AUTHOR'S NOTE: I belonged to a couple of writing forums for almost a year before realizing, sadly, that the more publication-minded writers won't ever take seriously writers like myself who don't care to get published. :( It's discouraging to find that I can't get companionship even among my own kind.
That being said, there were some good posts there, in between all the bitching about outlining vs. not outlining, prologues vs. no prologues, how unprofessional speech tags/italics/exclamation marks/just about anything else is if you don't happen to agree with it, etc. (Seriously, they'd think you're a hack if your characters happen to need exclamation marks when they speak, even if you're not aiming for publication, and if you say this is so then they say you obviously have no understanding of how the writing process works since it's obviously so very different from what they understand it to be. I ended up leaving when I was pretty much told my writing process, compared to that of writers trying to get published, is "apples and oranges" just because I believe dreams can serve a useful purpose in character illustration whereas the other writers in that thread didn't. Needless to say, I wish I'd known other writers are like this a lot sooner so I wouldn't have wasted time and effort trying to get settled in there. I'm getting more actual writing done now that I've quit the place anyway. I think some of those people spend so much time posting there, telling other people how unprofessional their personal preferences are and basically trying to discourage those who don't agree from even trying to be taken seriously (they seem more interested in weeding out competition than in helping fellow writers), I don't see how they have time to write.)
Ranting aside...*blushes*...those good posts are the only thing I really miss about those forums. One such good post consisted of some questions geared toward getting to know your characters. Now, I have no need to interview my characters to get to know them better, as I learn about them through my writing--it's just never been an issue. (Except perhaps with Horus. I really cannot "get" him.) But I found it fun to have them answer anyway.
Here's the reply I made to the post in question. I thought it'd be entertaining to share.
I could do this all day for all my characters. :D I'll limit myself to just two--Charmian, the teenaged protagonist of my current fantasy serial Escape From Manitou Island, and Augwak, the chief of the cannibal GeeBees (a type of wind/ice spirit), from the same story. This is the characters as they currently stand. Here we go...
What is your name?
Charmian.
Are you male or female?
*puzzled look* Well, female, obviously.
Where were you born, and in what year?
Petoskey. (Tehuti cuts in--that's in northern lower Michigan. I've never given Charmian a birth year, so she can't give one.)
How old are you?
Fifteen.
Are you human?
Well...yeah, obviously. *gives a weird look*
Are your parents alive? If not, how did they die?
They're alive! Fortunately. Cripes how morbid.
Do you identify yourself with a particular social class? Or, if you are younger, a social type?
Ahm...what? (Tehuti cuts in--Charmian would vaguely fit the brainy loner type, but she isn't completely aware of this, she just knows she isn't terribly popular.)
How do you feel now? Are you happy or angry? Why?
Well, kind of neutral, I guess, since I'm answering questions and not fighting spirits or demons or anything, for once. *makes a face* Shouldn't have said that.
Are you a virgin? If not, who were you with first?
*turning bright red* None of your business!!
Are you religious? If so, what's your faith?
Well...I don't know. I believe in a lot of things now, I guess. (Tehuti cuts in--Charmian is presumably from a secular Christian background, but this is never mentioned in the stories. She enters a fantasy land where spirits and spirit power are all around her in tangible and intangible form and has come to see this as normal. She doesn't think in religious terms as she wasn't brought up this way, but she's come to think in somewhat spiritual terms.)
Is there anybody you hate? If so, why? Does it matter?
I try not to hate people, but there are some who just really piss me off!!
Is there anybody you love? If so, why? Does it matter?
Well...yeah. A lot of people. Thomas, Stick, Mani, my friends and everybody. Of course it matters. Why would you ask that? Does it matter why?
Do you ever lie? If so, how often?
*makes a face* Well, I try not to, but sometimes it's necessary! You won't believe the stuff I have to deal with sometimes!! *turns bright red again*
Do you have any addictions? (Harmful or otherwise). Are you trying to change?
*looking perplexed* Not that I'm aware of. I know I kind of hit Thomas in the arm a lot, but that's not an addiction, he usually deserves it!
Do you think you are better than those around you?
Of course not! *looking indignant*
Do you believe you have any faults? What are they?
