Do you always write yourself? (Q for writers)

[Ximena]

I've been doing a lot of writing and editing lately and as an avid writer/reader, I always kind of think of this question.

I know that at some level (obviously) every character comes from a part of us - but what I'm curious is, when you write (if you write) - do you find your characters tend to be very much like you or not at all?

I mean this in both physical description and in their emotional traits as well as other things like what they do for a living and what they like (hobbies, music, etc.)?

Personally, I generally prefer to write from a man's perspective than a woman's (always have), and I'm obviously not a man.

But when I do write female characters, they're almost never like me; they might have a few things in common with me (like curly hair or a taste for punk music), but in general, they're very different.

I wonder if lots of writers are like that or they tend to play things closer to the chest. I know that most people I know when they play The Sims immediately create themselves (and/or) their family - I never did. Instead, I'd create characters from my soap (or make up whole new family/storlines), lol. Wonder what that says about me?

[Deleted]

Jun 21, 2012 11:12:56 GMT -5 Ximena said:

Personally, I generally prefer to write from a man's perspective than a woman's (always have), and I'm obviously not a man.

For my college admission I had to write, among other things, a story after a given start. I wrote from a man's perspective, thought a sarcastic guy would be better than a woman, who would only sound bitchie

Anyways, yes, I do tend to write the stuff I like into the story. I've tried making a character my opposite, but I found out she annoyed me more than anything. I'm not a writer though, so people who actually write for a living might - and actually have to - write far from themselves (if they'd write close to home everytime, their stories would just become redundant).

Since I do it for my own pleasure - aka create the stuff I can't find elsewhere, I guess it's ok. My best example here would be Kevin's love interest from the fic I keep writing. I started making April up when I was blond, and of course she had blonde hair too. When I changed back to my natural hair colour, suddenly having her blonde rang false. As I love - and always had - long hair, I can never feel something for a short-haired woman and the list could go on..and on.

It doesn't really have to be me - me. More like the qualities I like in people/women.

[Ximena]

Jun 21, 2012 12:34:00 GMT -5 @cristabell said:

It doesn't really have to be me - me. More like the qualities I like in people/women.

I think that is a good point; I think I sometimes write characters who have traits or characteristics I WISH I had... it can be fun sometimes to write someone so completely "outside" yourself... maybe that's why I enjoy writing men so much...

[janewheeler]

I always do, and I have a hard time balancing things between what I know I've experienced and what might be true for a different character. Which is probably part of why I get obsessed with details -- and a big part of why Swimming to the Surface is so vague about Jules!

[brace4impact]

When I wrote my trilogy, I wrote in the first person perspective, however, my personality was split between an Id and an Ego with my narrator and his best friend. One should always write what one knows. I'm not a fan of basketball, so I would be loathe to write a novel revolving around the sport. I write what I feel I have a good grasp on, as I feel more confident in what I'm talking about. Remember, it's fiction, so you're allowed a certain level of BS, but it can only go so far, so if you can't force yourself to believe it, you surely can't force your readers. That's why there's nothing wrong with inserting yourself in the story.

[Ximena]

Yeah, you have to write what you know, but you also have to balance between reality and fiction. Sometimes things that really happened don't translate so well to fiction.

I know it's been really interesting for me to work on my current project (see post about UnConventional), because it's written in the first-person from the woman's POV, and other than liking punk we don't have anything in common, really, lol. It's really fun to get into the head of someone so different from me, yet whom I can still relate to on a certain level.

[brace4impact]

I'm not saying you have to put your life story as the plot, but more along the lines that you can let your personality flow through your character. Or, you can live a totally different life, that's fine too. Writing is fun because you can live vicariously through your characters, the script is all yours, and you control the destiny of the story. I started writing about 5 years ago because I was both bored at work and really bored with TV. I liked the idea of having total plot control instead of letting someone else dictate the story to me. Ever watch a movie or show and say to yourself "Character A would NEVER do something like that, come on" well now you have the ability to make that character do what YOU think they would or should do.

[ruthmadison]

I usually find myself somewhere in the character. Elizabeth is highly autobiographical in a lot of ways (not everything because a real human being is far too complex to capture).

I was fascinated by Jessica in my story Faster that's in Devoted. She is completely different from me and her very strong voice just came to me.

Several other projects I'm working on have characters that express one aspect of me.

I'm having a lot of trouble with a book I'm working on about a cultural divide between an Indian mother and daughter. I relate most strongly to the mother and almost not at all with the daughter! It's hard to figure out what her motivation is and where she's coming from.

[ruthmadison]

Brace, I agree! Having control over the plot is addicting!

