5 Tips for Realistic Characters

Aye Aye Saint!!

If you say to be your character, then I shall act like a sick serial killer who can turn into a surviving victim at anytime. he he. All silliness aside, thanks for writing this article. Really helpful, especially when I fall prey to Writer's block.
~Angel

Hehe, good to know that I'm not the only mental one here. I talk to my characters too, it helps get better at writing them. Nice article btw

Maths Tests = nightmare.
I have a serious problem with characters taking over my life. I never pay attention in class because they're talking to me, then when I get asked a question I say whatever they just said. Example:

Maths teacher (so this is a mathematical question)
Kirsten, what is the answer

Kirsten (who is paying no attention at all and is meant to be giving a NUMBER as an answer)
erm Taking the uptmost care to maintain compusure upon departing.

Pupils (looking at me strangely)
my god, is she crazy. She's such a freak.

Yeah; it's kind of terrible for me because I write stuff set in victorian times so the language is old and posh

he! Character taking over your life? I don't actually do this with my characters in my first novel, probably because I started when I was 12. I do it with characters that I'm not supposed to though. Like my friends book. I have a character in it that is me...and she is like me but not if you know what I mean? You know when one says: "If I were you?" to yourself? she is the you! I need to stop though...it's sooooo depressing cause her life is sooo bad!

Oh my god i love you. I told my friend (TrinLovesU is her YWS screen name) that i talk to my characters and she asked if I was on drugs!

Glad to know i'm not the only crazy one! this thread seems to be a confession thread for anyone who talks to their characters! yeah i chat to mine quite a bit but it can be annoying sometimes; its hard keeping track of two conversations at once!

Afeefah

wow, this was extremely helpful and it made me understand that i have to let my characters live (they come to me at school, in Bible class) but i usually talk to them at night and let them tell me their story and whatever else they want to tell me. your understanding of the characters and their personalities is amazing.
Thanks for the help. its amazing how you understand and know your characters.Besides now i know I am not the only one who sleeps talking to fictional person and draws that fictional character, they are very real to me though.thanks

Now I wanna a character living in my head. Sable -my favourite- is gonna be rampaging through my head in no time. Love the thoughts, it's such a great idea.
Yosh, thanks for the ideas.

Thanks for posting this. Really helped me a lot esp. the last tip!

OMG I'm so glad i'm not the only one!! i've had shouting matches with my charecters (which is funny cause they're alot like me) in the middle of stores and public bathrooms!!

Thanks for the advice by the way

This helped me a lot. Now I can get past just generalizing on my characters in my books and actually get to know them! Although, I am pretty horrible at drawing.

No wonder I pass my Spanish tests.... Haha, all jokes aside thanks for writing that. I actually record my conversations with them on the sides of my notebooks. Heehee they're fun to talk to. I'm glad I'm not crazy. I think though that we're the only schizos not in an asylum because we're more useful to society.

I would probably enjoya convo with Alicia or Jaylee, but the whole concept sounds a bit creepy to me, as I invision myself as my characters...good advice though!

Also, you made me laugh like ten times!

I already use 1) and 2) a lot, without thinking that it was good for me, so thanks for pointing out something I'm doing right!
I also create mental conversations, but with my characters talking to other characters. Sometimes about mundane topics, or a conversation that might fit into part of the story. I'll definitely try "talking" to my character, sounds really productive and interesting!
Thanks for the help!