Back to the Grindstone...

"Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it." --Mark Twain

Yep. Another goody by Mark Twain. I make no apologies for overusing him.

If you've read many of my posts, you may notice that I occasionally swing from one mood to another and get...well, bitchy sometimes. Sorry about that. Yes, I'm apologizing for getting grouchy in some posts, particularly about the last one. I won't lie and say character disloyalty doesn't irk me something good but I forgot to mention that the case(s) I was referring to were extreme ones and thus deserved some ranting over.

I love characters and I love their stories. I love reading and escaping and finding other people to relate to fictionally because I don't have to find real people to relate to non-fictionally. I like my hermity ways. A social butterfly, I will never be. And I'm down with that.

But back to the topic. I get touchy when people mess with characters. I don't mean that they die or that they're hurt or that someone in the story really screws them over--I actually like a bit of a tortured character. I just hate when I fall in love with a character and the writer falls out of love. I'd give examples but I just can't bring myself to bash on this author. I'm also a firm believer of letting people have their own reading experiences and decide for themselves. Because what I might think is drivel and poor planning, another person feels like they have finally found the person who did it right. And I'm trying to take a page from Bambi and every grandmother on the planet about saying nice things or shutting your yap.

Which leads me to another great quote: "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." --Abraham Lincoln.

[Before I have a riot on my hands, this quote has been attributed to a great many people, Mark Twain being one of them, but I believe it has its first origins in the bible. Either way, I liked the way the Internet said Lincoln said it and that's what I'm sticking with. To all those who may have said it: Sorry. I chose Lincoln.]

Seriously, L.T., get back on topic! And I just thought of another tangent I could go on already! I must have mixed some Mtn. Dew in with the scrambled eggs this morning. Focus, focus! Hocus Pocus!
And I'm back! I'm cool if a character dies, even one I like a lot because it means I feel for them and that you (as a writer) did your job of making me care. I might not be happy that they're gone and I might not understand why yet (hopefully it will be made clear) but if you choose to kill 'em, I'll still read on. I'm also okay if a character turns out to be a bad guy, a self-sacrificing-hero-who-saves-em-all, or any number of "twisty plot" things.

But I'm not cool with a weedy little spotlight stealer who is suddenly written into the story (and really had no mention prior to this) who miraculously changes the feelings of all the other characters. This little thief then shoves a beloved character down an elevator shaft so that they can be the new favorite. I might like everything about this character's design; their image, their mannerisms, their personality, etc. But I don't like a stealer.
*Possible Contradiction!* I love a vain character. Those ones who know they're awesome and know how to use it to do/get whatever they want. They're SO much fun to write and plot with. But they need to stand on their own and not use another character as a stepladder to steal the show.

Hopefully, I've made myself a little more clear and a little less offensive than the previous post. I wish I could tell you that I'll never be bitchy again but I prefer not to deceive you. Unless I'm trying to throw you off the scent of a particular plot. And even then, I won't outright lie...or will I? Gwa ha ha ha ha!!!!

Yeah, definitely time to lay off the Mtn. Dew eggies.

Until next time,

L.T. Elliot