dinuriel
Full Member
Torturing characters? Me? Nooo...
Posts: 374
|
Post by dinuriel on Mar 3, 2011 12:27:22 GMT -5
...and then what?
How do you approach relationships in general, the dynamic between two given characters? How do you feel writing a scene between two characters who have never met? Or how about two characters who have met, but who you've never written together before? Or what if you throw in a third wheel? Do they sometimes surprise you? What if you have a large cast of characters--how do you keep all the key relationships unique?
|
|
|
Post by thelunarfox on Mar 3, 2011 12:48:33 GMT -5
Wow you really delivered! I was just thinking about characters this morning. It's sort of an amazing thing to think about. Characters interact without much prodding from me. They sort of bump into each other in scenes in my head and go from there. Like I've run across a girl who has a crush on one of the last characters I'd think you'd have a crush on as you got to know him. And that surprised me. Where the hell did that come from? How am I going to tease that out of her? It sort of makes me panic, and then when another scene pops into my head, there she is doing her thing, showing me exactly how it will work and handing me clues as to why she feels this way. Where the hell does this come from? It is a little crazy when I think about it. Personally, I try not to have too large a cast of characters so that key relationships shine. But that's just because that's my own strength/weakness. Some people are great at large casts. I know I'm not, lol.
|
|
|
Post by rad on Mar 3, 2011 12:56:50 GMT -5
Oooh, gosh, what a great discussion prompt. I will have to think about this one though.
|
|
|
Post by mdpthatsme on Mar 3, 2011 16:22:37 GMT -5
I think it always rests on which characters? Some of mine are way more outgoing than others. If we had two shy characters side glancing at each other until one of them got brave or an onlooker steered them the right direction, the scene could take a while. What conflict is going on in the story? Because if we're in the character's thoughts and he or she just had a huge fight with a friend/family member, where's their head? It could be a pretty complicated set up or it could just the opposite. Depends on the writer too I guess. Have I made sense?
|
|
|
Post by laura on Mar 3, 2011 16:51:12 GMT -5
Oooh! Dynamics between characters has to be my favorite part of writing stories, I think! And it's usually the thing that sparks a great story idea for me, seeing two or more characters and how they mesh or conflict with each other.
As far as large casts of characters, I agree with Lunar, and I try to keep each scene or chapter focused on one or two specific relationships. Though as a whole, my books juggle probably 5-10 different relationship combinations, and whoa, LH has probably many dozens, lol!
But how to keep key relationships unique? I truly couldn't explain how it happens. They really are like little people living in my head, they have their own quirks and ambitions, likes and dislikes, annoyances. Some of them like each other and some of them don't, and some of them don't know if they like or hate each other, lol!
And each of the relationships do feel truly unique, to me at least. Whether it be romantic or platonic, they each give and take something completely different than any other pair. No two friendships feel alike, and no two romances feel alike either.
But as far as *how* it happens. Man, I don't know. They seriously just start talking, and all I do is write it down.
|
|
|
Post by raquelaroden on Mar 4, 2011 6:18:51 GMT -5
I think...well, a lot of times, the way characters meet just occur to me in scenes in my head. I ponder them for a while before I write them, and try to work out whether or not it would really happen the way I'm imagining it before I actually write anything. If they pass that initial test, I write it and see if it still works.
But sometimes, the way characters meet is driven mostly (or at least heavily influenced) by what I'm trying to accomplish with the plot. For instance, in the first story of my series, Ed and Sean's meeting is one of those scenes that simply occurred to me, but when Ed met Iris (and even when Ed met Nick), it was dictated mostly by the plot--it helped tell me when they'd meet, and under what circumstances, etc..
|
|
|
Post by rad on Mar 4, 2011 10:48:35 GMT -5
I'm thinking I might turn this into a prompt to play around with my characters, maybe imagine what'd happen if characters who will never meet in the actual stories did get together...
|
|
dinuriel
Full Member
Torturing characters? Me? Nooo...
