Imagine my surprise when I reached the middle of what I had just written and out of nowhere, Harry starts to sound like a twenty something semi-psychotic person who’s probably on some sort of drugs.
None of that writing (a good 968 words) is salvageable, Harry is just not Harry. He curses, rolls his eyes way too much, sighs for no apparent reason and has an obscene fascination for blood.
What does that say about my mindset since most of the writing was done via the stream of consciousness method?
I’d love to blame my KHR one-shot for warping my mental picture of Harry, but Harry is actually quite Harry-like and fun in that story, so I had no idea what brought it on.
Then I started to go through my week. What could possible inspire that odd character warp? Let’s see, there was that Criminal Minds marathon, re-watched Blade 3, then there was the newest episode of Supernatural and latest Manga chapters.
Huh, now that I took the time to list all that, I realise my writing was just asking for trouble there.
Anyway, the problem is trying to go back to writing Harry as nice and normal Harry… which I am drawing blanks on. I tried picturing normal Harry and writing more consciously, but it’s not working! He still comes out as a psycho in my writing.
Maybe I should read some of the incomplete future scenes of him I have?
Or should I just try and drain that odd characterization of Harry by continuing to write whatever comes out? Will I eventually end up back to my original characterization of Harry?
Or should I just stop the writing all together and try another time? Maybe after watching some less weird things?
This is the first time I’ve ended up in such a situation. Then again, AtO is my first multi-chaptered story (that I’ve stuck with for more than a year). But Gah!, this totally puts a wrench in my planned update time.
Something or the other always manages to make monthly update schedule impossible to keep. How do other writers manage to update their stories so frequently?
Polar
write out what comes to you but add the strategic sentence here and there to turn it around into some sort of soul searching on Harry's part. after all, he was recently told that he would have to kill or die and watching ninja who nearly all have killed someone...even Naruto....,might make him wonder at length if he has it in him to do the same...in the potterverse death-eater attacks are starting to get really bad and news from home can certainly make him think
ReplyDeleteor you can just make it a side affect of trying to read Hidan's mind since it was never specified how he became immortal and the naruverse obviously contains demons
ReplyDeleteI'm assuming that he's going to be in a stressful stituation? Well what about going back and skimming threw the actual book series to reaquaint yourself with how he acts in simular situations. Alot of things can be said about the books but one thing the Author didn't skimp on is stress for poor Harry.
ReplyDeleteAnyways good luck 8)
Well, I guess the most logical thing to do is to read a few chapters from the actual books? Maybe from the Deathly Hallow?
ReplyDeleteAnd good luck... ;-)
Re-reading your own chapters again may help. Your Harry isn't a carbon copy of the book's version, he's much more at ease and sociable- not to mention he has a family that loves him now. The closest canon example would be the PoA, after Sirius asks Harry to move in with him but that elation is very short lived.
ReplyDeleteTry to make a list of how your Harry differs from canon because of what you've done to his situation. Maybe have a binary two-list system with another list of points where they stay the same. Make up fantastical plot devices that will never happen in the story 'canon!Harry becomes the ruler of Snow Country, how would his reaction differ from your!Harry' and so on.
Have fun with it, don't try to push it and, if all else fails, watch some Naruto where we see some therapy!jutsu. It works on people too.
Wow... you know that just makes me want to read what you have so far.
ReplyDeleteBut, as far as keeping the character straight, I'd definitely recommend reading your fic. The Harry you made is very Harry-like when compared to the first few books, but after the fifth book, he seems more Zen-like than canon. Maybe that's because of all the monks? Totally can't be because he's compensating for all the irresponsible, slightly crazy ninja he hangs out with all the time... ^^
Goodluck! Don't stop writing! My fantasy trail of possible future chapters has gotten a little weird~ I need real chapters to keep me sane!
Hey this fic...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.fanfiction.net/s/6497760/1/Harrys_List
Has a pretty good list of all the times someone tryed to kill him. I can name a couple of incidents it misses but most of them are there...
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6128946/1/Somehow_It_Makes_Sense
ReplyDeletebeen a long time since I read a fic that made me do a spit take
I actually did try writing out whatever was coming... but I think my mind was too filled with omg-I'm-writing-his-character-wrong kind of thoughts, my writing became too stilted and I couldn't write easily anymore. I think I was too afraid I'd just write more useless things, so my brain just refused to write out anymore.
ReplyDeleteHarry reading HIdan's mind? That would be a rather scary scene- Hidan's mind would be like a collection of gory images and stuff...
ReplyDeleteYeah, there is stress for Harry- just not stress to make Harry become psychotic or anything like how he came out in that writing.
ReplyDeleteThat would make sense- sadly my books aren't with me over here.
