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Character In a Character

Devora

Sage
I'm currently outlining a story using the Snowflake Method and i'm trying to organize a MC who is basically a reincarnated god, but i have two choices:

1) The God and the MC are separate entities inhabiting the same body who need extraordinary circumstances to communicate with each other.
2) The God and the MC are the same entity who's original "God-memories" are locked away by an amnesia until later on in the story.

I'm leaning towards number 2 (even though option 1 was the original rough idea), but i'm at a loss as to whether, for option 2, it would make since to organize the character as two separate characters where one takes over for the other later on, or as one character who's amnesia creates a very weird set of goals.

Thoughts?
 

pmmg

Myth Weaver
With 2, I am going to ask right away what kind of power could make a god lose it memories?

So, I would want a good story answer for that.


Otherwise, I am both can be developed. Why do you think you want to drop the original MC for the new 'its really just the god' anyway?
 

Devora

Sage
With 2, I am going to ask right away what kind of power could make a god lose it memories?

So, I would want a good story answer for that.

The God's death damaged their memories and the reincarnation into a human form further locked them away. Part of that idea was to have the god, later, finds an object that restores their lost memories.

I figure it would also be interesting if the other characters would wonder if the god is possessing the body or destroyed the body's soul until the God reveals that there never was another person in the body.
Otherwise, I am both can be developed. Why do you think you want to drop the original MC for the new 'its really just the god' anyway?
I figure it would also be interesting if the other characters would wonder if the god is possessing the body or destroyed the body's soul until the God reveals that there never was another person in the body.

My problem is more whether or not i should write them as two characters (before and after regaining memories), or if i should write it out as a singular character chart. I guess my difficulty stems from not really having experience writing a plot around an amnesic
 

CrystalD

Scribe
I think number 2 is the more interesting option that has a lot of development potential. I've seen it done well before, you can totally flesh out a story easily with it. I think making the god have possessed the person is better than the person having never existed, it adds for extra conflict between the two POVs.
 

ThinkerX

Myth Weaver
I have seen both options done in the past.

Usually with option two, the character 'grows into himself' - certain places and people bring out 'deja vu' type recollections, or he will near randomly remember something he shouldn't.

Now that I think about it, Li-Pang, in my 'Empire' series sort of falls into this category.
 

pmmg

Myth Weaver
The God's death damaged their memories and the reincarnation into a human form further locked them away. Part of that idea was to have the god, later, finds an object that restores their lost memories.

I figure it would also be interesting if the other characters would wonder if the god is possessing the body or destroyed the body's soul until the God reveals that there never was another person in the body.

I figure it would also be interesting if the other characters would wonder if the god is possessing the body or destroyed the body's soul until the God reveals that there never was another person in the body.

My problem is more whether or not i should write them as two characters (before and after regaining memories), or if i should write it out as a singular character chart. I guess my difficulty stems from not really having experience writing a plot around an amnesic
I would need to know the story to inform me on that. Would there not be a gradual awakening?
 

pmmg

Myth Weaver
Having read your DM, which I assume you don't want to share. I must admit to some confusion in it, as there are ambiguous pronouns in it, meaning, I am not sure who the 'He' is referring to in some sentences....but....

The question to me is: "My problem is more whether or not i should write them as two characters (before and after regaining memories), or if i should write it out as a singular character chart," so which one?

IMO, they should be the same character. It possible the second version has a different personality, not being able to remember his former self, or may have experienced some growth or enlightenment that has changed him, even if he is unaware. But even if there is a complete split, I would expect some aspects of his former self would remain.

Characters in the story, don't need a strong answer to this question until late in the story, they are free to assume anything about him, and may in the end be wrong. You have to whole story to write and a lot of time to figure this out. My guess is, somewhere along the way, while writing this, you will get your answer. The story will just speak to you and say this one fits better than that one. So....just start with the first step and write the opening scene with this being a mystery.


If you make it that he has possessed the body of another, to me, that would seem to add a lot of extra noise to the story. What to do about it, how they agree and conflict, what is the moral implication? That is fine to investigate, but you have this whole other story to tell. IMO.
 

Devora

Sage
Having read your DM, which I assume you don't want to share. I must admit to some confusion in it, as there are ambiguous pronouns in it, meaning, I am not sure who the 'He' is referring to in some sentences....but....

The question to me is: "My problem is more whether or not i should write them as two characters (before and after regaining memories), or if i should write it out as a singular character chart," so which one?

IMO, they should be the same character. It possible the second version has a different personality, not being able to remember his former self, or may have experienced some growth or enlightenment that has changed him, even if he is unaware. But even if there is a complete split, I would expect some aspects of his former self would remain.

Characters in the story, don't need a strong answer to this question until late in the story, they are free to assume anything about him, and may in the end be wrong. You have to whole story to write and a lot of time to figure this out. My guess is, somewhere along the way, while writing this, you will get your answer. The story will just speak to you and say this one fits better than that one. So....just start with the first step and write the opening scene with this being a mystery.


