On characterisation and background

[bennet_7]

This is largely for my own use - just wanted to get some thinky-thoughts down somewhere - but on the basis that others might find it interesting I thought I'd share.

Comments

[bennet_7]

I really thought we'd get more longer A/A pieces from the big bang but there was only one. So I figured I'm going to have to write what I want to read! But although I have a degree in English, I actively avoided taking creative writing units (I am all about lit crit) so I'm not a strong prose writer and it doesn't come easily to me. My other big problem doing this is just describing things. Places and emotions give me trouble. But I'm slogging away.

Post-mission debriefs would be something he'd carry over from his army days. He'd want to know as much as possible to minimize unnecessary risks in the future. What they do is dangerous enough already and although he loves the rush of it, he doesn't want get carried away and lose himself.

[gravenstein23]

Great breakdown. The "taking it on the chin" feels right to me, as does the idea of Arthur leading an end-of-project review. I'm really looking forward to reading your story because (a) it sounds fascinating (b) I love relationships slowly building and evolving--based on your description alone this fic seems like it's going to hit SO MANY of my narrative kinks--and (c) you are obviously making a huge effort to get the characterization exactly right. This post as well as previous posts and discussions makes me think that we agree on Arthur as a character. Also, I've really been hoping for someone to include in a story the nature-of-Arthur's-job related information zanzando put in her post and the fact that you link it makes me excited.
Ha ha, tl;dr. Thanks for this!

[bennet_7]

I think the "taking it on the chin" thing comes from being in the military. Sometimes your CO is just going to ream you out and you can't say a thing.

I hope I finish the fic but this is such new territory for me that it's disconcerting. We'll see what happens.

Arthur's job is really, really difficult but unless you've been to uni you probably don't realise just how much is involved with research. He certainly doesn't google a few things and call it a day. I've got him contacting PIs in Australia and getting someone to hack the records of Fischer's interior decorator.

This post as well as previous posts and discussions makes me think that we agree on Arthur as a character.Yeah, I totally friended you btw. What do you think of suave!Arthur? The ploy to get Ariadne to kiss him strikes me as more juvenile than suave. Plus, I don't want to write him too perfect and good at everything. I think I see him being more likeable than charming (Eames can turn on the charm though). People probably like Arthur because he's straightforward and

[gravenstein23]

Cool, I friended you too. Hmmm, suave!Arthur. I remember the friend I first saw the movie with mentioned after that she would have slapped him for pulling that. I mean, given the circumstances that would be a bad idea, but the circumstances (violent projections whose attention you do NOT want) might be a part of why he felt confident getting away with it? Yeah, I agree, a bit juvenile. I think that ploy proves him to be, I don't know, tricky? Mischievous? Teasing? As opposed to suave. It is (yet more) proof that he isn't uptight more than it is proof that he is charming, I suppose

[bennet_7]

Mischievous and teasing is good. I don't think he's playful but a sly wit, yes.

Not only does he have all that research but he's teaching Ariadne and testing drugs with Yusuf. He's kinda stretched thin by all that.

I have so many A/A fic recs. I should do a big post on it but here are a couple.

- Anything by someinstant. She says she's going to update her WIP soon.

- Anything by trysts

- Anything by vixys

- Perfection in design by kellifer_fic

- Ariadne likes wearing suits too by lillianloop

- Little Shadow by cloudydaise

Happy to rec more.