rambling about things
My original plan, when figuring out for myself where the story would go after the first plotline, was that the first four storylines would focus on the four main characters– the first on Charlie*, the second on Ben, the third on Tess, and the fourth on Jeremy. So Tuesday begins what would have been Tess’s storyline. When I was first coming up with it, I was worried it was too much a departure from the usual flavor of the comic, so Bridget, being a genius, suggested that it be more of a subplot to another storyline, so that even though it’s a departure, it is a temporary one rather than one which lasts for an entire arc. I think it works much better this way for that reason, and also because it’s sort of impossible to have a chapter about Ben (which I hope you’ve noticed this kind of is) without dealing with Tess, too. But hopefully she’ll get a storyline all (or mostly) to herself in the future. She more than any of the other characters has been an example of that cliche writer thing where it seems like the characters are telling you things about themselves, rather than you just making them up. Which is totally awesome, and probably therefore why Tess is kind of totally awesome.
(*I still haven’t really decided for myself whether the main character of the first storyline was Jeremy or Charlie, but in this case I consider it Charlie’s story because we got such a better sense of her personality and goals, whereas pretty much everything we learned about Jeremy was in relation to Charlie.)
The cliché-writer-thing (where the characters take over) is totally awesome. It makes all of the hard work worthwhile, not to mention it makes your characters feel effortless, like they live and breathe and exist within the world in your head. You’ve got it down, fo’sho. Your characters are SO GOOD.
Oh it is not cliche. It’s how it should be! I wish my characters would talk to me more, they’re been quiet for three years and it’s getting lovely in my head …
I love this whole idea of the storylines. I’d totally agree the first was about Charlie, she defined Jeremy more than anything else. I’m really looking forward to Jeremy’s storyline, though, he obviously has some major issues. Hiding under a chair? Heh.
The cliche writer thing (which isn’t a bad clicheat all – it means you’re a good writer!) and the image of Tess telling you about herself reminds me of a Bewitched episode where Samantha had to write a Civil War centennial play, and to help with writer’s block she conjured up her characters, an indian (who spoke more like Darrin than Tonto), a Confederate officer (with his horse), and a Pennsylvanian girl in crinoline, who popped up randomly to tell her their ideas for how the plot should go. Hilarity ensues. Yay for 60′s TV!
That guy is hot, man! Also I like where the story is going…I thought this was about ben, yeah. :)
See, this is what I adore about the comic – that you’re focusing on the characters themselves and their lives instead of just pushing everything towards a resolution of the ghost plot.