We often see a saying that the author can’t write a smarter character than himself. However, there are many creators who do not believe in this evil
Network novelist Yan Chuan Xia Yu believes that “can not write a role that is smarter than myself”, Yun, is simply giving up thinking. It is the creator to insist on thinking about the performance techniques that make the reader feel that “this character is smart.”
(https://twitter.com/osaka_seventeen/status/1148190492435218433).
So, how do you shape a smarter character than yourself? The creators on Twitter gave many examples. But in summary, it is nothing more than the two words that the cartoonist Zhizhi and Zhi said: the author can write “a character that can think of the high-level tactics that the author has drawn for three days in a flash,” or “give The role authors searched the knowledge gained by the group books.”
(https://twitter.com/burningblossom/status/1148507279131414529).
But with the development of technology and social changes, it is indeed more and more difficult for readers to think that a character is smart
The novelist Tongda pointed out that many of the “smart people’s deeds” that are common in stories such as folklore rely on instantaneous memory and computing power. For example, after a fire record has been burned, only those who have passed the record will remember all the content written on it; or just flip the account and judge the “fake account inside”
However, modern readers and spectators may not feel that this person is smart when they see this kind of story. Because it is much more sophisticated than recording and computing data. Just as the disappearance of the behavioral model of adults in reality makes the “character-like role” in fictional works become awkward, and the “smart character” has become very embarrassing in modern times
So, what matters is the performance technique. The most common routine is to prepare a role to be a foil. If this foil is a competitor, let him compete with the smart character and lose it to others; if it is Huasheng, let the smart character convinced Watson. However, this set of methods, in the eyes of the well-informed modern readers and audiences, will also feel “this is a bargain.” Therefore, the performance must be done very carefully
Tongda believes that the thousand stars in the comic book “Dr.STONE” may be a good example of “how to perform smart.” This work not only displays the traditional methods of character memory and computing power, but also performs very beautifully for the performance of “remediation after failure” and “foreseeing the next step of the next step”
(https://twitter.com/bakagane/status/1148509229285666818).
And the cartoonist Matsubara just thinks, “Can you describe a character that is smarter than yourself?” Instead of “playing a clever scene,” “Don’t let the character be stupid in ordinary situations (if not the author intends to do it)), may be more important, or a higher threshold. The former can always be solved to a certain extent through data, materials, performances and the like
But sometimes, this “spoof” is also due to the effect of the show. Therefore, Matsubara felt that it was not good to write because “so that the painting would make the reader feel stupid.” Or, rather than making the reader feel that the author is really smart, it is more important to make the reader feel that “the work is wonderful.”
For example, when the night god killed “Lee Pemba” in “Death Note”, he took off the cloak that had been worn before, and showed his true body in front of Ray. He said to him, “Goodbye, Ray. Pemba. “This action is very unwise, but it is very handsome and wonderful. So the author gives priority to the latter, which is correct
(https://twitter.com/matubarap/status/1148850082814365696).
But regardless of the method, authors who are willing to think can always find a way to shape a role that is smarter than themselves
The game scripter Yusuke Wisuke gave a very convincing example: On several occasions, he saw a certain piece of work, very moved, and felt that “the author can write such a great story, how great the author is.” But when I look at the author’s social networking account, I am raising the energy of the water in the soft voice of the water, or playing the air target against the so-called “conspiracy.” Although this is very sad, it is enough to prove…
(https://twitter.com/finalcoutdown41/status/1148203408962158592).
同人漫画家竜灯おりすraises another question: Although few people talk about it, in turn, “a character that is more stupid than the author” is actually very difficult.For example, in some works, it is clearly a mixed-race character in the confession. The metaphor used is very peculiarly intellectual, or the sentence is very thoughtful
(https://twitter.com/ryutou_/status/1148460556728205312)