Random Ramblings XL · 5:49am Feb 24th, 2016
ON CHARACTERIZATION AND BROKEN PEDESTALS
This is a post I've been wanting to write for awhile, two months in fact. I think I'm finally in the emotional place where I can. During that time, I've had a lot of time to think about what to say and reflect on the mistakes I've made.
More explanation after the jump.
On Christmas morning, I was greeted with a message from a writer I have (or had) great respect for, informing me that he read Highs And Lows, my most popular story… and hated it – he called it "terrible", said that I should have kept it hidden from public view, and said he couldn't understand why anyone else would like it. That this insult was coupled with a backhanded compliment for my "Burrito" stories ("those demonstrate some genuine talent") did not help, nor did the timing.
His issue with H&L was that Sunset was, according to him, so out-of-character as to be unrecognizable. What drove me into such a rage and then a depressive funk was that he may have been right. But I'm not convinced. Sunset's unusual actions were kind of the point of the story. That's why Rarity was so concerned about her. I think part of the issue is that H&L was written before Friendship Games came out but was made public after, and I still hadn't seen it at that point. Perhaps he wouldn't have been so harsh had I published it in March 2015 rather than November. But whatever.
What got me more than that criticism, however, was that he praised "Burrito" in the same breath. Let me make this very clear: I wrote Sunset exactly the same in both stories. My take on Sunset is that she's a bright girl with significant mental issues that she tries to compensate for, but doesn't always succeed when she's alone. Moreover, I posit that she has a massive inferiority complex that she covered up by acting the exact opposite, trying to convince herself of her own superiority when, deep down, she didn't believe it.
Yes, this is still eating away at me nearly two months later, because I just can't see his logic. Why chastise me for a characterization in one story but ignore it in another? That's either myopic or hypocritical. And what authority does he have to declare to a lesser author what's in or out of character? I don't care if he is one of the most popular writers on this site.
Regarding Highs & Lows, I think the masses already rendered their verdict as to its quality, and the majority who have read it enjoyed it. Clearly it struck a nerve with some people. It's a story that resonated with many people, myself included, and I won't change a word.
But now I'm at a crossroads. Do I finally get off my fat ass and write Lows & Highs like I promised? I want to, but doing so requires me to go to some very dark places.
I'm sorry for ranting about this, but I appreciate anyone who read this far. I'd hoped to use this space to explain a few more things about my creative process (or lack thereof) and tease new work. Well, I can at least give a blurb for L&H. Please leave some feedback if you feel like it.
Sunset Shimmer hasn't been to school in over a week. Rarity goes to Sunset's apartment to see what's wrong, and finds Sunset curled up in bed. She's not sick, but she's clearly not well. Sunset explains that she's currently in a funk after she "crashed" and isn't up to doing much of anything. Rarity spends the rest of the day doing what a good friend does best: Listening.
There are certain kinds of stories that the world would probably be better off not having, like the kinds of things my buddy Moose was trying to parody when he wrote this divine monstrosity.
H&L wasn't such a story. Even if it's hard for me to make the leap to Sunset having the kinds of issues shown, I don't think there's anything wrong with giving them to her in the story. As Cold In Gardez's tagline says, stories about ponies are stories about people; MLP is as much a medium in which to explore questions and issues, as it is a specific property and setting. Changing things up can lead to interesting stories with a deeper meaning than just wish-fulfillment.
I think Sunset and Rarity made a good team as they confronted Sunset's difficulties. I think you could mine more out of that. It just depends on whether you want to go there again.
3785471 - Like I said in my Author's Notes, Highs And Lows came out of me unexpectedly feeling very hyped up, perhaps manic – I have no idea why – and wanting to put my feelings down on "paper" before I crashed, which I did just as I finished the story. In that sense, the "Sunset" in the story was less her and more me. I won't deny that, but I like to think I made more of an attempt to stay true to her essence than he gave me credit for. Perhaps I should have labelled the story AU, but I didn't feel like it. That's on me.
The thing about mental issues like this is that they're often not noticeable at first glance. Someone may be friendly and chatty, but below the surface that person might be thinking how worthless they are and whether the world might be better off without them. They hate themselves. Sure, they may have friends, but that very fact means they might be less likely to open up about it, since they already feel like a burden and don't wish to bother anyone further.
That's the line of thinking that guides Lows And Highs. Sunset doesn't seem to be the type to easily open up to others, regardless of her mood. Rarity's gonna drag it out of her, and I think she's the best character to do it – AJ & Dashie are too blunt, 'Shy would be overburdened, and Ponk's skillset is uniquely ill-suited for this (ironic considering Pinkamena is a thing, or perhaps not). Twilight would either lecture or try to be proactive in a way that'd probably make things worse. Rarity is the listener.
3785587 Good insight about the mane 6. I think it's possible that Twi could manage to suppress her overly helpful nature and listen, but Rarity seems more likely. It's like she's a lot more fussy on the surface but has a better sense of when things move to a deeper level.