Limyaael

11:10 pm: Ten ways of managing angst
I didn’t intend to write another rant this soon, but this one just kind of tumbled out.

( It’s got to be there )

...My, that one got bitchy.

Tags: fantasy rants winter 2007, rants on angst, rants on story structure

01:36 pm: Killing your protagonists, for <lj user
Yes, I’ve done it, at least seven times—and possibly more, depending on your definition of “death”—but it’s not as though every story has to end with someone dying. So what makes the difference between a necessary death and an unnecessary death?

( My thoughts )

Should protagonists be killed? Yes, if it would make the story better. But only in the right ways.

Tags: fantasy rants summer 2004, rants on angst

06:08 pm: Redemption rant, part two.
What happens when authors get ideas in their heads about redeeming their villains…and then go about it wrongly.

( Villains can be redeemed, but not like this )

A villain redemption can be done realistically, I think. It’s just one of those things fantasy authors tend to follow in each other’s footsteps on and not give enough thought to.

Tags: fantasy rants summer 2004, rants on angst, rants on plotting

01:19 pm: Redemption rant, part one
This is an odd subject, maybe, but it came to me the other day when I read an online fantasy story and found the hero’s “redemption” from his tragic past jarring and unnatural. Here are some tips to make the hero’s redemption, if you’re trying to pull it off, convincing. (Tomorrow’s for villains).

( Redemption’s not the problem, just the shallow versions of it )

Enough tormented heroes who snivel, already.

Tags: fantasy rants summer 2004, rants on angst, rants on plotting

07:36 pm: Angst vs. tragedy
Inspired by a comment avrelia made in the last post (thanks, avrelia!) I have very strict definitions of angst and tragedy, enough so that I can usually know within a few chapters whether I’ll enjoy a “sad” book or not, but I thought it might be nice to articulate them.

(Just to make it clear, I love tragic fantasy, and think angst needs to be drop-kicked off a tall building).

( Angst vs. tragedy )

Well, that was a long one. I hate angst so much, though (one reason I prefer to read humorous fanfic if I’m going to read fanfic; the amount of bad angst in fanfic is mind-blowing).

Tags: fantasy rants summer 2004, rants on angst