Happy to know I haven't fallen into this trap. The protagonist in my fantasy series has had development, yes. Her powers have grown and she's learnt a lot, but she's still a person, she makes mistakes like we do, she's not perfect.
It can be a mistake. But it also can NOT be a mistake. The example of what 'happened' to the Lecter character is not an example of what 'must' happen or 'always' happens. That's a one-off, and proves absolutely nothing. Thomas Harris was not that good of a writer in the first place-his books are riddled with plot holes to prove that. He's probably got an opinion about this guy, too, which might not paint him as all that great. Mark Twain once said of Jane Austen, 'I'd like to dig her up and beat her over the head with her own shinbone'. He's not the only author who said something that ridiculously offensive about another author, apparently. But, please. A writer can indeed fall in love with their character without making Thomas Harris-like egregious mistakes, and falling in love with them does in no way mean they can not maintain a realistic view of them or that somehow the author will do stupid things with them simply bc they 'fell in love' with them. That's patently offensive, and ridiculous, and holds no water whatsoever. It is not a proven fact that an author will 'lose all perspective', or 'critical distance'. That is an unfounded insinuation, and nothing more than that. A good author can love their character and still maintain perfect perspective and critical distance. All they have to be is GOOD AT THAT! It has nothing to do, or needs not to have anything to do, with how an author feels about their protagonist. An author can still just as easily keep the character 'honest', or 'real'. Regardless. An author can love their character without 'making excuses for them' or letting them 'take over their brain'. That's not even difficult. Assuming they know what the hell they're doing, that is. And that is what is important. What none of us need is a cautionary suggestion that means nothing. What this motard is saying is that he has no actual idea what is important. Good authors don't wander out into the weeds like this. What he's done here is make sure every character he's ever created or book he's written is now totally dead to me. I hear a lot of 'writing advice' that is nothing but bull honkey. This? This takes the cake, and is beyond the pale. People who mislead those who wish to accomplish something by spouting stupid, unfounded 'advice' should go do something anatomically impossible to themselves. And to the horse they rode in on.
No Plan B book was / is horrible. Filled with what youtube creators would describe as 'content'. Every second page has a large paragragh or two of crap that lengthens the story without adding anything, and I mean ANYTHING, to the narrative. Author's first ten or so books were great reads, but then the factory production started slipping. Slipping to the point where I felt I was robbed of my dollars with this most recent piece of money grab. Purchased with a father's day gift certificate so not really out of pocket. Just terribly disappointed. Done with Reacher / Child. Penguin / Random / Delacorte web sites do not allow for access to leave a critique. Surprise! Surprise! Go figure. I do believe it's called aiding and abetting...........
Unfortunately I really agree with you. The books lost all pacing and depth at a certain point. You can really feel the constraints and hurriedness the yearly printing schedule puts on his writing. Still 'Killing Floor' is a masterpiece. It just unfolds so well and is perfectly paced. There are several other great Reacher books. Echo Burning, Bad Luck and Trouble, Gone Tomorrow, 61 Hours, Worth Dying For, and Make Me all rank high. But it was around Make Me that it just went all filler. Like you don't even sense the characters at all.
Happy to know I haven't fallen into this trap. The protagonist in my fantasy series has had development, yes. Her powers have grown and she's learnt a lot, but she's still a person, she makes mistakes like we do, she's not perfect.
🎉 2:39
It can be a mistake. But it also can NOT be a mistake. The example of what 'happened' to the Lecter character is not an example of what 'must' happen or 'always' happens. That's a one-off, and proves absolutely nothing. Thomas Harris was not that good of a writer in the first place-his books are riddled with plot holes to prove that. He's probably got an opinion about this guy, too, which might not paint him as all that great.
Mark Twain once said of Jane Austen, 'I'd like to dig her up and beat her over the head with her own shinbone'. He's not the only author who said something that ridiculously offensive about another author, apparently.
But, please. A writer can indeed fall in love with their character without making Thomas Harris-like egregious mistakes, and falling in love with them does in no way mean they can not maintain a realistic view of them or that somehow the author will do stupid things with them simply bc they 'fell in love' with them. That's patently offensive, and ridiculous, and holds no water whatsoever.
It is not a proven fact that an author will 'lose all perspective', or 'critical distance'. That is an unfounded insinuation, and nothing more than that. A good author can love their character and still maintain perfect perspective and critical distance. All they have to be is GOOD AT THAT! It has nothing to do, or needs not to have anything to do, with how an author feels about their protagonist. An author can still just as easily keep the character 'honest', or 'real'. Regardless.
An author can love their character without 'making excuses for them' or letting them 'take over their brain'. That's not even difficult.
Assuming they know what the hell they're doing, that is.
And that is what is important. What none of us need is a cautionary suggestion that means nothing. What this motard is saying is that he has no actual idea what is important. Good authors don't wander out into the weeds like this. What he's done here is make sure every character he's ever created or book he's written is now totally dead to me.
I hear a lot of 'writing advice' that is nothing but bull honkey. This? This takes the cake, and is beyond the pale. People who mislead those who wish to accomplish something by spouting stupid, unfounded 'advice' should go do something anatomically impossible to themselves. And to the horse they rode in on.
But the DR still sold massively
This is gold, thanks
No Plan B book was / is horrible. Filled with what youtube creators would describe as 'content'. Every second page has a large paragragh or two of crap that lengthens the story without adding anything, and I mean ANYTHING, to the narrative. Author's first ten or so books were great reads, but then the factory production started slipping. Slipping to the point where I felt I was robbed of my dollars with this most recent piece of money grab. Purchased with a father's day gift certificate so not really out of pocket. Just terribly disappointed. Done with Reacher / Child. Penguin / Random / Delacorte web sites do not allow for access to leave a critique. Surprise! Surprise! Go figure. I do believe it's called aiding and abetting...........
Unfortunately I really agree with you. The books lost all pacing and depth at a certain point. You can really feel the constraints and hurriedness the yearly printing schedule puts on his writing.
Still 'Killing Floor' is a masterpiece. It just unfolds so well and is perfectly paced. There are several other great Reacher books. Echo Burning, Bad Luck and Trouble, Gone Tomorrow, 61 Hours, Worth Dying For, and Make Me all rank high. But it was around Make Me that it just went all filler. Like you don't even sense the characters at all.
Never