Creating a believable piece has nothing to do with plot or genre. Science Fiction and Fantasy can feel believable; anything can feel real. I think a lot of people forget that if you can relate to characters and have enough imagery to form a universe, it doesn't matter where you are or who the character is.
In creating a believable piece, you have to create characters that feel real. This person can't be a Mary Sue; even Superman has kryptonite. Why would anyone want to read about someone perfect? That's why there's such a distinct hatred for Twilight – there's no flaw in the main character, and almost every male character falls in love with her.
This does not happen in real life.
Stephanie Meyer's Twilight may have been a New York Best Seller, but literature-wise, it's a train wreck. Not even Forks, Washington feels real, and it exists.
Creating a universe that you can imagine is also important; if there are missing pieces to your world, even if it is a real place, it will ruin the effect you're trying to achieve.
When developing a character, do what you feel is right, but remember that flawless characters are the downfall of literature. Remember that you want the reader to see what you see and feel what you feel.
Make sure you write your name so you can get credit! :)
ReplyDeleteI like your perspective of "If you can relate to characters and have enough imagery to form a universe, it doesn't matter where you are or who the character is." I cannot personally recall reading about a flawless character, but I agree that flawless characters would definitely be a literary downfall.
Do you think that a story can be believable to one person but completely unbeleivable to another? I have not read Twilight, but do you think it's possible that some readers who enjoy the series do view the novels as believable? Perhaps they become lost in the created universe and can relate to one or more aspects of different characters. Maybe a reader can relate to seemingly flawless characters because they fulfill some part of their fantasies and imagination. What is your perspective on this--could Twilight, or any other story, be believable and unbelievable to different readers?
-Jackie
When you say "maybe a reader can relate to seemingly flawless characters because they fulfill some part of their fantasies and imagination" -- I don't think it's relating to the characters; I think that's trying to live inside a fantasy novel.
ReplyDeleteMost stories have characters that have some sort of flaw. A flawless character means no change, which means no story.
-Caroline
You went into it a little bit, but I like that you went into a little detail about a story's universe creation. You can establish any rules you want for your story, but you then have to follow those rules consistently through out the story.
ReplyDelete-Phillip
Your last paragraph is too true. A friend of mine told me, "Create a character. Put the character through a story. Then throw the character away and write about the most flawed secondary character from your initial story." This has always been good advice for me.
ReplyDelete