
In this episode, Dave, Chaz, and John briefly discuss character development using the “Big Five” model of personality before haring off on a number of predictable tangents. Also in this episode: everything Dave knows about factor analysis and psychological modeling (tl;dr: psychology is squishy); what Chaz doesn’t know about “Aspects of the Novel:” by E.M. Forster (quite a bit, and seemingly proud of it); and John reminds Chaz to panic about being replaced by a computer. Also: MFAs are a dodgy proposition; the academic wing of the Tolkien industry; Freud sucks (Dave again); and how pantsing yourself into a corner is like failing to solve a Sudoku. Finally, a plea: “plotting” is fine, but can we please find an alternative to “pantsing”?!
Mentions from Episode 91:
- Creating Compelling Characters
- Big Five analysis
- Assumptions, simplification, and over-simplification
- Psych is squishy
- Factor Analysis
- Aspects of the Novel by E.M. Forster, 1927
I learned that the only way to write novels was like Mr. E.M. Forster.
W. Somerset Maugham
- Somerset Maugham
- University of East Anglia Creative Writing program
- Malcolm Bradbury
- Ian McKuen
- Brian Aldiss: couldn’t find the poem, but here’s a funny story
- Tolkien studies: yes, it’s a thing
- Bruce Holland Rogers
- Freud sucks
- Pantsers and Plotters
- Sudoku puzzles
- The Silmarillion: just because you’ve thought of it doesn’t mean you have to write it all down