Fic Talk > General Discussion
Question of the Day - Part 4
Rose:
--- Quote from: Pengi on July 23, 2012, 12:19:56 AM ---Here's a question:
Do you guys think of your original characters as real people?
Do you ever hesitate to do things to the characters because of how attached you are to them?
--- End quote ---
I do in terms of the story as I write it. It's part of why I'm so anal about characters, their motivations, their actions. Everything needs to match up in that sense or I will tell you about it if you want concrit lol. I don't ever write characters actions to make the story go a certain way. In fact I'll write out something and there's been times where the story takes a turn I didn't see coming because they did something IN character and not just what I had in mind. The characters write the story, in my mind. It's their story, not mine, I'm just the one putting it out there for them.
I really don't hesitate to do things to characters LMAO. I put mine through the ringer half the time. But that's because I like seeing how the characters grow and change because of what happens to them.
Pengi:
--- Quote from: Rose on July 23, 2012, 12:24:48 AM --- In fact I'll write out something and there's been times where the story takes a turn I didn't see coming because they did something IN character and not just what I had in mind. The characters write the story, in my mind.
I really don't hesitate to do things to characters LMAO. I put mine through the ringer half the time. But that's because I like seeing how the characters grow and change because of what happens to them.
--- End quote ---
I've had that happen, too, where characters kind of take over. I like seeing how characters change and grow through hardship.
Sometimes I can't help but feel a bit like how God must feel seeing us go through stuff... Not to go all "uber Christian Brian" on y'all but I mean like we put the characters through crap because it helps them in the end, because the bigger picture that we see is how the whole story goes and honestly, I feel closer to God writing with that in mind than I do in any church service.
FrickingKaos:
MINE is just one of those moments where I actually reread it a few times going WTF just happened? Did I really read this?
RokofAges75:
--- Quote from: Pengi on July 23, 2012, 12:19:56 AM ---Do you guys think of your original characters as real people?
Do you ever hesitate to do things to the characters because of how attached you are to them?
--- End quote ---
I don't think of them as real people in the literal sense, but when I can picture them clearly in my head, imagine their body language and how they would say things, come up with their back story without a lot of thinking, and know how they would think and react in any situation, that's when they really come to life on the page for me. The most vivid character I've created that was totally original is Claire in Broken/BMS. I could always see Claire so clearly in my head, and I knew how she would act in any situation I put her in, and I knew when I was forcing her to act differently than she naturally would in order to suit the story I wanted to tell, and unfortunately, that hurt her character.
As a writer, I am a sadist and take great pleasure in hurting my characters. The more I care about them, the more I enjoy hurting them. So for me, there's no such thing as getting too attached to do things to them. It's when I'm not attached that I'm just like, "Eh, why bother?" LOL
Pengi:
--- Quote from: RokofAges75 on July 23, 2012, 12:33:03 AM --- I knew when I was forcing her to act differently than she naturally would in order to suit the story I wanted to tell, and unfortunately, that hurt her character.
--- End quote ---
That's always been a petpeeve of mine in stories - be they books, TV shows, or movies - when the character is untrue to themselves. It's the reason why most TV show pilots piss me off.
For example, The Big Bang Theory pilot episode.... the character Sheldon is well developed to be uninterested in women later in the series, something that starts pretty early on. Like in Episode 2. The opening scene for The BBT takes place with Sheldon and Leonard donating sperm at a sperm bank and Sheldon says something about being uncomfortable making the donation and Leonard says to him "you're practically a pro at this" and then later in the episode a comment is made about Sheldon having problems picking up women, but in a way that makes it sound like he's actually tried to. THAT IS SOOOO OUT OF CHARACTER. I literally can't stand the pilot for BBT because of it!!! LOL
Wow. I didn't know I was quite that irritated by it. :::crawls off soap box::::
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