Essence Of: Question Thread!

[Flames of Hyperion]

Note that I tend to take a very methodical approach to writing, and that I tend to think of my individual threads as but pieces in a much larger legendarium.

1) How do you define plot?

At its simplest level, I define plot as an interconnected hierarchy / series of conflicts and resolutions, that together tell a story. One step in a plot takes a given set of settings and characters and transforms it into something different, with new sources of conflict and possible resolutions. The plot as a whole takes a starting set of settings and characters on a journey until a convenient ending point.

2) How do you develop plots in your own stories?

I tend to develop plots on three interconnected levels. The first is on the story level - what is the conflict in this setting, and what roles do my characters play in resolving it? The second is on the character level - what development are my characters gaining from this particular story? What is the conflict that they're dealing with, how are they going to resolve it, how are they going to change as a person afterwards, and what effect is it going to have on their relationships with other characters? And finally, I think on a meta level - how does this story fit into my world as a whole? How does it resolve previous conflicts? How is it going to affect future storylines?

Based on these three levels, I identify key events within the thread. I can then start spotting locations, supporting characters, foreshadowing, sub-conflicts, etc., weaving them together so that they follow the logic of the world and the story that I want to tell.

3) What are the pros and cons you see in plotting (coming up with your storyline before writing your first post) and "pantsing" (writing the story and seeing where it goes)?

As my personal goal is to weave everything I write into a coherent and epic overarching narrative, I've rarely if ever "pantsed" before. I've never considered rigidity an issue, because it's a natural part of my workflow to work from the "must" events downwards. If I want to rewrite a minor event, that's easy enough; if I for some reason decide that one of these "must" events doesn't work, then it's worth taking the time to rethink that thread in detail. Working this way allows me to eliminate as many inconsistencies and plot errors as possible before I start writing.

Like Storm, though, I plan a lot less when I write with a partner because I don't know their characters as well as I know mine, and some people just aren't comfortable with the amount of preparation that I'm prepared to put into a story (I don't blame them!).

It's possible that "pantsing" a thread might allow you to come up with off-the-cuff inspiration that you otherwise might not have. I generally find, though, that planning out a thread in advance actually gives you more opportunity for such inspiration because you're spending just that much more time thinking about the conflicts, the characters, the setting, the resolutions. I agree with Kryos that it might work with the right group of people, and with others that it might be more fun if you don't have a defined outcome in mind. Unfortunately or not, that's never been the case with my threads.

[Bard]

Flames I'm very glad you said that, as some people thought I was crazy when I said that when I joined.

[Karuka]

One hour left to get your answers in for this week's show!

[Kryos]

Just seconding my appreciation of Flames' answers. Hit it on the head.

[Karuka]

Episode 4 questions:
1) What do you feel makes a great villain?
2) How do you utilize villains in your stories?
3) If you write a villainous protagonist, how do you strike a balance between their actions and their palatability to your audience?

Episode 4 records in roughly a couple of weeks!

[orphans]

1) What do you feel makes a great villain?
I want to start off by saying I do not believe in "good and evil" as I feel those terms are used by where your stand in life, objective and perspective. With that said, I feel a great villain is one that is competent, methodical and perhaps one that can even inspire empathy from his/her foes. For example, Letho Ravenhart would have been as a villain during the Corone Civil War from the eyes of the Empire, yes?

2) How do you utilize villains in your stories?
Villains rarely become as such overnight and could have started out as anyone else in the world. What journey they ultimately took to get there is what defines them. As the reader, one may not see or even learn of it, but as a writer I think it is important to consider where they are coming from and have a solid understanding as to why the villain does what they do.

3) If you write a villainous protagonist, how do you strike a balance between their actions and their palatability to your audience?
I would write them as I would as any other character. They have their own dreams, wishes, fears, loves, and hatreds of their own. Most villains are considered as such because their methods do not conform to society's acceptance. The path to hell is paved with good intentions. Or so they say.

