Posted by daShrink on May 02, 2002 at 06:47:54:
In Reply to: Re: hunter net cliches posted by The_Meehan on May 01, 2002 at 22:52:57:
: As for twists and turns, they've all been done before; none have helped. Here's something to keep in mind; every time a Hunter looks a supe, the Hunter sees something *WRONG*. How long could a relationship last if every time you looked at your S.O. your stomach churned?
If a hunter was looking at the supe in question without Sight, I was under the impression that they would look just like any other person. And unless the Messengers, for their own bizarre reasons, decide to *make* the hunter look, I don't think many would continue to look on their loved ones with Sight on a consistent basis. I mean, why would they? They already know.
As for the impulses that arise from this knowledge, I'm inclined to think that, much like those in the medical and other professions, who, when they see something *wrong* devote their lives to understanding and fixing it, most of those in the Merciful creeds would have much the same response; fixing what needs to be fixed, preserving what is already good.
And the only reason they see it as *wrong* is that this is what the Messengers have decided, not the individuals. This brings us to the issue of whether or not a hunter, finding out that he has been a tool of the supernaturals, is willling to also be a tool for the Messengers, which I won't debate here right now.
: : all my family was killed in one swoop.
: Hey, it may be trite, it may be a cliche, but it also works.
On the contrary, IMO, it's lazy. A character who starts off on that premise doesn't have to deal with explaining a double life, with protecting loved ones, or apparently, as executed onlist, with governing his or her behavior. Anything goes, because of the convenience of a slaughtered and anonymous family. In essence, it's a device used by roleplayers to *stop* acting liking human beings at all, and I consider that to be counter to the themes of HtR. From a reader's perspective, there is no reason to give a crap, because there's been no establishment of the people and relationships in question. And from my experiences in grief counseling, those reactions are also gratingly false. That's not to say we haven't seen this premise done with brilliance in the past, as in the wonderful Jane Doe story. All too rare, though.
: : ... i pulled out my silver katana
: There's only one way to save this one - "... and used its perfectly scaled 3 inch length to clean my fingernails."
Katanas, AK-47s, Desert Eagles hidden in underwear, magical inherited weapons, all this falls under the category of "I didn't have anything of substance to write, so I brought out my kewl toy!" These stories remind me of those guys with fancy cars and no personalities. Sad.
: Honestly, if the plot idea is in HtR, HPG, or the HSH, we've probably already seen it at least once in the past 6 months.
It isn't the plots, there are only eight stories in the world, Joseph Campbell said so. It's the execution. Man on a mission from God is a plot. Lawrence of