Monday - Romance
1. Are your characters involved in romantic relationships? Did these develop organically, or did you work them into the plot? It really depends on the characters. Sometimes it's preordained, so to speak. And the story is about the romance. Other times it comes about as the natural progression of two characters falling in love. I think it's more fun when this happens. When two characters meet and the romance develops organically. Sometimes it comes out of a story you never expected it to happen, or happens in a way I would have never anticipated. I find with certain RP Partners romance is an inevitable just because the characters we typically play against one another are usually attracted to one another. But that's sort of a chicken and egg debate.
2. How much detail to you put into their romantic lives? Do you fade to black, or could you make an erotica writer blush? Somewhere in between? That actually depends on who I am RPing with. Someone I've known for years and I'm comfortable with and knows me well, sure let's write an X Rated bit. But if it is someone I don't know well, or don't particularly like as a mun...fade to black. Why would I get into graphic detail with someone I'm uncomfortable with?
3. Do you prefer to write both partners in the relationship, or do you co-write with someone? What are the pros and cons of this method for you? For roleplaying it's always better to have a partner. For writing on my own, I usually do it on my own. Writing in general is a solitary act and when I do collab it's more in a sounding board fashion than anything else.
4. Do you think romance is an important part of a well-rounded character's life, or would you rather skip to the action? How do you balance romance time with a character's overall plot? I think that depends on the character. I think romance and human connection is vital to any character's development. One guy walking around by himself with no attachments to any one else...well that's boring. I prefer to play out anything that has interest to it, that is key to the story and carriers momentum. Th e day to day can be fast forwarded over, but the interesting stuff should be played out, should be experienced. It helps make the character more 3 dimensional and organic in of its self to actually HAVE these experiences, verses saying they did.
5. Do your characters have any failed relationships? How did those breakups affect their development? Oh yes, I've been role playing WAY too long to have characters that live happily ever after. In the case of Trina she was hit hard by the disillusion of her marriage, and it effected her in a way I didn't anticipate. It changed her, and helped set her on a path that would ultimately be extremely entertaining (at least for me. But I live by the theory that role playing is only interesting when you're trying your best to break your character in half...)
6. Do you tend to write your characters as any particular sexuality (hetero/homo/bi/pan/trans whatever)? What is the reason for it? Not really. I actually often find myself wondering what their sexuality is, it usually isn't until they are in a position to actively ACT upon it that I find out. Most of the time I have a vague notion, but I'm never 100% sure until they are sure. I often find my characters exist on a continuum and sometimes experience acts of opposing sexualities based on a developed attachment to another character. For example when Casper Shane fell in love with John Crayden, he was previously straight. Had had at one point a family, a wife he adored and a daughter. But as his life changed, and he lost his family and his happily ever after, he changed. For many years he existed virtually a-sexually. But when he met Crayden things changed. He isn't gay, by any stretch of the imagination, he still greatly prefers the female form to the male one. But he connected in a disconnected world with Crayden, and that's just how the chips fell for him.
7. Have any characters ever developed romantic relationships, or made relationship choices that surprised you? How did that work out? YES. But I think this is true of any one who really role plays long enough and develops a Method type approach to it. However in one particular example was the story of Sadie Morris/Hathaway/Booth, John Murphy and Moses Zacharia. The story was following John and Sadie on a crash course to help solve a police corruption case. Moses was a side character introduced as an assassin hired by the Big Bad to take John and Sadie out. But upon meeting Sadie and interacting with her, suddenly Moses goes from being a 2D plot device to a character with a full on mind of his own who is immediately infatuated with Sadie. And as it turns out Sadie and Moses ended up hooking up, quite ambiguously with the consent on the issue. But the story took a very different course after that. It was truly a surprise.
8. How romantic minded are your characters? Are relationships important to them, are they more interested in casual flings, or do they avoid it all together? I think this depends on the character's backstory. Shane avoided it, so much so that he used prostitutes to satsify any over whelming physical need he had. Sadie wasn't concerned with it, in fact she was a widow and never considered a romance after her husband was killed even possible. Moses was a sociopath, who had no concern for human life. Other characters it really depends. I don't have an over all theme with them so that I could say with out a doubt "yes" or "no". It really varies.
9. How faithful are your characters in their relationships? Do they cheat? Are they cheated on? Would they make an episode of Cheaters look tame? Again this depends on the characters. Mostly I think loyalty is an admirable quality. But Trina cheated on her husband and even begat a child by the affair but never breathed a word of it to anyone. Sadie did eventually cheat on Moses, with John. While she ended up hooking upw ith Moses at the end, Sadie refused to choose and both men had to deal with her being with both of them.
