"I really don't know what my character's personality should be like. Please help?"
As is often the case with writers - we're a friendly, supportive bunch, see - suggestions flowed in thick and fast and included:
making your characters take the Myers Brigg test,
talking to your characters to find out more about them,
getting into your characters' head (I can't help wondering if one needs a ladder and a crowbar for such an exercise...),
studying psychology (a whole degree seems a bit extreme...) and,
writing about your character in the first person and getting them to answer questions like who am I? (which in my case might leave you in even more of a muddle).
Frankly, I find I tend to have the opposite problem. I have a really hard time getting my characters to stay out of my head, to stop them from taking over and demanding what they want. One character in particular has taken on a life of it's own... And is, I feel, entirely out of control. Now any advice on this, would be most welcome.
Ba-kaaaak! Ya talking 'bout me? Huh?
Who me? Talking about you?
Yeah!
I wouldn't dare! Honest.
Hmmm. Let's just get one thing straight for you and everyone else out there. I am NOT a figment of your imagination. I am real. I come from Novapulse. I'm a secret agent observing the human condition and my granny is a werechicken. Best you be afraid, very afraid!
B-but...
But what? You got a problem?
No, no, of course not, no problem at all.
Good. Glad we're clear on that.
Whew! See what I mean about characters being out of control?
I heard that!
Damn!
Tell me, does this sort of thing ever happen to you?
(This wire and beadwork chicken (and other similar creations) is made by local craftspeople and is sold at the roadside and local craftmarkets.)
15 comments:
I like chickens! I live with 5 of them, 2 bantams and three barnveldter/light sussex cross, they have such a unique view of life: If it moves...eat it. If it stays still ...eat it. Let the cluckiness abound!
Wow, Nicky good to see you. I've missed you!
Anita
There you are!!! Only for Minx pointing it out, like. I must have been blonde in a former moment! So good to have you back. Am going to nick that idea for the Myer's Brigg test for our Writers group too! Great to hear you back! And don't mind all the exclamation marks!!!
Jon aside from being hounded by an alien chicken, I also have a garden full of "african chickens" ie guinea fowl - and they certainly have a very unique view of life. Ba-kaaak!
Anita, hi! Been busy, busy, busy - what else can I say! :-)
Hey,Barbara, yes, here I am, the proverbial bad penny! Can you imagine me doing the Myers Brigg test on the chicken. What a scary thought!
Glad you came by, I'm adding a link so I can visit a lot.
Kashgar is so beautiful, how are he and Atyllah getting on?
Tell me about character control... (shh, Viaggiatore is doing well, but he is SO hard to keep up with!)
We aren't wanderers for nothing.
So glad that you are in the circle.
Scarlett & Viaggiatore
Hi Wanderlust Scarlett - Kashgar and Atyllah seem to get along just fine - we make a happy threesome - well, sometimes...
;-)
Guinea fowl, they're meant to be fun, my brother-in-law bred them. I like bantams the best cos they go all broody and could hatch golf balls!
You know...I have a degree in psychology and I still have a bit of trouble creating characters. Which is why I think I might just to the non fiction route.
Atyllah, let 'em run free! When I tell my characters to shut up, they get louder! :-)
I am so glad that you are back. :-)
Jon M - guinea fowl are complete nuts! The males spend most of their time charging each other, the females insist on digging up the lawn. At the moment I'm being drowned out by a torrent of "ba-kaak, ba-kaak, ba-kaak, ba-kaak...." Forget peaceful Sunday mornings...
SilverNeurotic - I think part of the trouble often lies in trying too hard to create characters - I let mine create themselves, and then, as Jefferson says, let them run free! :-)
Hey,Jefferson - I've yet to meet a character who will tolerate being told to shut up and if they do, then you know it's time to worry about the strength of that character. As you will have noticed, the Chicken brooks no nonsense in the keeping quiet department! :-)
I love guinea fowl. I use to run into the barn yelling like a maniac and they would all get scared and run into a corner, full speed ahead thus breaking a few necks against the wall and then we had a couple of birds to roast over the fire.
Dumb bird, full tummy.
Yikes, you've got one wild chicken there! Invest in a leash. Good tosee you back; hopr the chickens don't scare you away again?!!!
Nasty, Brian, very nasty. The chicken says to tell you she's sent a note to Granny Were who should be able to get here in time for the next full moon.
*shiver*
Hi Jude, can you even possibly begin to imagine Atyllah on a leash?
Oh lord, she's just brought a leash to me and asked where you live... Oops!
;-)
How much do the males charge each other? only my hens are so cheap, they're just giving it away! Sorry!
Aw, Jon - tsk!
;-)
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