characters youve created, and how you think of them |
 Jun 24 2008, 01:04 PM
Post
#81
|
|
Inquiring about Double-ended Newts  Posts: 982 Joined: 4:46pm September 16, 2006 Location: Trying to find the Room of Requirement.   |
All of the characters that I come up with are usually created by daydreaming. They are usually created by thinking of some other story or something like that. Then I try and give the character some sort of background that either aids or hurts them on their quest(s).
The problem is that I can never think of good, original names. 
|
 |
  
 
|
|
Jun 29 2008, 10:59 AM
Post
#82
|
|
Daily Prophet Photographer  Posts: 866 Joined: 7:26pm June 10, 2005 Location: Curled up on the sofa with coffee, my dog, and Harry Potter  |
Ravenklaw, something that might be worth thinking about is that classic, old-fashioned names often still have a place in modern fiction. It keeps the characters from becoming defined by their name. Take Harry Potter, for example: for every name that's interesting and unique, there's another that's just regular and boring.
Unique: Hermione, Minerva, Remus, Sirius, Albus, Hagrid, Draco, Narcissa, Severus Boring/ classic: Harry, Ron, James, Lily, Fred, George, Arthur, Molly, Charlie, Bill, Tom (Riddle), Peter. That dynamic keeps the story from getting *too* bogged down with strange names, while still maintaining the specialness of its world. If you've ever read a fantasy or sci-fi where every name was either unique or made up, you know that it gets kind of exhausting to read or even silly/distracting at times. There's good balance between a lot of the main "groups": Harry and Ron with Hermione; James & Peter with Sirius and Remus. The main character happens to have the least-suggestive name: Harry Potter. Could be anybody, you know? Certainly not named for greatness. It adds a nice twist. Other familiar books/stories do the same thing; think about Luke Skywalker-- the one familiar name in a sea of new ones, or Sam Gamgee from LOTR. By using historical names that have been around a few millenia, you can subtly invoke previous figures, from biblical figures to various kings, etc. It can lend a little depth to a common or classic name. Think about giving your most special characters rather anonymous names, and let their characters unfold gradually, rather than being announced straightaway by a name that says exactly what you think of them. Someone like a Kate or a James can be whoever you want them to be, you know? --------------------  |
|
|
|
 Jun 30 2008, 07:24 AM
Post
#83
|
|
|
Inquiring about Double-ended Newts Posts: 982 Joined: 4:46pm September 16, 2006 Location: Trying to find the Room of Requirement. |
QUOTE(matilda @ Jun 29 2008, 10:59 AM)  Ravenklaw, something that might be worth thinking about is that classic, old-fashioned names often still have a place in modern fiction. It keeps the characters from becoming defined by their name. Take Harry Potter, for example: for every name that's interesting and unique, there's another that's just regular and boring. Unique: Hermione, Minerva, Remus, Sirius, Albus, Hagrid, Draco, Narcissa, Severus Boring/ classic: Harry, Ron, James, Lily, Fred, George, Arthur, Molly, Charlie, Bill, Tom (Riddle), Peter. That dynamic keeps the story from getting *too* bogged down with strange names, while still maintaining the specialness of its world. If you've ever read a fantasy or sci-fi where every name was either unique or made up, you know that it gets kind of exhausting to read or even silly/distracting at times. There's good balance between a lot of the main "groups": Harry and Ron with Hermione; James & Peter with Sirius and Remus. The main character happens to have the least-suggestive name: Harry Potter. Could be anybody, you know? Certainly not named for greatness. It adds a nice twist. Other familiar books/stories do the same thing; think about Luke Skywalker-- the one familiar name in a sea of new ones, or Sam Gamgee from LOTR. By using historical names that have been around a few millenia, you can subtly invoke previous figures, from biblical figures to various kings, etc. It can lend a little depth to a common or classic name. Think about giving your most special characters rather anonymous names, and let their characters unfold gradually, rather than being announced straightaway by a name that says exactly what you think of them. Someone like a Kate or a James can be whoever you want them to be, you know? Oh, I see. Thank you, Matilda. I've never really noticed this before, but now that you mention the dynamic between unique and classical names, I can see it more and more often!  That's cool! Of course, in Star Wars, I think you can see a few more unique names than classic! But still, I see where you're coming from. This really does help, though. A lot of the times that I would try to give a fitting name to a character, I would always try to give almost "beefed up" names to characters, unique and unheard of before, and it made the story seem really dry and complicated. Thanks again! 
