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Of the characters you've written, who is your favorite?

Posted: July 1st, 2010, 1:03 pm
by Mira
Hi, I was wondering if other people have a favorite character. I feel alittle guilty about it, but I do. (Not sure why I feel guilty!)

I think my favorite, or one of my favs, is this old lady character I write. She's very sweet and good intentioned, but she constantly misunderstands things and channels them through her own very strict moral code. Then she'll gently, but quite firmly, scold people for doing something wrong, when she's the one who misunderstood.

Ha! She just cracks me up.

Anyone else have a favorite character they write?

Re: Of the characters you've written, who is your favorite?

Posted: July 1st, 2010, 1:14 pm
by CharleeVale
Though of course I love my protags, I just have so much fun writing one of my smaller characters. He is the equivalent of a butler, and is the main source of comic relief in my story. He's also super caring and basically objective. Writing scenes with him just makes my day. :)

CV

Re: Of the characters you've written, who is your favorite?

Posted: July 1st, 2010, 1:57 pm
by polymath
Not a character favorite, per se, but a dilemma trend. I write central characters who cope with hostile and alienating communities they strive to develop a sense of belonging to. They're a meld of the stranger comes to town and the native leaves home character storylines.

I'm developing a liking for characters who are otherwise villains of a piece in the eyes of a misguided domineering groupthink, which aligns with the above. Social dystopias.

I hadn't thought of settings I'm developing in that light before you asked the thread question, Mira. Thanks. I love inciting questions that bring up new perspectives of items I struggle with.

Re: Of the characters you've written, who is your favorite?

Posted: July 1st, 2010, 2:57 pm
by D. G. Hudson
The character you mention that's your favorite, Mira, sounds like "Emily Litella" who used to show up on SNL played by Gilda Radner. When she was told by Jane Curtain that she was way off base, she always said, "Oh. Never mind, then."

I tend to like most of my characters, but the best thing is when you see someone in real life who fits your idea and or description of a character you've written about. Like the character walked right out of your story. Weird, but nice.

It would be tough to pin it down to one character, but a male spacer of the future, with a fondness for Earth, comes very close. I also like women characters who aren't the super women type (they aren't experts in the martial arts, and guns). My women get by on their intelligence, & their ability to survive -- without special effects. Some may have to defend themselves by being armed if it fits their job, but they are NOT composites of Angelina Jolie in gameplay.

Re: Of the characters you've written, who is your favorite?

Posted: July 1st, 2010, 3:53 pm
by Mira
D.G. - Yeah, my brother said the same thing - that my character was simliar to Gilda Radner's character, and could be seen as derivative. I don't care. I love her anyway. She's a hoot.

Besides, I'm firmly convinced that Gilda stole the idea from me. She found a way to get into my head years before I even thought of this character and lifted the idea right off me. I'd sue, but I've heard time travel and telepathy are tricky legal concepts, and even if you win, you don't get much in damages. So, I'll just protest loudly instead: "Stop stealing my ideas before I think of them!"

Re: Of the characters you've written, who is your favorite?

Posted: July 1st, 2010, 6:08 pm
by maybegenius
One of my favorite characters so far is this misanthropic punker girl. She's half-Egyptian, half-English, and she's just jaded and snarky and hilarious to write. She smokes, and whenever someone comments that "those things could kill you," her typical response is, "You know *I* could kill you."

Re: Of the characters you've written, who is your favorite?

Posted: July 1st, 2010, 10:53 pm
by aspiring_x
mira and maybe, your characters sound AWESOME!!! (can't wait to read them!)
" time travel and telepathy are tricky legal concepts" made my day!
my favorite character to write is also the one who i have trouble keeping under control. he has his own agenda- he was supposed to be a bit character (corrupt and tricksy) but he has convinced me that he is conflicted and misunderstood and now has the third biggest role in the story.

Re: Of the characters you've written, who is your favorite?

Posted: July 2nd, 2010, 8:09 am
by GabbyP
My fav character I've written is a lanky red-haired 20-something guy named Marvell who works in an advertising agency, and is too lazy to get up and walk so he likes to sit on his office chair and roll to wherever he needs to go. He is very creative and mostly thinks about his next sugar fix. Marvell if you are still out there, I miss you!

Re: Of the characters you've written, who is your favorite?

Posted: July 2nd, 2010, 3:19 pm
by Down the well
maybegenius wrote:One of my favorite characters so far is this misanthropic punker girl...She smokes, and whenever someone comments that "those things could kill you," her typical response is, "You know *I* could kill you."
This could be me, except for the smoking. I quit a long time ago. Those things will kill you.

I have a character in my WIP who only appears for about five pages, but what fun it was to write her. She's a fourteen year old fille de joie who gets under the skin of my female protagonist with her blatant sexuality and her absurdly ignorant world view. My protagonist has no choice but to want to drown the poor kitten in the nearest shallow pool by the time the scene is finished.

Re: Of the characters you've written, who is your favorite?

Posted: July 2nd, 2010, 4:14 pm
by Margo
I fall in love with all my villains. I just realized I've made them all male...and insane to one degree or another.

Re: Of the characters you've written, who is your favorite?

Posted: July 2nd, 2010, 7:23 pm
by maybegenius
LOL @ Down the well! Your character sounds hilarious :D

GabbyP, I *love* the sounds of that one. What a crack-up.

Re: Of the characters you've written, who is your favorite?

Posted: July 3rd, 2010, 4:25 pm
by sbs_mjc1
Mike's favorite of the characters in our novel is a young, sheltered English civil servant who has a rare talent for putting his foot in his mouth. It took a good deal of convincing for me to gave the character in the novel, but Mike has done a great job writing him, and I now have quite a soft spot for the character as well. My favorite character from our WIP is a Scottish propaganda writer and perpetual optimist. I think her appeal is her unflagging faith that people are good, which I don't have (I try, but frequently lapse into cynicism).

Re: Of the characters you've written, who is your favorite?

Posted: July 4th, 2010, 1:22 pm
by knight_tour
I like all of my characters, but my favorite is a minor character in my epic fantasy. He is a knight called Sir Brindor. He was once the greatest knight of the realm, but during a tournament melee his skull was badly cracked by a mace. No one expected him to live, but he eventually came out of his coma. He wasn't the same man anymore. He blanks out unless his attention is held by something. His speech is slurred and he drools constantly. His liege lord no longer wanted his services, so my main character (a very minor noble) takes him in. He is rewarded for his kindness when he discovers that Sir Brindor is still a holy terror when roused in battle.

Re: Of the characters you've written, who is your favorite?

Posted: July 4th, 2010, 2:02 pm
by Mira
aspiring x - thank you! You made my day. :) And I know what you mean about characters refusing to sit still and play second fiddle - the way that they should. Insubordination!

Funny how these aren't our protags! I'm sort of surprised, I thought they might be. But they're loveable. I seem to love the irritating ones. I have another character called FATE. He only speaks in capital letters, and he's extremely annoying. He brings entire cows to potlucks to slaughter for steaks. I love him. :)

Re: Of the characters you've written, who is your favorite?

Posted: July 5th, 2010, 7:00 pm
by Heather B
My favourite character to write is from my WIP. He's eccentric, loud, always trying to seduce my MC and smokes like a fire. Plus, I get to dress him in some funky clothing arrangements...