Getting to know your characters

[Lucky_Lola]

Having read through this thread a few days ago I suddenly realised the niggle I'd been feeling was actually one of my primary characters screaming for a bit more depth to his personality

I'm typically one of the 'stumble into it as I go' character creators, where I start typing and through a combination of necessity and writers schizophrenia (ahem), a semi-solid being comes into existence. But I've been struggling lately with a section from the POV of my main char's brother, and I've discovered the source of my 'light' block was a lack of complexity surrounding his personality. So tonight I sat down and put together a couple of pages of essential facts about each of my five key characters - age, appearance, distinguishing features, keywords to describe their personality, and a boatload of pictures that look like/evoke them. Now I feel like I know him a heck of a lot better, and the little so-and-so has stopped hammering at the inside of my skull

It's at times like these that I get the overwhelming urge to reach through the interwebz and give the Chrons a big ol' cuddle

 

[ventanamist]

Someone mentioned talking to their characters. I had read this somewhere so I thought I would give it a go. I had a minor character who remained stubbornly two dimensional. I was not sure where he came from or where he was going but he was important to the plot. Raw and un-edited, it went like this:

Mr Fruit: Hang on. Who are you?

Me: I'm thinking of writing your story.

Mr Fruit: I didn't say you could. **** off! Perhaps I'll write my own story one of these days. Where am I?

Me: I will probably write it whatever you say.

Mr Fruit: But you won't know anything.

Me: I could make it up. I suppose I'll have to if you don't tell me.

Mr Fruit: I could break your fingers. You wouldn't feel much like writing then.

Me: Sorry Mr Fruit. We will never meet in a place where you would physically be able to break my fingers. I am an author. You are a character in my story. I have created this space outside each of our worlds so we can talk.

Mr Fruit: I don't want to be here. Send me back.

Me: I won't, I'm afraid. I'll send you back when I'm good and ready.

Mr Fruit: Alright keep me here then. I won't say anything... Do I remember this when I go back? Do I remember that I'm just part of your story or that you think I'm just part of your story or your writing of the story has influence over my life on MY world.

Me: It's not the done thing. You won't remember. I could make you remember but that would make the story very confusing. And it would be cruel.

Mr Fruit: Cruel. Cruel! Isn't this cruel. Pulling someone from everything they are familiar with, telling them all this ****. Probing their lives, telling them they're a figment of someone else's imagination.

Me: Well, I haven't actually had much luck probing your life.

Mr Fruit: And you won't. And don't think I can't break your fingers.

Me: You can't

Mr Fruit: Not physically, not just reaching over and snap like. But I could cause it to happen. I'm inside your head. You're not a ******* god. You speak like any other punk I meet on the streets.

It goes downhill from here and there's a lot more. I had to keep going until he was a bit more sympathetic towards me. I think I had him feeling sorry for me in the end. Scary isn't it. I could say 'Kids, don't try this at home.'

But he's wrong. It does make me a sort of god. I think that's the scaryest thing of all.

 

[J Riff]

Snikr* I've done a few along these lines, and it seems it can't get too long or it collapses due to the law of ...something-or-other... unsuspended disbelief or something, but then again maybe it's all true.

 

[TacticalLoco]

I'm still a novice as well, even if you count the words of the many songs I have written. That is a complelety different process anyway.

In my very limited experiance, I love the fact my characters surprise me. I guess I usually start with a very basic idea of plots and characters. Though I usually have avery detailed setting for all to take place.

Like PM I often wake with it in my head.
Another writer I know and I offen greet each other with the phrase, "I know what's going to happen next!" Great fun.