Who is your main character? Is it an extension of yourself? Or who you want to be? I believe there are two types of main characters for writers.
The ones that are you in disguise.
The ones you wish you could be.
I know your MC may be of the opposite sex or not even human but there is something in that character that is a part of you or that you admire. There has to be, they came out of your head. Whether they are an obvious conscious piece or a darker lurking fragment of our personality that we suppress...they are a part of us.
Do you sometimes wonder when you find yourself in a particular situation, how would your MC react? Is it that far from what you would do or wish you had the courage to do? I don't think so. It happens to me quite often because I am never that far from my current story. When your writing it, you are also living it. Is that ever a bad thing?
My MC for Book 1 is an extension of who I want to be.
ReplyDeleteMy MC for WIP is more like me, I think.
But I agree. We have to pull from somewhere and ourselves is the most likely place!
I did the extension of myself for my first two books (now comfortably snuggled under my bed). However, with my current WIP, I can say that it is neither. Instead, I'm drawing form people I know, and how I see them. IF I ever told them however, they may disagree, but its my view of them. Not their view of themselves.
ReplyDeleteMine is neither really. Mine is based on a friend whom I have never met. (We have written on-line for 6 years now and I based an event that happened to him as the begining of the character's story.) I guess I am similar to the character in someways... but I'm not a boy, a surfer, or have ever had my parents separated. So I can't really say that he's myself.
ReplyDeleteThis is my point though, even if its not literally you then its certain aspects of you or your experiences. Even if your drawing inspiration from someone else, you have put your own spin on it.
ReplyDeleteI think mostly my heroines are who I wish I could be. Much better versions of me.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I guess so... I've heard that you, the author are all the characters because you chose what they do. I think there's something like it in Stephen Kings book on writing.
ReplyDeleteJennifer-I never know whether to you call you JJ, Jennifer, or Jen.ha You had to mention Stephen King! Thats where my theory breaks down because I don't want to imagine that some of his characters are really extensions of him. Really creepy.
ReplyDeleteSteph/Lisa/Jim-I am trying to justify why my current MC is starting to sound more like me, only much cooler...and living in a fantasy world of course.ha
This is very interesting.
ReplyDeleteMy current novel is who I am, and I struggle with her.
My next WIP, partially written, has who I want to be. I like it MUCH MUCH more. Predicatbly, the one with me in it is a character that I want to spend time growing into a better person.
Welcome, Sierra! I understand, I really like my current MC, she may sound somewhat like me but she is who I WANT to be. Or else she will be when I'm done with her.
ReplyDeleteMarsha- this is such a true concept. My current MC is a combination of who I am now and who I wish I could be. She makes me laugh; she is a bit bolder than I am.
ReplyDeleteJen is fine...I have such a boring name.
ReplyDeleteI know you have a passion for Stephen King. I really enjoy all he has to say on writing. I know his characters can be really freaky but isn't there a place inside you, where you wish you could do something totally far out? I'll be honest. The other night we went to a musical at an outdoor theatre. As I sat there, I was enjoying the beautiful moments and all of a sudden I thought of something very disturbing. I had this image of someone running from the audience and then killing themselves on stage in front of hundreds, if not thousands of people. Talk about a dramatic end... Crazy, yes I know. But brillant none the less in a story.
Regina: Thats exactly how I feel about mine! I wish I was as brave as she is.
ReplyDeleteJen: First of all, not a boring name! Look at all the variations you can get out of it...and you are not constantly reminded that your name is from an old TV show....for instance The Brady Bunch.
Absolutely get those wierd daydreams, and want to do crazy things. Standing in line for hours at the DMV is the best place for it. Depressing but great creepy idea for a story, by the way.
Wasn't Michael Douglas in a movie were he went all crazy on everyone like that?
ReplyDeleteMarsha and Regina,
ReplyDeleteI think you both are braver than what you think...