Rian’s Comments (group member since Sep 11, 2012)

Rian’s comments from the Q&A with Rian Darcy group.

My editor and I discussed a sequel, but it was a brief discussion, and nothing has been set in stone. We're definitely not ruling it out, though! In the meantime, I'll probably do a few one-off short stories in that universe, which will always be posted publicly and for free.

You're not the only one who has trouble with original characters. Almost every original protagonist I've ever written has been a problem for me, not because they're not great characters, but because I couldn't bring myself to get excited about their stories. That feeling got even stronger when I started writing fan fiction, to the point that I stopped writing original characters altogether.

At first, I thought it was because we know too much about our original characters right off the bat. They have, after all, come from our own imaginations, right? So surely, we already know everything there is to know about them. But now I'm not sure that's the case.

Let's think about about our favorite fictional characters for a second. I'll use Dean Winchester from the show Supernatural as an example, since he's one of my recent favorites, but this principle applies to any character you care about. When you "meet" Dean Winchester for the first time, you don't give a shit about him. Yeah, he's hot, and you recognize that his story has potential, but you don't really care yet. If he died five minutes into the episode, you'd probably just shrug and say, "Well that sucks." But now, eight seasons later, if Dean Winchester died, I would be crushed. I'm not even going to pretend I wouldn't bawl my eyes out, and his death would probably stick with me for weeks. Why? Because I "know" him now. I've watched his life story unfold in front of me. I've watched him bleed, and laugh, and cry. I know what a good man he is, and how much he's given to save the world. I love him in a very real way, the way I'd love a friend. That's not a feeling that developed right away; it took time. And you can't expect to love your characters right away, either.

So here's my advice:

First of all, understand that sometimes, you're just never going to like a character, even if he's yours. You wouldn't force yourself to keep writing a story you genuinely weren't enjoying, so don't force yourself to keep writing a character you don't like.

But give them a chance, first. Spend some time with them. Daydream about them. Think about the time they were chased up a tree by a dog when they were ten, and how terrified they were, and how alone they felt up there in the darkness, wishing someone would come and help. Write about them, even if it's just 500 words at a time of them drinking alone in a bar, or dancing with their grandmother, or having a conversation with a stranger on the subway. Get to know them the way you've gotten to known all the other characters you've fallen in love with over the years.

Then, once you know them and really, genuinely care about them-- only then are you qualified to tell the most important story of their lives.

Zille:

It depends.

Once upon a time (no pun intended), I wrote everything on the fly, without a plan. I'd sit down with a vague idea and then kinda discover the story as I went along. It gave me some pretty decent results, and that's still the method I use for shorter pieces, or longer pieces that are more about character development than a super detailed plot.

Unfortunately, I'm a scatterbrained mess at the best of times, so the more intricate a plot becomes, the greater the chances that I'll forget important points or just veer off course altogether. And don't get me wrong, veering off course is fine sometimes, but I tend to end up with a bunch of nonsense when that happens. So for longer stuff like Simulacrum, I usually start with a rough outline and timeline for events. I made a lot of adjustments to it as I went along, but for the most part, the book follows the framework I had laid out for it.

I do want to note, though, that I don't subscribe to the idea that there's one "right" or "best" way to deal with outlines (or writing in general). Some people (me) need them, and others (Stephen King) don't. What matters is what works best for each individual writer, and that whatever method they use helps them get more words on the page. That's the important part.

Am I late to the party, ya'll? Let's chat.