Do you write genius characters?

[Garon]

I specifically mean intelligent geniuses with over 200 IQ, I honestly really can’t bring myself to write them. Characters can only be as smart as the author, so unless I write all other characters as varying degrees of idiotic, it’s impossible for me. Though I guess it can be done, doing something like that even for a side character sounds draining as hell unless they hold no importance to the story. I’m sure there’s some method to this that I’m probably missing, but I’m curious if you guys write such characters, and if so how?

i mean, i don't have stupid characters. it's considered that they are all geniuses then? Or if everyone genius, no one is

 

[TheEldritchGod]

I specifically mean intelligent geniuses with over 200 IQ, I honestly really can’t bring myself to write them. Characters can only be as smart as the author, so unless I write all other characters as varying degrees of idiotic, it’s impossible for me. Though I guess it can be done, doing something like that even for a side character sounds draining as hell unless they hold no importance to the story. I’m sure there’s some method to this that I’m probably missing, but I’m curious if you guys write such characters, and if so how?

When you write, you can basically increase the apparent intelligence of your character by one standard deviation. Basically about 20 IQ points, but since IQ is entirely subjective, it's hard to give a specific number. Remember, an IQ TEST has an AVERAGE of 100, NO MATTER WHAT.

So you can only truly compare IQs that are from the same test, and even then you need to adjust for language and culture.

IQ is a silly metric. I have an IQ of 142 and that means I'm both an idiot and brilliant. Some things I do amazing, then I can't remember someone's name or face. It's a subjective generalized measurement. Like saying something is HOT and something is COLD when lava is cold compared to the surface of the sun.

I can write intelligent characters quite easily because I take my TIME and do my research. It's just work, that's all.

 

[Shrimp_eater]

There’s two types of genius characters Jimmy Neutron , and Sherlock Holmes

One is just the author telling you the character is smart without doing any additional work, and the other is shown to be smart through behavior and actions. Neither is better than the other, you just need to put them in the right story. Badly written smart characters are usually Jimmy Neutrons put into Sherlock Holmes stories.

I'd say there are three types. Velma, Sherlock Holmes and Picard.

>As you said the first is just the author telling you the character is smart without much additional work, basically being treated as no more than a character trait or an alternative way of saying they're nerds.

>The second one is where the character's geniality is basically magic. Be it clairvoyance disguised as "logic" or super powers disguised as "science", their smartness is just an excuse to fit supernatural abilities into an otherwise mostly realistic setting. I'd argue Jimmy Neutron falls into here too since his intelligence is used as an excuse to invent all types of crazy impossible stuff.

>The third one is where the character's intelligence isn't really told to the viewer and is more demonstrated through their actions. You could say they're essentially competent people, possibly manipulative or calculating but never to inhumanly ridiculous degrees. They are the realistic type of intelligence OP probably wants, but the previous two aren't necessarely bad either depending on how you utilize them.

 

[John_Owl]

i dislike the term "genius". It would imply that intelligence is the only worthy aspect.

That said, if you'll pardon my use of it, I tend to write characters that are a genius at one specific aspect. one character may be individually weak, but a genius at tactics, or one that has a hard time cooperating, but is a genius at individual swordsmanship. Or perhaps a mage that can memorize any number of spells, but when it comes to interacting with others, his speech turns basically complete gibberish. things like that. it tend to make it so there are genuine risks. You have a character that is individually weak but a master tactician, he can get in a situation where he must rely solely on his own strength.

have him win by outsmarting the enemy, or by convincing a passerby to assist, or some other means.

 

[Pixytokisaki14]

I specifically mean intelligent geniuses with over 200 IQ, I honestly really can’t bring myself to write them. Characters can only be as smart as the author, so unless I write all other characters as varying degrees of idiotic, it’s impossible for me. Though I guess it can be done, doing something like that even for a side character sounds draining as hell unless they hold no importance to the story. I’m sure there’s some method to this that I’m probably missing, but I’m curious if you guys write such characters, and if so how?

Although hard to plan out with the possible events that led to a character being smart. It was worth it now that you added A LOT of depth to a character.

 

[prognastat]

It's possible to write a character that is smarter and more competent than the author themselves are. As the author you know more than the character does about your world and characters after all and you can use that knowledge to portray your character as smarter than you yourself would be in their situation without the meta knowledge. Not only that, but as the author you even control the world and can make things happen to set up such developments.

However it is easy to fail. You can easily write a character that obviously knows things they just shouldn't which will ruin the image of a genius as the reader will eventually realise they are just being duped. So it requires a lot of planning.

This tends to work better when you write and edit an entire story as a whole before publishing so you can work out all these things go back in to earlier chapters to include set ups for the later pay offs of your genius character etc. For most stories here and on similar websites where the majority writes as they go along with no or a very broad idea of where the story is meant to go it is near impossible to pull off well since you can't go back and edit in such set ups and make sure the pay offs make sense.

The lazy genius where they just pull things out of their ass whenever needed is a lot more common since it requires little effort, but also isn't very satisfying. Depending on your story and the genius characters position in it a lazy portrayal might work just fine. If however your story is for example a mystery and solving those mysteries is a major aspect of the character then constantly just having them pull shit like that will likely lead readers to drop the story.

 

[ReadLight]

I specifically mean intelligent geniuses with over 200 IQ, I honestly really can’t bring myself to write them. Characters can only be as smart as the author, so unless I write all other characters as varying degrees of idiotic, it’s impossible for me. Though I guess it can be done, doing something like that even for a side character sounds draining as hell unless they hold no importance to the story. I’m sure there’s some method to this that I’m probably missing, but I’m curious if you guys write such characters, and if so how?

It's pretty easy to spot when the character is actually smart, or is the author just bluffing.

Knowing that I write characters as smart as I am, which is pretty average.

One way I make characters appear smarter is:
1. research tactics and background knowledge and strategies etc myself in my own time

2. then write: this character thought of and did all of that after a split second of thinking.

 

[Vnator]

There’s two types of genius characters Jimmy Neutron , and Sherlock Holmes

One is just the author telling you the character is smart without doing any additional work, and the other is shown to be smart through behavior and actions. Neither is better than the other, you just need to put them in the right story. Badly written smart characters are usually Jimmy Neutrons put into Sherlock Holmes stories.

I'd totally read a fanfic of Jimmy neutron in Sherlock Holmes, though.

 

[ACertainPassingUser]

The solution is simple : meet some "Smart Genius 140 IQ" in real life and make a conversation with them, and interqct with them for a very long time.

Then imagine then get into the plot of your novel and imagine how they would solve it based on your recent interactions.

 

[J_Chemist]

I do not use genius characters but I have used those with intelligence and critical thinking ability. Geniuses are rare and typically fit into a niche, where I like having diversity in my characters.

 

[LuoirM]

Everyone in my character is quite dumb, so when I write someone with above average IQ/common sense they're considered the smartest being in the universe.

 

[KrakenRiderEmma]

Do you think Arthur Conan Doyle was as smart as Sherlock Holmes, one of the most renowned “genius characters” in fiction? He was not, and made a point of saying so. You can “reverse engineer” a smart person coming up with a solution or answer to a problem if you are the author who’s created the world, because you already know the answer. A god does not need to be a detective, but can invent a detective.

Other types of intelligence are harder to model, although just sheer knowledge / research is pretty easy, as is quickness of thought, because again — you’re the author.