Okay, picking up on a few loose threads I've noticed on this board:
in honor of Starbreeze:
How much control do you exercise over your characters? What are the benefits/boners of total control? What are the benefits/boners of no control? Is a middle ground better? How does it work for you?
in honor of nazgulnumber10 & Lothiriel Silmarien:
Poetry: do you use it in your story? How much? What kind? Formal? Free verse? Do you imitate Tolkien with yours? How do you know when your poetry enhances your story? Can you tell when it fails to enhance it? How? Care to share some of your story poetry here?
By the way, Saxony Tarn, I thought of a good couples story I read, but darned if I can remember the name of the trilogy. I read it just this past summer, too. It's set in a Victorian otherworld connected to our world by rents in the space-time continuum. There are a bunch of these rents. It's actually a pretty darn good yarn but the ending is disagreeable to my particular faith persuasion. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it. The heroine and hero don't even find each other until book two and they start out as allies and end up as teenage 'garden of eden' lovers who don't quite consummate and then must part forever. The author does manage to really get you into the feelings of these two kids. A really good story, over all. I'll dredge up the name of author and trilogy next chance I get.
As to solo characters, the first that jumps out is Conan from the R.E. Howard series. The ultimate independent, loner type. As I said, the Stephen Lawhead Albion series has a friendship gone sour, but the main character Lewis spends most of his time in his own head rather than in relationship with others, though that changes little by little until he become happily married king of all the refugees of Faerie-gone-real-bad.
Elenna, check out the index post I built on page 12 above, and look up languages for what others have said already about your very question. And Lila, I think you're right on in your answer.
I'll answer my own above questions soon.....
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