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I’m a sucker for found family. I really enjoy characters going from friends to friends-that-act-like-siblings. One of my projects is basically about nine people from different worlds all becoming close like that (and saving the worlds) and because of the dynamics, it’s one of my favorite projects.
Great success often depends on being able to distinguish between the impossible and the improbable.
Oh dear… I hope you and the students can handle it okay.
Thank you. *accepts your offer* I do love a good cookie.
Great success often depends on being able to distinguish between the impossible and the improbable.
Thanks for tagging me! I’ve been kind of wandering around, not sure where to go. But now here I am.
Great success often depends on being able to distinguish between the impossible and the improbable.
I don’t always have one that comes to me before the other. However, in general, characters that come before their plot are usually inspired by artwork or specific names. Plots that come first typically come from wanting to develop or use a specific concept/trope. Sometimes setting ideas are the first part, and can be inspired by pretty much anything.
So I end up with a lot of random things that I just put into a list and combine when stuff starts to click.
Great success often depends on being able to distinguish between the impossible and the improbable.
He’s really good at writing more mature stories that I would call YA without forcing them to be anything in particular.
I don’t remember how many heroes he made personally, however, I do remember that he was the one who made Spider-Man. Spider-Man was the superhero that I watched as a kid. (Sadly, I watched a really old version that Disney+ doesn’t have.) He’s always been one of my favorites, although I have found more heroes that I like as well. Him and those heroes have been direct sources of inspiration for my superhero world, and some of the concepts that I have for characters are based around their core personality traits. For example, I have one that shares the same sort of self-destructive sacrificial streak– he’ll put his life on the line to help other people every day. He also shares the smartness and intelligence, and was designed to be nerdy as an extension of that. But other than that, he’s really different than Spider-Man, and I’m happy with how he’s turned out, since I’ve kind of just let him grow into his own person.
As for Marvel characters that I don’t know who made them… I really like Squirrel Girl, from The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, who’s a surprisingly non-violent person for someone who lives in Marvel’s NYC. I also like Gwenpool (The Unbelievable Gwenpool) a lot, since she’s a morally gray character that was actually done well. (Gwenpool Strikes Back, is, arguably, less of a success for various reasons from plot, to character arc(s), to art style…)
And as you can tell, the way to get me to talk is to bring up Marvel and superheroes. ^-^’
Great success often depends on being able to distinguish between the impossible and the improbable.
I can’t particularly think of any one person, but there are multiple authors and friends that have definitely made their mark.
There are certain elements that I’m more inclined to include in my stories because of my friends. They got me interested in these things or re-awakened my interest. So I have to give them credit for that. If it wasn’t for them being passionate about, and writing about these things I wouldn’t have done it myself. Most notably this would be multiverses and a variety of health conditions ranging from heart diseases to autoimmune disorders.
As for specific authors, Brandon Sanderson’s worldbuilding and magic systems are really inspiring to me, and I look up to that a lot. I’d be less likely to write about more unusual magical abilities if it wasn’t for him.
Stan Lee is pretty much my role model for superheroes. I love the characters that he designed and that people designed for his world. I want to have a fully fleshed out superhero world like that, too. Although I do plan to make mine more consistent and cohesive, because that’s the one thing that always bugged me about Marvel.
And then there’s a whole long list of other authors…
- Cressida Cowell and her How to Train Your Dragon series.
- Agatha Christie’s infamous murder mysteries.
- Arthur Conan Doyle’s John Watson and Sherlock Holmes.
- Rick Riordan’s ability to captivate readers.
- Jory John and Mac Barnett’s display of brotherly camaraderie in The Terrible Two.
- And pretty much everyone who wrote a book that ended up in my library’s juvenile section.
It’s really hard to choose just one person, because I read something, absorb it, and then gradually turn it over in my mind. And sometimes, that results in inspiration to write a story, or try something new, or practice a principle of writing. I see a thing that they did and I think “I’d like to try that” and so I do. So really, I’m impacted by a wide variety of people. I’m also indecisive enough about this question that I ended up writing multiple paragraphs. Oops. ^-^”
Great success often depends on being able to distinguish between the impossible and the improbable.
That’s a great point. We as readers can much more relate to the feeling of pain rather than a specific type of injury. Unless it’s like twisting your ankle or something like that lol.
I think the point is to not explain something that people already understand.
But yeah, stories that take injuries seriously are way more intense and interesting. Like if earlier in the story you showed that a stab wound has no big consequences, how am I supposed to care when the character gets stabbed again?
Exactly. Even if you’re emotionally attached, you still need a reason to care.
Like no joke, one show I watched a character’s vital organs got stabbed so many times throughout the show that it eventually became funny to me. (Note, this wasn’t a fantasy world were they have magical healing powers) And like, next episode he’d show up like nothing ever happened like, bruh. Writers really be wild with their fight scenes.
Oh dear…
Great success often depends on being able to distinguish between the impossible and the improbable.
Something that I saw somewhere (I can’t remember where) is that when you’re writing about pain, you don’t want to write about the pain itself so much as how it affects the person. Looking back at scenes that I’ve written, the ones where I put more effort into conveying how the injuries physically and mentally affect the character have more of a punch. It causes more of a reaction from the reader if you describe them this way rather than just glossing over it because you’re showing them how painful it is and why they should care about the character’s injuries. And I think that readers are more likely to take the story seriously if you make the injuries convincing, and don’t just have characters brushing off things like dislocated shoulders and the like.
Great success often depends on being able to distinguish between the impossible and the improbable.
I definitely think that given names have more expectations attached to them because people get to know you, and your family, and that results in… expectations. (Unsurprisingly.) And pen names make it much easier to dodge those expectations, I suppose. They also have the advantage of allowing you to live a sort of secret life if you want. Writers are like superheroes, in a way.
