Does anyone else feel bad for their characters?

[LisaGraceBooks]

Here's a great little article, and I follow Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s advice on #6.  I would not want to be any of my characters. I do the most horrible things to them. http://www.squidoo.com/real-writers-on-writing

[Josh Handrich]

I write thrillers, therefore I have to think of what is the absolute worst thing that can happen to the MC and make it real. Readers like it when they see the protagonist pick themselves up after suffering a traumatic event(s).  I bankrupt, fire, beat up, and kidnap my MC. Then I kill his love interest while he's forced to watch—all in a twenty-four hour span. 

[Josh Handrich]

Here's a great little article, and I follow Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s advice on #6.  I would not want to be any of my characters. I do the most horrible things to them. http://www.squidoo.com/real-writers-on-writing

Not to hijack the thread, but I disagree with number eight.  You need suspense to keep the pages turning.

[scslawin]

Not to hijack the thread, but I disagree with number eight.  You need suspense to keep the pages turning.

What the hell does Kurt Vonnegut know about writing, anyway? Thornton Melon hired Kurt Vonnegut to write a college paper on the novels of Kurt Vonnegut, and after reviewing the submission the professor's remark about the Vonnegut paper that was written by Vonnegut: "Whoever wrote this doesn't know the first thing about Kurt Vonnegut".

So that right there tells you he stinks as a writer.

[Caddy]

I emailed her yesterday about the "there" and "their" thing and she said something about it being an "auto-correct" error and thanked me.  Said she would change it.  I am betting she thinks she changed it and it "corrected" for her again....I don't know.

[amiblackwelder]

Of course. My goodness, I cried when writing The Day the Flowers Died countless times, and at times sobbed when I rallied Eli would die.

I also have strong emotional reactions to the characters, particularly the young hybrids in my shifter saga.

[Pearson Moore]

Caddy,

The first thing I do when I install a new copy of Microsoft Word is deactivate Spell Check and Grammar Check.  Microsoft understands neither spelling nor grammar.  I read about three million words a year, not counting the stuff I write.  I doubt Microsoft can compare its Word database to the 120 million or so words from unique texts I've read in my life, so they simply don't offer my level of expertise.  The same is going to be true for any literate reader or writer:  we're several-fold smarter than any computer program.  Don't use Spell Check!  It will turn your brains to oatmeal.

After reading your entry, I reactivated Grammar Check in MS Word and entered "Does anyone else feel bad for there characters?"  MS Word marked "there" with a squiggly blue line, indicating a grammatical error.  So, MS Word does get things right sometimes!

There's nothing inherently wrong with an inability to spell.  The disability becomes an issue only when attempting to communicate.  When I critique illiterate wannabe authors I don't chastise them, but rather hold up opportunities:  They can go back to school for remedial help.  There's nothing shameful in that; I take course on a regular basis, or I could never stay fresh, even in those areas in which I am considered an "expert" (pharmaceutical purification process design, analytical chemistry, etc.).  Anyone who wishes to be called a writer must have expert-level familiarity with the tools of the trade.  If I call myself a chemist but I don't know the difference between an amine and an amide, you are entirely right to question my credentials.  In the same way, if I choose a book from Amazon, I expect that the author have facility in the language.  We do a disservice to everyone if we do not maintain minimum standards.

[Rachel Forde]

Hoo boy, do I drag my characters through hell.  I don't usually feel guilt over it, though.  Sadness, but not guilt.  The deaths are necessary, and so long as it serves a function--either as resolution for themselves or as a turning point for another character--I can still sleep at night.

Even so, I'd hate to have to face them in real life some day and explain why I did what I did.  That would be a very awkward conversation, especially since I like the characters so much.

[scslawin]

There's nothing inherently wrong with an inability to spell.  The disability becomes an issue only when attempting to communicate.  When I critique illiterate wannabe authors I don't chastise them, but rather hold up opportunities:  They can go back to school for remedial help.  There's nothing shameful in that; I take course on a regular basis, or I could never stay fresh, even in those areas in which I am considered an "expert" (pharmaceutical purification process design, analytical chemistry, etc.).  Anyone who wishes to be called a writer must have expert-level familiarity with the tools of the trade.

I once saw a successful football player who had no feet. In fact, he had no lower torso. That didn't stop him from rightly being called a "foot"-ball player.

I personally don't believe that one must be an "expert" speller in order to be called a writer. Perfect spelling is a skill that not every writer must possess. For instance, I think F. Scott Fitzgerald was a fairly accomplished "writer" though he was a most terrible speller.

'Fitzgerald was a lamentable speller,' writes the editor of his Collected Letters, Andrew Turnbull. 'Following his ear, he habitually made such slips as "definate" and "critisism", and proper names were his downfall.' Fitzgerald frequently addressed his best friend, Ernest Hemingway, as 'Ernest Hemmingway' or even 'Earnest Hemminway'.

