What was I talking about? I think I was about to mention how this post has to stay on topic, as today I will be writing for the lovely Teens Can Write Too blog chain on the subject of developing and relating to my characters.
Now, as you may have noticed, I have trouble keeping to just one subject while writing. This carries over into my creation of characters. When conceptualizing protagonists for my stories I often get really into their entire personalities, but to kick-start that, I like to use basic character templates like the one around page 15 of this workbook to hash out my characters.
In theory that works nicely, but realistically? I'm me.
I get distracted halfway through with the strong urge to begin on another character who will be the perfect complement to the one I started with, and then the cycle keeps continuing in a downward spiral and then I am sitting in the middle of the office supplies store in my pyjamas cradling the last box of my favourite brand of pencils in my arms.
Maybe that isn't exactly what happens. I generally just get frustrated by the planning portion of my writing and delve straight into my book or short story or whatever I am writing.
Weird things happen to my characters when I haven't thought about them hard enough. I shouldn't like the loss of control, but for some strange reason, I quite enjoy it. I get to see which ones become three-dimensional and which ones fall flat. If I took myself more seriously as a writer that would hurt, but it's sort of just interesting for me.
Some characters have surprised me by being much less exciting, though. I put a ninja into my NaNoWriMo book this year. She was the most boring character I have ever written, perhaps only excluding some Mary Sues back when I was younger.
Is this boring? I always feel as if my posts that are actually normal are boring.
Teenage Gabi: You know that you could have talked about your multiple personalities. You know, how you're made up of a cast of characters that make up your personality, and so is the world and that's why the world should live in unity and stuff.
Poetic Gabi: That was very deep of you!
There's a problem there, as I don't actually have multiple personality disorder. My readers just enjoy having someone insaner than them.
ADHD Gabi: That's like how the best literary characters are really weird! Like Luna Lovegood. I like her radishes!
Whoa. That was actually pretty deep.
ADHD Gabi: I know, right!? I felt like Yoda or something.
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Thus concludes my Teens Can Write Too blog chain post. I don't know if it fulfilled any of the requirements, but hopefully it was at least minimally entertaining.
These are the lovely bloggers who are also doing the blog chain! You should check them out.
December 5– http://correctingpenswelcome.
December 6– http://taystapeinc.wordpress.
December 7– http://insideliamsbrain.
December 8– http://alohathemuse.wordpress.
December 9– http://noveljourneys.
December 10– http://sporkattack.blogspot.
December 11– http://kirstenwrites.
December 12– http://herebefaries.wordpress.
December 13– http://delorfinde.wordpress.
December 14– http://estherstar1996.
December 15– http://thewordasylum.
December 16– http://teenagereader.
December 17– http://biozarre.wordpress.com — Missy Biozarre, Young Adult Author
December 18– http://greatlakessocialist.
December 19– http://
December 20– http://herestous.wordpress.com — Here’s To Us
December 21– http://teenscanwritetoo.
I noticed that every blogger here except for me is a Wordpress blogger. Thankfully, there is a widget in the sidebar that allows people who don't have blogger accounts to follow my blog! Not that I'm shamelessly plugging or anything. (laughs nervously)
<3 Gabi
Actual Stupid Teacher Quote of the Day
"You know, I can't believe the stupidicity of some people." - Civics teacher, referring to public transit workers
"There's a problem there, as I don't actually have multiple personality disorder."
ReplyDelete*head asplodes* :O
Life = changed.
Yeahhh I love being a troll. Anyways, that TCWT thing seems pretty cool, yo. Gimme a reminder when you're spots up so I can read it. Am I able to read it? I'd like to be able to read it. So I can read it? Tell me when I can read it.
kthanxbai
Great post! I like how you choose your character traits. That is, in an over-inspired way.
ReplyDeleteI think maybe your ninja would have been less boring if you'd given him a rocket launcher. Heavy artillery makes everything more interesting. Am I right?
ReplyDeleteHaha, awesome. Sorry about the delay, I was shooting arrows and picking blueberries in the wilderness.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I think I'm a bit of a composite of many characters. Maybe I'm always acting, always playing the role others want... maybe I need to find myself. But don't watch Eat, Pray, Love. I've been warned against it.