The Dreaded 'Why Not'

[Comicality]

 

Just a question that I always wonder about when it comes to authors who are trying to write an interesting story online. What would our stories be if we were constantly obsessed with the 'Why Not' questions we get from the readers and fans of the stories? Like...'Why don't they just do this?' Or 'Do that?' Or 'tell everybody everything that's on their mind?' Or 'Solve all of the story's problems by doing X, Y, and Z?'

 

Why not? Because that would be boring and would destroy the story as a whole if such a simplistic resolution was in place. I mean, like, 'Why doesn't Superman just get rid of ALL of the crime in the whole universe all at once? Because that would be friggin' BORING and stupid! That's why! But...how do you get around that as a writer? Obstacles exist in our stories as a way of creating conflict and moral dilemmas and putting obstacles in the path of our protagonist. But yeah...if you examine any of the classic stories that have ever existed in literary history, there's always a simpler, more *boring*, solution to the problem they're trying to face.

 

"Why don't they just do 'this' instead?"

 

Because that would be boring and quick and you wouldn't want to read the story if everything was that simple and easily handled. Right? Do you guys know of any ways to create hardships and tribulations for your main characters to go through without having to deal with the 'Why Not?' crowd? There's got to be a way to get readers to accept the story as it's being told, right? Or...has technology pushed writers waaaay beyong the curve on this? 

[Myr]

Yup.  It's no fun to write about ordinary things.  We write and read to escape the ordinary!

[CassieQ]

Personally things like that will get my hackles up.  It's my story, they don't get to write it for me.  If I want my characters to have poor communication and make bad choices to make a story more entertaining to read, then that's what I'm going to do.  People can say "Well, why didn't your character just do this..."  But hey, my character didn't "just do this".  He did this other thing instead and now he's in a huge mess, let's see how he gets out of it now.  

[comicfan]

Why didn't they ....? Because that isn't in the character's makeup. They need to learn, grow, and have the experience of the story. Not everything always works out. Same thing happens in real life, but a story as the author (or God of the world we are creating ) we need to make interesting. What fun is it if there are no problems, no growth, and no excitement?

Edited November 28, 2017 by comicfan
Misplaced it

[Krista]

People in general never solve conflicts in a simple way. It is also easier to view problems and come up with alternatives and solutions if you're not living the issues. I don't know, I've never really gotten a lot of those sorts of questions from readers. But yes, like I said, it isn't human nature to solve conflicts and have these easy resolutions so why readers would want stories to have them is beyond me.

 

Maybe where people need to listen to readers in this situation, is if the general audience feels like the conflict has dragged on too long.. and a resolution is sorely needed. Still yet, that is the author's decision in the end. I don't like to pose those questions, because as a reader, I can only guess at how the author will resolve things - so I wait and keep reading. I'll either like the resolution or not, but then I will ask.

 

Living in the moment should be living in the moment... resolving everything with a simple answer to a why not question would be lack luster, underwhelming, and a bit boring. 

[Sam Wyer]

To answer the original question, I think I’m much less interested in the ‘why not’ question than I am in the ‘why’.  People (and so characters) make all kinds of ‘stupid’ decisions and choices every day, not because they are intent on creating drama nd intrigue (generally, although not exclusively) but because they perceive those choices to be the best ones available to them at the time.  If readers are asking ‘but why didn’t they...’ then maybe I haven’t done a very good job of bringing the reader into my character’s world.

Edited November 24, 2017 by Sam Wyer
Spelling

[MrM]

I suppose the only way to avoid a 'Why not . . . ' question is to have a story set in such a fantastical or bizarre situation that the consequences of any choice cannot be predicted. That is very difficult to do and still make the story seem somewhat real through the character's eyes. In such scenarios things that might seem sensible may not be sensible at all. Someone else might argue 'well, if they tried that, this other weird shtuff would happen'. You then have a fan flame war which is always fun to watch!

 

Horror movies are good examples of this. Halloween - why doesn't Laurie ever turn on the lights as Michael is stalking her? Maybe she tried that and Michael cut the power. Maybe she thinks that she can hide better in the dark. Maybe she's too panicked to even think about lights. She's being chased through a house by a mad man that seems to know how to cut her off at every turn! etc . . . It's an extraordinary situation that has the charm of asking you 'What Would You Do?'

 

With more down to earth scenarios there are perhaps reasons why a character isn't doing something sensible in your eyes as a reader. Maybe they are too young and inexperienced to know what they are doing. Part of the story, as an adult, is to pull your hair out and scream at Billy Chase through the computer screen! 'WHY are you doing it that way, Billy!? Don't you know this that or the other thing will happen to you?' No, no he doesn't. He's still learning. He's too young and experienced yet to 'get it'. He's also a teenager so he is very loquacious, but his verbal skills do not necessarily mean he knows how to handle multiple people jumping on him and wanting what he has. He is still a 15 year old boy. He will react to things immaturely. As an adult reader, we can see the problem and want to head it off. As a teenage reader, we might completely agree with Billy's assessment of the situation and we are equally surprised as he is at the horrible outcome! Hey, Comsie just taught me something! Imagine that!

 

So, a reader who has become involved enough in a story to ask 'Why . . .' needs to have faith in their author and let the author guide them through the journey. Only the author knows the way as he is making it as he is going along. Likewise, the author needs to take heart that he has a reader that involved with their character(s) that they want to ask why something is happening the way it is. Often it's because they have frustrated the reader who is now fearful for the character they now are in love with! A reader that doesn't care probably isn't going to ask anything but 'Why am I reading this'?

