for the feedback but otherwise not worry about.  In the absence of feedback, that’s when you should consider soliciting another opinion before completely rewriting or even pulling a story.
That’s my $0.02 worth.

Absolute lack, nothing to go on.  However, when it comes to dragon prints, or lack thereof, I’ll use those as reason to look at something again.  I reverted a story split awhile ago because of it, and overall, I think it’s stronger if I look at it from the original point of view, a never-ending sort of thing.
 

I don’t change things due to lack of feedback. I just meander away, unless I stop. Stopping with me usually doesn’t have to do with whether I get feedback or not and is for lots of other reasons. I may feel like stopping, but that’s different too. So lack of feedback – no effect whatsoever.
I will change a story due to feedback. Not because of complaints. The things I’ve written, I’ve developed a pretty tough skin as far as that is concerned. People with complaints can take a running jump. But… if I’m getting positive feedback, and I can sense the readers want something to happen, and I don’t mind going that way/writing it/taking a minor diversion then I’ll do it happily. I let the Elrond story go into incestuous slash, and I didn’t mind that at all. I enjoyed it too. I did a lot of Torchwood stuff on request for the forum I was involved in back then. I’ve got a chapter lined up for the Ai o Juten story that was written on request for a christmas present for someone. I have changed the ending of my current story to make it happy, though I still intend to go to the dark place. That is NOT up for negotiation. The only time that didn’t really work out was for the S&M story. I tried for a happy ending there. But it was impossible. He just… went back. I mean, obviously, I knew for a while he would go back, but still I had to write it out. To show it.
Long story short. I like to make people happy who make me happy. In fact, that’s when I like fanfic best, because it feels like it’s not just me. It feels collaborative. I’m just the writer, but lots of people are having input into the story/stories (whether they know it or not), and it’s kind of magical.

Absolutely, lack of feedback makes me change stuff! Sometimes the change is as simple as pulling the story. Sometimes it gets more complicated as I attempt to read the minds of readers to figure out what the problem was. And seeing as how I’m a pretty shitty psychic, I end up changing a lot of things in a panic until the story is unrecognizable or just not what I wanted to begin with soooo either way it’s usually a terrible decision on my part lol. But doubt does that to me. Makes me make terrible decisions.