@Neil I have a question that I want to pose, but I need help focusing it.
I would like to ask something along the lines of how to decide how to shape one of my characters. I am trying to decide if she's a manipulator, or a liar, or neither.
I thought it could be a broader question about how writers treat their beloved characters, but I am not really sure how to ask it appropriately.
Or therefore to search and see if it has been asked already.
I am thinking of something along the level of this question:
I see lazy plot devices as anything that is too coincidental. Person One just so happened to be in the 'area' when Person Two was attacked (then they end up running into each other a bunch of times afterwards--really?). Those nicks-of-time rescues. Some random thing distracting a villain right be...
@NeilFein @Niel Fien, I got negative votes in discussion as well. Can somebody tell me why actualy it will not fit for Q/A site, if it is supported by facts and references?
@KitFox Excellent! I really like the characters and the drama. <spoiler> I don't know why I should believe Mark is a rapist, though. Is that something that's coming in future instalments? </spoiler>
@gpuguy - I left you ana answer in that meta question you posed explaining why - it's out of our scope. Personally, I think it's not a very good topic for a Q&A site, since you'd be asking people to share their opinions.
@KitFox - what, exactly, do you want to ask in the question? What is it you need to know? So far, asking is the character should be X or Y doesn't really work as a question. What are your goals for this character?
Have you asked your character? No? Then do it. Also look at the answers here, they might help: http://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/4138/how-do-i-round-out-a-powerful-character http://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/1832/finding-the-voice-of-a-character http://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/3560/tips-for-adding-more-personality-to-characters http://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/2786/how-do-you-make-your-characters-likable http://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/2974/what-does-character-development-actually-mean
@NeilFein It's not so much as asking whether this particular character should be this or that, but...I'm not really sure, which is why I haven't asked yet.
Maybe there isn't a question there after all. But I'm having trouble deciding whether I should have a good guy in this story. Is it a mistake to make no one likable in the end?
The Overlook Hotel
The Overlook Hotel