Passionate thoughts about the world of writing and the Power of God
Whereas yesterday I asked you to recall favorite characters and recite what you loved to see in one that proved meaningful, it might be much more difficult to remember those characters that made you want to forget them.
Can you list three things that you detest in novel characters?
God, remind us to write truth in our stories. To peel layers from characters and expose them at their core. Help us to write real. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Characters whose only goal is to get a man (or a male character whose only goal is to get a woman).
Characters who seem too stupid to live (ie. they make one dumb move after the other and NEVER learn).
Characters who do nothing (we feel trapped and powerless in real life. In fiction, I want the characters to DO something to change their circumstances).
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I love these, Brenda. Good ones.
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Brenda has nailed my top two also:
1. Characters who are too stupid to see what’s right in front of their eyes.
2. Characters who let stuff happen to them and only then react.
3. Characters who whine.
Becky
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Ooh, good ones, too, Becky. Hate the whiners, too.
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Narcissists
characters who don’t make the obviously better decision that won’t lead them into 190 pages of dismay
the morally deprived
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Yes, agreed, Dayle. ‘Cept you just described “Eenie” in From the Corner of His Eye”. Scary.
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You’re right. I was thinking about things I wouldn’t like in protags. Antags are a different story. 1 and 2 describes most of Koontz’s villains.
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I definitely agree the narcissism in a protag plus the foolish decision-makers or the inability to make a decision at all is extremely annoying. I think that’s what the ladies meant with their “too stupid to live” descriptions.
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Into the Fire 
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