tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177793.post7531511245901098351..comments2024-02-25T14:37:25.154-05:00Comments on CaroleMcDonnell: Critiquing and the Curse of InsightfulnessCarole McDonnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15443401088634718848noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177793.post-23245332288895268552012-06-19T14:17:55.476-04:002012-06-19T14:17:55.476-04:00YAY!!! I've been missing your posts. I'm s...YAY!!! I've been missing your posts. I'm sure that tons of people have been as well.<br /><br />Other folks seem to be having trouble posting here as well. Yeah, browser issues. <br /><br />And so right, we have to allow a character to breathe, especially when writing about the type of folks we dislike or the types we admire. I've created some very nasty church people, some very selfish Peter Pan guys, and some very dependent wounded Christian women. But they were generally human. Not because those characters began that way, but because by the time my critiquers told me my characters were problematical, I accepted that they were and did my best to write a story that felt truly like mine.Carole McDonnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15443401088634718848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12177793.post-64625297486149746102012-06-19T12:48:23.526-04:002012-06-19T12:48:23.526-04:00The terrifying thing is that every novel and story...The terrifying thing is that every novel and story tells something of the writer in some way. The writer's pretense that it says nothing accomplishes at most making herself look unaware. Some readers may miss the obvious, but readers who delve into the depths of a story often can see that there is something off in the story. Something almost artificial in the way that it is constructed. That the story is a wish fulfillment or self abuse of some sort or another. <br /><br />An excellent post, as usual, Carole. You never fail to deliver poignant insight. The truth about people is that while there may be certain stereotypes that are true about some individuals, those stereotypes are not true of all. And in a story, it is good to explore all of the characters to ensure that following a prejudice or a stereotype or challenging it (as in the feminist Mary Sue of Wiccan fantasy and the abused woman trope) is being done because that is truly what the story is to be about. In this way, at the end of the day, the story is a true story with fully developed characters, even when they are minor, because they are either prejudiced or loving because that is who they really are and not what we wish they were. <br /><br />Yes, I know! It's thrilling. After quite a bit, I finally figured out how to unsync from my shut down blogger account and I can now view and post to blogs again! Wonderful day!Jessica B. Fryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01338818007969545723noreply@blogger.com