Comments on: It’s what you feel, not what you ought to http://blog.allyblue.com/2008/04/26/its-what-you-feel-not-what-you-ought-to/ News, observations and random non sequiturs from gay romance author Ally Blue Sun, 08 Feb 2009 15:59:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Ally Blue http://blog.allyblue.com/2008/04/26/its-what-you-feel-not-what-you-ought-to/comment-page-1/#comment-37 Ally Blue Sat, 14 Jun 2008 16:12:13 +0000 http://blog.allyblue.com/?p=22#comment-37 <i>That’s not to say that I couldn’t forgive Joe Hero for acting the way he did as his behaviour was understandable.</i> Here I think you've hit the nail on the head as far as whether or not a reader will forgive a hero's bad behavior. I'm kind of the same when when reading. I do like a flawed hero, but it's really hard for me to root for them if I don't understand their motives. Even if the motive is one I don't agree with, they have to have a reason for doing what they do or I just can't get behind them. For example if I can see into Joe Hero's head and know that he dissed his office buddy because he has a crippling fear of being a target of ridicule himself, or if he is so lacking in confidence that he acts in cowardly ways, I can see WHY he did it even if I want to slap him for having done it. If that makes any sense... That’s not to say that I couldn’t forgive Joe Hero for acting the way he did as his behaviour was understandable.

Here I think you’ve hit the nail on the head as far as whether or not a reader will forgive a hero’s bad behavior. I’m kind of the same when when reading. I do like a flawed hero, but it’s really hard for me to root for them if I don’t understand their motives. Even if the motive is one I don’t agree with, they have to have a reason for doing what they do or I just can’t get behind them. For example if I can see into Joe Hero’s head and know that he dissed his office buddy because he has a crippling fear of being a target of ridicule himself, or if he is so lacking in confidence that he acts in cowardly ways, I can see WHY he did it even if I want to slap him for having done it. If that makes any sense…

]]> By: Adele http://blog.allyblue.com/2008/04/26/its-what-you-feel-not-what-you-ought-to/comment-page-1/#comment-31 Adele Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:57:15 +0000 http://blog.allyblue.com/?p=22#comment-31 Personally, I don't really want characters to be like the people in my office or on the street but then that's because I read to escape them. That's not to say that I couldn't forgive Joe Hero for acting the way he did as his behaviour was understandable. Sometimes characters get me so frustrated with the bad decisions they make that I actually want to scream at the book :D but they usually realise they've been acting like a dick and make amends (gotta have the happy ending in my books :) I do like a good hero though. Really restores my faith in human kind, even if they are fictional (I take the good ones where I can get em!) Trouble is, once the book's finished, it's back to the people in the office and on the street :( I don't think there really is a right or wrong though as everyone is looking for something different in their characters and I think that's a good thing. A Personally, I don’t really want characters to be like the people in my office or on the street but then that’s because I read to escape them. That’s not to say that I couldn’t forgive Joe Hero for acting the way he did as his behaviour was understandable. Sometimes characters get me so frustrated with the bad decisions they make that I actually want to scream at the book :D but they usually realise they’ve been acting like a dick and make amends (gotta have the happy ending in my books :)

I do like a good hero though. Really restores my faith in human kind, even if they are fictional (I take the good ones where I can get em!) Trouble is, once the book’s finished, it’s back to the people in the office and on the street :( I don’t think there really is a right or wrong though as everyone is looking for something different in their characters and I think that’s a good thing.

A

]]> By: tf http://blog.allyblue.com/2008/04/26/its-what-you-feel-not-what-you-ought-to/comment-page-1/#comment-21 tf Fri, 02 May 2008 07:25:10 +0000 http://blog.allyblue.com/?p=22#comment-21 That's nice to hear, Ally. I so often feel like the most atypical romance reader. While all the other romance readers bond and share books and have big discussions, I'm...well, I have such radical beliefs that I wouldn't be able to really talk with them. Returning to the topic of characters, The characters that people think are too perfect, I tend to think they're boring and therefore imperfect. Different perspective of the same kind of character, I guess. That’s nice to hear, Ally. I so often feel like the most atypical romance reader. While all the other romance readers bond and share books and have big discussions, I’m…well, I have such radical beliefs that I wouldn’t be able to really talk with them.

Returning to the topic of characters,
The characters that people think are too perfect, I tend to think they’re boring and therefore imperfect. Different perspective of the same kind of character, I guess.

]]> By: Ally Blue http://blog.allyblue.com/2008/04/26/its-what-you-feel-not-what-you-ought-to/comment-page-1/#comment-20 Ally Blue Thu, 01 May 2008 18:15:14 +0000 http://blog.allyblue.com/?p=22#comment-20 I bet more people agree with you than you think :) I'm not fond of either extreme. Probably because the vast majority of real people are neither outrageously evil OR ridiculously perfect. I've seen both sorts in fiction, and they never ring true for me. I bet more people agree with you than you think :)
I’m not fond of either extreme. Probably because the vast majority of real people are neither outrageously evil OR ridiculously perfect. I’ve seen both sorts in fiction, and they never ring true for me.

]]> By: tf http://blog.allyblue.com/2008/04/26/its-what-you-feel-not-what-you-ought-to/comment-page-1/#comment-19 tf Tue, 29 Apr 2008 07:55:09 +0000 http://blog.allyblue.com/?p=22#comment-19 I more often see characters that are too flawed than too perfect. But then, I have unusual beliefs about flaws and principles. I more often see characters that are too flawed than too perfect. But then, I have unusual beliefs about flaws and principles.

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