My insecurity for this month: That the main characters in my current WIP are too insecure.
I've given my two main characters (and love interests) a lot of problems. I wonder how readers will accept their issues. Will they be real and identifiable? Or will they be accused of whining?Are their problems great because they are problems that real people have? Or will they be perceived as "been there, done that"?
My take on it is that by being damaged, they are real. By being messed up, their triumphs will have more value. But I guess it will all come down to the balance I strike (whining is not allowed!) and the response of my critters.
In case you're curious:
Male character- abused as a child, grew up protecting his younger siblings but once they were grown turned to self abuse (drugs, having sex for drugs). Is currently lying in a coma after drug overdose- though you don't know that until late in the story.
Female character- gave up on her education for dreams of marriage and family. Divorced after a miscarriage threw her into depression and self-loathing. Dealing with depression and loss of self. Waits tables at a dive.
Also insecure that this might be too psychological to be romance...(fantasy romance).
On that happy note ;) happy IWSG. Good luck in all your endeavors in the new year!!!
Sounds realistic to me! I know the main character of my series starts out really messed up from life's baggage. I think your characters are good to go.
ReplyDeleteI know a lot of insecure people! So it's realistic to have characters like this. I love seeing flawed characters. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteVisiting from IWSG and I think they sound real and interesting.
ReplyDeleteSounds great to me. I love some psychological depth. Give me flawed characters and plenty of angst. That said, I'm not familiar enough with the fantasy romance genre to know if this type of approach is acceptable. All I can say with certainty is It would be a tough sell if you were writing a traditional mystery.
ReplyDelete~VR Barkowski
I love characters that are true to life, it helps me connect with them and once I've connected with a character I don't want to put a book down. One of my all time favorite characters shouldn't work in any book because he's just a plain sarcastic jerk but it's why I love him.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck!
It sounds pretty average to me. Everyone is fraught with insecurities. It's only natural that it translate into fiction. And you'll never really know if it works until it's all done and you can read it in it's entirety and your CPs can help you out with that. I know I'm always second guessing every choice I make in a story and other readers help me identify them. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks, everyone, for stopping by, and for your kind words. Happy new year:)
ReplyDeleteI think flawed characters are great. You can always tone it down later if you need to, but I'd say keep going! :)
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