Characterization

[Mystitat]

Thoughts?

[Flitterbug]

DONT ----ING STICK TO WHAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE WRITTEN IN THE PAST!

Just because Bombalurina is always a slut-bomb doesn't mean you have to writer her as one. In fact, it doesn't even mean that you have to write her as being a tom-obsessed twit either. She's a strong personality, yes. But she's not two dimensional!

And Tugger is not there to be the butt of your jokes. Nor is he a valley-bimbo. Get over it; Playboys can have brains.

Munkus is not just a kind, loving and caring kitty with nothing better to do. What if he's frustrated? Wouldn't you be at least a little bit stressed? Why does he always have to be the flat-faced goody goody? Sure he can be good, but is that all there is to him?

And whatever you do: DONT ----ING TYPECAST!

Does Etcetera do nothing but bounce? Does Demeter truly meddle in other people's affairs? Is Jellylorum really that unimportant and is Jenny always looking aftr the kittens?

Gimme a break, people! Where's your originality?

[Quidam]

Quidam's Major Pet Peeves

1. Victoria is always shy and needs help coming out of her shell.

2. The same is said for Electra. She is either shy or does not play a part at all. She is merely there to take up space.

3. Exotica is shy/quiet/doesn't fit in. Like Electra, she is only there to take up space. She has no special part and doesn't even talk to any of the other Jellicles. She's just there for no reason other than to fill up gaps. (Also same with Admetus)

4. Demeter is always scared and timid. Bomba is always the one to be there for her and take care of her. Bomba also never has any breakdowns or shows any signs of being weak. She is always the strong one.

5. Tugger comes off seeming like a jerk. He has no sweet, romantic side and if he does, he's only pretending. He thinkst he world is merely his playground and he doesn't care about anyone else but himself.

Final Analysis: Do not be afraid! You can take your stories along with your characterization where other authors haven’t gone yet. And if they have, so what? Be a bit more creative and people will be more interested.

[taij zann rung]

Mmm, yes, I'll second all that stuff.

[Aithilin]

For the love of whatever you think is holy, make a handy character study that can easily be modified for each story.

It's more than just breaking the one dimensional character restrictions found in the fandom, it's making the story better- plain and simple.

You can have the best plot, but if your characters don't have any depth, it's going to fall apart rather quickly.

That's precisely what happened with several of my (now deleted and restarted) stories. Good idea, no forethought about why the characters act the way they do. No motivations. No idiosyncracies. Nothing but the bare minimum. And they sucked (more than my stories usually do).

Basic solution? Have a character study that includes, or mentions, some of these;

Name: (since this is CATS, you can include how they got that name)
Age:
Age they act: (Misto's cute when he runs around like a kitten)
Why they act that way: (dropped on his head a few times?)
Family:
Relationship with father:
with mother:
with siblings:
Family history: (the terrible truth of how Deuteronomy became the leader?)
Pet peeves and why: (Munkustrap secretly hates the word "leash" due to some five year-old human dragging him around on one as a kitten)
Favourites and why: (Tugger has a soft spot for sci-fi novels because he wants to be a Jedi)
What no one knows: (Alonzo likes to wear tutus when in the privacy of his den...)

and so on.

All it does is help a writer organize thoughts on a single character and how and why he or she interacts with others. Plus (if you're as much a dork as I am) it can be fun to go through the history of a character and figure out the extent of any and all psychological damage.

[Cassandra]

The problem with character sheets is the idiots that feel compelled to include them in the story. But I agree, if used properly they can be a big help.

[Aithilin]

That's what the scroll button (or back button, accompanied later by a note saying "you know, that's really annoying and only a way to show that you have no creative means to insert all of that information into your story") is for.

[Mistactlees]

Agreed.

[Cassandra]

I never even bother to say it, or anything else, is annoying anymore. I have enough of a reputation as a flaming bitch as it is.

[Mistactlees]

I'd rather recieve a flame then a review that is in all chat speak.

[Aithilin]

I'd prefer neither. More so if the only review someone can think up is some variation of "update ASAP."

[Mistactlees]

I HATE those. I suppose I'm guilty of one word review, usually consisting of "Interesting." I usually do that when I think that the story's interesting, but nothing else.

