tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6320269312957801390.post607805716687927411..comments2024-03-28T05:59:52.454-07:00Comments on TalkToYoUniverse: TTYU Retro: Character intelligence - a matter of consistency and contextJuliette Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02879627074920760712noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6320269312957801390.post-50731522213433673422012-04-23T19:21:40.526-07:002012-04-23T19:21:40.526-07:00That is a funny comment to get! Thanks for sharing...That is a funny comment to get! Thanks for sharing your experience. I think we all have fallen into this at one time or another.Juliette Wadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02879627074920760712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6320269312957801390.post-45793432642685417272012-04-23T18:44:25.909-07:002012-04-23T18:44:25.909-07:00This is why I have critique partners - they ALWYS ...This is why I have critique partners - they ALWYS catch this kind of stuff. I had one write a note on my ms. the other day "horror movie victim in training right here - WHAT is she doing?" LOL! CP was right of course. Character was acting uncharacteristically stupid.Terri Brucehttp://www.terribruce.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6320269312957801390.post-43268148480568581432012-04-19T12:16:33.964-07:002012-04-19T12:16:33.964-07:00Kristin, great points! I'm glad you liked the ...Kristin, great points! I'm glad you liked the post. Your project sounds interesting. I agree about different types of intelligence. I was just talking about character psychology with my hangout group yesterday, and this kind of thing enters into the psychological profile of any character. It's terribly important to think through these things for our characters and not have the plot take us out of plausible range.Juliette Wadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02879627074920760712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6320269312957801390.post-6776782953766401602012-04-19T11:47:00.051-07:002012-04-19T11:47:00.051-07:00Great post! It's been a topic on my mind late...Great post! It's been a topic on my mind lately because my last novel (which is currently in the hands of my beta) has a character that is actually very intelligent but downplays it for the rest of the world (for an important reason, I assure you). It requires careful thought since his outer and inner selves are in opposition; I can't have him make foolhardy decisions that will put him in real danger just because of his persona, and he always has to weigh what he says so that it will be the right thing without sounding odd for his perceived level of intelligence. I know there are a few things I will have to fix, especially where I went too far in trying to show the contrast between inner thoughts and outer persona by having him slip up more frequently than he should. (To be honest, I'm relieved I can get rid of a lot of his dumbed-down dialogue while still making the distinction between his thoughts and his words clear.)<br /><br />I think it's very important to consider types of intelligence, as well. Some characters, as Marilynn said above, may be very intelligent but lack common sense. Some may be very intellectual but socially naive. Some may be very politically savvy but not very intellectual. This may affect how they act in different situations, and the types of mistakes they are likely to make.Kristin Laughtinhttp://kristinlaughtin.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6320269312957801390.post-72344428374356696882012-04-19T08:27:12.028-07:002012-04-19T08:27:12.028-07:00Marilynn, I hadn't heard that one from Romance...Marilynn, I hadn't heard that one from Romance before... ouch! I agree that some learned people make blunders that show a lack of common sense. And I agree that one should be careful writing geniuses. They have their own issues!Juliette Wadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02879627074920760712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6320269312957801390.post-88676956591978892042012-04-19T07:59:13.519-07:002012-04-19T07:59:13.519-07:00Romance readers use the term "too stupid to l...Romance readers use the term "too stupid to live" for characters who do dumb things primarily for the convenience of the author. I call it the "too lazy to plot" writer syndrome. <br /><br />If the author can convince me that a smart person lacks common sense, I'll buy into it since some of the biggest blunderers I know have doctorates, but a supposed smart person who does something that shows a lack of intelligence makes me toss the book across the room.<br /><br />A corollary to this is that a writer who isn't brilliant should be very careful how she writes a genius.Marilynn Byerlyhttp://marilynnbyerly.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6320269312957801390.post-15484615383517851842012-04-19T06:41:57.369-07:002012-04-19T06:41:57.369-07:00Thanks, Andrea!Thanks, Andrea!Juliette Wadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02879627074920760712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6320269312957801390.post-76782902780185283652012-04-19T06:02:41.045-07:002012-04-19T06:02:41.045-07:00This is such an important post! I've stopped r...This is such an important post! I've stopped reading books because of the stupidity or implausibility of what a character is doing in their situation, given their experiences or knowledge.Andrea Mackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15250681746122381149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6320269312957801390.post-79914607463529897802012-04-18T19:43:51.738-07:002012-04-18T19:43:51.738-07:00Thanks, J.R.! Handling realistic naivete can be ve...Thanks, J.R.! Handling realistic naivete can be very challenging. Good luck with your projects!Juliette Wadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02879627074920760712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6320269312957801390.post-54050545505397057502012-04-18T19:34:20.570-07:002012-04-18T19:34:20.570-07:00Excellent post. This is very relevant to one of th...Excellent post. This is very relevant to one of the novels I'm working on at the moment. I'm trying to figure out a way to make my main character look a bit naive and inexperienced, but not come off as completely stupid. I agree that consistency and motivation are important things to cover.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04454406837183787620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6320269312957801390.post-44065524597173224642012-04-18T12:17:46.686-07:002012-04-18T12:17:46.686-07:00Thanks, MK! I hadn't thought of that approach....Thanks, MK! I hadn't thought of that approach. :)Juliette Wadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02879627074920760712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6320269312957801390.post-62499596046063824162012-04-18T11:12:59.553-07:002012-04-18T11:12:59.553-07:00Great post! When I'm worried that characters ...Great post! When I'm worried that characters are acting dumb, I step back from the story, and ask myself what I'd do if I were playing this character in a DnD campaign. It helps me come up with the smartest action that also matches the character.MKHutchinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07715686902529938959noreply@blogger.com