Of course I have faults. *looking guilty* I know I lose my temper too much, and stuff, but I really don't mean to. I just get fed up sometimes. And I've learned I can do some really nasty things...the big thing the Island's taught me is that I can do the same things my enemies do, and if I deny that, then it just makes me weaker. But if I accept it I can face it and it's not as likely to happen. It's hard to deal with this sometimes because I hate thinking I can do such things, but I know I have to accept it. I slip sometimes though. *winces*
(I just noticed Charmian seems rather "shortwinded" in answering many of these questions, sometimes avoiding things like "why" and detailed explanations. She's not short on words, but it occurred to me that she's unlikely to answer questions in this manner, out of context; in fact, the reaction I got from her toward most of these types of questions was confusion, like, why would somebody ask her this or want to know? As you can see, the last question really got an answer out of her, because it's such a big recurring theme in my stories, so of course she had a lot to say. With the other questions, she'd answer them better as they occur in context.)
What is your name?
Augwak, though you should already know that! Idiot fleshling.
Are you male or female?
Wha--? MALE, you idiot! (Tehuti cuts in--GeeBees are exclusively male, so of course Augwak finds this question bizarre and insulting.)
Where were you born, and in what year?
*puffs self up and waves his arms* I have always been and always shall be! (Tehuti cuts in--this is not true, but he has no known birthdate. He presumably came into existence on Manitou Island. I'm not sure why he didn't answer that.)
How old are you?
Ageless! Endless! Immortal! I'll certainly live far longer than you pathetic fleshbags. (Tehuti cuts in--he is NOT immortal...Jeez he's an unreliable answerer!)
Are you human?
OF COURSE NOT, YOU IDIOTIC MORONIC PIECE OF FILTH!! How DARE you insinuate that I am!!
Are your parents alive? If not, how did they die?
Wha--?? I'm a great Wendigo GeeBee! Wendigo GeeBees don't have PARENTS! Who taught you, you moronic lunkhead?? Did you grow up under a rock or something?
Do you identify yourself with a particular social class? Or, if you are younger, a social type?
I am the great ogimah (chief) of the Wendigo GeeBees! As such I am the greatest GeeBee to walk this Island! How's that for "social class," you piddling fool?
How do you feel now? Are you happy or angry? Why?
I'm angry that I have to be stuck here answering such stupid questions, for one thing! And HUNGRY...I'm so hungry! *looks woeful and agonized and starts drooling*
Are you a virgin? If not, who were you with first?
*turning brilliant red* THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NONE OF YOUR CONCERN, YOU DISGUSTING PILE OF FLESH!!
Are you religious? If so, what's your faith?
I have faith in MYSELF--as great ogimah of the GeeBees! Whenever I should knock some sense into--er--manage to overcome--er--well, WHENEVER I am most powerful, and have everyone shaking in their moccasins and cowering before me--which should be pretty damn soon!--then you will all bow to ME as the supreme power! *cackles, then pauses to think* Before I eat you all, that is. Of course. But before that, there shall be plenty of SHAKING AND COWERING! *cackles again*
Is there anybody you hate? If so, why? Does it matter?
I hate the pathetic fleshlings like you who stand in my way and won't just lie down and let yourself be eaten like the good little foodstuffs you are! *pauses to think* Oh. And anybody who stands in my way!
Is there anybody you love? If so, why? Does it matter?
I... *blank wide-eyed stare* I...I hate that disgusting flame-haired fleshling MAINLANDER! I hate her more than anything that walks or flies or swims or crawls upon this piddling rock of an Island! (Tehuti cuts in--he's referring to Charmian. Why did he answer this question with who he hates most? Well...)
Do you ever lie? If so, how often?
I say whatever is needed to meet my own ends! You have a problem with that? I doubt you'll stick around long then. Stupid fleshlings with your stupid moral hangups.
Do you have any addictions? (Harmful or otherwise). Are you trying to change?
Always I crave the taste of fleshlings! Their meat, their internal organs, their blood! I can never have enough! You call this an "addiction"? Well what if I said you pathetic fleshlings are addicted to air, what would you say then, huh? Stupid idiot fleshlings with your stupid moral hangups...
Do you think you are better than those around you?
I am certainly FAR SUPERIOR to anyone or anything who happens to be around me! And, for that matter, anyone or anything who happens to NOT be around me, as well! *cackles*
Do you believe you have any faults? What are they?
*turning so brilliant red it looks like his head will blow off* FAULTS?! HOW DARE YOU INSINUATE THE ALMIGHTY AUGWAK HAS FAULTS?! I SHOULD TEAR YOUR HEAD OFF AND SWALLOW IT WHOLE IF I WEREN'T SO DISGUSTED WITH YOU RIGHT NOW!!
(Yeegh...Augwak is pretty insulting and...well...likes to use words like "stupid" and "idiot" a lot. o_o; )
Okay, I'll stop now. :D
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