Edited November 24, 2017 by MrM

[Comicality]

WOW! I'm actually really surprised by the response! I thought I was crazy! So I figured, maybe half would agree and half would disagree. Which would be understandable on both sides. But yes...hehehe, characters are allowed to be flawed, right? On purpose? I was starting to think that my writing was lacking because I wasn't falling in line with easy solutions to (what I thought) were some major problems in the lives of my characters. Like, maybe people weren't buying it because I had failed somewhere along the way. I'll admit, it feels GOOD to know that other authors can relte to this issue. ((Hugz)) 

[Carlos Hazday]

I'm not entirely disagreeing BUT-

 

Stupidity in character's actions or words can be useful, but sometimes it's just too much. Some authors force situations to justify the drama and it reads false. I try to let common sense guide my peeps and when they do or say something stupid I try to justify it. One story had a guy get in trouble when someone else took their phone and found something in it. Since most of us have our phones password protected, it seemed silly. Was I writing that story, I'd include a line about him not thinking about it/forgetting about it/ANYTHING about it. Maybe it's OCD but I often know what my character had for breakfast even though it'll never make it into the story. The old dot your Is and cross your Ts.

 

I can see a character falling for someone's lies once, twice, three times. When it's constant, I want the character gone due to idiocy.

 

As long as we publish online and encourage readers to give us feedback, them asking questions is something we must accept.

[Timothy M.]

I don't mind characters making a stupid choice now and then, we all do that. I'm fine with characters who are too inexperienced to deal with the situations they're in. I can relate to characters being too trusting and having other people cheat them.

However, I draw the line at characters who refuse to use even a tiny amount of common sense, who are ruled entirely by their emotions (in some cases to such a degree they seem unable to function as a normal human being), or who obsess constantly about what other people think of them.

And no, the explanation that's just the way he / a teen is, does not excuse a character from being an annoying, whining idiot.  

Edited November 26, 2017 by Timothy M.

[Headstall]

I think, as a reader, if I can make sense of a character's actions, even if it stretches the boundaries of logic, I'm good with it. But, for me to be good with it, the author has to have laid good groundwork, or have given me kernels I can draw from. Main characters need to be fleshed out, and I don't mean right away. An author can leave me scratching my head, but he/she has to come back around and turn the lights on. If he/she doesn't, my incredulity gets too big and uncomfortable for me to continue reading.

 

I don't need a lot. Have I seen a stubborn aspect to the character? Is he damaged... unable to trust? Self destructive? Immature? Insecure? Mean? Hurt too many times? In over his head? Bitter? You get my point. Just give me something, and make the purpose of a confusing action mean something besides just advancing the story. By that I mean, if it's a character I'm supposed to care about, there needs to be growth... repetitive stupidity gets old fast... or in the case of a tragedy, a huge price paid for apparent idiocy or poor judgement, or letting emotions completely rule them. 

 

I like drama, and I don't mind being rattled, but I want to be satisfied that I understand... get it... what's happening with the characters and the story, even if it turns out I have to wait until a few more scenes, and even if I don't personally like the resolution. Leave me stymied for too long, though, and I'm likely to lose interest.  That said, there are a lot of variables to an unfolding story (thank God), and if the writing is good, I just might take my chances and stick around until the end. Sure, I'd like the author to please me, but I want him/her to intrigue and entertain me more. Cheers....

[Solus Magus]

On 11/23/2017 at 7:15 PM, Myr said:

Yup.  It's no fun to write about ordinary things.  We write and read to escape the ordinary!

I agree to this!

 

That's why we can't make the "perfect" character. Otherwise, there will be need for progress and growth. Without that, there will be no story. Most of the time, I get hooked up on a story because of interesting progress that I was not expecting. I think to make things interesting, you slap the "Why not?" people with another "why not" situation that also fits in a more awesome and interesting why. It's either you can make things complicated, or make it simple. Avoiding the obvious is not always easy though. As writers, we want our audience to be hooked on by continouosly showing them what is outside of the "why not" box.

[Page Scrawler]

I don't like overcomplicated, messy plots, because the readers can become confused. And if the readers can get confused, then the authors can get confused, too, and the whole story is doomed to failure. But, that doesn't mean that I hand my characters an easy solution to their problems. Some of the stories on Nifty, for example, have 13 year olds using reason and logic like a 40-year-old lawyer. What teenager do you know who's reasonable?

[LJCC]

When they ask me why my character or storyline is this... I tell them, "You're not reading 50 Shades of Grey." 

 

And they simply respond with, "Fair enough."

 

And if I'm still being badgered by a question such as, "But why not do this."

 

I say in retort, "If Mr. Darcy texted Elizabeth Bennet asking if she wants to go out with him. And she responded with, 'I don't like snob rich guys but why not...' Then we wouldn't be having this conversation. Did it happen? No. Otherwise, Jane Austen would've rewritten her book and titled it as, The Pride of Sexting and the Prejudice of Bootey-Calling."

[Myr]

On 12/4/2017 at 5:17 PM, Page Scrawler said:

What teenager do you know who's reasonable?

I was. I didn't get bratty until I became 40

 

[Timothy M.]

On 12/4/2017 at 11:17 PM, Page Scrawler said:

What teenager do you know who's reasonable?

 

On 12/23/2017 at 2:58 AM, Myr said:

I was. I didn't get bratty until I became 40

 

I was too, and I know several of them - but I have to admit they're mostly from my extended family, since I don't normally spend time with random teens or kids.  

However, teens in stories don't have to be completely reasonable, as long as they display at least some signs of intelligence and common sense. If they're ruled only by emotion and existential angst, I shun those stories like the plague.