Original Male Characters

[Two-Bitty]

My older brother, Ace, tried to insert an original male character and he didn't hit it off real good. His name was Charlie, and he was Two-Bit's brother. He didn't want to be in the Curtis gang, so he was a Brumly Boy. I think Charlie was a little Gary Stu-ish.

I haven't gotten to the point of adding another character yet. I might in the future.

[murderofcrows]

i'm currently writing a story involving an omc...it's a new venture for me, i don't usually write men very well unless the character is already established, so i guess we'll see how it goes!

[saintmilly]

I can't write females without it being a self insert, so I mostly write males (I've been told I pretty good at it, as far as my buddy DJ saying I have nonexistent testicular fortitude. ) Plus, it's pretty fun because it's a challenge I face whenever I have my guy character fantasizing about a girl and wanking or something. (Sorry, too dirty? I'm new here.)

I haven't written any thing original for Outsiders, but I'm working on a OMC for Death Sentence. Anyone ever seen that movie?

[Tensleep]

We need to get this one moving again! And I am very tired and very bored, so this may make very little sense. But at least I still think I'm funny.

So, so far we seem to find the trend that OMCs work best in the littler mentioned gangs. Interesting. Thoughts on why that's so?

You know, I was contemplating my OMCs the other day and one thing I have found is that they have much higher expectations from the reader. I think thats because we're so tired of female add-ins and males are some what fresh. Am I crazy, or does anyone else find that, too?

As for your brother, Two-Bitty, I think he had a good idea. With tweaking, I could see it working out really well. You should encourage him to take another crack at it or perhaps adopt the idea yourself.

murderofcrows, how did your OMC venture go?

Saintmilly, all the power to you! I can see where you would be challenged.

And I'm out of small talk! Night, all!

[Nittanylizard]

Jan 6, 2009 23:27:17 GMT -5 Tensleep said:

So, so far we seem to find the trend that OMCs work best in the littler mentioned gangs. Interesting. Thoughts on why that's so?

Here's my take on it, as somebody who prefers OMC's over OFC's -

First off, there's a lot less chance of the story being a romance when the original character is another guy. Not that there's anything wrong with romances, but it seems most of the writers on ffnet's Outsiders section don't do such a good job with the romance genre, hahah .

Second, when an original female is added, it often turns into a story that's completely focused on the OFC and how well she gets along with the gang. It's like having one of your friends chatter on and on about a party she went to where she had all kinds of fun and got tossed in the pool and hooked up with the guy you kind of like and hahaha, you should have been there! She's completely not interested in making you feel included and really just wants to make herself look impressive, so all you get is annoyed. That's pretty much what many of those stories do to their readers by way of their OFC.

I think that when writers include an OMC, the focus is often much less wish-fulfillment. In other words, there might actually be a story with a plot and everything, hahah.

So it's completely possible to include an OFC who is realistic and in which the story is really good, but more often than not, that isn't what happens. I think that's why a lot of readers are adamantly against anybody adding OFCs, which is a shame, because there are some really good ones out there.

[Two-Bitty]

Well, personally it was my favorite story of his. But he can't actually work on it anymore since....well.... Let's say he suffered a fate like Dallas(without the bullet)...

I might take it up, try to make it more believable, better characters for the Brumly Boys, sounds fun. A lot of people are better in the OMC area than I am. I could try to pick it up; it might be fun. What a way to start off a OMC.

[Tensleep]

Liz, you have the most interesting way of making things make sense with the most out there examples. I love it. And that is just what I was feeling about the OFCs on ff.net. The gang disappears and there is just her. Maybe she dates one of them around her story, but it just never fits. Now, there really does seem to be more of a story with the OMCs - now that you mention it. I think that is one of the most important points.
The story is what you need to stay entertained. The males provide the story.

I think we just had an epiphany here.

Aw, Two-Bitty, I'm sorry. I do agree with you, though - what a way to start off an OMC...

[Two-Bitty]

I think writing a good OFC story would be a challenge for anybody. An OFC story without any of the gang falling for her, without the gang falling into her shadow, and without her replacing Johnny or Dallas would be a good one. If anyone can find one, or write one, call me.

And I just might rewrite my brother's story, Tens. I just might...

[texaskid]

I think that it's really hard to insert a new character and have it not be about them. Sure they all do have some gang involvement but it seems to me all the ones I've read really do focus on what's going on with the OC male or female. sure it does seem a little like wish fulfillment with girls but there also seems to be a little like trying to make them the top dog without being cliched of being tougher than dally harder than tim and all that stuff. I think that it's really hard to do a story that where it's based both on what the gang's doing and what the OC's doing.

It's possible but I don't see it being easy.

[Jay]

For myself I find a guy a lot easier to write than a girl...thus I have a lot of male POVs going on at the moment. "Bat Out Of Hell" was amazing with a male character and I often go and look at the fic when I'm a little stuck on what to say. I think it's cool because you don't have to go OTT with emotion but you do have to put some in so you get a nice balance. There's my view anyway lol.

[DarryHasAFutureAndI'mInIt]

Well..... I mentioned my OMC in the Gary-Stu thread. I haven't published anything on him yet (or even typed it, but I have some stuff in my notebook). But guy OC's are cool, in my opinion, for the fact that they ARE guys. Girls just don't...fit...the same, if you know what I mean.

The only OMC I can recall ever reading was Pepesi-Cola from a Different View by Tensleep. That was before I even knew that Tens was an admin here.

Ah, I have to go to a birthaday party now, so, bye.