Questions for all the aspiring authors on here...

[Darven]

... how do you tackle creating your characters?

... how do you go about assembling the plot?

[Freight Train]

Characters: They start with a hook. A goofy accent, a catchphrase, a hat they always wear, whatever. Then, I build around it. For example, Zeke began with the point that he was unstoppably happy. Always. Man can see a positive in anything. Then, how do you get such a way? Pre-reset, it was a philosophy drilled into him since he was old enough to understand words. It was the legacy of his family, which he prized most highly. The rest built from there.

Plot assembles with big events. I have a tendency to start stories with big tragedies or celebrations, then move from there. I build a ton of major points and then fill in the junk in between. Granted, I have yet to successfully write any form of story in this manner, but it seems no matter how I try this approach is the one I take.

[Tri'ahna Zylary]

I didn't mean ROLEPLAYING, I meant actual writing of fiction. We've got a couple of people here who are writing on their own independent novels, I think.

[Vince]

Well, Zeke's not too far off with my own style of writing. Most of the time, I start with a general idea of what I want to write: I usually start with a blurb or synopsis of some sort that can get me started or keep me going when I hit a block.

Other times, I'll write scene by scene, and not in the order the book or short story might end up as. Sometimes, I'll start at the end, others in the beginning, others en media res (in the middle of the action or story).

As for characters, one of the easiest ways for me to create them is to understand what the story is about, and not just an outline, but the real meat of the story, what images and emotions I want to invoke, and then build characters around that. But I always ask myself who this character is in relation to the protagonist or the main character(s) of the story; are they comic relief? Bad guys? Allies? Love interest? A good way to make deep and multi-faceted characters is to make them more than one thing to other characters. Comic relief to one, but also a love interest to another, or a father figure, or so on and so forth. The meat of the story will be passed on through the relationships between the characters, so make sure that you understand who each is in relation to the others.

Plot works in much the same way: understanding what you want to say, and creating events that will help bring this meaning into the story and the characters.

Often enough all will come together at the same time; I end up writing the story as I write the characters, or vice versa.

Hope this helps.

[Freight Train]

I didn't mean ROLEPLAYING, I meant actual writing of fiction. We've got a couple of people here who are writing on their own independent novels, I think.
It's the same process no matter what kind of fiction I'm writing.

[Tri'ahna Zylary]

How deep do you go into character profiling?

[Banner Laverick]

I didn't mean ROLEPLAYING, I meant actual writing of fiction. We've got a couple of people here who are writing on their own independent novels, I think.

And yet, wowee, they all ROLEPLAY too! Even if someone is writing a novel, I doubt that they're writing style is much different than how they'd post here. I know mine isn't (beyond being first person).


Half the characters I roleplay are ones I could potentially write independent stories about. Mostly so if I WANT to write something myself, without other people, I can.

I tend to be a visual person, so a lot of what I write (ANY fiction writing - except poetry, cos that's me just b.s.ing) I play out in my head. If a character pops into my head, I jot the idea down and flesh it out later. Plot ends up being based around the character, not the other way around.



Edit - you can find really good Profiling lists in "How To..." writing books. If I can remember the title of the one I read, I'll post it.

[Tri'ahna Zylary]

Well, the way I develop characters for roleplaying is slightly different than how I go about dealing with them for other writing. But everyone's doing that differently - and that's why I was interested in finding out how others go about it.

[Flux]

Was determined to get Graphic Design work done, but meh. I have an answer now.

I do profiles in one of two ways: Bits at a time as I'm writing, or all at one shot in the beginning. Which way I do it depends on how much I care about the character. If you're a bit character that I'm writing for my own little amusement, you get it as I write you. But if I like, CARE, you don't get written into anything before I've got you all pieced out with vital stats, hobbies, motivations, fears, the works. I had a template profile that I was using specifically for DnD characters that I've been meaning to start applying to everything I write, but I cannot finds it. >_<

MORE NEVERMIND! I have the attention span of a hyperactive, caffienated chipmunk, so I found my template profile. Here's the template by itself, and since she's new and has the least stuff planned out, I'll fill it out as best I can for Freight Train, just because.

