Writing Excuses Transcripts

Writing Excuses 5.26: Scared for the Characters

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2011/02/27/writing-excuses-5-26-scared-for-the-characters/

Key Points: Make your readers care about the character, then put them through the wringer. Funny characters, characters with a bad life, or capable characters are interesting. When readers identify with a character, they don't want them to fail. Power imbalance can make horror. Horror where you don't expect it, in the midst of banality, can be terrifying.
( What's behind the curtain? )
[Howard] I have not done a writing prompt for you yet. Ok. Horror. You mentioned Lovecraft, which is at this point public domain. To an extent, right?
[Brandon] Yes. Ah. Let's just pretend it is. I know it is. My agent actually represents one of the Lovecraft estates, but even he says, "Yeah, we're not sure if this is even valid." So you can go ahead.
[Howard] Take a Lovecraftian beastie and shove him into the Shire.
[Brandon] Ok. Frodo vs. Cthulu.
[Sherri] There you go.
[Brandon] I like it. This has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses, now go write.