tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282504373890041231.post6428024438027210856..comments2024-03-08T08:23:19.959+00:00Comments on Paul Anthony Shortt - Author: Sacrificing StoryPaul Anthony Shortthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14393249001158230985noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282504373890041231.post-88231120071935367262011-10-18T08:48:21.932+01:002011-10-18T08:48:21.932+01:00Ellen: I know what you mean. For Nightfall, there ...Ellen: I know what you mean. For Nightfall, there was a character I originally was 100% sure was going to die. But when I thought about where things would go in a sequel, I knew I wanted to change that. <br /><br />Linda: *shudder* Though, in all seriousness, that works for comic books. Of course, comic books have teams of people putting them together and several writers over different titles with the same characters. <br /><br />Gar: That's true. Though I've never found the same satisfaction investing the 40-100 hours to re-play a computer rpg once I've finished it. But that raises another good question. Is it really worth playing and replaying over and over until you get to see all the possible outcomes?<br /><br />KarenG: Bingo! There was another character in Nightfall who I considered killing off, but I figured that the death would happen so early that it wouldn't really serve much purpose. Certainly the reader wouldn't have had time to become attached to the character, so instead I had the character just injured badly, so she can play a role later in the story.<br /><br />withthatshewrote: I'm thinking of going that way. I like when stories feature the hero suffering losses. A story where the hero succeeds all the time and comes out unscathed at the end just feels less meaningful to me. Even in Mass Effect 2, I didn't bother going for a complete survival in the suicide mission. I knew certain characters should die.Paul Anthony Shortthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14393249001158230985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282504373890041231.post-79305735810012975232011-10-17T17:51:35.315+01:002011-10-17T17:51:35.315+01:00The death of that character changed the way I play...The death of that character changed the way I played my own character.<br /><br />Against those responsible and their masters, I ceased trying to take down people without loss of life. For them, it was vengeance pure and simple from a man who had so much taken from him already, and that last little bit made him snap.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282504373890041231.post-33151589823703866522011-10-17T17:43:50.859+01:002011-10-17T17:43:50.859+01:00Good questions, because everything that happens in...Good questions, because everything that happens in a novel needs to have a reason for being there, even if it doesn't become clear until much later. It gets all woven together like knitting.Karen Jones Gowenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01153821980625034810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282504373890041231.post-28999410294745300922011-10-17T17:25:44.170+01:002011-10-17T17:25:44.170+01:00Well, in video games you can go back and try to sa...Well, in video games you can go back and try to save the character, the audience has a hand in how the story goes, so it's not quite the same thing as killing off a character in a novel (or what have you).<br /><br />Ellen: if the story is stronger with the character dying, but you can't do a sequel without her...which is more important? The current story, or the prospect of a sequel? Is the existing story substantially weaker if the character lives?Gar Molloyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07479613879010228492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282504373890041231.post-20983307581777350322011-10-17T16:52:41.830+01:002011-10-17T16:52:41.830+01:00Alternate realities!!! (she suggested only half-jo...Alternate realities!!! (she suggested only half-jokingly) ;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282504373890041231.post-15154099500166782902011-10-17T13:30:43.760+01:002011-10-17T13:30:43.760+01:00I'm wrestling with killing a character at the ...I'm wrestling with killing a character at the moment. I like the fact that she dies, but I am wondering how I'd write a sequel without her.Ellen Brickleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01184391430927483100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282504373890041231.post-21769591110659238732011-10-17T12:56:19.239+01:002011-10-17T12:56:19.239+01:00Haven't gone back to try yet.Haven't gone back to try yet.Paul Anthony Shortthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14393249001158230985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4282504373890041231.post-55467948693671317762011-10-17T12:03:42.364+01:002011-10-17T12:03:42.364+01:00Couldn't save Malik, then? =pCouldn't save Malik, then? =pAonghushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00361595573746038705noreply@blogger.com