tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6456386419847525258.post1737760260521222963..comments2023-07-21T07:38:15.376-04:00Comments on Whimsical Quests of a Curious Mind: My Character Changed MeJess Schirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04930756756945812094noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6456386419847525258.post-72846119276111861062012-07-01T18:35:05.003-04:002012-07-01T18:35:05.003-04:00Came to comment on your SS post, and saw this. I l...Came to comment on your SS post, and saw this. I like to say that sometimes, you write the story, but at the best of times, the story writes on you. I have experienced the phenomenon you're talking about once, with a manuscript that has been accepted for publication, but isn't yet out. Those characters changed me, which seems odd, given they come from my imagination. Yet as I did the research needed to breathe life into them, the people they became somehow managed a subtle alteration of my heartbeat.Eden Connorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04190711362614433784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6456386419847525258.post-54562125430561809692012-07-01T12:38:42.749-04:002012-07-01T12:38:42.749-04:00The character was a daunting reflection of myself ...The character was a daunting reflection of myself at that time, and unintentionally so. I think that's what was so shocking to me. That was the time when the need to change up the "me"-part in my characters flared up also, but as you said, nothing good came with it.:)<br />I think writing can't be impersonal, and authenticity in a character is always based on something we "know". That's why I do have my problems with certain bad guys in stories, the ones that are exaggerated to a point where they become incomprehensible.I like the "bad guy" Cersei in Game Of Thrones. She craves power and hates the whole world but she loves her children above all things. For me, that makes "being bad" much more interesting and relatable.DasNukhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06513945470399592454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6456386419847525258.post-51089174386213279552012-07-01T09:54:16.935-04:002012-07-01T09:54:16.935-04:00With "White Tiles" was it a case of the ...With "White Tiles" was it a case of the character mirroring you, or you developing a strong emphatic link to your character? Just curious.<br /><br />One of the manuscripts I wrote prior to DWARFED, I was so determined that the character wouldn't be mirror me, that I went out of my way to make her responses completely opposite my own. The problem was that she turned into a flat and unlikeable character. <br /><br />I'm glad you like Grace. I've become quite fond of her, she's a fun voice to have in my head.Jess Schirahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04930756756945812094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6456386419847525258.post-39008628794470783752012-07-01T09:49:26.553-04:002012-07-01T09:49:26.553-04:00Introspection is a good thing. I've yet to rea...Introspection is a good thing. I've yet to read/watch Game of Thrones, but I do have a soft spot for Peter Dinklage, he was amazing in the Station Agent.<br /><br />This writing thing sure is full of fun and exciting twists and turns.Jess Schirahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04930756756945812094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6456386419847525258.post-2530761472929355122012-07-01T07:45:01.250-04:002012-07-01T07:45:01.250-04:00Good question. I love your character, Grace, she&#...Good question. I love your character, Grace, she's tangible in so many ways, you can sense the complexity there. I'm always a bit worried that my characters may sound and act too much alike (like me), especially in scenes they share. One time as I was writing "White Tiles", a short story about a woman loosing her sanity, did I stop halfway and think: oh damn, that's me, that's my drama decoded right there. It was both horrible and educational. :)DasNukhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06513945470399592454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6456386419847525258.post-65192745562248891242012-06-30T23:24:16.261-04:002012-06-30T23:24:16.261-04:00That is an interesting question, Jess! Now my whe...That is an interesting question, Jess! Now my wheels are turning. I'm not sure if they've made me a better person, but, they certainly have brought a lot of introspection into my life. I'm constantly forced to ask myself, "Where did that come from?" And then I dig, trying to find that part of me that surfaced through the words and actions of a character. This writing life is so interesting. :-)<br /><br />I think your MC, Grace, is fabulous. Unique, too. I can't think of any other books I've read that have a dwarf as even a predominant character. <br /><br />I guess if I had the time and the patience, I'd read George R.R. Martin's books. I do love his dwarf character on the TV series adapted from the books.Teresa Cypherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08940430996766842518noreply@blogger.com