Thread: Ideas for Different Characters and Story Buliding

I am going over the various character that could take shape in a book and all in all a character is either
1)a human, hence the reader can identify with
2)spiritual being, sorcerer/witch/angel/ who become mortels
3) a robot made to become a human hence mortal
I won't venture into half human/halfsomething else because no matter what the writer conjurs out of it, it will look out of place cosmetic wise.
I am not so keen on character such a hulk/vampires/superman/superhero because they don't have a direct link with the reader to identify with.
I bear in mind that my readers are to be totally immersed in the story and the only way to do is to link them to the characters, otherwise it wouldnot make sense.
so I sense that the reader has to be at the same level as the characters, in appearance, power and feelings.

that leaves me with the following question
Could an object/concept/ be the central main idea in a book beside characters, meaning all characters play a role where none is the main?

I've tried to write stories where buildings or places are equally as important as the characters, or important to the characters. Buildings have character, history, some might say some buildings have a power or an aura about them; and I don't just mean things like haunted houses. The characters must always be the focal point though, certainly in my stories.

As for concepts, I think the closest you might get to that is a theme running through a story. It can be the main idea, but it needs characters to carry through that idea.

Originally Posted by Bilston Blue

I've tried to write stories where buildings or places are equally as important as the characters, or important to the characters. Buildings have character, history, some might say some buildings have a power or an aura about them; and I don't just mean things like haunted houses. The characters must always be the focal point though, certainly in my stories.

As for concepts, I think the closest you might get to that is a theme running through a story. It can be the main idea, but it needs characters to carry through that idea.

about the object being the actual main drive, opponents characters rather then main ones is another, is more of a concept like solving something.
for example the concept of earth:
is it round or is it slightly tilted?
this would be the running maind driving force to my book and so it takes away the strain of having to deal with personifyign and mesmerising a character.
I would have the story build around it.
for example something similar to Hamlet where the opening of the play was
tobe or not to be?
my book plot would be
is the earth perfectly or round and slightly tilted? is my opening line
a simile to Hamlet take on 'to be or not to be'? except that Hamlet did not answer nor resolve his question because his end was entirely dependable on someone's else hand which makes the whole play slightly jurky and pointlesss.

going back to my idea however..my the story would start and develop around my question stated above, the main ''objector'' as opposed to main ''character''.
so the aim is to disolve the question.
start with a question and aim to disolve it is the idea.
is is what I mean by object/subject/concept/idea as an objector.

so the actual object woul have to have some kind of link with reality, something that would come alive, as to put the reader even more closer to identiying with the book.

Whatever the object is you would have to give it humanity for the reader to identify with it. I think it sounds too ambitious for anyone to pull off.

Originally Posted by Robdemanc

Whatever the object is you would have to give it humanity for the reader to identify with it. I think it sounds too ambitious for anyone to pull off.

it is written by a human and has human characters.
I am not sure I undestand your question.

Originally Posted by Nacian

it is written by a human and has human characters.
I am not sure I undestand your question.

Your original post is not easy to understand but I assume you want to write a book where a human character is not the main focal point. Is that correct?

Originally Posted by Robdemanc

Your original post is not easy to understand but I assume you want to write a book where a human character is not the main focal point. Is that correct?

yes.
I am thinking of ideas of writing where I can use an idea/concept/a figure of speech as my main objector rather then a main character/hero/superhero/enemy... to break away from the traditional story writing.
all my characters no longer hold a particular title or description but are all incorporated equally and the objector is the central running theme of the book.

Originally Posted by Nacian

yes.
I am thinking of ideas of writing where I can use an idea/concept/a figure of speech as my main objector rather then a main character/hero/superhero/enemy... to break away from the traditional story writing.
all my characters no longer hold a particular title or description but are all incorporated equally and the objector is the central running theme of the book.

Ok. But you must realize that if you are writing about a theme, the reader still wants a character to latch onto. So it sounds like you are planning to write a story where several characters are putting across a particular theme. I suppose you can do that, but you will need to ensure the characters are vivid enough to satisfy the reader. If you are making the theme the main point of the story, then it must have an effect on those characters.

Originally Posted by Robdemanc

Ok. But you must realize that if you are writing about a theme, the reader still wants a character to latch onto. So it sounds like you are planning to write a story where several characters are putting across a particular theme. I suppose you can do that, but you will need to ensure the characters are vivid enough to satisfy the reader. If you are making the theme the main point of the story, then it must have an effect on those characters.

oh yes!
each and single one of them would have an during and after affect I call it through out the story.
meaning they will start as someone, and as the objector progresses, than each one of them,depending on how many, will be equally active and would transform into another different character when they reach the end of solving/disolving that theme, so that the reader would not entirely recognise them from when they started, is the idea.
so total transformation from the beginning until the end, and of course, the end is signalled by the achievement solving of that theme/concept.
does that make sense?

have you written anything yet or are you just planning it out?

Originally Posted by Nicky

have you written anything yet or are you just planning it out?

I am planning it out why?

i over complicate things when i do too much planning. i get the best results when i just sit down and write the story. don't get me wrong, you should have specific points plotted out so you know where you're going but try just sitting down and writing it.

i read a great article about how it's okay to get it wrong the first time it made a world of difference to me lemme see if i can find it:

Don't get it right the first time | Writing | Caro Clarke - writer

Originally Posted by Nicky

i over complicate things when i do too much planning. i get the best results when i just sit down and write the story. don't get me wrong, you should have specific points plotted out so you know where you're going but try just sitting down and writing it.

i read a great article about how it's okay to get it wrong the first time it made a world of difference to me lemme see if i can find it:

Don't get it right the first time | Writing | Caro Clarke - writer

heythanks for that Nikky.
It does look interesting.
I knew all along that writing is not about finishing or word count or getting published it is about enjoyment and fun you can have.
a bit like a game it is never about winning or losing it is about playing the game because you enjoy and not because you are getting a point or a medal.
everything is about fun fun fun.
the rest is inevitable.

Originally Posted by Nacian

that leaves me with the following question
Could an object/concept/ be the central main idea in a book beside characters, meaning all characters play a role where none is the main?

Arguably, yes; in two forms:

commonly in young fantasy stories where common objects or animals are given human attributes;

or in adult fiction, where the story is usually told through the humans who are affected by, or interact with, it. It can be an object - a house is common, but other artifacts have also been used - or an event, such as a disaster, assassination, or memorable point in history.

Originally Posted by Nacian

oh yes!
each and single one of them would have an during and after affect I call it through out the story.
meaning they will start as someone, and as the objector progresses, than each one of them,depending on how many, will be equally active and would transform into another different character when they reach the end of solving/disolving that theme, so that the reader would not entirely recognise them from when they started, is the idea.
so total transformation from the beginning until the end, and of course, the end is signalled by the achievement solving of that theme/concept.
does that make sense?

Yes it makes sense. I think you would be fine with the idea. Sorry initially I thought you were saying you were going to make an object (like the Earth) the main character.