Comments on: Why I Embrace My Inner Weirdos

By: dholcomb1

dholcomb1 — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 03:27:48 +0000

I totally get it!

denise

By: dhhanni

dhhanni — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 20:44:35 +0000

Thank you so much for this post. It's great to read someone admitting that writing a character that isn't cookie cutter leads to second-guessing their decision. It's something I struggle with as a writer because in my head my characters have that depth and while it doesn't bother me if someone is a grump or bitchy or not the norm, I find myself pulling back when I write and re-write. I think a lot of it comes back to worrying if a character is likable rather than is a character sympathetic. As a reader and a TV/movie viewer I am almost always more caught up in the characters who are deeply flawed rather than Mr. and Ms. Perfect.

By: Kimberly Brock

Kimberly Brock — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 19:36:34 +0000

In reply to Joseph McGarry. Very true!

By: Kimberly Brock

Kimberly Brock — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 19:36:19 +0000

In reply to Glynis Jolly. My paper people always have lots of stuff going on! And no, not always a happy ending.

By: Kimberly Brock

Kimberly Brock — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 19:35:41 +0000

In reply to yeyeright. har har har :)

By: Kimberly Brock

Kimberly Brock — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 19:35:24 +0000

In reply to Lisa Ciarfella. Thanks, Lisa. It's not always easy, is it?

By: Joseph McGarry

Joseph McGarry — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 15:58:57 +0000

It depends on the audience, too. Sometimes stories written for younger children are more cut and dried, with the hero and the villain more clearly defined.

By: Glynis Jolly

Glynis Jolly — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 14:19:56 +0000

You aren't alone with your weirdness. My current protagonist has a psychosis. Although the writing gets difficult, to say the least, I'm enjoying this character so much. It has me to the point where I want to make all of my protagonists have a mental illness of some sort. There won't be many happy endings.

By: yeyeright

yeyeright — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 13:50:33 +0000

Back in the sixties there was a gruesome story about two hitchhikers in Wyoming, who killed their driver and then ate him. As a result the state of Wyoming has never had much tolerance for hitchhiking, even today.

By: Lisa Ciarfella

Lisa Ciarfella — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 05:01:03 +0000

Great post here Kimberly!

Especially like when u say:
"readers will do what they’ve done for as long as people have been telling stories – they’ll recognize themselves in the mistakes and sicknesses, the betrayals and selfishness, the most heartbreaking falls from grace...all come from authors who are fearless....They are made that way by one thing – their authors trusted readers."

Nice!