So, I'm currently working on a second draft of my novel Silk which, by this point, anyone who's reading this has probably heard way too much about, or hasn't heard a word and isn't interested at all in hearing anything about it.
The thing is, on my first draft of Silk, I had no idea who my protagonist, Pip Starsfall was. I knew that he was 19, the son of a rich merchant, who made bad decisions, especially when it came to women. I initially wanted him to be a sort of dreadful person, and made him to be a playboy and a heartbreaker.
But as I wrote him, I realised that the idea I had for him didn't quite fit into the story I was telling. On the second draft now, Pip probably the biggest heart of any character I've ever written. In the story, he is caring towards everybody he meets, no matter if they're a ghost, a wall, or a giant spider. He absolutely dotes on his sisters. And his playboy history is there, but in the form of a serial monogamist who keeps giving his heart away too easily. He's flawed, temperamental at times, lazy, spoilt, but ultimately a sweetheart.
The funny thing is, I didn't know any of this when I started the story.
So my question is: do you have characters, fully-formed and ready to go, when you start writing? Or do they evolve through drafts? I mean this separate to character development where they change during the story, of course. I just mean, that initial, getting-to-know-them phase.
I kind of like starting off with only a rough idea of a character in mind and discovering them as I go along. But would that drive you mad?
Gender:
Points: 53415
Reviews: 1125