#TeamHashtag - A Reading Circle

@ThePlumbob I was also a fan of #TeamBabySteps :tongue:

I know you said not excepting new members but I'll likely be lurking here as these are all my favorite authors!! :love:

"ThePlumbob;15243156" wrote:
On a more serious note - those of you with multiple stories, do you have a preference in terms of which of them we read?

I second this question! I read two stories each from @JoieWilder @ra3rei and @Jes2G . I read your legacy, and I read @Julyvee94 's Until It Breaks. But do people have a preference of which ones are read/discussed here? :)

Lurky lurky :lol:

Hey y’all! Amanda should get an award for finally getting me into a reading circle. :p

As far as which stories you can read, I suppose I’d go with one or both of the current ones that I’m putting the most energy into which are Discovering Juliana and Keeping Up With the Joneses. I write DJ in seasons, and we’re currently in the 2nd season. Updates happen twice a week until Dec 30. The Joneses is ongoing and updated frequently. So…whatever you’re comfortable with!

Okay guys, I'm diving in with deep discussion :lol:

This is something I've been thinking about a lot after some of my long Origin chats with @ThePlumbob and I figured it'd be good circle-talk :blush: It's kind of a general thought/observation about reading in general, so in theory I could share this in the lounge, but we never talk about writing there anymore (mean, but true! :lol:) and it's inspired by one of Marketa's characters, so I figure it's appropriate circle-talk :tongue:

I know not everyone is caught up with her legacy, so I'm gonna be vague :lol: But I have been thinking a lot about "favorite" characters in a story. And I was realizing that sometimes your "favorite" character is not actually the one that you find most interesting or spend the most time thinking about... It's just the one you "like" the most (maybe you relate to them, or enjoy reading about them). But if this isn't the character that I spend the most time thinking about, I wonder "is this person even REALLY my favorite character?"

Oftentimes, my favorite character is also the one I think about the most. Like James in @ra3rei 's Ghost of a Chance or Josh in @JoieWilder 's Thoreau Legacy (though I am admittedly very biased to do a lot of Josh-thinking :tongue:). But with The Bloomers, my current/Gen 9 "favorite" character is Sera (I feel a lot of sympathy toward her and I really love the way her character has grown. Plus her mean streak is just plain fun to read about!) and my LEAST favorite character is Vito. I don't "hate" him, but I "strongly dislike" him :tongue:

But what's interesting to me is that he's the character I actually think about when I'm not reading. He's the character who I write the longest comments about. He's the character whose words and actions (both positive and negative -- he's been pleasantly surprising me recently!) get the biggest reaction from me. (And yes, he's been more of a focus recently for sure! But even back when Sera was more of a focus and I used to talk to Marketa about her/her character, I don't think I ever spoke for as long or as deeply about her as I do about Vito!)

So I've been getting all deep today and starting to think -- Even though I pretty much can't stand him... Could Vito be my true "favorite" character? Does "favorite" have to mean you like them the most? Or does it mean they're the one that interests you the most and has the deepest impact on you?

I'm having a bit of this happen in @Jes2G 's Discovering Juliana too. Hillary is my "favorite" (love her!)... but somehow Harold (who I don't like!) is the one that gets me thinking the most... And in @Julyvee94 's Until It Breaks, well (I don't mean this in a bad way :lol:) but there is just SO much deceit and lying going on that it's hard to find a character I like enough to call my "favorite"... BUT I spend the most time analyzing/thinking about Ethan (who is essentially the "bad guy" right now :tongue:). I do not like him -- at all! But something about him really interests me. Valerie too, the protagonist. I really get angry and frustrated with her... but everything she does gets a big reaction and affects me deeply...

I'm getting so rambly. :lol: I guess the point I'm trying to make is that all of you have characters that really get me thinking deeply -- but in some of your stories, the deepest/most interesting characters (to me!) are the ones I don't even like very much/wouldn't consider a "favorite". So I'm starting to wonder -- if someone asks me "Who's your favorite character?" in a story/book/movie/etc, should I re-think my response? Maybe "liking the most" doesn't automatically equal "favorite". I even took the time to look up the technical definition of "favorite", and it's "preferred above all others".

So, going back to The Bloomers, I prefer Sera's personality for sure.

But I also prefer to think deeply about Vito. I prefer to spend my time/energy leaving lengthy comments about his character and sending long PMs or Origin messages to Marketa about him.

Could Vito be my favorite Bloomer? *wiggles fingers mysteriously*

That was a giant novel. I love analyzing characters and you all write very interesting ones. I blame you all for inspiring this rant :lol: (And no, this isn't leading to any kind of a 'question' LMAO but if you agree and/or disagree, feel free to reply :tongue:)

I think that there should be a special word for this phenomenon. One meaning, "I don't like this character, but they're very interesting to discuss." Because I've had a taste of this myself. I can't think offhand of when I've experienced it in simlit, but has anyone ever watched Queer as Folk? My roommate and I had multiple discussions last year when we lived together concerning Chris Hobbs, a relatively minor character (he only appeared regularly in season 1). Hobbs was essentially the villain of season 1 and the finale culminated in him hate-bashing the protagonist, Justin. My roommate and I would talk for quite a while over his motivations and his character. I could never, ever call him my favorite (my favorite is Brian, for those curious out there), but he was really very interesting to ponder.

"JoieWilder;15243818" wrote:
I think that there should be a special word for this phenomenon. One meaning, "I don't like this character, but they're very interesting to discuss." Because I've had a taste of this myself. I can't think offhand of when I've experienced it in simlit, but has anyone ever watched Queer as Folk? My roommate and I had multiple discussions last year when we lived together concerning Chris Hobbs, a relatively minor character (he only appeared regularly in season 1). Hobbs was essentially the villain of season 1 and the finale culminated in him hate-bashing the protagonist, Justin. My roommate and I would talk for quite a while over his motivations and his character. I could never, ever call him my favorite (my favorite is Brian, for those curious out there), but he was really very interesting to ponder.

@JoieWilder I remember you mentioning that character to me on Skype! :blush: I have this in pop culture too for sure -- like Game of Thrones/ASoIaF. My actual favorite character IS very deep and interesting to discuss (Jaime Lannister :love: One of the most complex characters I've ever read) BUT I spend so much time thinking about/analyzing his sister Cersei, who I CANNOT STAND but my goodness, is she interesting :lol: :joy:

I agree, we need a special word for "I hate you, but I could analyze your personality and motivations for hours" :tongue:

@CitizenErased14 Yeah I've been saying Vito is your favourite Bloomer :D

I suppose it makes sense that we think about characters that we don't necessarily agree with more. If you identify with a character or relate to them, you don't question their behaviour and motivations because they make sense to us, so we just nod approvingly and carry on. It's the decisions you wouldn't necessarily make yourself that make you ponder things more, I think.

It could also be about the potential we see in a character like Harold. Everyone thinks he’s the grinch who stole Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Hanukah…ALL of them! LOL, but you know he’s not all bad, and perhaps it’s that hidden part that you love. I know that’s what I love about him. I don’t know this Bloomer yet that frustrates you to no end, but maybe it has to do with some hidden part of him that you want to see come out? I dunno. Now I’m rambling.