Question Failed Characters/Arcs

[Elias Edo]

Padawan arcs never interested me partly due to the fear of losing the other writer that you depend on.

Definitely one of those things you have to be strategic about.

 

[Azurine Varek]

I don't know if I can say I've had entirely failed arcs because what counts as a failed arc? I guess I could count the swoop race that never made it past it's first round of posts.

When threads just drop, usually I will come up with whatever ending that I decide fits with what was happening so that in the end, everything is still important. Ive noticed that more threads tend to sputter out than they do fully reach a resolution for one reason or another, and I don't necessarily see that as a failure on anyones part because it still happened and it had impact. So, might as well come up with your ending for it, put it in personal notes somewhere or even in a blog post if need be, and roll onward that way, you know?

 

[Azurine Varek]

As many of you will know, most of my characters are part of the Heavenshield clan, which I co-wrote with Coci Heavenshield's writer. She wrote one half, I wrote the other. When she up and disappeared back in 2020, it pretty much ruined every storyline we had going at the time. It wasn't just Thurion's wife that suddenly were left in limbo; it was also his eldest son and heir apparent, Théodred, who'd played a huge role in the story thus far, and several others characters.

It messed with my head for a long time. To have every plan for your characters pull away from under you, as I was told it wasn't allowed to NPC their chars since the writer technically hadn't left the site. It definitely messed with my muse; I thought the entire character of Thurion, around whom I'd built my entire cast since (not to mentioned devoted my sparetime to since 2013(!!!)), had been ruined beyond repair. His relationship with his wife and family as a whole was so essential to his character that I didn't think I had it in me to carry on, and my activity plummeted for some time because of it.

I waited several IRL years before eventually deciding to move on without them. I had a vast cast of characters I enjoyed writing that now needed a new reason to go on. So I used the emotional turmoil and confusion the loss of Coci's writer had caused me and made it my characters'. Here's Thurion, crushed under the responsibility of the crown and the conflict of him being raised a Jedi and sovereign, now having to face it all alone; effectively having to deal with the sudden disappearance of his beloved wife while also keeping his head high for his entire family, now bereft of a mother and grandmother. He's just as lost now as I was back then, and yet he finds a way to keep moving forward and adapt. In that, he and I are the same.

I'd always envisioned him and his wife meeting death together, be it in battle or from old age. "There was no Thurion without his Coci", so I figured, with his story essentially having peaked, I'd either retire or kill him off within a couple IRL years. In a strange way, Coci's disappearance and presumed death injected some much needed personal turmoil and a whole new layer to his character, which has restored my love of writing him immensely. He's this broken man now, incapable of ever feeling truly whole again, ever grieving for his wife's departure whilst still having to push forward and be strong for his people and his clan. He'll always be the same huggable teddybear, just with more baggage.

I also want to give massive thanks to writers like Caltin Vanagor , Valery Noble , Kahlil Noble , Nida Heavenshield , Arden Durane , Darth Carnifex and many others for sticking with me and giving Thurion a new lease of life through continued interaction. I was ready to throw in the towel on so many occasions in the interim of my writing partner poofing to when I decided to make it part of the story, but you guys kept the flame lit through my darkest days as a writer. It's safe to say that, without you, I'd most likely no longer be an active member of this site. Just like Valery or Caltin continuously interacting with Thurion to keep his head in the game, you did the same for me IRL back then. So, a heartfelt thank you to all of you. <3

Just like I can no longer look to my writing partner of 7 years (2014-2020) for advice or laughs, neither can Thurion turn to his wife of five decades. But he'll always have his kids and grandkids, and he'll always be their loving dad and doting granddad. As I grow older and mature (surrounded by little children whom I adore everyday by virtue of being a kindergarten teacher), my appreciation for having Thurion interact with children and young people in general only increases, and I like to think it comes across in my writing. All whilst sprinkling in that juicy grief for added effect — chef's kiss!

I hate to double post, but I saw this and I just wanted to say that I'm so dang glad you decided to stick with it in the end <3

You were one of those people when I was still a little Chaos noob that had me in awe. Thurion Heavenshield has become one of the inspirations to Azurine and has had such an impact on her character development, I don't think she would be exactly where she is with her story without him, so thank you and I'm so glad to have gotten the opportunity to write with you!

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

I believe in evolution, not failed character arcs. Some chars don't work out, I cut my losses.

Writing partners leave, due to an ooc falling out, IRL commitments, or because they pass away (RIP Coryth)? Adjust.

If these OOC events throw a curveball in a character's life? Use that loss.

Because, frankly, just writing about one's character having a shiny happy life, where everything always goes well and they get to settle down with their chosen love interest and spend eternity together is not interesting to me. Stories thrive on conflict, whether external or internal.

But then I prefer to maintain a certain distance to my characters, since they're not projections of me. Maybe that's why I like making them miserable. Maybe why Kyriaki and Elpsis are the ones I write the most, since soldiering on and obsessively doing their duty without the prospect of reward or a shiny and happy life is their whole thing. Especially for Kyriaki given how fatalistic she is.

I drastically rewrote a bunch of stuff for Siobhan and killed her off after coming to the conclusion that her arc was done, keeping her around was holding me back as a writer and she was frankly a pretty shitty person who deserved a most unglamorous death to mock her hubris. Provided more drive for Elpsis' story, since she was a character with greater potential and needed a push. Siobhan's arc wasn't failed though. The shadow of her (toxic) legacy still looms large over various chars I write. She got her legacy...just not in the way she thought she would.

 

[Liin "Tera" Terallo]

All of my arcs have been failed ones. They have promise and at times a good start; but then the momentum of it from others dies quickly. I had started up a handful of characters that since were deleted due to lack of activity.

I think that finding reliable writers is the key to any story arc's success.