What bugs you as a writer?

[IncarnatedDemon]

When writing stories, it's important that the story and it's characters are consistent. And that everything the reader/viewer wonders would be easily be answered. So no plot holes.

So when your being creative, trying to flesh out a character or a story.
What bugs you?

Do you try to be as original as possible (rip off/borrowing ideas subject)?
Do you try not to use ideas from other characters or stories? Example using the idea of half x half y from Dante for a character.

Is there a clear message you want to convey to the readers/watchers? Example, at end of story the viewer may interpret the story as "Life is short, i need to stop behaving so passive".


What themes do you write about, and why?
And is there anything else that bugs you or you take into consideration?'



I myself try my best to be original. I use ideas such as for example i think vampires (or werewolfs or demons for that matter) are awesome, but because i really like Kain from Legacy of Kain serie, i decided that my character would BECOME a vampire at one point.
And that's really "rip off" in a way because Kain becomes a vampire at one point as well. But i think i can be ok with this because i feel that i am borrowing the idea of "character becoming a vampire" which is a general thing. I am not taking the idea of how my character would become a vampire. Kain became a vampire because of a deal with a necromancer.
However, it's not a habit where i pick "A little of this and a little of this" like when shopping, i try to tell a story that's unique at same time.

I also struggle alot with finding a balance where my character will be funny or say something fun sometimes, and being serious and cool.
If i make him say funny things, to show he has a sense of humor, then it will be at expense of his image. And his image is that he is a very frightning individual. Known for killing many people (bad people).
Therefor many fear him.

I suppose i could make his behaviour change depending on who he is with. If he's with a kid he can be fun and joke around, but if he's in presence of a criminal he changes to cold and blood thirsty.

 

[Angel]

When writing stories, it's important that the story and it's characters are consistent. And that everything the reader/viewer wonders would be easily be answered. So no plot holes.

So when your being creative, trying to flesh out a character or a story.
What bugs you?

Do you try to be as original as possible (rip off/borrowing ideas subject)?
Do you try not to use ideas from other characters or stories? Example using the idea of half x half y from Dante for a character.

Is there a clear message you want to convey to the readers/watchers? Example, at end of story the viewer may interpret the story as "Life is short, i need to stop behaving so passive".


What themes do you write about, and why?
And is there anything else that bugs you or you take into consideration?'

I'm by no means a writer in the sense that many would consider a writer to be but I do write for my own amusement and whilst it has been a while since I put anything down onto paper, I still scan over my stuff every now and then to edit and add the odd bits and bobs.

My problem is I can do great beginnings but terrible endings. That bugs me to no end. Everything I do is cliched and horrible and predictable and crap - or worse, I think I'm being utterly original and it turns out someone has already done it. But way better.

I'm a very visual person too, so I spend a little too long describing the minutest details about everything - and then as a result, the characters themselves are pretty flat and uninteresting.

I don't do fanfiction and I try as much as possible to not borrow ideas from others, although sometimes I find what I want to do happens to be what someone else is doing or has done, maybe in another medium. For example, I had this whole story set up in the future with two factions whereby one ruled the masses with controlling drugs and the other faction were the underground movement trying to stop it all. And then I watched both Equilibrium and V for Vendetta and promptly threw it in the bin :lol: I think something truly unique is close to impossible to create as even in the most inventive stories, it usually comes down to good versus evil - something that in itself is probably timeless. But as for originality, I try. Fail often but try.

I write what I know and just change the setting according to whether I want it in the future, a fantasy style or (as I have done once) a diary. It's easier, in my view, to write from personal knowledge or experiences. I can always tell fairly quickly when an author has just interviewed someone to get an idea for how their character feels about their circumstances - it lacks gravitas and cheapens the story somewhat. Particularly something that would invoke a lot of strong emotions. There are a few people who can do this well, however, and children's author Jacqueline Wilson is a great example of someone who, whilst she may not have been there herself, captures rather accurately how kids and teens would feel about some of the bigger issues affecting them.

