Problems that aren't important...

[awanderingbard]

What is it about having four characters in a scene that makes it so much harder than three? Three is fine. Three is good. Everyone gets to talk and no one is left out. But you add in just one more person and all of it a sudden it's "where's ____? He was here a few paragraphs ago? Did he wander off again? I told you to use the buddy system. ___? You get back here this instant, mister, or I swear to God I will turn this whole story right around and we're all going home! No one will get a plotline!"

Sigh.

Comments

[joonscribble.livejournal.com]

What is it about having four characters in a scene that makes it so much harder than three?

THIS. Times a million.

[awanderingbard.livejournal.com]

Whew, I'm glad I'm not the only one. Poirot is being very difficult at the moment. John, Sherlock and Hastings are all nattering away, but Poirot is being sulky and won't play nice. Then you have to decide whether it's best to leave him out if he doesn't have something to say or make him speak for the sake of speaking.

Lestrade and I are bonding over our complete inability to control our detectives.

[joonscribble.livejournal.com]

Poirot is being very difficult at the moment. John, Sherlock and Hastings are all nattering away, but Poirot is being sulky and won't play nice.

Yeah, my genius detective (Sherlock) is sulking as well. Crowley and Aziraphale won't shut up with John interjecting like mad. But Sherlock? Totally sulking.

[awanderingbard.livejournal.com]

Why is always the ones who never shut up who decide to go silent? You couldn totally get away with John not speaking, maybe he's just listening thoughtfully, but Poirot should be so indignant right now and he's just giving me nothing. I'm hoping he'll pick up once I switch to Hastings' point of view. But then, of course, I have to find Hastings' narration voice and I have nothing from Dame Agatha on hand to remind me of how he tells a story.

[aelfgyfu_mead]

You get back here this instant, mister, or I swear to God I will turn this whole story right around and we're all going home! No one will get a plotline!
Ha!

[awanderingbard.livejournal.com]

You have to be firm with your muses. And then cry and beg them to come back and promise them chocolate and presents. Please come back!

[rodlox.livejournal.com]

sometimes you need to have one character pointedly look at the fourth and go "well? what do you think?"...or something else to force the fourth to react.

(i sorta did this in my bigbang)

[awanderingbard.livejournal.com]

Oh, that is a good suggestion. I may have Hastings doing that. Because heaven knows Sherlock isn't going to ask. :p

[rodlox.livejournal.com]

"I say, you okay, Poirot?"
"Yes yes, I am fine, Hastings. Unlike our friend here, the little grey cells do both see and observe."
Sherlock (glared/glowered) at him.
John hid a smile.
;D

[guardian-chaos.livejournal.com]

This post is the distilled essence of truth itself. Adding a fourth character makes everything fall apart. Why can't everybody work in groups of three!? Egads!!

Sometimes I force character #4 to interrupt another speaking character, just to have a share in the action. It also helps if character #4 is asleep or otherwise incapacitated, but alas, those scenarios are not always possible.

Writing woes!

[awanderingbard.livejournal.com]

I'm sure John and Hastings will eventually need some sleep from dealing with their detectives all day. :-)

At the moment I've fudged a little by having Poirot and Sherlock arguing in French, so John and Hatings can't understand them, so I don't need to worry about them joining in the conversation. Also keeping both pairs across the room from each other so the other can't hear what they're saying. I'm also having Lestrade guide the convo a little by purposely asking what everyone thinks. One day they will all need to speak though, and on that day I will cry softly into my keyboard....

[guardian-chaos.livejournal.com]

Haha! Instilling a language barrier! That's actually a rather brilliant loophole.

One day they will all need to speak though, and on that day I will cry softly into my keyboard....

*installs keyboard gutters to capture and redirect your tears*

[awanderingbard.livejournal.com]

Haha! Instilling a language barrier! That's actually a rather brilliant loophole.

My ability to cheat knows no bounds. But I figured that Sherlock's thought processes would be 'I deduce this man is Belgian, it is a statistical likelihood that he speaks French, I will speak in French to him', only really fast because he's Sherlock and his brain works quicker than crazy glue.


*installs keyboard gutters to capture and redirect your tears*

Dude, that is a brilliant invention. Fangirl Tear Gutters. I'm calling up the Home Shopping Network as we speak...