What's wrong with just being human? | First Page | Forum

Dark_Lady_Jade

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Post: 20444857_1 created on Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:01:47 +0000
Posted: Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:01:47 +0000

Let me just say that I'm not criticizing anyone or anyone's work. It's merely an observation. Heck, even I've written about mermaids and vampires and stuff myself. xd

Anyway, like I asked. What's wrong with a character being just human? Not extraordinarily gorgeous, no insanely amazing skills or powers, not an uber-genius, nothing. Just a human.

It seems that every time I read something, or read what someone's writing about, every single interesting character (or character in general) is some non human creature. The humans that are included are for the most part always nearly superhuman (read what I said above).

Yeah, it's cool to fly, or control an element, or have a special power, or be so gorgeous everyone's ready to jump you, or be so good at fighting that you can take on anyone, or be really smart, and all that. I won't deny that it can be interesting. But just because a character is human doesn't mean that character has to be boring.

I mean, I like to read fantasy and stuff, but it also greatly interests me to see a character that is average at best, not the best looking, and can't figure out what skill he/she has. You know, the person is awkward, but awkward can be just as interesting as a half vampire-half demon-half elf-gorgeous-ridiculously talented-ninja slash weapons expert-with an IQ of 3000-and wings that just happen to show up.

That's all I'm saying. Where's the weight and skin issues? Where are the bad habits? Where's the internal conflict (and not just the whole good versus evil thing)? Where are the personal quirks? Where are the fears? Why does one character always have to fall in love with someone? Can't people just be happy single? Why is the human always either portrayed as a near psycho or a wimp? Why can't the human be the hero and save some other creature once instead of the other way around?

What's wrong with just being human?

Gummi-Arms

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Post: 20444857_2 created on Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:07:32 +0000
Posted: Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:07:32 +0000

Ah, all too true. I've had my moments wondering that myself, at times. In fact, in one of my new ideas, my story is about a group of *gasp* normal humans (for the most part) just trying to get by.

ParceQue

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Post: 20444857_3 created on Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:08:07 +0000
Posted: Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:08:07 +0000

That's a good question

So far all of my original work has only been about humans. I really just find it more enjoyable to write. It's something I know, obviously, being one myself. It also just doesn't seem as... well... cheesy to me. Don't get me wrong, non-humans are definitely not always cheesy, but I get what you're saying about the "half vampire-half demon-half elf-gorgeous-ridiculously talented-ninja slash weapons expert-with an IQ of 3000-and wings that just happen to show up".

Heck, lately even most of my Lois and Clark fanfiction takes place after Clark's been exposed to kryptonite. I've even been writing Superman human! xd

x_haphazard_x

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Post: 20444857_4 created on Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:08:12 +0000
Posted: Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:08:12 +0000

rofl

I'm sorry, but after what I've started writing, I just have to laugh. Some guy in my story made a cyborg in his living room and she's being taken away by his mentor because the mentor thinks that he'll be irresponsible with her.

Nothing's wrong with normal humans, it's just that when you write about a character that's not good at anything and has no niche, you're writing about a confused loser who has no sense of place, essentially, Shinji Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion.

And he sucks. I'd never want to write him.

Dark_Lady_Jade

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Post: 20444857_5 created on Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:11:26 +0000
Posted: Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:11:26 +0000

Gummi-Arms

Ah, all too true. I've had my moments wondering that myself, at times. In fact, in one of my new ideas, my story is about a group of *gasp* normal humans (for the most part) just trying to get by.

That would be interesting to read. smile

I work in a library, and I read the summary of a novel. It was about a girl (woman, actually) who is what society calls overweight. She's self conscious, and tries to lose weight, but at the same time, she goes on the Internet, where her online persona is the typical model type. That's something I'd be interested in reading more than a novel about a beautiful, thin woman who's in a love affair with a gorgeous man. Not only is the first story I mentioned more realistic even though it's fiction, I hate those romance stories. xd

I am The Compendium

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Post: 20444857_6 created on Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:11:40 +0000
Posted: Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:11:40 +0000

Wow, I must have failed at making vampires and other magic races because they worry about the exact same s**t my humans worry about: taxes, chicks, food... And several of my magical beings are downright boring. One has the power to glow in the dark. And most aren't amazingly gorgeous.

I must suck at writing non-humans.

Autodidactic

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Post: 20444857_7 created on Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:12:41 +0000
Posted: Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:12:41 +0000

Dude.

I don't know either.

x_haphazard_x

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Post: 20444857_8 created on Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:15:02 +0000
Posted: Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:15:02 +0000

Yami_no_Eyes

Exactly. I have a human character whose "power" causes nothing but social problems. Maybe I should change that power because it doesn't make him speshul?

Dark_Lady_Jade

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Post: 20444857_9 created on Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:17:40 +0000
Posted: Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:17:40 +0000

Yami_no_Eyes

See, I'd like to read something like that. A character who, although isn't human, has issues and things to worry about. I don't mean an excessive worrier, but you know, someone who doesn't have life so simplified.

You reminded me of another story I saw in the library. The main character is a vampire, but she runs a bar, drinks, shops, likes snacks, and finds out she has a half sister, or something like that. xd

Kims_Prince

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Post: 20444857_10 created on Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:23:33 +0000
Posted: Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:23:33 +0000

My first and more successful story is just about a girl trying to make it through high school after tragically losing her first love. It is just a tale of ordinary school girls struggling with life and love. I get a lot of mail telling me they liked it because they could relate so much to the characters in the tale.

Since then I've always worked with human characters. Even my supernatural series "The Shadowlanders" I deal heavily with normal everyday characters who are trying to cope with extraordinary situations. The most interesting I find to write is a girl who falls in love with an angel of death of all things. Instead of making the character extraordinary I just make their situations unusual. Really makes things interesting to write that is for sure.

I find that the best way to write a character is to try to think of them as normal and think of their situation before considering if they are supernatural or not. The extra elements can always be added in later seeing as they are only extra tidbits about the character anyways.

Jaa ne and happy writing.

Kat

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Post: 20444857_11 created on Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:25:25 +0000
Posted: Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:25:25 +0000

Dark_Lady_Jade

Yami_no_Eyes

I always aim to make whatever I have a real human-like character.

indigo is imaginary

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Post: 20444857_12 created on Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:31:41 +0000
Posted: Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:31:41 +0000

Yeah, I agree. Sure, the dudes with the spiffy powers and whatnot are cool, but they get tiring. I like to read about real, average people because I can connect with them. I'm sorry, but I just can't relate to a character when their biggest problem is that they're too beautiful. rolleyes
However, let us not forget that the people with the powers are great characters too...as long as they're as dynamic as a real person. They should have more issues than just how they're going to defeat the Overlord Demon, Master-Of-The-Mortal-Plane, evil-grand-ruler supreme who not only is invincible and omiscient but also their father whom they happen to be the illegitimate child of. They need to be clumsy, or get zits, or end up looking stupid and/or vunerable! Otherwise, they're all suped-up Mary Sues.