Young Writers Society

I'm currently working on an urban fantasy story. My main character ends up working for a very old character. I'm not sure exactly what he's going to be yet (vampire seems way too cliche), but I already know that he is hundreds or thousands of years old, maybe immortal or just incredibly long lived. Over all of those years, he has managed to amass a considerable amount of wealth and power.

My question is, what do you think someone who has lived for centuries would be like? I'm imagining this character as very cultured and worldly, but would they be able to continuously adapt to new technology? I'm not sure if it would be more realistic to have a thousand year old character using cell phones and social media, or to have him become kind of "stuck" in the past and unwilling to adapt to any more change after a while.

I also think that someone who has lived through centuries would become very jaded after a while, and no longer allow themselves to care about the people around themselves - since everyone else is just going to die, of course. Is it reasonable to expect that someone like this would have gradually decaying morals over the centuries, and eventually become evil?

I've seen a lot of writers try to do the whole immortal character thing before and not do a very good job at it. (Cough cough Twilight.) I know that the character is completely up to me, of course, but I'd like the character to be somewhat realistic. Well, as realistic as an incredibly long-lived fantasy character can be, of course.

Hey Magnus!

One thing I would suggest is not to confuse age with personality. Someone can be a middle-aged old man and still be as immature as others are at 15.

That being said, it's your character! So he can be anything you want him to be! If he at 1,000 years old still acts like a 10 year-old child that's okay too! Then ask yourself, what's keeping him from ever maturing? Maybe he just doesn't want to!

I'm imagining this character as very cultured and worldly, but would they be able to continuously adapt to new technology? I'm not sure if it would be more realistic to have a thousand year old character using cell phones and social media...

I have a Professor who must be like 80 years old, he goes jet-skiing on his free-time and he knows more about twitter/facebook/tumblr than I do! I think if someone were to travel and see the world for a living, they'd have to be adaptable and open-minded - because the world is so diverse and ever-changing.

That being said, my grandfather is one of those who is always stuck in the past and the "good old days when he hiked 15 miles just to go get a glass of milk" -- like I said, it really just depends on the character.

You are thinking in the right direction by asking yourself these questions. But just keep in mind that there's no right answer. It really is just all up to you!

Remember: realistic fiction is how you write. Not what you write.

Humanity is so varied it is rather impossible to define any one criteria of "realistic" when it comes to emotions. I have seen immortals done in the jaded way, but also be caring, "do what I can to help" way. Focus instead of making everything he does believable for his character.

How he reacts depends on the character's personality and how you show him. Figure out his general personality when he's young to present day, plotting out key events that led him to believe whatever he does. Since he is so long lived, you'll probably end up with a lot of key events that shaped him into who he is today.

Where did he come from, what social classes has he gone through, what (in general) has he had to do in order to survive?

Everything he is in the present will be determined by what he's had to do in the past. Figure out his past and you'll have a character.

Yes, personality is key. Why does this guy act the way he does? What is his motivation. Essentially it's the same as writing any other realistic character--- the way to bring out his age (i.e. "showing" rather than "telling") is through his dialogue and actions.
His dialogue and actions must be believable. if he is 2,000 years old and current on all new technologies---then why? Show us, the readers, what it is that makes him tick.
As for a 2,000 year old personality, wisdom could be a no brainer---but the opposite is unexpected. Go for whatever you want. What beliefs/experiances has this guy held that has molded him to what he is today?
Obviously a 2,000 year old backstory wouldn't be practical--- simply outline the key events that have happened in the course of his life.

Er... hope that helped.