Timewaster's Guide Archive
Local Authors => Writing Group => Topic started by: Faster Master St. Pastor on November 24, 2005, 11:46:37 AM
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Gack!
I just realized that I have no idea how a main character of mine would react to anything! This is really my own fault, I've not written in this story for quite a while. Even when I had been writing consistently he was loosely defined. I shall go stew.
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I recommend writing up a character sheet on him. Either do that, or use FreeMind and get him all plotted out.
If I ever wonder what one of my characters is like, I just go look at my notes and remind myself.
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That's is my problem, I can't find my notes.
Also what is FreeMind?
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That's unfortunate.
FreeMind is this:
http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
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You said they were a main character, but how much of a main character are they if you haven't really got them defined in your head, and how could you get very far if you don't know how they'd react to things?
Sorry for being all picky and stuff, it's hard to repress my instinct for picking out stuff like that.
Anyway, here's this thing on that big site thing which might help [I've never actually tried it, since my characters are mostly defined in my head, I had made a bunch of character sheets once but they were disigned just to provide little pictures and be funny (with questions like blood type)]
http://elfwood.lysator.liu.se/farp/thewriting/crissychar/crissychar.html
also, I have a different thing which is for defining what the characters look like. You'd probably be able to try since you play Magic, I don't know if this works either since I don't have enough cards, it's my friends big idea. Basically, what he does is he looks through his cards until he finds one with an illustration that matches how he views one of his characters in his head and uses that rather then a shifting image in his head. I don't know if it works, but he's constantly going on about how great it is so I'd try it out.
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I actually had the brilliant idea of using an online (free/automated) tarot reading to develop a character's personality. It worked like a charm.
http://feath.com/idea/tarotidea.htm
For creating a character, I recommend the Minchiate tarot (it's more authentic/old), and the "Fourfold Vision" reading; it's perfect for characters.
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Okay, by loosely defined I mean that I do have stuff that has happened to him written down, but it's more personality wise that I don't know him. I made the mistake of having him be kinda Mary-Sue like, but that's been taken care of in my most recent draft (a couple days ago) he's kinda really determinedly pessimistic and motivated at the same time. Thanks for the help.