(I just got home from a party; it's still Saturday for me. ;p )
12/6: Themes that appeal to me while writing. (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mako_lies)
Let me see if I can put a few words to this.
I really like trying to describe bright, colorful things. I am not good at it - my descriptions sometimes fall flat or go into overly-poetic territory, depending on how inspired I'm feeling. But I enjoy doing it all the same.
I like trying to create a society that doesn't have the trappings of this one on it, some form of alien society that doesn't rely on a human point of reference at all. It's almost impossible to do, in my experience, but I still like to try. When I do write human societies I end up making things that are not generally accepted in our society (i.e. polyamory) into accepted parts of the new one. Wishful thinking? Maybe, but I'll do it anyway.
I want to create characters with agency, characters who do things for good reasons and who aren't controlled by outside forces. (Influenced, sure. Completely controlled, no.) That said, brainwashing and other forms of influence are interesting to write about, if I can figure out how they work, but I'd rather have the sort of narrative where the characters fight against their influences and still try to exert their own wills. I try to give them distinct skills and voices - the hardest part, especially in a rough draft!
In a lot of stories - fanfiction, especially - I try to give the characters what they would want and what they don't seem to get in the narrative, or what they didn't get in their backstories if I am trying to write original fiction with this rule. (As far as fandom is concerned, this is why so much of my Barret x Tifa stuff is some form of curtainfic. Giving them some peace after all they've both been through appeals to me.)
Most of my plots seem to involve Human vs. Self, Human vs. Nature and Human vs. Technology. I find Human vs. Other Human a lot harder to write for some reason. Either way, as far as the last two go, I also like the idea of humanity finding out that something they believed in is completely different from what they expected, and what happens when they find out. Maybe some people keep choosing to believe, and others break away. I want to explore more of that.
Lately Mother/Child relationships are a big thing for me, especially mothers and their grown children doing the best they can for each other despite obstacles. There are probably legitimate psychological reasons for this.
12/6: Themes that appeal to me while writing. (
mako_lies)Let me see if I can put a few words to this.
I really like trying to describe bright, colorful things. I am not good at it - my descriptions sometimes fall flat or go into overly-poetic territory, depending on how inspired I'm feeling. But I enjoy doing it all the same.
I like trying to create a society that doesn't have the trappings of this one on it, some form of alien society that doesn't rely on a human point of reference at all. It's almost impossible to do, in my experience, but I still like to try. When I do write human societies I end up making things that are not generally accepted in our society (i.e. polyamory) into accepted parts of the new one. Wishful thinking? Maybe, but I'll do it anyway.
I want to create characters with agency, characters who do things for good reasons and who aren't controlled by outside forces. (Influenced, sure. Completely controlled, no.) That said, brainwashing and other forms of influence are interesting to write about, if I can figure out how they work, but I'd rather have the sort of narrative where the characters fight against their influences and still try to exert their own wills. I try to give them distinct skills and voices - the hardest part, especially in a rough draft!
In a lot of stories - fanfiction, especially - I try to give the characters what they would want and what they don't seem to get in the narrative, or what they didn't get in their backstories if I am trying to write original fiction with this rule. (As far as fandom is concerned, this is why so much of my Barret x Tifa stuff is some form of curtainfic. Giving them some peace after all they've both been through appeals to me.)
Most of my plots seem to involve Human vs. Self, Human vs. Nature and Human vs. Technology. I find Human vs. Other Human a lot harder to write for some reason. Either way, as far as the last two go, I also like the idea of humanity finding out that something they believed in is completely different from what they expected, and what happens when they find out. Maybe some people keep choosing to believe, and others break away. I want to explore more of that.
Lately Mother/Child relationships are a big thing for me, especially mothers and their grown children doing the best they can for each other despite obstacles. There are probably legitimate psychological reasons for this.
no subject
Date: 2014-12-07 02:04 pm (UTC)From:Yesss this is a big thing for me, too, and ties in to what you said about villains. I am really, really interested in villains with agency, villains and characters who've made bad choices, villains who've made terrible choices that were the best choices available to them at the time, villains who do bad things for the greater good or just for their own good and to hell with everyone else. Characters making choices and then having to deal with the ensuing consequences! Basically what I'm saying is that when it comes to Seifer, I really like him not having been brainwashed. I just want him to have made bad choices and then have to live with them.
Which, like you said, isn't to say that you can't do some really interesting stuff with brainwashing! Especially with how the other characters react to that.
What you said too about societies that have no problem with certain things that are taboo in our society is something I look for in sci-fi and fantasy stories especially. And in fanfic where that aspect of society wasn't discussed in canon. It's partially wish-fulfillment, though, like you said. And that I get enough of certain prejudices in real life without having them shoved in my face in fiction.
no subject
Date: 2014-12-07 10:57 pm (UTC)From:Either way, this was really interesting to read! I really enjoy getting to see the "backstage" aspects of how you create things, so thanks for answering this! :D