And it is liberating to choose your identity, and forge it purely from your imagination, preferences, and personal convictions. You don’t have to be the result of your past experiences.
But that’s not the question you asked. ;P
Thanks! I like it a lot myself.
I’ve had this pen name since… at least since I joined NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) because I needed an internet-safe name and I assumed that meant pen names. I kind of thought about it previously, but I never started actively using it until I turned 15 and was granted more internet privileges.
Great success often depends on being able to distinguish between the impossible and the improbable.
Yes I have. I chose a pen name when I joined the National Novel Writing Month website for internet safety reasons. I also think that my pen name is more interesting than my legal name, and the origin is also way more nerdy. (It’s a nod to both the sci-fi graphic novel NewsPrints and the song Lavender’s Blue.)
Another reason I like using a pen name is for anonymity. I find that it’s much easier to be open and honest with people when I’m using my pen name, and I also have to stop and think “do I want this associated with my name?” Because I have the privilege of building my reputation from the ground up by using a pen name.
In addition to that, since I’ve started a blog that isn’t related to writing, I’m finding myself wondering if I should make a new pen name for that, or simply use my legal name in some way, since I don’t know if or how I want to associate myself with it.
Great success often depends on being able to distinguish between the impossible and the improbable.
I love it. It’s a really good read, and some of Gordon Korman’s best work, and I highly recommend it if you’re partial to sci-fi. I would say more, but I don’t want to spoil it for you.
Yeah! I love Steve’s cello pieces especially. Celloopa and Me and My Cello are two of my favorites.
I’m always happy to suggest books! ^-^ I have some recommended reading lists on Goodreads because I can never remember titles. XD
I’m quite fond of it. XD I used to have it as my NaNoWriMo forum signature before they switched over to using Discourse instead. It was one of my quotes of the month on my blog, too.
I have to say that Mr. Reteep is right. ;D Reading is a lot of fun.
I have heard of that series, and since it has been highly recommended to me by multiple people it’s on my to be read list (after I finish the many books I am currently reading)…
Great success often depends on being able to distinguish between the impossible and the improbable.
Yeah, I can’t stand the smell or taste of it. I’m sensitive to smells. I actually recently discovered that they have some really good cocoa mix, so they’ve won me over for now.
I miss it sometimes. That’s great! Tae kwon do is awesome, it exercises pretty much your entire body, plus you get to punch people sometimes. I don’t have one favorite, but right now I’m into The Eye of the Tiger (no idea who made this one) and creature by Half Alive. I can’t remember most song titles and musicians/bands, though. I just collect music on YouTube. XD
My brother does cross country. He’s getting pretty good at it and practices with one of his friends sometimes.
Do you have a favorite Disney movie? Mine is Big Hero 6.
It’s nice to meet you, too!
Great success often depends on being able to distinguish between the impossible and the improbable.
No, we’re not. XD Just cryptids, far and few between.
It’s nice to meet you, too.
I was messing around with a character creator I found and decided that the character I had made was just too good to waste, so I put her in my arsenal for the time being. I actually keep a Google Sheet of characters for future projects.
Mere Christianity, Words of Radiance, The Lord of the Rings, And Then There Were None, How to Train Your Dragon, Who Could That Be at This Hour?, and Magyk.
I really liked the main character. He was a bit bland, but interesting.
I read at least part of the first one before getting bored. It wasn’t exactly my style then, and I kind of doubt that it will be now. I don’t really like to read most tragedies (Hamlet is an exception) because they’re just depressing. I might be willing to give it another try if it has elements of hope in it, though. Gregor the Overlander had some more dark and depressing themes, but Collins did a good job of balancing that out with hope. I have to admire her for how well she wrote that series, since she painted a picture that was both fantastical and realistic, especially for the end. Even though I don’t 100% like the ending of the series, I do really like that it was about resolving the plot and not just tossing sugar on the end to make the reader happy.
Sorry about the ramble. ;P I do tend to go off on bunny trails and tangents.
I hope I’ll see you around.
Great success often depends on being able to distinguish between the impossible and the improbable.
Nice to meet you Annabelle!
I like to read, knit, and draw. I just finished Gordon Korman’s Masterminds trilogy (highly recommend, by the way). I’m also knitting a scarf for a friend, and don’t have any art projects going at the moment, but I’m sure that’ll change once my art class starts up again.
I like a variety, as mentioned before. 80s, Christian contemporary, and Japanese pop. I’m a cellist (unfortunately currently without a teacher). I have also played violin and piano in the past, but decided to quit since it wasn’t quite working out.
I like C. S. Lewis, Brandon Sanderson, J. R. R. Tolkien, Agatha Christie, Cressida Cowell, and Lemony Snickett a lot. Angie sage does an incredible job at using multiple points of view in her books, and I really want to be able to pull that kind of thing off. Brandon Sanderson has the best magic systems and worldbuilding, plus the quotes from his Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians series are to die for (metaphorically, of course). My favorite one is:
“People can do great things. However, there are somethings they just can’t do. I, for instance, have not been able to transform myself into a Popsicle, despite years of effort. I could, however, make myself insane, if I wished. (Though if I achieved the second, I might be able to make myself think I’d achieved the first….)
Anyway, if there’s a lesson to be learned, it’s this: great success often depends on being able to distinguish between the impossible and the improbable. Or, in easier terms, distinguishing between Popsicles and insanity.
Any questions?”Great success often depends on being able to distinguish between the impossible and the improbable.
I think it could be interesting to talk about how people we know have influenced our writing. I know my friends’ interests have influenced my interests and thus resulted in parts of my stories being a way that they wouldn’t have been otherwise.
Great success often depends on being able to distinguish between the impossible and the improbable.