There are editors available to correct issues in spelling and grammar. In fact, there are many editors who aren't or could never be successful writers. They lack the imagination or the ability to translate ideas to the written word. They possess technical precision to correct spelling and grammar, but don't possess the creativity to generate an original thought.

[valeriec80]

Once I start feeling bad for them, like REALLY bad for them, I know it's time to start a new series. There comes a point when one's attachment to a character begins to become detrimental to the story. When I start doing things like making things easier for the characters because I've started to really like them, that means I'm no good on the material anymore.

Usually, I'm not bothered at all by making their lives miserable. Not a whit. That said, I made myself cry when I killed off the grandmother in my Toil and Trouble books--twice. Once when I wrote it, and once when I went back to edit. She had to go--there was no place for her in the third book. I couldn't see her bumbling around being scoldy and making Italian food. And MC needed not to have that crutch anymore. But GAWD was it awful.

And it never used to bother me when I killed people off before. I used to feel quite gleeful about it, in fact.

Perhaps this is what it's like to be in one's thirties. The heady days of slaughtering multiple characters in my twenties is over. Now...now, it will be painful. Perhaps this is also why all great creators of horror stories do their best work when they're young.

[Amber5885]

Ok I've gotten alot of helpful and alot of nasty responses just on the fact that I misused the proper "Their" In the thread's name.

1) their is absolutely no reason to send me private messages telling me that I'm wasting my time as a writer, it was one typo. And for reference sake, I started this thread while typing on my IPOD's keyboard, It didn't let me review before I posted so I wasn't aware of it.

2) I'm new to the forum I don't know how to change it. (on an amendment to this, I figured out how to change it)

I do want to say that first and foremost mistakes happen, typos creep in it doesn't make someone a bad writer to make a mistake from time to time and whoever you think you may be to flame someone based one one simple mistake keep in mind that you have made one at one time and you are not perfect so unless you are I don't want to hear it. I appreciate constructive criticisms, I appreciate a gentle reminder that I may have made a mistake but some of the responses I have been getting are condescending, mean and hurtful. So do me a favor please, the next time you want to criticize a mistake I made read everything you have written and be sure that you yourself have not been guilty of making a mistake before flaming me or anyone else for that matter.

For those who were kind in there responses and reminders, thank you.

[daveconifer]

Ok I've gotten alot of helpful and alot of nasty responses just on the fact that I misused the proper "Their" In the thread's name.

1) there is absolutely no reason to send me private messages telling me that I'm wasting my time as a writer, it was one typo. And for reference sake, I started this thread while typing on my IPOD's keyboard, It didn't let me review before I posted so I wasn't aware of it.

2) I'm new to the forum I don't know how to change it.

So thats me saying my peace, if anyone would please let me know how to change it I would be happy to but the emails and private messages need to stop.

thank you.

Wow, none of my business, but I'm surprised that people do this.   Tough crowd...   

[Carradee]

Ok I've gotten alot of helpful and alot of nasty responses just on the fact that I misused the proper "Their" In the thread's name.

1) their is absolutely no reason to send me private messages telling me that I'm wasting my time as a writer, it was one typo. And for reference sake, I started this thread while typing on my IPOD's keyboard, It didn't let me review before I posted so I wasn't aware of it.

*pats on back* One professional freelance writer with a fairly popular blog and newsletter (as much as I'm aware) recently had a lot of nasty comments when she had a you're/your typo in a blog post title. So it doesn't just happen to you.

…I'm saying that to cheer you up, btw.

[otterific]

I put my characters through emotional roller coasters, but they get their HEA as a reward at the end. So, I don't feel too bad for them.

[LisaGraceBooks]

You started a great thread and lots of us are having fun posting our responses. Writers sometimes get PMS and I hope you'll excuse the ones who were less than kind. Since they don't know you, it wasn't personal, but it speaks volumes about the kind of day they were having .

[Caddy]

Gosh, I hope you don't think I was one of the mean ones.  I mentioned on here that I emailed you, but I do beleive I was polite and trying to be helpful.    You had responded well by email so I will assume you did not think I was mean.

By the way, yes, I do feel bad for some of my characters. I sometimes cry for them. I laugh with them, too.

[Amber5885]

To Caddy, No I wasn't addressing you at all. Your email was sweet and polite and thats the kind of gently nudge I appreciate.

I do love reading all the responses this thread has gotten though, Ethan Harlow is the only character I have become attached to and I never thought I would feel everything he feels so when I started the second installment to Wolves among Men it was such an emotional experience... like sitting down with an old friend for the first time in months. And when I did I looked back at everything he had gone through in the first book, everything I had put him through and I felt so so bad for every bit of it.

Its nice to hear of others experiences with this and its nice to know that it's normal for a writer to develop relationships with their characters.

[Lisa J. Yarde]

I cried once when it was time to kill off a character, but not since then. Writing historical means that I can't change the bad things that happened to my characters; they have to die  or see their children killed if the history books say so.