ReplyDeleteYou know, funnily enough, PoA is my fav book in the series.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I did make a list of things from previous chapters which was rather helpful- didn't help me write immediately but definitely helped me wash away the images of psychotic Harry from my mind.
Thanks for the suggestion.
I didn't know having too many monks made the character so zen-like. Lol.
ReplyDeleteThat's an amusing description of the way he's been up till now, I suppose. He's never lost his cool when he probably should have... hmm, maybe I've made Harry way too zen-like. I'll have to watch out for that.
That was a pretty amusing list of things. I was actually expecting a numbered list but that is much better- Harry's thoughts are rather helpful to me at the moment.
ReplyDeleteAlthough now the phrase "stingy merfolk" is never going to leave me in peace.
That was rather unexpected- and now I'm just filled with too much weird imagery from that. But at least it made me chuckle at the imagery.
ReplyDeleteYeah there are alot of little tidbits in that fic that tend to stand out. The part that stands out for me is the part where he asks if a tree attempting to kill you counts as a murder attempt.
ReplyDeleteKinda reminds me of someone saying the other car hit them when it's parked. heh
Oh, no, no! I love Zen- Harry! And he did freak out.... er, calmly..
ReplyDeleteI love you guys...
ReplyDeleteHumm there is a cheat for that... find one of those "Character's reactions when they read the books" fics.
ReplyDeleteThey usually have the plagurized parts and the crap they add to ruin the story seprate somehow. Though I understand if you don't want to encourage that type of writing by even looking at it. *shudders*
OMFG! ROFLMAO! Mr. Black strikes again!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.fanfiction.net/s/3870645/1/Hidans_God
I don't think your Harry is too calm- really, with Naruto being a younger sibling, it makes sense for Harry to act this way. He always works best when taking care of others, doesn't he?
ReplyDeleteAlso, it's just plain amusing to see your Harry be so at ease with the weirdness going around the ninja world. There are a lot of freak-out!Harry's in the HP/NTO crossover fandom already.
weirdness is relative...remember he grew up muggle
ReplyDeletewell anyway it would make more sense if he was more calm than in the books, given that this time harry actually chose to enter in the situation and was not dragged into it. the sense of control of that could give him can explain that, the realization that he alone put himself in there on the other hand may be the cause of any weirdness, and more if we count the fact that he can be just harry ( and cousin), jut fine.
ReplyDeleteIf you liked "Harry's list" by Ryulabird, you have to read Encounters, his/her main fic, a really fun, well thought and well written crossover between HP and Death Note...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.fanfiction.net/s/5807680/1/Encounters
And by the way, Polar, have you found time to look at TaikoHawk's 3 time-travel stories about Itachi ? The last part of it just got finished...
Here : http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6055231/1/Perchance_to_Dream
I actually do have Encounters on my alert list- it's an interesting read.
ReplyDeleteAlas, no I haven't had the chance to read those Itachi stories. I've barely been able to keep up with all the stories that get updates on my alerts lists. But maybe I'll have some free time in March- we'll see.
Thanks for the input guys! It really does make me think a bit more about how I'm portraying Harry.
ReplyDeleteHeh heh... Now I love you guys even more! And by the by, ryula's a girl.
ReplyDeleteDon't watch the movies, that's all I have to say. Since you don't have your own books with you, grab some from a library next time you're in one. I've yet to see any kind of general library without a Harry Potter collection.
ReplyDeleteSince you're still taking suggestions for drabbles (or you were when you posted that status report) how about Harry and Iruka? Long lost cousin meets teacher/foster father. Or maybe SIrius and Jiraiya post-mortem? They both had godsons who got the short end of the stick in the childhood department.
Thanks and eagerly awaiting any news on chapter 12.
hey, look its funny
ReplyDeletehttp://www.fanfiction.net/s/5769959/1/
OMG I busted a gut with that one.... *adds to C2*
ReplyDeleteOh that was definitely a good one. Short but had an interesting idea behind it. Thanks for the distraction and the laugh.
ReplyDeleteOhh I'm still taking drabble requests, I just haven't gotten around to posting them on here... thanks for the reminder. Interesting meeting suggestions.
ReplyDeleteThe movies aren't too bad... err, well they're a good laugh and time waster if nothing else, you have to admit. For some odd reason whenever I watched a HP movie I was always more interested in the hair styles than watching the plot...
Chapter 12 is going through some serious editing but I'm hoping to get it done by end of March, if all gees well.
Ohh I remember this one. I always wanted to know what would happen after that initial meeting.
ReplyDeleteErr, hello there Ryula?
ReplyDeleteAww... you figured it out! >.>
ReplyDelete