10. Is your character (or has your character ever been) married? Did the marriage result in children if so? How is their family life? There have been several characters of mine that were married (Casper Shane, Taurus Gideon, Sundance (sortof), Mick Gallagher, Trina, Sadie/Moses/Johnm, Mallory J. Quinn). And others that refused to ever go there. Hollis Porter, Erik Van Haus, Dallas Harker, Gray Whister etc. I think it depends on each character's history and how they view the romantic relationships they end up in.
2. How much detail to you put into their romantic lives? Do you fade to black, or could you make an erotica writer blush? Somewhere in between? That actually depends on who I am RPing with. Someone I've known for years and I'm comfortable with and knows me well, sure let's write an X Rated bit. But if it is someone I don't know well, or don't particularly like as a mun...fade to black. Why would I get into graphic detail with someone I'm uncomfortable with?
3. Do you prefer to write both partners in the relationship, or do you co-write with someone? What are the pros and cons of this method for you? For roleplaying it's always better to have a partner. For writing on my own, I usually do it on my own. Writing in general is a solitary act and when I do collab it's more in a sounding board fashion than anything else.
4. Do you think romance is an important part of a well-rounded character's life, or would you rather skip to the action? How do you balance romance time with a character's overall plot? I think that depends on the character. I think romance and human connection is vital to any character's development. One guy walking around by himself with no attachments to any one else...well that's boring. I prefer to play out anything that has interest to it, that is key to the story and carriers momentum. Th e day to day can be fast forwarded over, but the interesting stuff should be played out, should be experienced. It helps make the character more 3 dimensional and organic in of its self to actually HAVE these experiences, verses saying they did.
5. Do your characters have any failed relationships? How did those breakups affect their development? Oh yes, I've been role playing WAY too long to have characters that live happily ever after. In the case of Trina she was hit hard by the disillusion of her marriage, and it effected her in a way I didn't anticipate. It changed her, and helped set her on a path that would ultimately be extremely entertaining (at least for me. But I live by the theory that role playing is only interesting when you're trying your best to break your character in half...)
6. Do you tend to write your characters as any particular sexuality (hetero/homo/bi/pan/trans whatever)? What is the reason for it? Not really. I actually often find myself wondering what their sexuality is, it usually isn't until they are in a position to actively ACT upon it that I find out. Most of the time I have a vague notion, but I'm never 100% sure until they are sure. I often find my characters exist on a continuum and sometimes experience acts of opposing sexualities based on a developed attachment to another character. For example when Casper Shane fell in love with John Crayden, he was previously straight. Had had at one point a family, a wife he adored and a daughter. But as his life changed, and he lost his family and his happily ever after, he changed. For many years he existed virtually a-sexually. But when he met Crayden things changed. He isn't gay, by any stretch of the imagination, he still greatly prefers the female form to the male one. But he connected in a disconnected world with Crayden, and that's just how the chips fell for him.
7. Have any characters ever developed romantic relationships, or made relationship choices that surprised you? How did that work out? YES. But I think this is true of any one who really role plays long enough and develops a Method type approach to it. However in one particular example was the story of Sadie Morris/Hathaway/Booth, John Murphy and Moses Zacharia. The story was following John and Sadie on a crash course to help solve a police corruption case. Moses was a side character introduced as an assassin hired by the Big Bad to take John and Sadie out. But upon meeting Sadie and interacting with her, suddenly Moses goes from being a 2D plot device to a character with a full on mind of his own who is immediately infatuated with Sadie. And as it turns out Sadie and Moses ended up hooking up, quite ambiguously with the consent on the issue. But the story took a very different course after that. It was truly a surprise.
8. How romantic minded are your characters? Are relationships important to them, are they more interested in casual flings, or do they avoid it all together? I think this depends on the character's backstory. Shane avoided it, so much so that he used prostitutes to satsify any over whelming physical need he had. Sadie wasn't concerned with it, in fact she was a widow and never considered a romance after her husband was killed even possible. Moses was a sociopath, who had no concern for human life. Other characters it really depends. I don't have an over all theme with them so that I could say with out a doubt "yes" or "no". It really varies.
9. How faithful are your characters in their relationships? Do they cheat? Are they cheated on? Would they make an episode of Cheaters look tame? Again this depends on the characters. Mostly I think loyalty is an admirable quality. But Trina cheated on her husband and even begat a child by the affair but never breathed a word of it to anyone. Sadie did eventually cheat on Moses, with John. While she ended up hooking upw ith Moses at the end, Sadie refused to choose and both men had to deal with her being with both of them.
10. Is your character (or has your character ever been) married? Did the marriage result in children if so? How is their family life? There have been several characters of mine that were married (Casper Shane, Taurus Gideon, Sundance (sortof), Mick Gallagher, Trina, Sadie/Moses/Johnm, Mallory J. Quinn). And others that refused to ever go there. Hollis Porter, Erik Van Haus, Dallas Harker, Gray Whister etc. I think it depends on each character's history and how they view the romantic relationships they end up in.