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JCF Éminence Grise

Joined: Mar 2001

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Jan 15, 2007, 01:32 AM
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I understand that this is not the proper thread to discuss this, but I don't really see a better one, and I suspect this topic may be split anyway...

Joshua, or jwren, whichever you'd prefer being called, I don't think the profiles thread has specific rules about people using other people's characters. This may well change. In any case, if you have reservations about how you are willing to let people use your character, you should explicitly place them in the same post as the profile. If people do not follow your restrictions then, they have no excuse.
Second, I would advice against putting characters in the profiles thread that you have such a high level of emotional attachment to. For one thing, just in terms of bidding for use, people are more likely to choose a profile that allows them maximum versatility in what they are allowed to do with it. In many cases people do not know every detail of their planned story, and if some months in the plot calls for something to happen to a character that its creator forbids, then that's not good.
As it stands, you have a very powerful, skilled, shall we say "cool" character who is basically a form of wish fulfillment for you. There is nothing wrong with that on its own. There is nothing inherently wrong with your coming up with stories about that character for yourself. However, such a character is extremely limiting in terms of storytelling... if hardly anything can happen to him physically, and probably not too much in terms of negative emotions either on account of the emotional attachment, then there is going to be very limited interest on the part of neutral readers. People aren't going to wonder "what's going to happen to Joshua?" if the answer is always going to be along the lines of "nothing." You will be excited to see what happen to him, because he's your character, but other people will not have that attachment.
Basically, when you're writing something, decide who your audience is. If it's just a story for you, include all the heroic stuff you want. But if it's a story you want to be public, you have to make the readers care about what's going on, and that involves uncertainty and weakness. And you have to be willing to let other authors do that too, if you want successful characters.
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