A meta for meta-day
And now for something of passing relevance!
One comment I have begun to get on my stories from readers who have been following my work for awhile, is that I seem to be able to use the same characters from story to story, and yet make them markedly different. The Snape from Ghostwritten could not be plugged into the place of the Snape from Can't Take The Sky, for instance, and the Harry from Points can't do service for the Harry from Blood and Fire.
It surprises me when I hear authors claim that they're always writing their characters the same way, because for me, the subtle alterations in what each person can do and be with different stimuli is what writing this stuff is all about! But then again, writing was not my first art -- I came to it from Theatre, my first and greatest love, and so I have found that my approach to constructing, and portraying characters in my fiction is a bit different to a lot of other, more traditional writers. That's why my stories don't usually follow a common theme (unless you look past the smexing, that is,) because once I've sketched a character in a certain light, I don't care to go back and do it again.
I've got that comment enough times now, that I thought I might fill a bit of time today on the subject of how I do it. Clearly, this is a highly subjective process, as is all writing, so please, if you read, don't assume I'm saying that my way is the 'right' way, or that yours, if different, is wrong. This is just how I roll over here, and you're invited to have a look, if you're interested.
( Method Writing )
I had thought I might do a set of answers to my seven questions, by way of demonstrating how they can highlight the elements that make the same character different from story to story, and I believe I still will do that, but I want to throw it open to the floor here. Name a character from one of my stories that YOU would like to see me outline thusly? Snape from Disenchanted? Minerva from Everybody's Fool? Harry from Mortal Flesh? Harry from Points? Hermione from Double Dare? Poppy from Can't Take the Sky? Someone I haven't named yet? Bear in mind that this can be done for secondary and tertiary characters as well, though in general it doesn't prove as useful, since your focus as a writer needs to stay on the main guys. But still, in my world there's no such thing as 'second spearman to the right.'
I'll probably pick about five or so from any replies I might get, but rather than just pick my favorites out of all the characters I've written in the past five fannish years, I'd rather see what you're interested in.
So have at!
One comment I have begun to get on my stories from readers who have been following my work for awhile, is that I seem to be able to use the same characters from story to story, and yet make them markedly different. The Snape from Ghostwritten could not be plugged into the place of the Snape from Can't Take The Sky, for instance, and the Harry from Points can't do service for the Harry from Blood and Fire.
It surprises me when I hear authors claim that they're always writing their characters the same way, because for me, the subtle alterations in what each person can do and be with different stimuli is what writing this stuff is all about! But then again, writing was not my first art -- I came to it from Theatre, my first and greatest love, and so I have found that my approach to constructing, and portraying characters in my fiction is a bit different to a lot of other, more traditional writers. That's why my stories don't usually follow a common theme (unless you look past the smexing, that is,) because once I've sketched a character in a certain light, I don't care to go back and do it again.
I've got that comment enough times now, that I thought I might fill a bit of time today on the subject of how I do it. Clearly, this is a highly subjective process, as is all writing, so please, if you read, don't assume I'm saying that my way is the 'right' way, or that yours, if different, is wrong. This is just how I roll over here, and you're invited to have a look, if you're interested.
( Method Writing )
I had thought I might do a set of answers to my seven questions, by way of demonstrating how they can highlight the elements that make the same character different from story to story, and I believe I still will do that, but I want to throw it open to the floor here. Name a character from one of my stories that YOU would like to see me outline thusly? Snape from Disenchanted? Minerva from Everybody's Fool? Harry from Mortal Flesh? Harry from Points? Hermione from Double Dare? Poppy from Can't Take the Sky? Someone I haven't named yet? Bear in mind that this can be done for secondary and tertiary characters as well, though in general it doesn't prove as useful, since your focus as a writer needs to stay on the main guys. But still, in my world there's no such thing as 'second spearman to the right.'
I'll probably pick about five or so from any replies I might get, but rather than just pick my favorites out of all the characters I've written in the past five fannish years, I'd rather see what you're interested in.
So have at!
