Recurring things in your writing?

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Alfred Hitchcock had a habit of sneaking stuff into his films that subliminally got the idea across that he was essentially telling the same story. Smothering mothers, the innocent man on the run, "perfect murders", and of course, the MacGuffin. Hitchcock has left a huge influence on me as a creator; I've got a box set of his films in my cabinet. I really loved the amount of heart and dedication he put into his films, and I feel that I must do the same with my writing. A writer without confidence is a writer without courage, and vice versa.

Like the films of Hitchcock, I myself have recurring stuff in my material.

-The protagonists have some kind of personal dilemma in addition the main conflict that is usually resolved at the end. These include past traumas, psychological dysfunctions, and so on. In some instances, the mental construction of the characters dominates the narrative. In a sense, practically everything I write is a psychological thriller.
-The setting is usually presented an ominous, and sometimes dangerous place where there's a new threat behind every corner. Oh, and the weather sucks.
-Moral ambiguity sometimes figures into my stories. In the case of my WIP novel Redesigning Eva, protagonist Eva Elliot is quite sympathetic, but not an angel, and antagonist Klaus Krieger is not a monster, despite the heinous things he does.
-In the more sci-fi type stories, there can be an experiment. Expect it to go horribly wrong, either due to the creations or the madness of the creators.
-There's a conspiracy, more often than not intricate and well-organized, that the protagonist must thwart.
-There's at least one set piece scene for a work. Think the car chase from The French Connection or the climax of King Kong.
-The way the story is structured is thematically connected with the story itself. Ever wonder why Memento was told in backwards chronological order?
-Eyes, either as symbols or as targets of damage. Eeee...
-The horror is very Japanese in style, and places emphasis on suspense rather than visceral violence and jump scares.
-The protagonist is pulled into the conflict either by coincidence or of his/her own accord.

I bet, my fellow writers, that you have traits that pop up in your work, too. Feel free to spill it out on the monitor!

Most of my writings have science in them, and all my stories contain a form of magic. If that answers any questions...

But when I write I generally write under the same topics, usually heath and wellness of terrestrial mammals, or heath myths of terrestrial mammals.

For my stories and unwritten story concepts:

- For fantasy worlds, at least one human civilization influenced by ancient Egypt, sub-Saharan Africa, or a hybrid of both (I see them as related anyway, but let's not get into that)
- If humans coexist with fantasy races like elves, orcs, and dwarves, they prefer to live in the world's tropical regions
- Protagonists are usually warriors, more often than not women, and are often leaders (e.g. kings, chieftains, or troop sergeants)
- White male/black female romance
- Dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals
- Protagonists tend to make terrible mistakes and have to compensate for them; redemption is a favorite theme of mine
- Power-hungry, greedy warlords whom the heroes have climactic battles with
- Sympathetic orcs
- Evil, often imperialistic elves
- In all-human, multicultural worlds, East Asian civilizations are the most technologically advanced while Northern Europeans have smaller-scale, more "tribal" societies
- If Romans are present, expect them to be aggressively imperialistic and threatening the Northern European "barbarians"
- Middle Eastern cultures also tend to be aggressive, functioning as antagonists for the Africans, but their aggression is motivated by religious fanaticism (I should do away with this trope, as it does have racist connotations, but I confess that I have a grudge against the Abrahamic religions)

Mine seem to be very influenced by the works of Aristotle and Socrates in themes, and they are often very poetic and proggy, but relatable. I think there is also a recurring theme of getting past what you could;ve done better and conflict resolution, along with a revolt for changing what doesn't work.

Mine seem to be very influenced by the works of Aristotle and Socrates in themes, and they are often very poetic and proggy, but relatable. I think there is also a recurring theme of getting past what you could;ve done better and conflict resolution, along with a revolt for changing what doesn't work.

Also brandonSP, you do a good job with drawings. How do you get those facial features to show emotion?

I've noticed I take after Hitchcock on a few things, but recurring elements in my writing are:

- A leading male-female couple.
- A romantic sub-plot
- The lancer is usually a heroic sociopath.
- An ensemble darkhose
- A conspiracy
- A McGuffin
- Atheistic or agnostic characters
- At least one creepy-awesome character

- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Mega Crossovers and Crossover Ships
- Same-sex couples
- Most if not all characters being involved in romantic relationships
- Single-gendered societies
- Everyone is Gay
- Wholesome Crossdressers (both men in women's clothing and vice-versa)

Mine have recurring themes, but it's to do with the fact I write the same characters all the time...

Main themes can be drugs, drinking, voice-hearing, erratic behaviour, awkwardness, silences...

And like IdahoRose, I write all-male couples, though in real life/canon I like the hereto relationships too.

Kurt Vonnegut has had a major impact on my writing style, specifically his style of humor and irreverance. Consequently, when I write, I have a tendency to:
- Use one-liners to sum up long passages of text and punctuate traumatic events with comic relief. I realize that my writing can sometimes become quite verbose and labyrinthine, so I find that one-liners help regulate the pacing.
- Use dark, sarcastic, and self-deprecating humor. Sometimes I'll change up the tone of my writing, but my favorite tone to use is a cynical, self-consciously passive-aggressive one, because it has so much potential for irony and black humor.
- Make use of extensive repetition for emphasis of important details. This, I suspect, is akin to Vonnegut's usage of the phrase "So it goes" after each mention of death in Slaughterhouse-five.
- Experiment with format. For example, while my first full-length novel is primarily written in standard prose, there is one passage written as an instant messenger transcript, three as transcripts of phone conversations, and one entire chapter written as a screenplay.
- Break the fourth wall and remind the reader he or she is only reading a story and that I, the author, am in control of how it progresses.

In my stories, dogs often represent fear or avoidance (due to my own dislike of dogs), and ants are a symbol of depression or hopelessness.

I've also developed a thematic fixation on the tense relationship between younger and older generations, particularly Gen Y vs. Baby Boomers. I see my audience as my own age group. In my stories, writing from the perspective of the Millennial I am, I often openly dispute the prevailing myths about Baby Boomers' impact on American culture. Symbols of the '60s counterculture, '70s decadence, and the yuppies of the '80s are stripped of the significance they had to Baby Boomers and viewed through the lens of cold, rational objectivism. A lava lamp is just a thing. "All Along The Watchtower" is just another song. The point is to question the nostalgia and sentimentality Baby Boomers have for the past, and, as a result, the troubled, materialistic, self-absorbed culture they have bequeathed to Gen X and Gen Y in the present day.

There's always cats in my writing, and also environmentalism.

With the exception of an abortive action/advantage novel I was co-writing with a friend years ago, along with a short lived crime novel idea, almost everything else I've written has been horror placed in a modern setting.
Prostitutes and drug addicts often figure into my fiction.
The setting is always in Spokane/Spokane Valley Washington (where I reside) and the surrounding area.
A bad ending comes to almost everyone - including the good characters.
My lead characters often are struggling with personal demons like alcoholism and depression.
Even in case of supernatural horror, the human element often proves the most horrific.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

I'm no cheery fellow when it comes to fiction; one of my favorite writers is Bret Easton Ellis. The thing is, a story can only be so dark.

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