|
|
|
|
|
Jan 12 2009, 03:21 PM
Post
#84
|
|
Daily Prophet Photographer Posts: 861 Joined: 10:04am June 8, 2005 Location: Yes, it's a stuffed Homer in towel. You can stop staring now. |
Hello! I'd greatly appreciate it if you could give me some feedback on the characters I've created for my novel, Eddeil. Here is a brief synopsis of the plot, so here's the main cast:
(If you click on the character's name, you will see a HeroMachine-created image of the character. This is prone to change, and is just to help visualize the characters) Vynen de Marle: The main protagonist of the story, Vynen is the heart of the team. He is the most naive and his mind tends to wander off easily, as he is an artist: A sculptor of the village of Marle where he grew up. His optimism and good nature keep the team together, and he becomes the motivation force of the team, which is ironic considering he was literally dragged off his home by Rophen and Anara. He quickly came to appreciate the two of them, seeing them as his family. He considers Rophen a role model, while Anara becomes a big sister figure to him. Vynen has a very quick mind, so fast that his magic is the fastest of the trio. His magic affinity is the Creation type, which manifests by creating shapes and sculptures from the ground. His quick thinking allows him to use his magic with his hands and feet, therefore creating platforms, springs and levers where there ain't any, giving the impression of agility. Therefore, Vynen in combat looks like a parkour practicioner. Anara de Celesti: Anara serves as the voice of reason of the team, the natural strategist. She is serious and disciplined, often calming down Rophen and correcting Vynen, both of which turn to Anara for advice and direction, which makes her the field leader of the team. She is the one who forces Vynen to accompany her, and convinces Rophen of acting as their bodyguard, creating a team that would change the world with its exploits, a fact that Anara might unconsciously know because of the nature of her magic. She has a hard time interacting with other people because of her introvertive personality, sometimes passing as cold or insensitive. Anara's magic belongs to the Change type, manifesting itself by changing the composition of matter, which makes her a combatant just as eficient as Rophen, but more on a defensive level. The most frequent manifestation of her magic is changing the object that threatens her into something inocuous, preferring flower petals. Her magic makes her specially sensitive to the presence and nature of other magic, which heightens her strategic side. Rophen de Vigeren: The offensive part of the team, Rophen initially protests against joining them, but eventually comes to appreciate them. The fact that he's six years older than Vynen creates a brother bond between them almost instantly. Rophen is a very straight-forward character, who always prefers to solve things with the most direct answer. This often puts him at odds with Anara, who prefers to analyze things thoroughly first. Rophen has a melancholic side, believing himself to be nothing more than a weapon waiting to be pointed. Rophen's magic belongs to the Destruction type, allowing him to create weapons out of their basic components: a sword from metal, a hammer from stone, a bow from wood. He is capable of creating more complicated things, such as guns and even cannons, but the more complicated, the more time it'll demand from him. From the three protagonists, Rophen is the only one that believes that his magic only serves for one purpose and adheres to it, never creating anything more than weapons. Galrail: An aggressive, powerful and dead-serious man, Galrail is unique in many aspects. He denies his surname, which is extremely rare for the race called the Divira, where the surname is a proud statement of your land of origin. Where Anara is serious towards following a strategy, and Rophen's rage explodes only in battle, Galrail is an embittered man. Even more strange is the fact that Galrail's magic cannot be classified into any of the three areas, since it does not affects the world outside, but rather affects himself. Galrail's magic allows him to be stronger, more resistant than any other, and capable of flying. This makes him the most physically powerful of the protagonists' side. Dashat, the Sword: The main antagonist of this story only qualifies as an antagonist because of the circumstances. Dashat is a force of nature, the emissary of an ancient alien race, deployed to make this world suitable for their arrival. Dashat is the first wave of a three-part attack, and his task is to eliminate all possible interference to the arrival of Mahat, the Spear. While his physical power is superior to Galrail's, Dashat's main strategies are to provoke war and propagate the second wave of the attack, the deadly virus known as Neshat, the Shield. This post has been edited by Kaiser-Kun: Jan 12 2009, 04:59 PM --------------------  |
|
|
|
|
Jun 23 2009, 08:46 AM
Post
#85
|
|
|
Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 2 Joined: 8:00am June 23, 2009 Location: Kildare :P |
 the first character i have created is Denni and he is my OC for some yaoi fictions i write sex: male but he is a crossdresser age: 17 appearance: long black hair - big eyes ( the one light blue and the other green ) - tall ( 1.75 m ) - thin likes: he likes girly clothes - elegant gothic lolita fashion - sweet things - long striped shocks - jrock - harajuku - reading - writing - dark creepy things - vampires dislikes: pedos - sun - people who ignore him or call him a faggot - masculine males - calling him a whore -------------------- deamus means dean thomas x seamus finnigan
do you like this kind of love? :P |
|
|
|
|
Jul 31 2009, 09:35 AM
Post
#86
|
|
|
Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 5 Joined: 2:21am July 29, 2009 |
I created a lot of characters, and I tried to give them all this little thing that makes the difference between boring and fascinating, but there's some of them whom I got very very attached to. I think of them in a very motherly way, although technically they're older than me. They make me cry, make me laugh... I think I won't be able to ever stop writing about them, 'cause they got this whole lifes to fill and that would be a shame to miss one minute of them.
