Writerly Ways

[cornerofmadness]

Let's talk briefly about character consistency. If your character is in a series sometimes inconsistencies happen and it can frustrate your reader. I'm not talking about changing for the better or the worse. It's something that others would comment on or react to. I'm talking about a change out of the blue that doesn't grow out of the story.

Let's look at Midsomer Murder tv series (yes slightly different medium and it is easier for it to happen because multiple writers working off a series bible). Ovation, the station I watch this on finally got season 14 when we switch to a different lead detective, another Barnaby. This show sucks at writing off characters but usually they're at least consistent in that. Ben Jones is the younger detective, been on the show several years at this point and for some reason he's now a poon hound (who can't get any) and is making idiot mistakes. George, the excellent medical examiner since day one is now lazy and wrong and I'm like wtf.

This is the sort of thing you can do and not irritate viewers/readers. So how do you keep that from happening? For me it's character sheets and UPDATING them because what my characters were in my original inception are often not what they were down the road.

I'm trying to work on some open calls. Also in get your words out WIP wednesday someone commented on my 1980s nano novel to tell me how much they loved it. I am so beyond thrilled. I need an alpha team for this one.

Speaking of open calls here's this one. I checked them out, it looks like straight up mystery. Too bad because I have a paranormal mystery that fit perfectly GONE

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Yearly original fic word count

9319 / 50000 words. 19% done!

Comments

[ysilme]

I hear you on character inconsistencies! I'm not yet doing much in the way of character sheets as I never really got into them and felt overwhelmed by all the info I found on those templates I'd found, but I'm keeping track of such things, and also notes and/or short drafts of chapters written so I can look it up easily.
When I started trying out Campfire (we talked about it if you remember) I hoped to be able to use that for this purpose, but the forms just felt too cumbersone and time-consuming to fill, and too impractical to use. I'm still in the process of finding out what method works for me best.
Are you using special templates?

[cornerofmadness]

Honestly the best character sheets I've used are from the old Elfquest days in the 80s-90s (the Pinis didn't allow you to use their characters, just their world so everyone had original characters) but they aren't in depth.

You're right, the in depth ones take too long, can be a pain in the butt and often I don't know the characters well enough yet. I learn as I do. That said without them I do things like forget which arm is missing (no lie, I had to reread the novel to find out and realized I never mentioned it! And had no idea what to tell the cover artist).

I use the templates as I run across them. i have several now but none are 'perfect'

[spikedluv]

Inconsistencies are so annoying! (I'm looking at you, Teen Wolf!)

[cornerofmadness]

it is very frustrating. You'd think there's be someone coordinating all of that