You’re right for sure, all points are good. Even in real life, I don’t fit in, so I shouldn’t be surprised my RP characters have the same side effect. Ha, ya, I can be random and unexpected, I’m like that in real life, too. In my writing, I try to create characters who are remarkable, memorable and different, though it doesn’t seem to work out well.
Yes, I recall the Ashlands RP. I thought it was a minor event but turns out it was much more serious than I thought! Griselda was one of my favorite characters to RP with, though it didn’t work. But yes, sometimes my characters are more like caricatures or too satirical. I never knew what works, so sometimes I go radically too different or too stereotypical, without finding a balance or expectation that works. Also explains why nobody reads my stories XD but oh well, some people just aren’t meant to be authors.
Ha, ya, Dalhover was meant to be like the crazy uncle trope. It’s nice that he does fit, so at least there’s some improvement. But yes, he does go into paranoia, something that plagues older people, especially when they are former soldiers. Although not mentioned anywhere, this was meant to portray PTSD due to his near-death adventures amidst monsters and evil men. Also hence his conspiratorial views, even in mundane things.
A peculiar trait for soldiers suffering from PTSD is lack of emotions when they should show them, so death in friends or family won’t bother Dalhover much, trauma coming later. Of course, this is not totally consistent with all people with combat stress/PTSD, but it was a trait I read in both Canadian and American websites talking about it. Even when he mentioned his wife was dead he admitted it without much worry. I had a scene planned for Dalhover to react to the sound of teeth touching glass, reminding him of the jaws of monsters and triggering something in him, but figured it was unimportant.
04-Feb-2022 05:51:01