[janewheeler]

Having control over the plot SUCKS. So hard! *giggle*

[Deleted]

Yeah, I always think I have control, but as it turns out, the story itself goes.on a while different path. And I like that. the best part for me is actually imagining stuff I previously wanted to write. so i develop a whole different story in my head, but refer to what was actually put on paper s being the 'realuty'. does this make any sense? as in.. I like to 'see' what could've been...and how i feel about a different set of events.

[Ximena]

I definitely understand what you mean, crista. That's kind of what I mean when I talk about my characters coming to life. I know I've written things only to have stuff come up that I never would have imagined.

For example, in the literary novel I'm working on, there was a scene I knew had to happen - the man and woman meet on the shores of a lake, the woman to tell him she's pregnant.

That was the only thing I really knew - but as I started writing, setting the scene, I realized that the woman had been beaten by her father for getting pregnant out of wedlock (scene is set in the past), and she's hiding it with large dark glasses that she only removes partway through the conversation. It's a great detail for the scene, gives the male character extra motivation for how he behaves, and one I hadn't even thought about until it just kind of... happened.

I have another character where I was just writing about him going back home after having been estranged from his family because of some of his life choices. That was my only intention, but as I wrote, I realized that he had had a sister, and the sister had committed suicide while he was away from home (she was younger than him), and he's always carried around the guilt of having "left her behind," as if in choosing his own life, he somehow rejected her - and that guilt has really shaped who he is now as a character. Like he's spent the rest of his life since her death atoning for it, making up for it. None of that was planned at all; it just kind of happened and it made so much sense. It was like, now I understand him, why he is the way he is. I love when that happens.

Like right now I'm experimenting with Santiago's view point (inspired by some of the exercises Jane's been doing with SttS) for my current dev novel-in-progress, UnConventional. Not sure if I'll end up using it or not, but it's really helping me understand him a little better - why he is the way he is - because I was starting to feel like I got a good sense for Di (the narrator), but not as much for him. He's "perfect" from her POV, of course, but I know as an author he really isn't, and I wanted to find his flaws, his history.

[ej]

Jun 21, 2012 12:34:00 GMT -5 @cristabell said:

Jun 21, 2012 11:12:56 GMT -5 Ximena said:

I've tried making a character my opposite, but I found out she annoyed me more than anything.

Haha--that's genius. Never thought about it, but you are SO right. I can see that happening all too easily.

I think I definetly tend to write myself as a character a lot. Not nesecairly in looks, but more in qualites. For example, right now in Parking Lot Desperation, Keeley is kind of goofy and bad at the whole flirting thing, she can think of witty remarks but always holds back for some reason.

That. Is. ME! Heehee.

I think, for me, it's easier to write a character after myself because then I know exactly what that character would do or think in a particular situation. Eh, it might be lazy of me to not want to be creative lol but oh well.

As for the plot...almost never based on my life. Not the romantic parts involving sexy wheeler's. More like just the embarrassing stupid stuff that makes good filler stuff, lol.

[Peony]

Ok, so I kind of feel like a fraud posting on this because so many of you have posted a lot on the fiction site! I've only written 3 fairly involved stories (dev ones anyway, I love writing really surreal children's stories. So weird), with only a few characters in each, but honestly, I think the thing that irks me the most with writing is how much of yourself seeps in, without even realising it. How can it not? I agree with ej, for me it's qualities that I know I have in spades, or facets of myself that I only share with people I really love. But...I also use writing for exploration, as well...one of my characters is so totally me in 10 years, after about 2 glasses of wine (well, maybe with a bit more 'cynical whore' thrown in for good measure!). ;D

And Jane and ej, maybe it's just because I've read a lot of your stuff, but I can really *hear* you both in your writing, and I often smile when I read it (is that creepy? I hope not!)...of course that's always easier when you have board posts for a little more context, but you both sound totally awesome ;D

[Ximena]

I think that's a good point you make, Peony - I think any art you create automatically exposes a part of yourself, whether it's intentional or not.

Last night I was talking about my fiction (in general) with hubby and he pointed out that I must have some unresolved unconscious guilt because "guilt" is a theme that pervades my fiction, with nearly all of my major characters battling with some kind of guilt.

At first, I argued with him that that wasn't true, but then I thought about it for a moment and realized he was absolutely right - not ALL of my characters have guilt issues, but a lot of them do. He thought I was mad, but I actually was happy because it gave me better insight into me (and my fiction), which will help me be a better writer I think.

I don't always easily see the internal conflict in a character and knowing this will definitely help me, lol.

I think that might be one of the reasons that I'm enjoying the current book club book so much! I can relate to Kevin on a certain level because of the guilt and insecurity he has (although I'm not that bad lol)!