[ SECRET POST #3249 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #3249 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 018 secrets from Secret Submission Post #464.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

Writing Quandary

[(Anonymous)]

I've received a fair few bad reviews for my most recent book. I'm not complaining about those, they happen to everyone and the reviewers are entitled to dislike whatever they wish.

However, I have a character in the sequel who's an art critic. He's an unpleasant (but not irredeemable) grump who's so embittered by his own failure at becoming a professional sculpture he's taken to lashing out at modern art in general.

I wrote him before the first book had even been published, so it's not the case, but now I'm worried the reviewers will think I'm lampooning them. It wasn't intended but I don't want to come across as a dickhead who can't take criticism without lashing out myself.

Re: Writing Quandary

[(Anonymous)]

Well, how is he handled by the other characters in universe? Is everyone around him like AH WHAT AN IDIOT THIS IDIOT REVIEWER IS all the time? Does he come to a bad end? Is he one note? If not, I think you'll be okay.

Re: Writing Quandary

[(Anonymous)]

One of the characters hates him, the POV character initially hates him for the way he treats the former character but eventually befriends him, the rest are fairly ambivalent. I hope he's not one note but I'm not really the best judge of that.

And thank you. It started as a little background niggle and then my anxiety blew it up into a whole thing.

Re: Writing Quandary

[(Anonymous)]

Yeah, if your POV character befriends him, I definitely think you'd be fine.

Re: Writing Quandary

[cbrachyrhynchos]

I wouldn't write him because he's a stereotype and cliche. Pray tell, does he twirl a mustache?

Re: Writing Quandary

[(Anonymous)]

And laughs maniacally in his cavernous mansion. There are other reasons for his bitterness but they weren't relevant to my question and only made it more convoluted than it already was, so I opted for the traits that were relevant to my point.

Re: Writing Quandary

[herpymcderp]

If the character is sympathetic I wouldn't worry about it overmuch.

Re: Writing Quandary

[(Anonymous)]

I think so and my betas like him, so hopefully I'm just worrying over nothing. Wouldn't be the first time :D

Re: Writing Quandary

[(Anonymous)]

Make your character spew a bunch of regrets about how he should've been nicer, and then randomly kill him off with a random speeding car. Call the chapter containing his death scene, "You're So Vain, You Probably Think This Chapter Is About You."¹

¹seriously don't do this

Re: Writing Quandary

[(Anonymous)]

Pretend you are Harlan Ellison and make the lampooning deliberate and ten times worse, everyone loved that old curmudgeon for it. You just got to make it audacious enough.