Posts: 374
|
Post by dinuriel on Mar 4, 2011 14:17:57 GMT -5
Oooh, a prompt would be a good idea, Rad I can't really say much about how I work with the relationships in my stories. The characters just sort of work that out for themselves. But they all feel unique to me, even if with so many characters, some are bound to be similar. Thanks for sharing all your insights, everyone
|
|
|
Post by mdpthatsme on Mar 4, 2011 21:23:19 GMT -5
I'm thinking I might turn this into a prompt to play around with my characters, maybe imagine what'd happen if characters who will never meet in the actual stories did get together... That is great!!! Wondering which two I'd put together...Vaiden and Nova?!?!?!? That would be hilarious!
|
|
|
Post by drew on Mar 5, 2011 10:07:40 GMT -5
Interesting question. I am in the minority, I take the shots first (I think Carla and Jennifer take shots first, could be wrong, not sure about anyone else) with only a vague idea what a scene is going to be, then I write to fit the shots. I did a scene with two guys talking out on a porch, I thought they would be discussing women, but as I was writing, suddenly, one of the characters divulged a dark, deep secret. And I just went from there. Now it will be affecting some up coming plots, and I am so glad I did it. So yes, I was surprised. Didn't plan it, just happened. Love when that happens. Actually I like doing the 'sitting around the table shooting the shite' scenes. I find writing conversations fascinating. And I have a large cast of characters, and I have no idea if they are unique. Hope so. Sometimes I go back and look at previous scenes to make sure I stay true to the character and his voice~
|
|
dinuriel
Full Member
Torturing characters? Me? Nooo...
Posts: 374
|
Post by dinuriel on Mar 5, 2011 13:04:21 GMT -5
I take the shots first too (well, except for with Orbis Umbra, where I like to shoot while writing). My game is so limited with only base interactions and none of the EP-required poseboxes that I figure it would be very difficult to take the sort of pictures I have in mind after the fact. Also, I like preview pictures, and I'm not going to sit on a whole post just so I can show a preview picture--I'm very much a "post it the second it's done" sort of girl.
But yeah, stuff like that has happened to me too--characters talking about one thing when I shoot and then another when I write.
|
|
|
Post by jennifer on Mar 6, 2011 3:01:03 GMT -5
Yep, I take the shots first as well. I've tried the other way but that's not how I started out writing sims stories and I'm not a big writer in RL anyway so it works for me.
Relationships of my characters all depends on how they react in game together, since I actually play the sims that are the characters in my story. Depends on their traits, whether they've met before, are friends already. I generally go with the 'wants' they roll too. Sometimes. If I don't like how it's working out, if there is no spark between them then I'll push them to go another way.
When I first started writing The Drifter I would only focus on two characters (one relationship) at a time because I felt nervous writing and taking shots for more than one story line or relationship. I didn't think I could handle it. But now I feel quite confident and sometimes I'll feature three story lines in the one chapter. It chops and changes though. Depends on where the characters are in their lives and what is happening to them or has happened.
Sometimes I already have plans for a character and I'll create someone especially for them and then work the love magic potion (lol) on them both. I do still find it difficult at the start though, getting characters together, you know, in text. The build up for me I find tough. It's either, wham bam thank you mam - they've found their sole mate, or just get it on already! lol
|
|
|
Post by sb on Mar 6, 2011 10:41:15 GMT -5
I find it easier to get two characters together when I have a third character onsite. It's hard for me to get into the dialog without getting too dramatic or needing a lot of narrative, and I'm not very good at narrative writing, so using a third person's perspective seems to open up the situation.
I never use game wants. If two characters just can't stand each other, we don't force it, but I don't think we've tried that in years. I've done the shots first, but rarely, and only when I can't 'see' where they are, and only for a couple of shots. It never works for me. I always have to go back and take a lot more shots. Every paragraph is mapped out before I even load the game. We usually hang more tinsel on the writing after the shots are taken and put in place, but we write it first. I can't plot on the fly and I am really paranoid about tangents. That 'great idea' that suddenly comes to me is usually a lousy idea.
I'm in awe of writers who can manage a ton of characters and plots at the same time. It's so hard to keep the momentum going when you're juggling a bunch of different threads. I don't like including more than one in an update, partly because I don't like long chapters and partly because I feel like it dilutes the emotional impact if we switch around. Right now we've got several going and it is definitely hard to do.
|
|
|
Post by heredoncove on Mar 11, 2011 13:45:26 GMT -5
I've been meaning to answer this thread for awhile because it's such a good question.
When I think of dynamics between characters I try to focus on what those characters bring out of each other, how do they play off of each others personalities. I feel like it's the most realistic thing to do because in real life you wear different hats with different friends, family members, etc.
I was having an issue writing a meeting between Dina and Nina because they were both being so vicious to each other and I didn't think they had it in them. I finally had to think and realize that maybe that's what they bring out of each other in my story, that I shouldn't try to control that.
