Friday, August 14, 2009

Didn't Care or Wasn't Aware

When somebody has a problem, there are two possible reasons for it. Either he didn't care wasn't aware. This applies both to characters and to writers, though it affects them differently.

Consider your characters. None of them are perfect; that's what makes them human. How are they imperfect? What do they do wrong? Why don't they fix it? A person who isn't aware of their problems can be helped, though ironically rarely are. People feel bad about pointing out people's problems, so they instead choose to put up with those problems and badmouth them behind their back.

Characters who don't care about their problems are aware of them, but either don't think they're a big deal or think that everybody else needs to chill out and deal with it. These characters are stronger because they have more knowledge and a lot of confidence (people who aren't aware are moreso in a state of blissful ignorance).

Being aware of these two kinds of people will help greatly in making your characters real. For as similar as they are in their actions, they couldn't be more different in the reasons why. Know why your characters do what they do, and you will always be sure what they will do next.

Writers, also being people, also have problems, and also split between not knowing and not caring. However, if you are writing with the intent of sharing it with others, you cannot afford the luxury of not knowing or not caring about your problems. No matter what the reason, the fact remains that if you have problems in your writing, you need to fix them.

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