Don't really have a meaning to convey in my stories - if someone wants to pull something out of it, then that's up to them. Chances are, however, if I'm writing about little men who live in flowerpots at the bottom of the garden and race hedgehogs on weekends...yeah, that's all there is to it. It's hardly War and Peace...

 

[IncarnatedDemon]

I've digged a bit through the thought proccess "What are rip offs" and "What is characterstics of rip offs".
In context to gaming and gaming stories.

I've concluded that two people can by coincedence come across same idea. For example two people who love boxing and are both game developers can by coincedence come across making similar genre. A boxing game, their implementation will be different but their concept of a "boxing video game" will be the same. Does that mean they ripped off eachother? No. They were inspired by the enviroments or the culture they liked in reality.

So you must sometimes give yourself a break and think "I am not ripping off, its something i came up with myself". But you have to also be honest with yourself, because BELIEVE ME, often your subconcious can affect you. For example if you watched a great movie when you were kid or 5 years ago, if you then try to write a story you may be influenced by this great movie. Sometimes you go "Omg i am taking this idea from that movie!", other times u dont notice your doing it.

But borrowing ideas is to me acceptable and cool. But i think when you rip off the ideas implementation, then your being just lazy. For example i mentioned Kain from Legacy of Kain serie, if i made a character and i made my character become a vampire through a necromancer deal, then i would be ripping off this idea from Kain serie. And that is bad. I must be unique and find my own way as to how my character becomes a vampire, not outright be cheap and steal.

Another perspective to "RIp off" is : are you ripping off a distinct thing? For example if i ripped off "Become vampire by a necromancer", it would be me ripping off the idea from Kain. It's a rip off because it's how Kain became a vampire (he made a deal to return as a vampire to kill people who killed him).
And that is where i think the boundary between borrowing a idea and ripping off stuff goes. When your borrowing it's a general concept or thing such as "My character will become vampire", but how your character becomes a vampire is the rip off.
I hope you understand what i mean



I am also a visual person. I have this amazing scene in my head, which i will share with you through PM.

 

[EA9Sol]

As a person who also writes; what bugs me when I try to write and flesh out a character is trying to find a balance between believable and interesting. I don't want them to be some generic good guy or dashing rouge. And when I do try to come up with something original it seem it's done before. So, I try my best not to rip off ideas, but take from different themes and mesh them together to come up with something new.

As for conveying a message? Nah, I don't usually do something like that. I just write for my own amusement and I feel I might get bogged down when I try to do so.

Themes I write? Mostly fantasy, supernatural and steam-punk. In fact I'm currently writing a original steam-punk story with some Norse Mythology thrown into the mix. And this all came about when I finished playing Dishonored. I try to be
creative while not losing my head. lol It's fun writing non-fiction themes. I can do whatever I want without be restricted to the norm. But it is also hard trying to write, too.

And for rip-offs? I try to stay clear of that. Because when you are trying to write any kind of story it a "been there done that" sorta deal. So, finding a why to write a story without sounding like Blade tends to be hard. But, as long as you try to be original I think it's all right.

 

[V]

I think it's okay to borrow things (there is nothing new under the sun after all) but make sure that it's made unique by the development of your story and descriptions enough so as not to be noticeably similar to anyone else's work. When I write I may begin with an idea inspired by something else, either something that has happened to me, an historical event, or another inspirational character, but I let my own imagination run away with it so that it starts to become its own thing. It takes time to do this and let these things crystallize organically, and don't force them.

I'm a writer for my own amusement, but I am in the process of adapting written stories for original manga for publishing. The reason being that I think the manga market would be less hostile to a newcomer like myself and I know my niche and what's expected of it. A friend of mine is writing a fiction novel for publishing, he and I exchange ideas/things we discover about both industries all the time, and we proofread for each other, and knock ideas and first impressions around. Since we're not easily unsettled or horrified by gruesome or 'disturbing' fiction, though, he feels as though he needs a wider proofreading audience to gauge reactions to the characters or events in his stories before he sends them for publishing. I keep telling him he shouldn't aim for mainstream, as if he was published and became known for a certain streak in his writing, it would be a mistake to have become known for something you were never comfortable with in the first place. We both know there's a trade-off between what a publisher and an audience wants and what a writer wants to write... at least, there is if you're serious about getting published and successful, but I would personally advocate writing about what interests you over trying to write some cash-in Twilight clone or whatever, just for success.

