Thread: stuck

i found out the when i write fantasy and create new worlds and put my characters in them, these characters seem idiotic. they are unnatural, react like stupid anime characters react. they are not real humans. so i said to myself: ok, ill write the story in my country, in 2008. my characters did act believebly, but i had a new problem: this story wont seem believble in 2008. what should i do?

Set it in 1908 or 2108, whichever seems appropriate.

Or call it magical realism or urban fantasy; then you can get away with anything.

What exactly is it that's unbelieveable?

Originally Posted by Mike C

What exactly is it that's unbelieveable?

its only my feeling... have you ever seen an anime character that you thout "its stupid". thats what i think about my characters. there not like real people, my characters are not archetypical.

Originally Posted by Shen

have you ever seen an anime character that you thout "its stupid".

All of them, frankly. They are - in every respect - two dimensional cartoon characters.

But you haven't highlighted the problem. You say your characters behave in a believeable fasion, but "this story wont seem believble in 2008".

Why?

Originally Posted by Mike C

But you haven't highlighted the problem. You say your characters behave in a believeable fasion, but "this story wont seem believble in 2008".

Why?

ok, for example a group that is going and searching something. thats just an example, i dont like this kind of stories. can you imagine lord of the rings in 2008? some of my characters speak slang and thats why i put them in 2008, some dont. see the problem?

Searching for someone in the present time is actually part of the basis of my novel... If you can make everything seem unbelievable... that's the meat of it. The characters need to be confused... and stunned so much that the adrenaline kicks in. That's how you can portray abilities, etc...

Originally Posted by Shen

ok, for example a group that is going and searching something. thats just an example, i dont like this kind of stories. can you imagine lord of the rings in 2008? some of my characters speak slang and thats why i put them in 2008, some dont. see the problem?

No, I don't. If you don't like what you've written, toss it out and write something else, or rewrite what you have, correcting the faults. It's only words.

Originally Posted by Shen

ok, for example a group that is going and searching something. thats just an example, i dont like this kind of stories. can you imagine lord of the rings in 2008? some of my characters speak slang and thats why i put them in 2008, some dont. see the problem?

The classic sort of quest story can be done in any era. You have the ability to change your characters' speech paterns, their setting, whatever you want.
I can imagine Lord of the Rings in 2008. There are any number of devices you can employ to make that work. The McGuffin isn't important. You can hodgepodge characters from different eras a la Riverworld and have fun with their differing modes of communication (or lack of).
It isn't a problem until you make it one. Writing the thing out may help you develop skills you didn't have previously. Even if the resulting piece doesn't work, you'll have the techniques that you used to tell it, which can be used otherwhere and otherwhen.
Don't fall in love with the story..it's just a story.

Originally Posted by moderan

Don't fall in love with the story..it's just a story.

i cant think of other stories... its the only one. sounds funny but im serious.

Ouch. Well, then you have little choice but to write it out and see where it goes.

I always fall in love with my stories...

I used to, until I learned to treat them more as casual acquaintances. The characters come and hang out, and talk about whatever's on their minds, and they're free to go (or stay) once they've spoken their piece. I have to like them enough to invite them in, and become part of my life, but rarely do they get into deeper levels than that.

Originally Posted by Shen

i cant think of other stories... its the only one. sounds funny but im serious.

If that's really true you might want to consider finding another hobby...

I understand how you feel Shen. I love my book to death, but at the same time I want to toss it out a window. Try working on the same story for over 5 years and then see what happens to you. I have drastically remodeled the idea over and over again, and still it is not as perfect as I want it to be. I think it's as close to perfect as I can get now though. I just need to sand down some of the uneven edges.
My advice to you is to sand down those edges. IF you have to get rid of certain characters or events to make it more believable, then do it. If you have to add things to it, do it. If you have to turn the whole idea upside down, do it. Relax a little. If you don't enjoy writng your book, the take a break, write some short stories, or take up a new hobby.

My current novel is about a woman with horns, reptilian eyes and sharp teeth complete with fangs living a secret life as a guardian trying to protect this world from discovering another world. Even so, I work very hard to keep it as realistic as possible.

My advice is to not get stuck in a world. If it doesn't work with a fantasy setting and doesn't work in 2008, why not put it in a fantasy setting that's moved forward to 2008? Just because it's fantasy, it doesn't mean it has to be medieval or have elves.

Maybe you just look at it from the wrong angle. Instead of creating a world and putting characters in it, why not create characters and create a world for them to live in? There's a difference there.