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Young Writers Society


Getting to know a character



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42 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 244
Reviews: 42
Tue Sep 22, 2015 6:37 pm
Storygirl95 says...



Hi everyone! I just thought I'd have a discussion with you on getting to know characters. To me, it seems like they're all different. Coaxing the knowledge about themselves out of them is a bit like interacting with real people. They all have different personalities.
Some of them are outgoing, and I barely even need to ask. I'll know so much about them in 20 minutes I'll wish I hadn't. Others are trickier. I've had to take soe out on an imaginary lunch date. I've had to praise others and fluff their ego. I've even threatened a few with total obliteration and the removal of any and all chance to have their story written. Unfortunately, these characters usually call my bluff, but a few days of ignoring them usually does the trick.
Once, I couldn't get to know one of the primary characters in a short story. Nothing had worked. I was feeling despondent enough already, and then I had the worst day. I couldn't fall asleep, dropped my phone in water, got blisters from wearing incorrect foot wear, and couldn't find the place I was supposed to be which made me late. As I came home and wilted onto my bed to listen to sad music and wallow in self-pity, something amazing happened. He started giving me ideas. It's like he felt so bad for me that he finally gave in and told me about himself. Needless to say, the rest of the day was made quite happy. He's actually one of my favorite characters now. We have a bond. :P
Does anyone else have any stories about finding their own characters?
(This post makes me sound like I have a mental illness. No, I don't. I just have a bunch of characters wandering around my mind. Hoping that's just a normal author thing.)
Johnny was a chemist's son but Johnny is no more, for what Johnny thought was H2O was H2SO4. :wink:
  





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Reviews: 355
Wed Sep 23, 2015 4:18 pm
LadySpark says...



All of my favorite characters are people that I would enjoy being around. One of my favorite characters of all time is a character from my first NaNoWriMo (which was over 4 years ago!) His name was John and the moment I created him I felt a really deep connection to him. Once I develop these deep connections with characters, I sometimes find it hard to let them go after I'm done working on the story. There was a time a few years ago when I was obsessed with this one character. I had him all drawn out in my head, and continually used him in different stories trying to find one he fit into. I never did, unfortunately, but Jude is still one of my favorites and one day I hope I find a place for him to live.
hush, my sweet
these tornadoes are for you


-Richard Siken


Formerly SparkToFlame
  





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Gender: Female
Points: 604
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Fri Jan 01, 2016 3:16 am
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nykolasandrews says...



Dude, I go through this all of the time. I have this specific idea for a charrie, and then I just won't know how to deal with the fine details or a backstory or whatnot. With my really detailed charries, I fill out a character sheet. I fill out what I can, and then I work on the rest, as I get ideas, that is.
"What might seem to be a series of unfortunate events may in fact be the first steps of a journey." -Lemony Snicket

"But I must admit I miss you quite terribly. The world is too quiet without you nearby." -Lemony Snicket

-Nyk
  








Man is by nature a political animal.
— Aristotle