I'm like Dragon. Once I get the general idea, the stories tend to write themselves and often end up going in directions I would never have expected myself.
Not always as planned
A few days ago, I read LutherVKane's newest story on DA (POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD). I found it to be quite an engaging tale and it brought up something that had never really occured to me before:
Characters often have a will of their own and as a result, their personalities may not agree with the author. I found it odd that a character might act differently than the author had anticipated and it made me wonder. And so I ask this to any inflation writers who care to reply:
Can you describe an instance where the personality of a particular character maybe didn't agree to the outcome of a story you wrote? Did you change it to better suit the character?
Sun, 08/31/2008 - 09:52
#3
swella
Mon, 09/01/2008 - 22:52
#4
Inflate123
I don't think it sounds schizo; you kind of have to get into their heads, and let them get into yours, for it to really work!
The best thing you can hear yourself say is "no, they wouldn't do that." That means a) you understand your character and b) you're letting their personality drive what happens next.
You can put up boundaries because if they go crazy they fail to be believable...but those boundaries can be moved.
Tue, 09/02/2008 - 08:55
#5
For me, I made different characters, one have to be a crazy inflation fan (Julie Basket). Keep in character with 6-7 characters does get things mixed up but I find it easy to keep different files in my head (along with different account names and passwords.)
More characters, more personalities, less complaints about it being "forced" or so, but it'll get you mixed up many times.
If you cannot speak your character's personality right, *change of voice* "Houston, we have a problem."
but that is just me.
Well, for me, I try not to write out the whole plotline. I'll have a general "They start here, and end here" kind of idea, but past that, I just put the charterers in the situations and let them work. Hehe, it sounds kinda Schizophrenic in a way, and it is, I suppose.
Once you know what kinda person "Girl A" is, you don't have to wonder what she'll do or what she'd say. You just have to think, "She's shy, but stubborn. Doesn't like being told what to do, but most of the time she's too good natured to argue." You just put her in the scenario, and everything kinda runs its self. It doesn't always work, as my pile of unfinished stories will attest, but I like it as it had the potential to surprise me when I write, which is always fun :)
No, I would not want to live in a world without dragons, as I would not want to live in a world without magic, for that is a world without mystery, and that is a world without faith.