-------------------- Its not dark yet - but it's getting there.
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 31 2009, 10:10 AM
Post
#87
|
|
Disgruntled House-Elf at The Leaky Cauldron Posts: 431 Joined: 11:42am July 2, 2005 Location: Room 1408 |
Hummm, I actually grew up with a group of characters I created since I was 7 yeas old, some of them are a bit younger. I created then when I was 10 and other when I was 13.
So I guess those character are now...between 27, 29 and 30 years old XD Thats precisely what the book/books I am writting to is about. The book I mention in my profile. I am very attached to them I must say as part of my family for sure. --------------------  Michael Jackson: Long Live the King!! ******************* You scared me half to death... |
|
|
|
|
Oct 6 2009, 06:39 AM
Post
#88
|
|
|
Being Eaten by the Pea Soup Posts: 31 Joined: 3:37am September 2, 2009 Location: Moaning Myrtle's bathroom brewing polyjuice potion |
QUOTE(bibs the S.P.E.W supporter @ Nov 30 2007, 05:07 PM) hi! as a keen writer i find that i make characters up in my head and find i grow quite attached to them. does any one else find this? I am currently writing a book, and after a friend read a bit of it, he asked which character is most like me... All of them. They are all a part of me in some way: the gothic pianist, the floaty dreamer, the sports fanatic, the interior designer, the shy boy, the bully... They all represent who I am or who I wish I was. This is the only way I can build a character. If I don't understand them, how on earth can I get others too? So yes. I get very attached to my characters. I was attached to them before they were created. 
-------------------- ~"People fear most that which they do not understand."~
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 6 2009, 11:07 AM
Post
#89
|
|
|
Disgruntled House-Elf at The Leaky Cauldron Posts: 431 Joined: 11:42am July 2, 2005 Location: Room 1408 |
I guess I was not that right in my first post about my characters, I always wanted to fix that little mistake.
Letīs see, I have a group of characters, as I said, that I created when I was more less 7, or maybe I was younger yes... (becoz I am a drawer since a very early age:p ), but they are all of different ages, letīs put this right:: If they were mortal people so: My first characters might be now 29 years old XD My second group of characters might be now 24 years old My third important group of characters might be now 21 years old But I have many others created in different years, I have the newest one that might have one year old Of course I am very attached to them, especially the olde rones, i juts grew up with them have being definitely a important part of my life. I am very very very scared to publish my work, that I am very very decided to do before I die. People will attack/steal my characters and work a lot and I will suffer for that XD Its part of the business isnt it? But this is something I am here to do and must do it before I die at least! -------------------- Michael Jackson: Long Live the King!! ******************* You scared me half to death... |
|
|
|
|
Oct 17 2009, 11:14 AM
Post
#90
|
|
|
Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 13 Joined: 5:41am October 12, 2009 |
When I'm bored, I usually make up characters in my head, but some of them I usually never write out.
It seems that a lot of writers get attached to their characters after a while. Same here. I have this character named Jeremy, based off a friend of mine, and every time I see him in school, I'm reminded of the fiction-Jeremy. So thanks to that, I'm good friends with both of them, haha. The weird thing with my characters, I give them normal names, but I have this strange desire to make their middle names unique-ish. Like, they have one normal name that they'll use all the time, but what about the hardly-ever-used middle name? So, I make all the middle names of my characters interesting. Like Seiorse, meaning freedom in Irish Gaelic. For Lucas Johnson. He's a very interesting character of mine. But, hey. What else is there to do? :] |
|
|
|
