Young Writers Society

DD? Brainwash? Noooooo...

I am hopelessly obsessed with my characters- especially Upton and Mr. Barclett. And Ferdinand from Green, too- just because they're either completely lovable/crazy (Barclett) or just sort of...er...innocent. I don't know what it is about the male-ingenue-sort-of-character that really gets me- but it does.

The one character I hate? Veronica. I know Luke loves her and all, but...could he pick Liberty instead? Noooo...

Come to think of it, I don't really like most of my female characters, except for Lieutenant.

I used to get attached to my characters. Not anymore, though.

I get really attached to my villans. I'm a huge fan of the 'human' villan. I tend to worship my bad guys...but I also like the "who's really the evil one, here?" plot...yea...

*hides*

I get really attached to my characters. They become like old friends to me.When I have to kill off a character it feels like I am killing one of my friends, but I think about it like I think about ather people dying. Every one has to die some time and well it was the time for that character to go. I geuss that sounds cold but that is how I think about it.

get really attached to my characters. They become like old friends to me.When I have to kill off a character it feels like I am killing one of my friends,

Exactly.

I think it has to be heart-wrenching for the author in order for it to be heart-wrenching for the reader. Otherwise the writing would be detached and cold.

Wow, so I'm really not the only one. Yeah, I aways get attatched to my characters. Sometimes, when a character is supposed to get killed off, I'll put another character there in his/her place. In one story, the villain was supposed to go into this eternal torture thing. I drew him and he came out to adorable. So I practically switched my whole stroy around. I sometimes even refer to myself and my characters as a whole.(e.g.: "We're glad that other people are attatached to their characters, too.")

Er, not healthy?

Stephen King says that essentially, the character is you. So no matter what kind of character it is, you SHOULD be attached, because you should be attached to yourself.

That's a creepy thought for those of us who write perverse people (ie Me). Freud would have a FIELD DAY with my stuff.

Stephen King's On Writing is reallya great book for novelists to have on their shelves. It makes up for every thing else he's written. <that was a joke>

I get deeply emotionally attached to my characters. If I write them well enough, they take on a life of their own. I hate having to kill any of them! But mine is a fantasy story, and someone's gotta die.
*wipes eyes* I'm not crying...

I get attached to my characters...

They become real people, with real lives. When they're sad, I cry for them because I know I'm putting them through this unbearable torture! And when they're happy, I'm also sad because I know I will be the one to ruin their lives again! (Nothing better than conflict, eh?)

But they become so real, they'll end up leading the story for me. In one thing I wrote, I planned for no romance anywhere! but the characters fell in love anyway...I like when they can lead there own lives, it makes my job easier

But they become so real, they'll end up leading the story for me. In one thing I wrote, I planned for no romance anywhere! but the characters fell in love anyway...I like when they can lead there own lives, it makes my job easier

You said it. Sometimes I wonder who's in charge. Me and my characters will often pass the baton back and forth a lot. As to the romance thing, that happens to me all the time. No matter what I do or what I plan, a love story always finds a way into my plot. It's never anything really romantic, but two characters always seem to end up falling in love, slowly, gradually, in in a "subdued" manner. I don't really know how better to put it. The love just kinda happens.

And with hurting/killing characters, I don't haven't had much of a problem with that yet. The way I see it, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and death is a part of life. Funny thing is, those are also the views of one of my characters. Like I said before, such scenes can make strong writing. Creating physical and emotional scars during the story can be some pretty powerful stuff, and I think often end up being some of the most memorable moments of the book.

So, don't be afraid to get attached to your characters, but don't be afraid to do bad things to them, even if it means death. Things are going to happen, and you need to be able to let them happen. Nobody gets out of a story without a scratch. Just keep that firnly in mind, and that should help you get past the tough parts with your characters.

Hahaha... omg! Another question: who's cried while writing a particularly distressing chapter?

I get super attatched to my characters, which is probably why Mariel & XIII have uncredited cameos in almost all of my stories. (eg; random redheaded woman, or a man with a red jacket in the background, stuff like that)

I even get attatched to my villians. I'd long since decided that Savior had to die (sorry, man) but as I get closer and closer to killing him off, I'm starting to get cold feet. As a person, I hate his guts, but I love my quicksilver politician.

who's cried while writing a particularly distressing chapter?

(How do you add 'snoink' to the quote tag??? I used to know how to do this but I seem to have forgotten...)

HAHAHAHAH! Not yet!!!! I haven't written anything long enough...

although, If I think back to it, I may have. I had one novel long ago that was tragic, poor girl just wasn't allowed to be happy! She had an abusive Ex boyfriend that was stalking her! gah...

I'm very attached to my characters. Particularly my roleplaying characters with a good friend of mine. We both are since the RP has been going on for over two years now.

Snoink wrote:who's cried while writing a particularly distressing chapter?

I was shaking when Warrior was raped. God that was awful -_- I felt so dumb after.