magibrain

Bujold's books are a mixed bag in some ways, but I think it's interesting that she's doing something that very few sci-fi writers are doing (I can't actually think of another one off the top of my head, though I'm sure there must be someone else), which is writing a generational family saga IN SPACE. She cleverly snuck the first few books past the Baen gatekeepers by making them at least nominally military SF, but the last, oh, fifteen years or so she's given up on even pretending to be writing military SF anymore -- now it's more like comedy of manners (ON A SPACESHIP) with political intrigue and the odd bit of murder here and there to keep things interesting. Basically it's just "... and what are all of these people getting up to NOW?" ... Frith mentioned in chat that she's essentially writing fanfic about her characters these days, and largely slice-of-life fanfic at that, which is kind of awesome. And I can't figure out why more writers aren't doing something like that. I'm sure someone somewhere must be!


I'm not actually sure what makes me fall for a character. I know I definitely have types – certain archetypes and character roles tend to show up a lot in my lists of favorite characters – but I also know that characters have to be rounded and surprising and contradictory and flawed and such, beyond those.

*nodnod* I think this is also true of me. I can point to particular archetypes that I like, but I can also point to instances of those archetypes that should have pushed every button and didn't, as well as characters who really aren't my type that I fell for anyway. But I think the things you mentioned here are a big part of it -- they have to surprise me and interest me, like real people do.

Aha, it was you who made the point about reader sympathy and narrative sympathy being directly inverse to each other. XD I think it's an excellent point and something I am going to try very hard to keep in mind when I'm writing ...