Comments on: The yin and yang of characterization http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/ about the craft and business of genre fiction Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:49:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: mmSeason http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/comment-page-1/#comment-116296 mmSeason Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:32:29 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/#comment-116296 This stuck in my head, and turned into a <a href="http://travelhopefully.wordpress.com/2009/06/04/writing-fiction-a-different-take-on-characterisation/" rel="nofollow">whole blogpost</a>. Thanx so much! 80) This stuck in my head, and turned into a whole blogpost. Thanx so much! 80)

]]> By: mmSeason http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/comment-page-1/#comment-116066 mmSeason Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:04:08 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/#comment-116066 Popped here from a Twitter retweet - glad i did. I think it's a bit like when you meet someone new and have a 'feeling' about them. With some people you can be pretty sure they're trustworthy, or too cautious to wear bright orange, or bigoted... without finding out as such. My characters, at least the ones i'm able to write about(!), work like that - i 'know' them well, but if i answer the questions on paper first, i lose sight of them. Letting them go about doing stuff, talking, reacting to problems, feeling fear and passion, etc, is the only way i get deeper into them. Popped here from a Twitter retweet – glad i did. I think it’s a bit like when you meet someone new and have a ‘feeling’ about them. With some people you can be pretty sure they’re trustworthy, or too cautious to wear bright orange, or bigoted… without finding out as such. My characters, at least the ones i’m able to write about(!), work like that – i ‘know’ them well, but if i answer the questions on paper first, i lose sight of them. Letting them go about doing stuff, talking, reacting to problems, feeling fear and passion, etc, is the only way i get deeper into them.

]]> By: Vicky McAulay http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/comment-page-1/#comment-113726 Vicky McAulay Thu, 14 May 2009 11:50:47 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/#comment-113726 I always felt that I was doing things wrong. I couldn't bring myself to develop a detailed character chart or interview my characters as so many guidebooks and instructors say you should. My characters just grow with the story revealing themselves to me as we go, the way you learn about people in real life. In my current WIP, a secondary character has sprung to life and may end up as a primary. That wouldn't have happened if I'd laid out a detailed character map. Your post takes away the feeling that I was somehow cheating the process. Thanks. I always felt that I was doing things wrong. I couldn’t bring myself to develop a detailed character chart or interview my characters as so many guidebooks and instructors say you should. My characters just grow with the story revealing themselves to me as we go, the way you learn about people in real life. In my current WIP, a secondary character has sprung to life and may end up as a primary. That wouldn’t have happened if I’d laid out a detailed character map. Your post takes away the feeling that I was somehow cheating the process. Thanks.

]]> By: Kathleen Bolton http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/comment-page-1/#comment-113606 Kathleen Bolton Wed, 13 May 2009 14:00:18 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/#comment-113606 I'm firmly in the camp of you don't know how someone's going to act until you put them in the situation. Obviously it's the writer's job to control the situation, but characters -- like people-- can surprise you! And I love the surprises. That's what keeps me writing. I’m firmly in the camp of you don’t know how someone’s going to act until you put them in the situation. Obviously it’s the writer’s job to control the situation, but characters — like people– can surprise you!

And I love the surprises. That’s what keeps me writing.

]]> By: Celsius1414 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/comment-page-1/#comment-113577 Celsius1414 Wed, 13 May 2009 09:44:07 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/#comment-113577 For me it depends on the story -- sometimes I must get a lot of character detail down first -- but more often than not, I discover the quirky bits and pieces of character as I go. It's the broad brushstrokes that occur to me first, or their roles in representing some theme or duality. I love Keith's comment, "By the time I finished with the exercise, I was ready to move on to the next story." So true! That's also why I try not to describe in-progress characters or story lines to people until the stories are done. For some reason, it just corrodes my motivating compulsion to write the story. For me it depends on the story — sometimes I must get a lot of character detail down first — but more often than not, I discover the quirky bits and pieces of character as I go. It’s the broad brushstrokes that occur to me first, or their roles in representing some theme or duality.

I love Keith’s comment, “By the time I finished with the exercise, I was ready to move on to the next story.” So true!

That’s also why I try not to describe in-progress characters or story lines to people until the stories are done. For some reason, it just corrodes my motivating compulsion to write the story.

]]> By: Marc Vun Kannon http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/comment-page-1/#comment-113562 Marc Vun Kannon Wed, 13 May 2009 05:40:33 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/#comment-113562 I never construct a character. I have something--a blob of personality with a name attached to it--and i spend the book discovering what that blob is and what it isn't. I couldn't tell you anything about the character until after I'd written the book. I never construct a character. I have something–a blob of personality with a name attached to it–and i spend the book discovering what that blob is and what it isn’t. I couldn’t tell you anything about the character until after I’d written the book.

]]> By: Vic K http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/comment-page-1/#comment-113534 Vic K Wed, 13 May 2009 01:10:07 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/#comment-113534 Oh thank god. Some advice that doesn't involve examining your character to the point at which you know how they use toilet paper. Great approach, I love it! I actually have seen another one which I have used (but keep forgetting to refer to, so I don't know how useful it is for me as a writer) where you examine how your character is seen from other character's perspectives. For example, you write five positive comments an enemy would say about your MC. Quite useful for fantasy writers. Oh thank god. Some advice that doesn’t involve examining your character to the point at which you know how they use toilet paper. Great approach, I love it!

