tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post3919382984147829875..comments2024-01-03T04:03:15.300-05:00Comments on S.P. Bowers: Main Character DilemmaS.P. Bowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-12307390655357147522012-03-23T13:17:03.033-04:002012-03-23T13:17:03.033-04:00Yes, a character should grow, but sometimes they a...Yes, a character should grow, but sometimes they are so annoying/unlikable at first we don't care enough to stick around.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-45630403773994336982012-03-23T13:15:35.508-04:002012-03-23T13:15:35.508-04:00Oo, haven't read that. I'll have to go ch...Oo, haven't read that. I'll have to go check it out.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-76451382731772947032012-03-23T13:15:13.037-04:002012-03-23T13:15:13.037-04:00I think we all get to a point where we can't s...I think we all get to a point where we can't stand our WIP, where if we have to read one. more. word. we might just do something drastic.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-60288080386533077222012-03-23T13:12:48.029-04:002012-03-23T13:12:48.029-04:00Thanks!
Yep, Katniss is one too. I admire her an...Thanks!<br /><br />Yep, Katniss is one too. I admire her and think she's amazing but I don't know that I would be her friend. Or that she would be mine. I'm way too lazy. :)S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-59001040142069868182012-03-23T10:28:44.243-04:002012-03-23T10:28:44.243-04:00I adore a MC who grows and changes. That SHOULD be...I adore a MC who grows and changes. That SHOULD be what MC characterization is all about. If the plot doesn't push a character's growth, how effective is it really?Emily R. Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03892444969625637064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-90256133185667379672012-03-22T20:40:23.584-04:002012-03-22T20:40:23.584-04:00I usually keep reading if the MC bothers me, so lo...I usually keep reading if the MC bothers me, so long as there's <i>some</i> relatable element. And even if there isn't, it can be worth it to find out how someone else would view the situation.<br /><br />One character who brought out a strong reaction in me was the MC in <i>The Cup of the World</i> by John Dickinson, and the female protagonists in the following two books of the trilogy.Golden Eaglehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08721520451194318436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-47696213551943622332012-03-22T20:37:57.891-04:002012-03-22T20:37:57.891-04:00This is something I'm struggling with right no...This is something I'm struggling with right now. I don't know if it's because I'm hitting a slump with the edits after already re-writing my WIP once, but I'm starting to get so tired of my MC. If I don't even like her, who will?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12146136846875431598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-4909055935532292642012-03-22T19:29:57.607-04:002012-03-22T19:29:57.607-04:00When I was reading this I kept thinking about Katn...When I was reading this I kept thinking about Katniss Everdeen of "The Hunger Games." She has to make some really difficult (and sometimes) brutal choices to do what's best for her family, but you still root for her because you like her. <br /><br />Great post! By the way, I've tagged you in the Lucky 7 Meme :)Samantha Mayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09370961661054617338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-32043160697853275042012-03-22T14:50:14.331-04:002012-03-22T14:50:14.331-04:00Yes, she's the author of The Good Earth, (and ...Yes, she's the author of The Good Earth, (and the two sequels of that and about 25 other books)S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-39048704511338363272012-03-22T14:26:48.779-04:002012-03-22T14:26:48.779-04:00Thanks, will check it out. The author sounds famil...Thanks, will check it out. The author sounds familiar. I want to say she wrote THE GOOD EARTH, but can't be sure. I actually enjoyed it a lot, even though it was sort of sad.Kimberlee Turleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04695299361596799423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-48475818981317223692012-03-22T13:03:56.642-04:002012-03-22T13:03:56.642-04:00Excellent example of another character who can be ...Excellent example of another character who can be hard to like, but who we all admire and understand.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-77240481623582223932012-03-22T13:02:46.552-04:002012-03-22T13:02:46.552-04:00For anyone who desperately wants to know the book ...For anyone who desperately wants to know the book is Pavilion of Women by Pearl S Buck. I know a lot of people aren't Buck fans but I love that book.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-3195978023961189602012-03-22T13:01:16.334-04:002012-03-22T13:01:16.334-04:00I've never read that. It's true, endings ...I've never read that. It's true, endings need to be right and satisfying. You can put up with a lot while reading the book if it's worth it in the end. Kind of like trials in life.