Being a Better Writer: Overpowered and Beyond Characters · 4:42pm Feb 12th, 2018
So, this topic is an interesting one. In a way, it’s sort of the inverse of a prior Being a Better Writerpost onOverpowered and Underpowered characters. Or perhaps an extension of that same post. I’ll let you be the judge, though both probably work depending on what part of that post stood out to you.
In any case, today’s topic comes via a request from a reader, who was wondering how one could write characters that were bonafide reality warpers, like theimfamous Q from Star Trek: The Next Generation, without breaking their story. A valid question, considering that such characters are typically powerful enough to solve a story’s problems with a snap of their fingers … or at the very least usually a similarly light level of exertion. How can one have a story while still playing around with a character that’s capable of solving everything with a flick of their near-omnipotent wrist? How do you have any sort of tension with a character like that around?
Well, the answer is at once both simpler and more complex than you might expect. The first, because there are some pretty common workarounds to the “problem” a reality-warper character presents for your narrative. And complicated because, well, while the solution soundssimple, pulling it off poorly leaves the reader with a bad taste in their mouth. A case of “simple solution, tough execution” if you will.
We’ll start with the simple bit: Give them limits. Yes, reality-warpers and nigh-omnipotent beings. Limits. It may seem like a contradiction, but if you recall the post on overpowered and underpowered characters linked at the beginning of this blog, having characters with limits, and then exploring how that character overcomes them, create some of the best narrative experiences.
Now, I can already see some of you younger readers shaking your head and saying “Limits? But an all-powerful character can’t have limits. That’s the point!”
This was quite a helpful read, I took the link to the other BaBW which was more suited to the concern I had. I generally try dealing with more underpowered characters and make the antagonist overpowered since it brings out specific qualities. I'll be sure to keep all this in mind when constructing conflicts for various characters as to try and balance things out.
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It definitely was, and between this post and your comment I'm now getting some interesting musings about how a story could work with a tight focus on a Q-like character as they push others through some epic quest or something. I don't really have any other ideas which means it can't really become a story, but it is an interesting perspective to muse on since that kind of story would usually be told from the perspective of the band of ragtag heroes rather than the god figure pulling the strings (possibly on both sides for entertainment).
Hm, that actually reminds me of a little thing that got missed here. While the points about the importance of limits are important, the focusing of goals can also make things manageable as was sometimes done with Q. After all, if he's just out to entertain himself he won't bother helping your characters out with their serious problems, but he can still cause them serious headaches when he makes them his playthings and thus act as a soft antagonist without being a serious threat (ok, Q did kill a few cast members, but he fixed them afterwards so it's not a big deal) or necessarily needing to be beaten in any way.
Hm, now that this has me thinking too. I can definitely see some interesting possibilities for a "deal with the devil"-type setup where the characters need to make it through whatever ridiculous game the Q-analogue has for them in order to get whatever piece of information they can't get any other way to complete their quest. That would be much more interesting than the generic "pay the nasty price" setup and would let the author have all kinds of fun they wouldn't have access to otherwise without derailing the larger plot.
Heh, look at all the stuff that came out of this. This is why I love these blog posts. They give me so many interesting thoughts and ideas. Granted it's far more than I'll ever be able to use, but hey, thinking them up is fun and tossing them out like this gives others the opportunity to draw from them (or use them as is, I don't care) and potentially improve their own stories so it's hardly a waste of time.
Huh. That's why I don't like how they used Discord in the show, because a lot of the stories he's involved in to me feels forced.
First time he shows up in the show, I think is fine because he was a bored antagonist. Afterwards became a bit more meh. Teaching Twilight with the plunder vines was okay, but him suddenly gaining affection for Fluttershy is rushed.
Between that and hitting the Princesses constantly with the nerf bat in order to Worf them.
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Actually I think I dislike how they used Twilight currently in the series. Princess of Magic, and doesn't ever use anything creatively. More or less resorts to laser beams. Didn't even try to teleport or do anything in the Movie.