McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Hark! (Characters)
Athanasia:
First I have to say that I hardly dare call myself a "writer", so I'm basically just throwing in my two cents for the sake of the discussion. :)
I have two writing modes - relaxed and dedicated, in which I'll handle character creation very differently.
The "relaxed mode" is where I'll write hundred of pages a year around certain storylines I've used for... ugh, two decades already? Anyway, it is my brand of daydreaming. It is also where I work out some ideas that surface later in my second mode.
It's ok there for me not to define characters at the start, because I can just decide to rewrite certain key points... or be content with the fact I know they should have happened another way, and take it from there. Nobody's going to read it.
The "dedicated mode" is the one I need for sure in PBEM RPGs. (interactive writing, 1000-2000 words per post, a couple times a week. No three liners). Other people are going to read and hopefully enjoy the result of my efforts, sometimes depend on it, and they will also use my character to an extent. I need to establish a distinctive char that I can stay with in the long run, and remain consistent with it. Otherwise plenty of annoying side effects ensue for all.
The short story is, in "dedicated mode" I spend a lot of time defining a character at the top, after which I'm very careful about sticking with this biography and watching how they grow over time. :)
Now, about NaNo proper ;) I'm not a trained long distance runner and this is my first attempt at such a large format. In relaxed mode, the 50k would only be an extended outline needing a lot of rewrites. It would end up in the trash can with me discouraged once again... But I really mean to do this, so I switched to "dedicated".
I struggled for a week with my idea for the NaNo. My main char was rather bland and the story lacked an edge because of it. Last night I went working on "dedicated mode" and realized that this char embodies a concept that can't be revealed before the last third of the story. Doh! Meanwhile, the real main char, the one whose point of view will guide the reader, is the one I originally envisaged as a sidekick... (After that revelation, the outline just flowed from top to finish, yay!). Am I glad I found out now, because if I had just gone for my "relaxed mode" technique, I was toast. LOL
In any case, putting down all this in words helped me see a few things, among which that I have a couple strengths I should make good use of. I'm going to write bios (*) for these characters so the old training kicks in and I don't lose my way mid November!
I hope you'll find something interesting in all this, Tersa - I certainly thank you for starting this thread, and all that contributed. It helped :)
Athanasia
(*) Any lurker I dragged here who ever heard me say I'd most definitely not write another bio this year had better stop sniggering NOW. *eg*
terioncalling:
Usually my characters just do the appearance thing, kick my brain, and wave their arms at me whilst screaming, "Hey, I'm here! Now give me some history and a plotline to go with it!"
Also, characters usually only come half-prepared. I start writing with them and abruptly my brain decides it shouldn't have taken that left turn at Albuquerque. Then they head off on a completely different direction they were going to go and I'm left sitting confused in the dust, having to scramble to catch back up with the little buggers and reform the plotline they're in.
Sometimes also I'll be reading or watching something and I'll find a character and my brain'll go "Hey, that's an interesting premise...let's try to make up a character that's sort of like that" and it heads off and does that.
So, basically, my characters come from anywhere and everywhere, will I, nill I, and at their will and pleasure.
Tersa:
You're very welcome, Athanasia. I feel all useful now. ;D
All of you rock for responding. I was starting to think I was going a little crazy because of the way I do characters, but apparently I'm not. My characters have an annoying tendency to steal the spotlight from each other just like Belial's do. The two quotes she posted actually sound like they could have come from my character Michael, who is the resident arrogant ass of my story's menagerie. Good to know I'm not the only author who hears their characters "talk" to them. :)
Cathy Clamp, I'm going to be honest... I winced when I read your post. :D I'm the polar opposite, I get so bloody involved with my characters that I sometimes start complaining to my writing friends about how they're acting towards each other! At the same time, however, I wish I could take apart my creations and make them fit so I could get things accomplished more quickly. It is sometimes such a pain to make the story go forward because some character just isn't fitting or working the way they were originally intended to, so I end up having to change the storyline.
Tersa:
--- Quote from: terioncalling on October 11, 2006, 04:41:31 AM ---Usually my characters just do the appearance thing, kick my brain, and wave their arms at me whilst screaming, "Hey, I'm here! Now give me some history and a plotline to go with it!"
Also, characters usually only come half-prepared. I start writing with them and abruptly my brain decides it shouldn't have taken that left turn at Albuquerque. Then they head off on a completely different direction they were going to go and I'm left sitting confused in the dust, having to scramble to catch back up with the little buggers and reform the plotline they're in.
--- End quote ---
"Turn left! *(Barely contained snickering)*"
"Hey, wait a minute! WE'RE IN ROCHESTER!"
Huzzah for Denis Leary. It fits, it really does. ;D
Out of curiousity, have you ever tried writing an outline of the plot as soon as the characters appear? I was thinking of trying that for my NaNoWriMo project to see if it cured, or at least helped, with this problem. I'm the same way, and as a result I have a horrible time trying to get through "The Great Swampy Middle" of my story because I can't decide how I'm going to get to point A to point B.
terioncalling:
--- Quote from: Tersa on October 11, 2006, 04:53:17 AM ---
--- Quote from: terioncalling on October 11, 2006, 04:41:31 AM ---Usually my characters just do the appearance thing, kick my brain, and wave their arms at me whilst screaming, "Hey, I'm here! Now give me some history and a plotline to go with it!"
Also, characters usually only come half-prepared. I start writing with them and abruptly my brain decides it shouldn't have taken that left turn at Albuquerque. Then they head off on a completely different direction they were going to go and I'm left sitting confused in the dust, having to scramble to catch back up with the little buggers and reform the plotline they're in.
--- End quote ---
"Turn left! *(Barely contained snickering)*"
"Hey, wait a minute! WE'RE IN ROCHESTER!"
Huzzah for Denis Leary. It fits, it really does. ;D
Out of curiousity, have you ever tried writing an outline of the plot as soon as the characters appear? I was thinking of trying that for my NaNoWriMo project to see if it cured, or at least helped, with this problem. I'm the same way, and as a result I have a horrible time trying to get through "The Great Swampy Middle" of my story because I can't decide how I'm going to get to point A to point B.
--- End quote ---
Tried but I've never been able to completely follow through with a plot line. I can get about halfway through it and then it goes off on a tangent. My brain - and my characters - apparently hate being stuck in my trappings and decide to go off on their own wee little ways.
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