Template
Fears--Any fear, be it minor, major, or a phobia
Likes--Whatever the character likes. Go as small or big as you want.
Acceptable Losses--What is this character willing to lose? Applies to more than just combat.
Hates--What does your character just HATE? Similar to likes in that this encompasses a broad range of stuff.
Goes for--Types of people/things the character is attracted to.

Freight Train
Fears--Loss of powers, being trapped in a burning building.
Likes--The Detroit Pistons, Chemical Brothers, her Nintendo Wii.
Acceptable Losses--In basketball, a game lost by 5 points or less; in combat (though she hasn't seen any) any amount of property damage, and severe injuries/deaths of teammates she just plain don't like.
Hates--Teacher's pets and suck-ups, The Pacers, country music
Goes for--Prefers to make friends with other athletes and gamers

[Dasquian Belargic]

I spend a lot of time world-building, whether that's coming up with locations and settings or the characters that inhabit them. Usually, I'll place a plot into the world after the world itself has come to life in my mind. I don't making any ammendments or changes to the setting once a plot has started to form, but I find it really difficult to make a solid story without having first gotten a firm hold on the "where's" and "who's."

Like Felix, I tend to profile my characters, in a fair amount of detail. Again, I'm open to re-working, but I'm usually pretty thorough to begin with. I outline their heritage, their family if they have any, their skills and their aspirations, among other things. Once I have a grasp on the basics of who someone is, I usually workshop a scene or two with them - if not on paper, then at least in my mind. I do this because I find that once I start to write a character, certain aspects of their personality will come to life of their own accord, as I start to get "into their head."

When I'm first making a character, I usually start - again like Felix - with a flaw or fault. It might sound kind of trite or simple, but I find this useful in terms of character development because on top of the "main" storyline, it also gives me a grounding point for how I want my characters to grow over the course of their "journey", whatever that may be.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

My character development strategy is fairly organic. Supporting or minor characters usually will be formed around half an idea and then they way they end up talking will help them take final shape.

I like world building too, though I'll usually start writing before I've got things down in stone. I'll have a bit of the 'world' in stone and the rest will come into focus as I write.

Main characters I'll usually write a page about to get their personalities and idiosyncracies in place. Back stories either come to me right away, or while I'm writing the story. I may be too disorganized to ever finish a novel. :p

I like notebooks. :) They're good for jotting things down in as they come to me.

[Khendon Sevon]

Those are two questions that require more than a thread on here can provide. If you really want them answered, How to Write a Damn Good Novel is a fun read.

Personally, with my current novel I started with an idea of what I wanted to be saying. That was critical for me, it helped me decide which types of characters and personalities I needed and what each had to represent. Of course, as I added characters, the plot evolved and grew. Through this growth, flash pointed were needed, so, more characters came into being.

I have a moleskin notebook devoted to this novel with about 160 pages of notes written with a lovely Cross pen. I suggest carrying one around and just putting down character ideas, bits of dialogue, whatever. It really helps everything coalesce.

I have extensive back histories for all of my characters. They're useful, especially since I plan on bringing out details through dialogue. They explain each character's actions.

Additionally, my universe is pretty well developed.

Erm... as to plot? Well, that's a whole other beast.

The best advice: write. Write a lot. Write often. Continue to write. Write big. Write small.

It's difficult to put a novel's plot together well if you've never attempted to actually write a full novel before. Sure, there are those that can do it.

I wrote one novel. It made me realize I needed to learn and think about it a whole lot more, not just the story and characters, but the act of creating and writing and pulling everything together with eloquence.

Read. I don't mean read novels. Read books on writing. However, you have to continue to write during this. Don't stop writing.

I'll be writing on the train today :) That's a solid 40 minutes. Then, tonight I'll hopefully be able to just day dream about it a bit, at the very least.

... hope some of that was helpful.

[Mitch]

My characters seem to wander in, bump into each other, and after enough meet and greets, one of them gets tired, shoves the others out of the way and tells me their story, and about all the people they know.

I'm serious, that's how it happens.

I often have a 6', 215 pound mongoose telling me his adventures. I just write the dang things down.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Mitch, I have a sneaking suspicion that that paticular mongoose may exaggerate his stories just a tad. :uhoh Just wanted to give you the heads up.

;)