Something That Could Help You !

[LaToya]

I'm really not that great at writing at stuff, but I am told all the time that my characters do sound like the actual characters. I am asked how to do this and I sometimes do the following:

1> Watch an episode of whatever I may be writing on.

* I listen to each character and think about what else they could say.

* Try picturing them saying what you wanted them to say.

It is hard sometimes or if you haven't tried it and think it's hard it can be ,but if it fits the character then it should be easy to picture them saying it!

2> I also picture myself as the character and make my emotion in real life on said-subject appear in the text of whoever the actual character is.

* Try reading over the paragraph you wrote with all the emotion.

* Sometimes it is easier to just close your eyes and let a film play as if you were in the situation.

3> I then do the film play part. I play what I would like the scene to look like, in my head, then I try my best to spill it out into words.

4> It is also nice to have some actual quotes from the character in there.

* You can edit the quotes to if you like!



Hope some of you got help from this. I thought some of you would like to know how I make characters feel and speak the way the do. So Tell me if you have any other ideas on how to make characters feel and speak more like themselves!

[Esmeralda]

Toy, most of this is sorta good advice, but I have to reject this one:

2> I also picture myself as the character and make my emotion in real life on said-subject appear in the text of whoever the actual character is.

Be sure to read the thread on the Mary Sue Blues. Pretending that you are the character and putting your own emotions from real life onto that character is the best way to create a Mary Sue or a Gary Stu unless you change that emotion to fit how that character would react to that situation, not how you would.

but I am told all the time that my characters do sound like the actual characters.

If people are really telling you this after you've done what you described above, I'm sure they're just trying to be nice. Be sure to read that Mary Sue Blues thread and be sure to take the test on any character that you've used that idea to create. If you're honest, I'm sure you'll find out that you created a Mary Sue.

[kernsux]

esmrelda your really scaring me with this mary stu and gary stu stuff i liked latoyas ideas cos thats what i was doing when i tried to write an entry for your contest now im not sure if i should enter or not

[Aurora]

Instead of picturing how you would react, try picturing how the character would react, particularly what makes the two characters different from each other in there feelings on the issues. The danger in making them too much like yourself is all the characters could start to sound the same and this usually makes for dull. Contrast your characters and their reactions to things and you will find all your characters have interesting things to say.

[kernsux]

OH is that what they mean oh thats not that bad i can do that ty aurora i feel a lot better now