I was asked this question last night and it got me thinking. #writetip
A character comes from your imagination or your life experience. To me, that means anywhere from none to 100% of the writer is in the character. Since a novel is fiction and not journalism or a biography, I like to think not much of me is in there. Especially when the character is nasty.
A character’s origins may come from the writer, but I bet it’s more interesting to write and read if he/she grows into someone else; although, a person could have a very exciting life, and then maybe a memoir is the way to go.
I can’t imagine doing or saying some of the things my characters do or say. My biases must influence how I describe a character, but in the end they are who they are and not me.
If too much of the writer is in the character, then I think too many restrictions on what the character can or can’t do come into play. Let the character breathe and see what exciting things happen.
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I don’t think I’m much like my characters at all. In fact, that’s why I write them. They interest me. If they were too much like me, then it would bore me.
I suppose, to an extent, they have my values of right vs. wrong… but after that, I just have fun with them
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I have read many times that the author plans a character, but that at some point he seems to develop on his own, so that the author has no choice but to follow it. LC
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That certainly happens. I have often followed a character to some very interesting places.
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