That necessity is a restriction on your creative freedom, but I'm so used to the idea of considering "what appeals" to others that it doesn't bug me too much. What does bug me as a writer is the need for a lot of time, and silence in which to write. Like, absolute silence so I can hear and turn the words and images over in my head and make them exactly the way I want them. If you cannot get silence to write in, it's practically impossible. And the time it takes for me to become comfortable with the development of a story is a bit annoying. I wish I could do it faster. Wondering what 'genre' you fall into shouldn't matter, but it does kind of matter when you are writing for a purpose and an audience, especially if you find yourself on the borders or crossing borders between genres...

I believe that deep, believable/relateable characters make for the best stories and that almost everything else is window-dressing which can be altered or transplanted later. I used to spend energy and concern on the scenery and the worlds they lived in... but that's not what drives a good story, I've realized, so now I concentrate on characters and motivation. People love good characters, and conflict. So while I am writing scripts at the moment about drug addicts, alcoholic vampires or sci-fi symbionts, I'm making sure that the window-dressing stays where it belongs and doesn't become more important than the reasons behind the people and the plot. It's the character of the drug addict or the vampire that is important, not the fact they are a vampire or a drug addict.

I have to say as well, that writing is probably more fun in a sense before you start seriously researching 'how to write novels' for publishing, or how to write manga, and see that there are so many rules and considerations, that some people swear you can't break, and others say you can, and so on, and some of the fun is leached away by dissecting novels and stories and the formulas in them. I still find it a lot of fun, however, and I'm primarily doing it for yours truly and R&R, whereas my friend is doing it with a specific goal in mind and doesn't want to self-publish, he wants to be picked up by a major house. It's probably less fun for him than for me with that in mind.

There are way too many pointers and little 'rules' in writing people say there is to go into, so I just keep in mind the basic golden rules:

1) Don't be confusing
2) Don't be boring
3) Conflict. You need it.

...And avoid Mary Sues. Lulz.

 

[Dante's Stalker]

Yelp! Everyone has such deep answers! *feels inadequate*

So when your being creative, trying to flesh out a character or a story.
What bugs you?
Tiiiiiime. That's all that bugs me. Finding the time to sit down and flesh it out on paper instead of just in my head.

Do you try to be as original as possible (rip off/borrowing ideas subject)?
Not really :/ I just write what I know and try my best to avoid/break cliche because it irritates the cookies out of me when I've written something, believe it's all original, and then find that they've made an effing GAME about a very similar concept. Seriously, die Capcom.
See, I once wrote this scene for my original work with twins, dreams and mirror reflection. I found a goody-spot in one of my DMC fanfics to just alter a few details and put it in, thinking 'oooh, I ish so smart, this hasn't been done before teeheehee'. Only to have someone tell me that it reminds them of the scene in DMC2.
I haven't even PLAYED DMC2. WTF.
You see what I mean? I don't bother with originality anymore. What's the point?
Do you try not to use ideas from other characters or stories? Example using the idea of half x half y from Dante for a character.
I try not to, but when I do, it's solely for amusement. And to bring a point across on how it ought to be done. This is all to do with fanfiction, though. I don't take from other stories, I create my own.