[Jarilo]

In trying to answer the below questions, I decided to make a list of all of my favorite villains to try and see what common themes/traits they all shared. The list is as follows: Tywin Lannister (ASoIaF), Petyr Baelish (ASoIaF), Roose Bolton (ASoIaF), Orochimaru (Naruto), Hajime Saito (Rurouni Kenshin), Handsome Jack (Borderlands), Crowley (Supernatural), Magneto (X-Men), Q (Star Trek), the Monster ('The Deadlands'), Coyote (Native American mythos), Lady Macbeth (Macbeth).

I also spent some time delving TV Tropes Villains, to make my answers more universally understandable.

1) What do you feel makes a great villain?
Based on the list of villains I've listed above, I tend to respond more to Affably Evil/Ambiguously Evil, or the Magnificent Bastard. Archetype-wise, that means I enjoy the Trickster a lot, as well as the classic interpretation of the Fair Folk.

In other words, to me, "good villains" blend the lines between good and evil. They are cunning, witty, savvy, and they tend of have a sense of humor. They are charismatic and relatable, they have their own values/ambitions/loyalties, but they are also ruthless when the need arises. They are artful in their villainy, intentionally or no--sometimes even more so than a hero to his/her heroism. In terms of alignment, my favorite villains are always on the Neutral spectrum, rather than Chaotic. Absolutes are never fun.

2) How do you utilize villains in your stories?
I try to keep my villains pretty close to the aforementioned archetypes, because I think it makes for a more compelling narrative overall. As I said above, rather than an absolute Chaotic/Good character, its a lot more satisfying to "sink your teeth" into a villain that makes you question things. After all, in the real world, Good and Evil is not a binary, or an either-or. Its a spectrum, a give-and-take.

3) If you write a villainous protagonist, how do you strike a balance between their actions and their palatability to your audience?
For me, the best way to do this is always to stay as true to the character as I can. Understand what makes him/her the villainous protagonist, and write their POV accordingly. The audience, while important, is much less important than the character's authenticity.

[SirArtemis]

1) What do you feel makes a great villain?

I think the definition is a really excellent place to start: a cruel, malicious person. Someone who really creates strong emotion in the reader due to their actions, and continues to bristle the reader. The most interesting villains for me though are the ones that sort of rattle the reader, in the sense that they are the antagonist but not clearly the villain at times. Where you aren't quite sure what judgment to make of them, and you almost have to guess.


2) How do you utilize villains in your stories?

Villains to me are not often used. For me, my stories are often man vs environment or man vs self, less man vs man or anything of the sort. When I have used villains, for my character, it is anything that is strongly against the path of virtue. The one villain I created was a demon/vampire that toyed with people and consumed their lives and souls, preventing them from ever reaching the afterlife.


3) If you write a villainous protagonist, how do you strike a balance between their actions and their palatability to your audience?

I think the most interesting villains are the ones that don't go overboard, and where the villainy has suspicious hints about it. I think a good example of this was Snape from Harry Potter, where he was vilified but there were drops throughout the series about his story, that culminated at the end as him being a good guy all along. There are also antagonists that are outright likeable and not sufficiently villainous, like Owen Shaw in Fast 6. He was the bad guy, but you liked him. Then there's always the potential conversion of the villain to ally, which is always an interesting challenge for the character, author, and reader.

In the end, I think this comes down to giving the villain reasons to hate them, but also pulling out some stray strands of compassion. Can you feel sorry for the villain even if you hate him? Are they irredeemable? Do they have lapses in their sinister nature? Does their villainy not make sense? Hannibal Lecter was always a fascinating villain, but again, the line blurred between antagonist and villain.

[Karuka]

Hey everyone! We will be recording on Tuesday, March 8. I'd like to see answers by noon EST on that date so we get a chance to review and include them!

[hoytti]

What do you feel makes a good villian?
A good villian is a being that is hated with a pation. They are usually the one that is getting in the way of the hero. However they could also be someone who harms everyone around them or they could pretend to be a hero but in the end betray the hero.

How do you use villians in your story?
I mainly use villians to push my characters in ways they usually won't go.

If you write a villainous protagonist, how do you strike a balance between their actions and their palatability to your audience?
I tend to use their internal thoughts to help the readers connect to them. I also give them a good back story to catch the reader.