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-53482668832362634442012-03-22T12:00:56.196-04:002012-03-22T12:00:56.196-04:00I always think of Scarlett O'Hara, who was so ...I always think of Scarlett O'Hara, who was so selfish and self-absorbed, yet also courageous and passionate. For me, there must be SOMETHING relatable. If it feels like the author is just having the character make poor choices again and again so they can write the story they want to write, they will lose me. The two must work together. Otherwise, I'll through the book across the room and not pick it up again. :DMelissa Ann Goodwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13454907380469372468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-10473266727412059012012-03-21T21:13:18.051-04:002012-03-21T21:13:18.051-04:00Now I'm really curious what book you're ta...Now I'm really curious what book you're talking about. : / <br /><br />You can email me through my profile if you don't want to say here. ; )Kimberlee Turleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04695299361596799423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-60454877097993637082012-03-21T14:23:57.303-04:002012-03-21T14:23:57.303-04:00You can do this to me, but you better give me a sa...You can do this to me, but you better give me a satisfying ending, or I won't go back! Dan Wells' "I Am Not a Serial Killer" series was like that for me. He did so well making what should have been an unlikable character (15-year-old sociopath with horrid dreams and fantasies) into someone very sympathetic. The last book made me cry.Donna K. Weaverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15763832177263927311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-26315522294125074142012-03-21T13:50:40.512-04:002012-03-21T13:50:40.512-04:00They are, yet they can be very hard to write. I t...They are, yet they can be very hard to write. I think you really have to know your character.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-41046757230459019142012-03-21T13:49:47.337-04:002012-03-21T13:49:47.337-04:00Characters can really save a book that we might no...Characters can really save a book that we might not be interested in. I'm a character driven reader, sounds as if you are too.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-3794000411735199782012-03-21T13:48:42.440-04:002012-03-21T13:48:42.440-04:00Flawed characters are more interesting but sometim...Flawed characters are more interesting but sometimes a character can just be too annoying.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-2643274328921092502012-03-20T22:53:35.707-04:002012-03-20T22:53:35.707-04:00Oh man! I've read books like that too. But you...Oh man! I've read books like that too. But you're right. When we are pulled in emotionally it makes an impact on us. Even if it isn't all sunshine and roses. Very fun post. Characters and emotion is so important!Leigh Covingtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16377634002477171615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-74876039334831623722012-03-20T22:21:50.212-04:002012-03-20T22:21:50.212-04:00A character who is squeaky clean is so not interes...A character who is squeaky clean is so not interesting. They have to have quirks or flaws or things that make them memorable. I rather enjoyed Will Herondale from the Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare. He drove me crazy with all his cocky pretense and being cruel to his friends. But it kept me reading. He kept me reading. Clare did a great job developing his character. Well, her characters as a whole.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06519655950073446857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-32795540753584783322012-03-20T15:54:54.225-04:002012-03-20T15:54:54.225-04:00Flawed characters are SO much more interesting tha...Flawed characters are SO much more interesting than perfect ones. Though I have to admit I've put down books and never picked them up again because a character has annoyed me so much. I think 'strong response' only goes so far with me - it depends on the response the character evokes!<br /><br />I'm DYING to know which book/MC you're talking about :-)Sangu Mandannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09464061265952789628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-39016732757224943282012-03-20T12:58:27.373-04:002012-03-20T12:58:27.373-04:00Good point. It would be boring to read only about...Good point. It would be boring to read only about people who are like us. I know what I would do in a given situation. It's interesting to know what others would do and get new perspective.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-32976904147200720622012-03-20T08:17:14.946-04:002012-03-20T08:17:14.946-04:00We might not always agree with a character's c...We might not always agree with a character's choices but it would be boring to read about someone just like us. Like you say though, we are more likely to sympathise with someone if we know or can surmise something of their background that has shaped who they are, and that keeps the emotional connection, even if we may dislike a lot of what they do.Nick Wilfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03841776353790635132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-79574546259733987242012-03-20T07:27:24.266-04:002012-03-20T07:27:24.266-04:00That's why I kept going back. Flawed, multidi...That's why I kept going back. Flawed, multidimensional characters are much more interesting.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.com