I actually have seen another one which I have used (but keep forgetting to refer to, so I don’t know how useful it is for me as a writer) where you examine how your character is seen from other character’s perspectives.

For example, you write five positive comments an enemy would say about your MC. Quite useful for fantasy writers.

]]> By: Dennis http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/comment-page-1/#comment-113529 Dennis Wed, 13 May 2009 00:09:19 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/#comment-113529 Great approach. I feel that to write an in depth detailed dossier of each character is akin to writing the story – so why not just go ahead and write the story. I'm about to start my third draft and the characters have developed and matured with the story more than any prepared individual biography would allow – even to the extent of one character now having lost the use of one arm. Great approach. I feel that to write an in depth detailed dossier of each character is akin to writing the story – so why not just go ahead and write the story. I’m about to start my third draft and the characters have developed and matured with the story more than any prepared individual biography would allow – even to the extent of one character now having lost the use of one arm.

]]> By: Nancy Laughlin http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/comment-page-1/#comment-113512 Nancy Laughlin Tue, 12 May 2009 20:45:52 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/#comment-113512 Excellent blog, Kathleen and just what I needed to hear today it seems. The comment about the protagonist's and antagonist's qualities polarizing the other's really struck a cord and helped to crystalize a problem I've been struggling with in my novel without realizing it. Thanks for the help! I'll use this structure going forward. Excellent blog, Kathleen and just what I needed to hear today it seems.
The comment about the protagonist’s and antagonist’s qualities polarizing the other’s really struck a cord and helped to crystalize a problem I’ve been struggling with in my novel without realizing it.
Thanks for the help! I’ll use this structure going forward.

]]> By: Kathleen Bolton http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/comment-page-1/#comment-113495 Kathleen Bolton Tue, 12 May 2009 15:49:10 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/#comment-113495 It's a YMMV (your milage may vary) thing, but like Keith I burned out when I examined every aspect of my characters before they even did something. The worst part was settling on a character only to have them look up at you from the page and go, "uh uh, that's not how I operate." It’s a YMMV (your milage may vary) thing, but like Keith I burned out when I examined every aspect of my characters before they even did something. The worst part was settling on a character only to have them look up at you from the page and go, “uh uh, that’s not how I operate.”

]]> By: Katy http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/comment-page-1/#comment-113493 Katy Tue, 12 May 2009 15:30:34 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/#comment-113493 This is a really great idea, thanks for sharing it! I'm getting ready to do some character development work for the novel I'm writing and this will help out a lot, as I, too, have felt that the whole get-to-know-every-detail-of-your-characters-before-you-write process is a bit too limiting, too early. I'm definitely going to give this method a shot. Thanks again! This is a really great idea, thanks for sharing it! I’m getting ready to do some character development work for the novel I’m writing and this will help out a lot, as I, too, have felt that the whole get-to-know-every-detail-of-your-characters-before-you-write process is a bit too limiting, too early. I’m definitely going to give this method a shot. Thanks again!

]]> By: Keith http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/comment-page-1/#comment-113481 Keith Tue, 12 May 2009 14:14:07 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/#comment-113481 Very good post and so succinct. I have always bristled at the idea and execution of mapping out every detail about a character prior to writing the story. By the time I finished with the exercise, I was ready to move on to the next story. Thanks. Very good post and so succinct. I have always bristled at the idea and execution of mapping out every detail about a character prior to writing the story. By the time I finished with the exercise, I was ready to move on to the next story.

Thanks.

]]> By: Kristan http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/comment-page-1/#comment-113476 Kristan Tue, 12 May 2009 13:37:09 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/#comment-113476 Omigosh, I love this yin vs. yang idea, and the example you gave to illustrate it. (Seriously, if people haven't read P&P, they MUST GO DO IT NOW.) Now I wanna go try this method... ;) Omigosh, I love this yin vs. yang idea, and the example you gave to illustrate it. (Seriously, if people haven’t read P&P, they MUST GO DO IT NOW.)

Now I wanna go try this method… ;)

]]> By: Danielle http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/comment-page-1/#comment-113473 Danielle Tue, 12 May 2009 13:31:00 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/#comment-113473 This is a really interesting post. I am coming to the end of a creative writing module at university, and my lecturer told us we need to know the ins and outs of our characters, that we should write them all down. I, like you, found this really distracting. For me, my characters seem to materialize more fully just as I write about them. I think it is always important to give them positive and negative characteristics - otherwise they will never be fully rounded and believable - and it is interesting to see how they affect character interaction. This is a really interesting post. I am coming to the end of a creative writing module at university, and my lecturer told us we need to know the ins and outs of our characters, that we should write them all down. I, like you, found this really distracting. For me, my characters seem to materialize more fully just as I write about them. I think it is always important to give them positive and negative characteristics – otherwise they will never be fully rounded and believable – and it is interesting to see how they affect character interaction.

]]> By: Livia http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/comment-page-1/#comment-113472 Livia Tue, 12 May 2009 13:25:41 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2009/05/12/the-ying-and-yang-of-characterization/#comment-113472 I like the approach of starting with the emotional journey and working from there. I like the approach of starting with the emotional journey and working from there.

]]>