Arguments

[ksmith]

I'm writing an argument scene. I thought it would flow, but so far it's been damned difficult. It's a John/Jani scene, the start of which I snipped yesterday. They love one another, but they're two strong individuals, each wishing the other would just set aside some irritating personal qualities and not ask so many questions.

I know John's not a favorite. Some readers think he's creepy. A control freak (unlike Jani, who's so easy-going). Yes, he behaved in ways unethical, but I've always seen him as Jani's equal in ways the other men in her life never have been and never will be. Just as intelligent. Just as focused. Just as capable of building something from nothing. In his own way, yes, as unethical--both he and Jani adhere to a code that doesn't always have all that much in common with accepted ideas of law and morality.

He knows what she's capable of. And it scares and worries him. He refuses to just go along for the ride. And to convey that clearly without stating it on-the-nose and without belaboring each and every point while at the same time conveying that maybe, just maybe, there are other things going on here...

This stream-of-consciousness moment brought to you by a writer in search of distraction on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Comments

[equesgal.livejournal.com]

Good luck. It's hard to keep those important "chats" from not seeming stilted.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

Just enough and no more, which usually means 'shorter than I'd like'.

But it's amazing how many times I go back to the first drafts of argument scenes and find I've had the parties make the same points in 2-3 different ways. Too much repetition.

But, I need to write it out of my system first.

[equesgal.livejournal.com]

YES! That's the same thing that happens to me. LOL I go back and read what I've written to find:

He: "blah blah blah"

She: "Wha wha wha"

Nice bit of description and angst and then...

He: "Yes, but you do realize that blah blah blah."

She: "I know, but seriously wha wha wha."

[silk-noir.livejournal.com]

It's nice to know another writer is dealing with readers who think one of his or her main characters isn't likeable.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

Heh.

John suffers from lack of fan club potential. Even Jani does, to some degree. A few readers have told me that while they find her story compelling, they don't care for her. One first reader even went so far as to say that he'd go to bed with her, but would never date her.

I realized after some muttering that there are several series out there that I greatly enjoy even though I don't care for the main character. Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus, frex. Even Miles Vorkosigan--love the series, but I want to smack Miles every five minutes with a rolled-up newspaper.

[silk-noir.livejournal.com]

Oh, I do feel better. So it's not an insurmountable porblem. Thanks!

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

No, not at all. As long as there's some possibility for the reader to feel some sympathy/empathy/commonality. Inspector Rebus is an alcoholic, irresponsible in some ways. Occasional mishandler of suspects. He wasn't a good husband. Tried to be a good father, and tended to miss. But he loves his daughter, and he's loyal to his friends. He's a rebel battling self-serving careerists. You see him devastated, angry, scared. You see him fuck up royally, and then do something brilliant. You see a human being.

Jani's an abrupt, driven, PITA. But she's loyal. She has a keen sense of justice. She'll walk into the lions' den. She's been wounded, physically and emotionally. She's a bucketload of contradictions.

You just need to give the reader some reason to stick it out, especially with series characters.

[silk-noir.livejournal.com]

I liked Jani quite a bit. But then I'm a gal who likes tough gals in my fiction. I like hopeless, hopeful, teeth-gritting people who fall down, get banged up, and do their damnest to get back up again.