Open Thread: Oracle Hotline

[mithen]

Does your most recent POV character have a vice? Name it.

Oh, I WOULD get this when it's Clark Kent that I wrote most recently, not the characters who are brimming with vices! Though actually this is not terribly hard, as it's Superman Returns Clark Kent, who does clearly have--not exactly a vice,, but a definite flaw--a passive streak, a tendency to abdicate his responsibilities when he finds it emotionally difficult to deal with them. The story I'm writing has an undercurrent of issues about him and his son, which definitely strikes at the heart of this weakness of his.

How about your most recent character? I hope the writing is going smoothly--I've mostly been focused on nonfiction again this week, but am hoping to set aside a large chunk of time tomorrow for fic...

Comments

[me_ya_ri]

My most recent character would be Garnett from my Gods Above and Below verse. I'd say that his vice is being ostentatiously grouchy so that he can push people away. Doesn't work at all with his team, not anymore, but he keeps at it. It's a habit of sort, and a way that he protects himself.

Other than the deliberate grouchiness, books. Lots and lots of books. XD

Writing has been going well. I finished the 19th Gods Above and Below story last night and I'm going to try for 20 today. Then I can get started on the first of my 3 Novels in 3 Months books. Which will be SF based around the idea that Earth is Space Australia and Humans are Space Orcs to other species. Which. Seriously? It's going to be So. Much. FUN! *happy dance*

Good luck on your writing!

[mithen]

I'd say that his vice is being ostentatiously grouchy so that he can push people away. Doesn't work at all with his team, not anymore, but he keeps at it. It's a habit of sort, and a way that he protects himself.

That's interesting, that's so close to how Bradygirl above you described Bruce's vice! :D It's a really fun flaw for a character to have, honestly....

That SF novel sounds like a blast! I hope it goes great!

[pastelrobot]

So long story short, the mostly serious first contact short story has turned into a semi-serious "choose your own adventure" text-based video game. (I feel like choose your own adventure things need at least one completely ridiculous ending, which is where the seriousness downgrade came from.) Captain Drucilla Stafford is still the main character, but now you are Captain Stafford and you are the one who must try to make peace with the aliens.

I made the change from a 1st person POV short story to a 2nd person POV text-based game on Saturday, so I didn't really have too much to re-write. It has six different endings. What I consider the "main ending" follows what I had planned for the original short story. I have names for all the endings. I'm close to finishing one ending (the "horror ending").

I'm not entirely sure if any of Captain Stafford's flaws really count as vices. It depends on how you define "vice" I suppose. She's certainly not afraid to bend the rules in most situations. (She's comfortable enough in her position to know what she can get away with.) However, when she's in a completely new and unknown situation (like encountering aliens, for example), she gets too over-cautious and worried about making the wrong decision.

(I'm using Twine to make this game, if anyone's interested. It's super simple to use, and has lots of resources and tutorials.)

[mithen]

I've heard really cool things about Twine, and this seems like a good example! And I agree, you have to have at least one ridiculous ending; but it sounds like it's been fun to come up with a wide range. :)

[prince0froses]

Everyone else seems to be interpreting vice as 'flaw', I was always taught it was 'bad or immoral habit by 'standard' moral conventions'. Like, with my characters, Dade's drinking, Heerah's eating, Dorian's casual approach to sex, etc.

...I accidentally answered it with my examples XD Yeah, by that definition, Dorian's vices are frequent (before his committed relationships) casual sex, drinking (not as bad as Dade but still, Dade bought Dorian a bottle of fancy whiskey every year for Christmas and it was an appropriate and well-received gift), and, for a short period in his life, porn (magazines, not video, and he lost interest when 'enhanced' models became the norm over naturals).

[mithen]

Everyone else seems to be interpreting vice as 'flaw', I was always taught it was 'bad or immoral habit by 'standard' moral conventions'. Like, with my characters, Dade's drinking, Heerah's eating, Dorian's casual approach to sex, etc.

Yeah, I probably set that standard badly, since I completely and totally blanked on any vices Clark might have and floundered around and grabbed a flaw instead! I like Dorian's vices just fine, though. :D

Why couldn't I have gotten Kevin for this one? My mental Kevin-voice sighs "carbs, carbs, carbs..." :D