Is there a clear message you want to convey to the readers/watchers? Example, at end of story the viewer may interpret the story as "Life is short, i need to stop behaving so passive".
Oh, yes, of course! My stories often have a message. (indulge me here, I'm bored)

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5409178/1/A-Futile-Second-Chance :
We all have predestined lives. No matter what route you take, what will be will be.
Ce sera, sera.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6254851/1/The-Order-of-Sparda:
Choices, you need to know who's side you're on and deal with the consequence of your decision.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5318361/1/I-Hate-Everything-About-You:
Life isn't simple, love doesn't always just happen, oh, and I really really hate Dante paired up with anyone. ('cept Kat)

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6199010/1/With-Love-From-Hell:
Bromance is awesome. When it's done right. *vain face*

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6839329/1/Hear-the-Devil-s-Cry:
No one is invincible.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6769429/1/Of-werewolves-and-vampires:
People need to get over Dante's new look.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6364780/1/Mitis-Forest:
I suck at games.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6161333/1/Dante-s-True-Love:
Food is the way to a man's heart. Or... ice cream is the way to Dante's, anyway.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6073312/1/Infatuation:
Vergil is gullible. Yesh. He is.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5807416/1/Two-Little-Boys:
Sparda is kick-ass cool.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5385494/1/Son-of-Sparda-Mode:
I suck at games. My hunny doesn't. He's really good, but even he couldn't take out Dante. True story, yo.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5578892/1/A-Devil-s-Christmas-Eve:
Don't roleplay with your friends when you're all on a sugar high. X3

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6028737/1/Jackpot-baby:
Don't write when you have no inspiration!

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5692395/1/Mission-666-Shaking-off-a-Fangirl:
I waffles Dante. <3


What themes do you write about, and why?
Horror, supernatural, spiritual. Good vs evil. For the same reason Dante helped Vergil defeat Mundus - FREEDOM!
And is there anything else that bugs you or you take into consideration?
My muse only seems to function on biscuits, so I make sure I've got a stash nearby. This bugs me because munching biscuits all day and sitting all day writing is not going to flatter my shape.
On a more deeper note, yeah, it bugs me when I write a few chapters, and then find that the story is still fleshing itself out in my head, which means I have to go rewrite several scenes before I can continue onward.

 

[LysseC]

Aaaaahhhh, writing. My elation and damnation.

Well, when I write my primary focus is on the characters and their motives. And I have a thing for conflicted characters. I have always like introspective stories, but with time I came to notice that introspection without plot becomes boring after a while.
So now my primary focus is creating a story in which the main character and those who surround him/her are faced with hardships that hit them hard, where it hurts them most.
As you can see, my starting point is not original at all, but I try to make my stories interesting by striving to create "real" characters, as in, not just clichés (and I thoroughly hate Mary Sues...).

Now, originality is my real bug. It always seems to me that I lack good ideas. On the other hand, when I see a movie/read a book/whatever has a story in it that really captures me, I recognize I tend to take direct inspiration. So I've settled with a compromise: seeing that I cannot be original, I try and mix explicit citations of what captures my attention at the moment. The work, on my part, consists in making all those citations coherent between themselves and with the setting I'm starting from. I do this because, after all, writing is just a way to amuse myself, so I think that as long as I recognize where I take my "ideas" (be it just a line from a film or a book, or a song, or a poetry, or a particular expression, or whatever strikes me at the moment), and explicitly say it, and as long as I make no profit from that, this is acceptable, and maybe someone else might like what I'm doing and find amusement in that.

 

[Dante's Stalker]

(and I thoroughly hate Mary Sues...).

I second this.

 

[Meg]

Being forced to write a play when I just don't feel like it.

 

[DreadnoughtDT]

What bugs me is when I put time and effort into trying to make a character unique, only to realize that he either has a personality similar to mine, or that I've focused so much on a specific "unique" character trait that that trait is all the character has going for him. Though, I've managed to avert that with my latest ongoing story... But that's a fanfic with OCs, so it'll always be judged harshly. -_-

 

[Vergil'sBitch]

This whole Mary Sue thing now bugs me.... it never bothered me, but seeing that there have been a run on rants about it it's just bugging the cr*p out of me.

 

[Dante's Stalker]

I take back what I said. It's not just time that bugs me.
Plot bunnies bug the hell out of me, too. DIE BUNNIES DIE!!!