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9. How do you get ideas for your characters? Describe the process of creating them.
Characters jump up in front of my muse and scream, "HERE I AM! HERE I AM! PICK ME!" and she listens because she's good like that. Sometimes the character starts with a hair color I notice or a smile in a magazine or a phrase or a name. It's amazing how often characters are created from a NAME!
The key is to let your muse rumble about with the information, adding and subtracting ideas until - TA DA! - the character is standing before the mirror of your mind. A good muse will know how to navigate this process so that only one character is created. No three or four half-created characters! Only one at a time!
You know the avatars you can make on those fun websites. You start with the sex then move on to face/body shape... hair color and style... eye color and shape... all the way until you're picking out the outfit and figuring out how to use the avatar. This is kind of how I come up with that character. I test a bunch of different mouths until I find the one that matches what the character is like. Does she live in a flat? a house? Does she have a garden? What kind of movie would she go see on Friday nights? Maybe she's not a movie person. Does she have a favorite drink? What was her family life like when she was growing up?
Yes, I like background information. Knowing that Teran had the chicken pox when she was ten and has a chicken pox scar on her forehead (not unlike me) could be important. Sometimes I'll drabble the information just to make sure that it's going to pass muster. Most of the false information will fall away when put to the test of story.
For the last five years, I've started finding pictures of my characters. It's amazing how it solidifies the link between me, the muse and the character to be able to see bits of the character staring out at me from my screen! Plus, it's a good time-waster! All writers need a good time-waster!
Characters jump up in front of my muse and scream, "HERE I AM! HERE I AM! PICK ME!" and she listens because she's good like that. Sometimes the character starts with a hair color I notice or a smile in a magazine or a phrase or a name. It's amazing how often characters are created from a NAME!
The key is to let your muse rumble about with the information, adding and subtracting ideas until - TA DA! - the character is standing before the mirror of your mind. A good muse will know how to navigate this process so that only one character is created. No three or four half-created characters! Only one at a time!
You know the avatars you can make on those fun websites. You start with the sex then move on to face/body shape... hair color and style... eye color and shape... all the way until you're picking out the outfit and figuring out how to use the avatar. This is kind of how I come up with that character. I test a bunch of different mouths until I find the one that matches what the character is like. Does she live in a flat? a house? Does she have a garden? What kind of movie would she go see on Friday nights? Maybe she's not a movie person. Does she have a favorite drink? What was her family life like when she was growing up?
Yes, I like background information. Knowing that Teran had the chicken pox when she was ten and has a chicken pox scar on her forehead (not unlike me) could be important. Sometimes I'll drabble the information just to make sure that it's going to pass muster. Most of the false information will fall away when put to the test of story.
For the last five years, I've started finding pictures of my characters. It's amazing how it solidifies the link between me, the muse and the character to be able to see bits of the character staring out at me from my screen! Plus, it's a good time-waster! All writers need a good time-waster!
no subject
Date: 2010-09-01 09:31 am (UTC)From:You say "flat" rather than "apartment"? I'm always curious about words (I got ridiculously excited when I realised Canadians say 'tap' like we do) and which countries and specific regions therein use. Although I'm expecting you explain "flat" is something entirely different now :)
no subject
Date: 2010-09-01 02:49 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2010-09-01 06:49 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2010-09-02 12:49 am (UTC)From:I do like the look of colour as well as theatre. So... impressive!