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> > Rather than simply say "I can't write that character", why not try to adjust your approach to said characters? For example, Shrike has said Hatman's portrayal is too passive (I do agree actually, he didn't come off as very leader-like). So next time, adjust him a bit. It's part of the writing process, evolving as you go.
>
> I tried a couple of times, but either I'm adjusting it for the worse or it's not having much effect. I'm hoping not but even my next "Training Session" post will likely be disappointing. And I don't really want to rewrite it and risk having nothing to post this weekend.
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I say post it.
> > I highly doubt that. I only e-mail another poster about a story if I want to collaborate with them or do something that might seem out of character or change that character's status quo. It would be nuts to get approval every time a story gets posted, and would take the fun out of it too.
>
> But mostly your stories have a small cast of characters you've been using since day one.
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Not necessarily. I'm still not entirely happy with how I write some characters (Mumphrey, for example) but the only way I'll get better at it is to put them in stories.
>
> > > But after screwing up something big enough in a majority of posts I've made since the beginning of the year to earn an few angry comments, plus screwing up an entire plot line and having to scrap it, I feel like I'm wasting my time entirely. Most of what I write for the PV either ends up in the trash or should have been. I think I've completely lost the touch when it comes to the shared characters of the PVB.
> > >
> >
> > I don't think most of your stuff goes in the trash, and you're being a bit too harsh on yourself.
>
> You'd be surprised how much stuff I toss out regularly just because *I* don't like it, or because I don't think it'll be well received. The heartbreaking part is when stuff I wanted to post should have been tossed out too.
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I don't think it's all or nothing. It doesn't have to be toss or don't post. And when in doubt, I say just post the thing.
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> > I think some of what it boils down to is in your stories, your characters almost always come off really well, but it can be at the expense of other characters. The basic rule of thumb is when you use other people's characters (especially poster-characters), make sure they look good too, which gives them a reason to be in the story besides building up others. I mean, if they're just background it doesn't matter as much, but if they're main characters in the narrative they should have something to contribute.
>
> I try not to make them look *bad*, but often I don't want to push them too far either. I leave testing characters that aren't mine to extremes to people who can do it better.
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> The problem comes when I try that, and I get "Character X was far too weak, and because he's much stronger than that you should rewrite the whole story with him as the central character". Which is what I was trying to avoid in the first place, because it would get me in trouble.
>
> For instance I write a story with Hatman, Yuki, and Lara dealing with some nasty situation or another. Now I worry I'll get the response that the story is fine, except I should re-write it with Hatman in the spotlight and move Yuki and Lara aside or out of the scene, because Hatman should really shine in that situation. Maybe that's true, but then a) it's a different story, and b) the problems I have writing Hatman are magnified greatly if he's in the spotlight.
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I'm not saying Hatman should take the spotlight. A story about your character is still about your character, and it's not up to the guest star to save the day. But the guest star should contribute somehow.
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> > > It makes me sad to think I just don't have the ability any more. I don't know when I lost it. But maybe it's time for me to stop denying it, admit I'm no good at this shared writing anymore, and stop doing it before I hurt myself further. I also don't like putting anyone in a position where they feel they have to demand I remove a story to avoid damaging a character but don't really want to ask because I have the keys.
> > >
> >
> > Hey, at worst we have a couple of retconning arch-villains around.  And sometimes stories can lead to unexpected results; we wouldn't have an evil Doorman running around, who I've had a blast writing, had it not been for your contributions to the Moderator Saga.
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> I actually thought that idea occurred before I wrote my part of it (which also turned out to be a disaster incidentally).
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I think we kicked it around in a chat, but I hadn't had any plans to follow up with it initially.
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> > > I guess I have plenty of characters of my own to play with, I suppose I should exclusively use them for now, and hope I can keep up.
> > >
> >
> > No, you should continue to play with others. But I think that if someone does criticize how a character is portrayed, try to listen to the concern rather than go to a straight "This story has to be thrown out" or a post like this about stopping writing PV stuff.
>
> Criticism is one thing. I try to change things when I get criticism. What's disheartening though, is I don't seem to be improving at all in that department - though I am becoming more descriptive and story-driven. What also is disheartening and disturbing is how I've gotten *worse* in some cases, where instead of just "remember to do xxxx next time" it's "no, this whole story is wrong, the characters are wrong, and you need to rewrite it to make it worthwhile".
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I wouldn't say that. In this particular story Hatman, in my opinion, really doesn't look like the leader of a superhero team. A guest in the Mansion and a team member pretty much run him right over and ignore his input during a serious investigation. Not much of a leader if you ask me.
As HH noted, you did some excellent character progression with Liu Xi attending college in this chapter. I also think it's a great move as it expands her horizons beyond the Mansion.
I also don't think it was bad to have Yuki and Liu Xi do what they did, just Hatman's reaction were a little...lax. Hence my tie-in. The whole thing doesn't need to be tossed, in fact now I think a whole new element has been added to the story that wouldn't have been there.
> > I think you're a great writer; I only wish I could be as descriptive as you are. It would be a shame if you stopped contributing, as I think you have lots to contribute.
>
> Either way I'll still be writing World Class and maybe a few PV-themed stories in the cases where some of my characters there have tales to tell. About the rest, we'll see.
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Well, I hope you continue to play in the sandbox with the rest of us.
~Hat~
