tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post7117230686002629034..comments2024-03-28T02:29:37.413-05:00Comments on Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: “Love Your Characters Before You Kill ThemAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02350478005243505108noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-73947871197343238662016-04-27T14:18:01.408-05:002016-04-27T14:18:01.408-05:00Agreed--both Peter (MODESTY BLAISE) O'Donnell ...Agreed--both Peter (MODESTY BLAISE) O'Donnell and Trevanian break this "rule" most of the time, and those are just the first two that come to mind. And they were both remarkably successful. As a flat "thou shalt not," this is nonsense. To paraphrase Kipling, there are nine-and-ninety ways to begin a story, and to develop character,and every single one of them is right--for the right story. Mike Stammnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-26031520667950532012016-04-27T13:05:51.574-05:002016-04-27T13:05:51.574-05:00I had trouble reading this. It begins by saying y...I had trouble reading this. It begins by saying you shouldn't start with a chase scene, but that's one of those rules that falls apart when you start thinking of effective stories that begin just that way -- VERTIGO for example. Then all of the references to your main character is "she" -- I realize "he" is now considered sexist, but how is the assumption that a main character is female any less sexist? It may not be poetry, but "he or she" is better, followed by "your protagonist."<br /><br />And oddly the title's rule about loving your characters seems absent from the piece. By the way, that's not good advice, either -- loving your characters can easily sentimentalize your attitude toward them. The image of Erich Segal crying at his typewriter writing LOVE STORY comes cringingly to mind.Max Allan Collinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00867456003618637948noreply@blogger.com