Editing with the Elrics: Closing Remarks + Giveaway Winner + Giveaways to Come

Over the last month I've been giving out writing tips pulled from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, while having an FMA pocket watch giveaway. First, I would like to say, there is plenty more going on in that story than what I've covered. I'll be talking more about Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood in the next couple of posts (like one I'm doing about writing action scenes), but since I'm talking about writing in general and pulling from other stories, I'm not including those in my "Editing with the Elric" series. I'll just be referring to FMA for extra examples.

I'd also like to point out that I'm new to the Fullmetal world (saw it for the first time this year), so I wasn't able to go as in depth with the story as I would have liked. Someday I'd like to dig deeper to see exactly how it works. It's definitely one of the best written stories I've encountered.

What's to Come?

 

For at least a month, I'll be doing some general writing/reading/life posts, but I have been working feverishly on another story dissection like this. One word: Trigun. And that's one show I've probably seen a million times--so these posts are deep. I mean like, it's crazy the stuff I found when I started pulling that story apart. If you're a fan of the show, you're gonna eat it up. If you're a writer, you might learn something new.

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Editing with the Elrics: Creating Complex Characters through Contradictions

One of my writing mentors, David Farland, gave this advice in a writing tip: create complex characters by giving them contradictory attitudes.

The first time I read that I said, Huh? Isn't that inconsistent characterization? Won't it look like a continuity error, a mistake? I get internal conflicts, but straight-up contradictions? Really?

Really.

I had a hard time understanding this at first because in my head "contradictions" meant undefined characterization--having moments where your character was out of character. I mean, how can you establish a character when he contradicts himself? How can you lay a foundation for one with that advice?

I get it now. It's kind of like having a conflicted character, but not exactly. Not all conflicted characters are contradicting ones, but I think all contradicting characters are conflicted--whether or not the character realizes he is himself.

In Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, we learn in episode two that years ago the protagonist, Edward Elric, had an afterlife experience of sorts where he met God.

But then in episode three, Ed says he doesn't believe in God. And later still, he says he doesn't believe in praying to a god. There is even one part in the series where he very vehemently proclaims himself an atheist.

And yet. . . in other parts, he talks about God and gods as if he believes they exist. He even suggests that he and his brother should pray to God once, even though Ed's not a fan of the guy.

Is this bad characterization?

No.

So which is it? Does Ed believe in God or doesn't he?

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