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Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Characters are People Too


Male WarriorThere are some people in the world who may claim loving fictional characters like your own children is a bit odd.

Ha ha! Silly people.

How can I not help but giggle when Lisseria goes off on her rambling tangents?

Or snort when old Mortimer does not actually remember his first name?

Can I really help smiling as Ethryl calmly strolls across a deck of battling pirates?

Is it wrong to want to hug Arthur when he’s having one of his melancholy moments?

Or laugh when Nyria’s being. . .Nyria?

I mean really.

These are people that formed themselves into my very mind. I’ve laughed with them and cried with them and, yes, have had many a time where I want to give them a hug. (But maybe not the villains because that would end badly.) And why not? I probably (shamefully) spend more time with these folks than I do many people I know in real life. (I’m a writer, what can I say?) I’ve been right there with them during every strife, every moment of joy, all the challenges and adventures.

Girl in the Grass

To me, characters aren’t just people I come up with to throw into a story. They’re people who have feelings just like you or me. They have favorite colors and fears and things that make them cry or laugh and particular taste buds and certain fashions and they love and hate and wish and dream… No, they’re not just words on a page. Characters are NEVER just words on a page. They’re so, so much more.

Female in the WindI know many people feel this way, but I doubt a single write does not feel this way. These characters are people we spend hours with. We learn who they are and go right alongside them during all their challenges. It’s an impossible feeling to explain honestly. It’s something you have to experience. But, let me tell you, there’s really nothing like that moment when a character becomes real to you.

Because they’re people too.

Perhaps I am crazy, but that’s okay! I’m a writer, crazy is what we do. *wink*

I love my characters!

…Even if sometimes they give me as much strife as I give them. *cough*



(And don’t be surprised if more “Character” posts pop up. Characters is my favorite part of writing, which I’m sure you’ve just guessed, and I can go on about it for hours!)
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4 comments:

  1. Kirsten FichterJuly 23, 2013 at 11:53 AM

    Absobloominglutely love this post! It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who feels this way! Characters *are* so much more than just words on a page! Quite right!!

    Actually, for me, it's a whole lot easier to talk about my characters than my plot. Is that weird? I feel that while the plot is majorly made up by myself, I don't truly make up the characters themselves. At least, not in the fleshing-out aspect. They have personalities of their own, and they let me know what they think (a trait I find becomes difficult to deal with, especially when it clashes with what I want them to think). But I still love each and every one of them. :)

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    1. Christine SmithJuly 23, 2013 at 5:58 PM

      Hahahaha! Absobloominglutely? Love that! XD But, yes, they absolutely are. (Or "absobloominglutely" are.)

      Yes, yes, yes! Makes perfect sense! I'm the exact same way. When people ask me about my plot I usually lose any form of coherent thoughts and say something along the lines of, "Um...stuff happens. And there's a villain. And...dragons." But when it comes to talking about one of my characters, I could go on forever. You are so right. The characters always make themselves. I don't think I've ever once just sat down and "planned out" a character, personality-wise anyway. They just...happen. They plan themselves out. (Although sometimes plots do that to me, too, but I certainly plan out plots more so than charries.)

      Goodness me, I've had so many times where a character wants to do or say something I'd rather them not. But, then again, I guess it's good they embrace their own personality. We wouldn't want all our charries acting just like us...no matter how rebellious they are. ;)

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  2. SarahJuly 24, 2013 at 11:13 AM

    Love this post! Yes, I totally agree with you! Characters have feelings!

    I can relate with the both of you, Lauri and Kiri Liz, that I can speak of my characters more easily than the subject of my plot. Actually, before a plot is even born in my mind, I have characters already thought up. It starts with names, and goes from there. =]

    Thanks for sharing, Lauriloth!

    Blessings,
    Sarah

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    1. Christine SmithJuly 24, 2013 at 3:25 PM

      Thank you!

      I'm the same! I don't think I've ever once had a plot before most of the characters have already come in my mind. The plot always comes later, forming around them. It's funny really. But I kind of like it. ;D

      Thank YOU for reading. ^_^

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