I was commenting specifically about the end of your previous comment, not the whole topic. Sorry if that wasn’t clear. But as to this new point, why should an author feel obligated to gender-balance the complexity of the flaws they assign to minor characters?
Yes, I’m aware that there’s a fairly common intellectual position claiming that authors should devote vast amounts of energy to worrying about that sort of thing. I just think that’s a deeply misguided enterprise. A good author will naturally come to a pretty reasonable balance in the natural course of writing a story, and any major tweaking beyond that point is more likely to make the story worse than better.
Do you really think HP:MoR would be a better story if EY had spent a few weeks listing all the characters by gender, and trying to tweak the plot and insert details to ‘balance’ things? As opposed to, say, working out plot complications or dreaming up new moments of awesome?
I do think it would be better if the girls had more varied characteristics-- flaws, virtues, and interests. Who knows, there might be something generated from more interesting characters which would lead to more moments of awesome.
Do you really think HP:MoR would be a better story if EY had spent a few weeks listing all the characters by gender, and trying to tweak the plot and insert details to ‘balance’ things?
You’re strawmanning me. I will reply to you no further.
Do you really think HP:MoR would be a better story if EY had spent a few weeks listing all the characters by gender, and trying to tweak the plot and insert details to ‘balance’ things? As opposed to, say, working out plot complications or dreaming up new moments of awesome?
Well, there’s always coinflips. Much quicker than lists.
I was commenting specifically about the end of your previous comment, not the whole topic. Sorry if that wasn’t clear. But as to this new point, why should an author feel obligated to gender-balance the complexity of the flaws they assign to minor characters?
Yes, I’m aware that there’s a fairly common intellectual position claiming that authors should devote vast amounts of energy to worrying about that sort of thing. I just think that’s a deeply misguided enterprise. A good author will naturally come to a pretty reasonable balance in the natural course of writing a story, and any major tweaking beyond that point is more likely to make the story worse than better.
Do you really think HP:MoR would be a better story if EY had spent a few weeks listing all the characters by gender, and trying to tweak the plot and insert details to ‘balance’ things? As opposed to, say, working out plot complications or dreaming up new moments of awesome?
I do think it would be better if the girls had more varied characteristics-- flaws, virtues, and interests. Who knows, there might be something generated from more interesting characters which would lead to more moments of awesome.
You’re strawmanning me. I will reply to you no further.
Well, there’s always coinflips. Much quicker than lists.
Of course, that’s harder with fanfiction...