If you make it that he has possessed the body of another, to me, that would seem to add a lot of extra noise to the story. What to do about it, how they agree and conflict, what is the moral implication? That is fine to investigate, but you have this whole other story to tell. IMO.
The "He" in question is the Main MC in the summary. I didn't realize i made it ambiguous.
 

pmmg

Myth Weaver
I dont think it matters. You mentioned the Mercenary, and then started using He's, which I think meant back to the patient, and not the Merc, but the nano's could have been for the merc following his entry.

I am not sure it is relevant to the question who has nano's.
 
So without reading the replies, you have a God who has been reincarnated as a human?

I think 2 would make more sense to me if I was reading it if there were past ‘memories’ that were written into the text. The 1st option would be an entirely different story I would have though because that would require two different characters in a way.
 

Jason

Scribe
Just a reminder from the old Marvel comics, where Dr Blake stamped his cane to change to Thor. Memory/personality continuity was never an issue to readers.
 

Arielcat

Minstrel
With 2, I am going to ask right away what kind of power could make a god lose it memories?

So, I would want a good story answer for that.


Otherwise, I am both can be developed. Why do you think you want to drop the original MC for the new 'its really just the god' anyway?
I thought she meant, the main character actually is the god, they are one and the same, not, that she wants to "drop" the original main character at all.
Ask her though. 🤔
Oh, that's right, you just did. 😉
 

Arielcat

Minstrel
The God's death damaged their memories and the reincarnation into a human form further locked them away. Part of that idea was to have the god, later, finds an object that restores their lost memories.

I figure it would also be interesting if the other characters would wonder if the god is possessing the body or destroyed the body's soul until the God reveals that there never was another person in the body.

I figure it would also be interesting if the other characters would wonder if the god is possessing the body or destroyed the body's soul until the God reveals that there never was another person in the body.

My problem is more whether or not i should write them as two characters (before and after regaining memories), or if i should write it out as a singular character chart. I guess my difficulty stems from not really having experience writing a plot around an amnesic
I think that if your main character doesn't know who he/she truly is at first (leading presumably to the other characters not knowing either and being confused about him/her for a while and so on and suchlike) then some parts of the original entity (or identity) are probably going to still be retained, secretly, as in, below or beneath the surface, which is going to most likely eventually lead to a few things like that resurfacing here and there in a few memories occasionally before all the memories are finally regained.
The touch of a particular object could be what finally triggers the restoration of all of the memories that didn't already resurface before.
In the meantime, there may possibly be a few memories resurfacing occasionally from a dream or a daydream or something like that.
I like the idea of other characters wondering, did the god take over the body and either destroy or suppress the original person who lived in that body, and then what it turns out to be is, no, there was actually never any other person, your main character is and always was the god reborn.
Since birth, since *before* birth even, that's just who the character naturally always was.
 

Arielcat

Minstrel
I'd also like to add here that actual amnesia (as in, resulting from illness, injury, trauma, etc.) (about events in the same lifetime) isn't the same as not remembering a past life (consciously).
Most people aren't consciously able to do very much of that anyway, or not until something happens to help them remember, so it isn't generally considered a form of amnesia, it's just part of normal life (not to remember things that happened before you were even born).
I don't know for sure about what happens if the main character is actually a god. 🤔
If gods are normally supposed to remember their past lives, then it might be considered a form of amnesia then.
Amnesia is basically when you don't remember either all about or just certain things about your life, your life events, your personal history, etc. that under most circumstances you would normally be expected to remember.
For instance, as far as the actual terminology that's actually used in real life in our world, forgetting things about yourself or your friends or family members due to illness or injury or trauma, or even Alzheimer's, is actually considered amnesia, whereas not remembering your past life (or lives) isn't.
Similarly, having stress and/or trauma due to past life memories isn't called PTSD, either.
It's just talked about and written about somewhat differently.
 
From my perspective, option 1 is far more interesting. Amnesia is a bit of a cliched cop-out.

It would be much harder to write but would be exhilarating if you nailed it. You could have quite a lot of fun with it when you think about it - the conditions than enabled full commune between the two entities.
 
The God's death damaged their memories and the reincarnation into a human form further locked them away. Part of that idea was to have the god, later, finds an object that restores their lost memories.

I figure it would also be interesting if the other characters would wonder if the god is possessing the body or destroyed the body's soul until the God reveals that there never was another person in the body.

I figure it would also be interesting if the other characters would wonder if the god is possessing the body or destroyed the body's soul until the God reveals that there never was another person in the body.

My problem is more whether or not i should write them as two characters (before and after regaining memories), or if i should write it out as a singular character chart. I guess my difficulty stems from not really having experience writing a plot around an amnesic
the idea of the god losing his memory when he’s incarnated as a human is brilliant. It has so much plot potential. You could foreshadow the object that brings back his memory by having him contemplate it while he’s still a god. Then lose or toss it aside as more dramatic scenes develop. You could create dilemma by giving him a strong reason for becoming a human, but something important is at stake if he doesn’t regain his memory.
 
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