What is the most looked over thing you find in fiction?

[Edythir]

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Well i was thinking because i had to deal with this problem in a few RPs recently and nobody but me really thought the consequences through, and that is being Paralyzed. Whether it is being Paraplegic or using other methods to paralyze the body, people seem to forget that that paralyzes EVERY muscle. Meaning that bladder and bowel control goes out the window. I get why characters don't usually go to the bathroom in most fiction because that really doesn't serve a purpose other than to waste time. But when people are paralyzed for one reason or another, they will shit themselves and pee on the spot because the muscles that hold that shit in are not working. So what is the thing that you find people just forget about in RPs?


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[Saccharine Cyanide]

Hmm...I think that fear and anxiety are often overlooked as part of characters' emotional responses.


Sometimes it's hard to visualize how a character will react to stressful situations, and, unfortunately, the common way scenes seem to be played out is that there is little to no reaction. The character is unfazed, taking everything in stride. In reality, people tend to have strong reactions to frightening or disturbing situations. When the fight or flight response takes over, the body reacts in different, often physical ways that a person may have little to no control over. I'd like to see more of these reactions played out; I think I'd feel more of a human connection to the character. Plus, I find myself rooting for characters who are afraid, but ultimately are able to overcome their fear.


Your character doesn't have to be a fearless badass all the time. It's okay for them to get scared!


(Fun note: my personal reaction to high-stress situations is to swear my little mouth off. Potential character quirk? : P)

 

[myvalentina]

This is something that I've been trying to work on, but like characters talking over each other. In roleplays characters tend to react to every thing that the other character says (I fall victim to this too). And in the real world conversations are way more messy. You might say something that gets overlooked, or you miss what the other person is going to say because you were waiting to jump in with your funny anecdote.


I know it's hard in RPs to do this because there are certain things that get said to advance the plot, and other things that are said to show off your character's personality, but I always feel like conversations come off stunted. Especially small things that people do like cutting people off, or having a joke fall flat. Maybe I'm not trying hard enough lol

 

[Windows95Toaster]

I think it's easy to overlook how people can be both good and bad, right and wrong, and most things are gray areas. Fiction tends to want to create polarizing characters with extreme views. Two extremes can occur at the same time. A good person can do a horrible thing and still be good. I think fiction tends to need balls, generally roleplaying writers, insofar as to flip on a switch and dance a different tango that isn't outside of their character's general modus operandi.


Stretch a bit. Try something totally funky and bend it to your character's proclivities. People play it safe too often, and when they don't, they have a hard time rectifying character motivation and thesis with this disparate action or thought or plot point.


Characters that are evil can, and will, be good sometimes.


basically; gray areas.