[Lickapaw]

As a writer myself I can feel very frustrated by people leaving waste-of-time reviews. If you've taken the time to read the story, please tell me what you liked about it, what you didn't! Did so-and-so sound too 2D? Did this character act in a way you didn't expect? Is the work evocative enough? What did it make you think about?

I don't want sycophantism (if that word even exists). I want to know what you really think. And if all you can think of is good stuff, then I'm flattered. But let it be real!

Similarly, I find short-sightedness in readers frustrating. I've just finished the first 4 weeks' worth of a Torchwood story and think I have a good storyline (Just after Season 2, the team try to carry on as best they can. An alien comes through the rift and the team have to work out how to send it back). Now, to me, that sounds a good storyline. But several people have submitted stories since mine, and most of them just go all squishy about Ianto and Jack. I spent weeks on that, bitches! Read and review!!

Eh.

If I read a story I always, always review. Properly. To me, it's the least you can do when someone's entertained you for however long.

[Aithilin]

I've long since learned not to care about reviews. Granted, I write fewer fanfics now than I did a year or two ago, but I've never written something to have my ego stroked by reviews.

One word or several paragraphs, I likely won't respond.

If you have a qualm with review processes, or just a rant; google "Fanficrants" and look for the LiveJournal link.

[Lickapaw]

Oh! Nice one - I'd never heard of that!

It's not so much ego-stroking to me, just the fact that when you know a lot of people have read your story (ff.net now has story traffic monitors, for instance) and they just click on without saying anything of what they thought.

I like to improve, and I'd like to know what people think. That's at the crux of it to me.

Oh, okay, and there is a bit of an ego stroke in there

[Flitterbug]

I like the ego stroke when it comes to reviews. Generally speaking, I know when something I write is crap, and I tend to pick up on when my characterisation is off. It's the typos and spellcheck errors that I need people to watch for.

If I'm writing fanfiction then these days the ultrashort reviews dont bother me. I wouldn't mind someone going on an in depth critique... but all that would do is make me write an essay defending myself and my choices.

[Serendipity]

Now me on the other hand.... I get a perverse pleasure "monitoring the fandom'. That includes leaving reviews that are flammatory in nature. Granted, I only do that to those who break the rules.... but still.

I love pointing out other peoples' stupidity. There was a time... about a year, I think? that a group of us, myself included monitered the fandom and gave enough complaints on FF.net that they changed the name of the category, "Miscellaneous>CATS" to "Miscellaneous>CATS-Musical-". I used to monitor the RENT fandom as I wrote longer for that one then I did the CATS one.

[Eminems]

It is less of a problem now though, we still get the odd piece of original crap but on the whole, most of it is Cats based. Although not all of it is great. I write for myself, mostly. I have written a couple of requests, although the latest one will never be seen by the requester, because I don't talk to said requester anymore (and probably never will). However, I still wrote it because I came up with an idea I loved and couldn't not finish it just because of that. It's not one that will ever be seen on ffnet though.

I like reviews - I have issues with getting compliments. I don't like it, I don't know what to say to them except for a mumbled 'thanks', which makes me look like a bitch. I'm not used to being told I'm good - I'm used to being disliked for it. I've been bullied for years for being 'too smart' and I find it hard now to believe someone when they say I'm good at something.

However:

I want criticism, I want to be told that this bit was crap, and that bit sounded stupid. I just find it hard to get much concrit after publishing on ffnet. I like getting reviews, but if I don't get any, I'm not too fussed. I can't stand those review whores who hold the next chapter hostage until they get "LIEK TEN REVIWS!!!!1!111" Half the time, I don't want to see the next chapter anyway. I can handle concrit. A lot of people can't, because they've been told all their lives that they're fantastic and wonderful so when someone tells them the truth they can't handle it.

[Lickapaw]

Eminems and Serendipity, I think I've something that'll stir your interest.

Meet The Wandering Critic:

My Writing Advice (website)
Wandering Criticism (blog)

He criticizes fanfiction of many genres, and with style. His writing is far slicker than mine, so the best I can do is to bypass any further description of this man and recommend that you look at the two links, especially that blog!