For Sims that have met in game but haven't been featured I try to reveal some history behind the relationship, minor facts of how they've met and what they are to each other.
|
|
|
Post by mdpthatsme on Mar 12, 2011 14:53:02 GMT -5
I have made a prompt for this in the Exercises thread on behalf of Rad and dinuriel.
|
|
|
Post by Velvet on Mar 12, 2011 19:21:57 GMT -5
This question stumped me for a bit. I had to take some time to figure it out, just to realize that I've never really dealt with characters who don't know each other. Not really, I did a legacy kind of story a few years back and that was the only time I've ever got two characters together that did not know each other before the story's beginning. Wow! Talk about mind bending. Somehow I've always seemed to start a story in the middle of the action. My characters have known or known of every single person in their lives and I'm beginning to wonder if that's a good thing! Hmmm....quite a pickle for me.
With sim stories, I always take the shots first. Yet, it's somewhat after because I'm writing the story in my head as I go along. If that makes any sense. When it's time for me to make up the story board etc I just plop down the words for the most part. There are times when I have to go back and grab a few more shots to fit any additional dialogue or whatever. Again, I'm a little stunned at myself.
Now there's nothing doing except I'll have to see if I can write a meeting between two strangers.
Dinuriel, you ask the most interesting questions!
|
|
|
Post by scrim256 on Mar 16, 2011 4:23:49 GMT -5
The bar thing literally happened in one of my stories, and how it unfolds is just like raquelaroden says, mostly driven of the story. This is one thing that seems easy part for me on how each characters would engage in a conversation to start a relationship. Back to my sharing, the story ends up with my one character can't pay for his drink and the other one offered to pay his drinks, and so on and so on.
Dynamic relationships whether platonic or romantic is like mixing different condiments. each combination would produce a different flavor. shy and outgoing might end up with the outgoing trying to bully the shy in a friendly way. shy and cool character might end up with the shy character admiring or bieng inspired by the cool. Of course this would depend on how the writer imagines his character.
|
|
|
Post by muzegoddess on Mar 18, 2011 8:21:51 GMT -5
This is a great topic that I really need to give more thought to in general. I would have to say that, like Laura, my characters kind of just start talking in my head and that is how encounters happen. At the root I do always have a general plot planned but most of the time specific interactions seem to take on a life of their own. They rarely stray very far from what I was initially thinking but the dynamic of the characters in question can add or change a few of the initial thoughts I might have had for a particular scene.
Rad's idea of using this as a prompt is one I am definately going to try, especially throwing in a third wheel. I tend to find myself only using, at most, two points of view and that addtional viewpoint could really deepen the encouter a lot.
|
|
|
Post by mmmcheezy225 on Jul 7, 2011 14:13:44 GMT -5
When I think of dynamics between characters I try to focus on what those characters bring out of each other, how do they play off of each others personalities. I feel like it's the most realistic thing to do because in real life you wear different hats with different friends, family members, etc. This is what I try to bring into my stories as well. For instance, I have two sims in my story that will probably never meet, or they will meet, but they won't be very friendly towards each other. One sim is famous, vain, and has a tendency to be overly dramatic and loud, whereas the other sim is "common", very reserved, and quite easily frightened by loud noises and the like. They would never meet because they have two different "classes" and two different personalities, thus making it likely that they'll never run into each other. But by the off-chance that they do, they would definitely clash personality-wise.
|
|
Jennifer
New Member
Live, Laugh, Love
Posts: 2
|
Post by Jennifer on Jul 7, 2011 15:05:29 GMT -5
I also take my pictures first, but from that comes so much. I have an entire story line that was built upon me sending a female sim to a bar where she met a bartender that happened to have the elf ears. From that she became the prophesied mother of the next queen of an elf realm called Vasadori on the brink of destruction. I've always been the kind of person to question every single possible angle of a situation ( a trait that can be a bit annoying for some people sometimes . So most of my characters' interactions with each other come from me questioning why little sim idiosyncrasies are important. And after the initial idea about an elven war and prophecies was formed, I just took it and ran with it and it's become it's own separate story. I've always wished I could sit down and just write a story. I've attempted this before, but I think my sim based stories are so much better because I have something concrete to base them on. And once the game implants the idea, my creativity can take over and fill in holes that the game isn't capable of.
|
|