20 / 60
Apr 2024

In an upcoming episode of "Damsel in the Red Dress" my MCs mention an old Xmen TV show I used to watch with my brothers when I was a kid. Alicia often references poems and poets that I like ("The Honey Bear" by Eileen Myles, Nikki Giovanni's collection of poems "Cotton Candy on a Rainy Day" as well as the poem itself.) And more.

I have a lot of random interests I had throughout my childhood that ended up getting incorporated. Gameboys, action movies I saw part of but never got to watch the whole thing of (though me and younger brother really wanted to) etc.

  • created

    Apr '24
  • last reply

    Sep '24
  • 59

    replies

  • 1.2k

    views

  • 1

    user

  • 70

    likes

  • 13

    links

Yep. All the characters are just different bits of me, with a tweak or two. Like, one character obsesses over a specific animal, another character uses art as wish fulfillment, one of them just has a straight up copypaste of my childhood (semi joking lol), I put a lot of little references to my hometown, etc..
Storytelling is inherently personal. Parts of yourself and your life will seep into it, whether you want to or not. So instead of paying a therapist, I just make my characters punch/kiss/befriend personifications of my own personal traits. Freud would probably have a field day just with that sentence.

I definitely don't try to avoid it, but occasionally it's a more intentional/active decision.

WNHCD incorporates a lot of my interests, hobbies, etc, as it is a true story.

Daecon, of Finding Daecon's Way, has a few of my interests (cars, computers, reading, drawing) but with twists: I am more into classic cars, Daecon loves the modern stuff. Daecon is more interested in the programming side of computers, whereas I like the hardware. Daecon is into more modern fantasy reading, while i like the classic stuff like Tolkein.

Makes sense, it doesn't necessarily have to align completely. My ML is really into fashion, but his aesthetic isn't the same as mine. My female lead loves art, but her preference is warm tones while I generally don't use those (they are always the last thing used in my paint sets, when i'm all out of blue.) I think characters don't generally match up 100% even if the influence comes through

oh, what martial art do you study, or are you simply interested in martial arts?

My characters and I share many characteristics but my character Andy specifically has the aesthetic I want to have. Barefoot with princess dresses and flowers. I cannot afford this aesthetic at the moment, so I projected it onto her.

that sounds like a really fun aesthetic. and yeah, I give a lot of my interests, especially fashion aesthetics that I currently cannot afford to my characters. Though ATM, none of them use the signature style I have planned for myself "Tomboy Chic"

Haha! Love that! Yeah, none of them have my current aesthetic, “homeless Adam Sandler”

hmm, Alicia probably has my current aesthetic to a certain extent. "whatever is in my closet, randomly assembled to suit my needs for the day." though the "whatever" that's in her closet is a lot nicer than mine, she styles it so poorly it doesn't really matter

Muai Thai, jujitsu, taekwondo... and been in 20 something street fights growing up in the Philippines.

I don't intentionally make characters who enjoy the same things that I do, but I write a lot of characters, so there's bound to be overlap sometimes. Honestly though, it's usually the other way around, where writing about a character's hobby will then get me interested in that hobby, haha.

Ahh, I'm interested in so many things i'd be hard pressed not to overlap

XD, largely it's most of what "Damsel in the Red Dress" is too. Except cars. I don't care about cars

I absolutely do. Most of my stories feature musicians, usually the main characters. There's dancers also. Most characters are drag queens, too. These things are just what I know best, so I write my experiences and such. I usually incorporate jazz and older music also. I find it to be relatable and most people know the songs and get happy when they see a favorite older song in there that's nostalgic for them. I love hearing about people's stories about music that I mention in my stories. Really, all these things in my stories make me joyful, because my readers tell me stories about how they relate to it.

The last story that I wrote was about a tourist who becomes a poker pro.
I love playing poker

Yep. I like studying religions, and thinking on broad worldviews, and using said knowledge in a lot of works. Not sure why I'm the philisopical type, I find myself kinda like Friar, amused by his own speeches, loves to INFO DUMP XD, likes to write (though I've written loads in the past, it's limited to forum posts now atm).
Meditating, moreso than prayer, but I find both practices beneficial to my psyche.
Cooking, Luke loves it, does it to express his creativity and relax. Me too.

There are also some hobbies I would like to take up, like Qi Gong, or Tai Chi (to be featured in the next season). No one in that story is an artist/animator(my current time-sucking hobies), but that can be changed.

Well I try to, but I focus on remembering to always reread what I write. Sometimes there's no need to add things to the story just cause I like it, so I tend to try to always stay true to the story concept and the characters way of thinking. Maybe the opportunity will come later and I'll add the idea in another way.

Lucky you, my story is based on a medieval middle eastern fantasy so I can't incorporate much, although I did add a possessed carpet that resembles Alladin's magic carpet but It is a very violent carpet.

Absolutely. Apparent Secrets has personal hobbies, interests, characteristics, and details sprinkled throughout. Having the ability to pull from a wealth of personal knowledge on a variety of topics helps flesh out the characters, and makes them more real and believable. I also rely on second-hand information from enthusiasts. I'm not big on motorcycles, surfing, or what it's like to work for different companies, but I know someone in the friend/family group that has those things in their lives. :wink:

it's cool for your audience to be able to relate to your story I think. As of yet, i've gotten no comments like that, so maybe the experience in my stories are largely foreign to my audience

I love cooking too lol, though I prefer baking

@mg_xiii

Well of course you wouldn't want to force it if it doesn't fit. I think a lot of people just have so many interests that a few of them make it into their stories regardless.

@skidiggy

I'm like this. a lot of the experiences characters have had that I haven't are based on family members

Leia ("Rigamarole") definitely has my hobbies as a major bookworm. The story is set in the late 2000s early 2010s (when I was a little kid) so her obsession with her local library is just the life me and my brothers lived. She also likes riding her bike a lot, which I loved as a kid (don't have a bike now unfortunately, but I would definitely get back into it again) not for competitions/races or anything, just for fun.

My interests are woven very tightly into my story.

I love nature: Aine has the power to grow vegetation at will and many of my cities and locations have names of plants/flowers
I love magic: Everything is magical
I love astronomy: One the reoccurring themes is the Sun and Moon, and many of my cities and locations have names based on planets and stars.
I enjoy RPG video games: The story plays out much like one.

I could go on and on, because basically everything down to the clothes the characters wear is a conscious choice because I took an interest in it in one way or another.

XD, in a way that's how writing is for me too. if I'm not interested in it, there's not much chance it'll make it into my story

there are some interests that can still crossover with a twist. hobbies/interests like dance, art, reading, fashion, and cooking are timeless. don't know if you like any of those but yk

21 days later

Ohh, I might as well acknowledge that Riley from "Rigamarole" loves eyeliner and nail art. I never wear either (because I'm broke lol) but I just love makeup, especially artistic makeup, so it's not surprising that it made it into the character.

Incorporating all your hobbies and wants in each and every character like a library of books. Plus it also helps if you have knowledge about the hobby or interest, it could make your character stand out too.

well, I don't include all my interests into every character, but i think most of them have at least one of them

10 days later

Dominic from "A Dozen Morning Glories" is very into Musicals and concept albums, and likes "Epic: The Musical" which is one of my interests ATM. He also loves reading, cooking and flower arranging. I'd love to be able to do origami, but I've yet to be able to make sense of it, so that's and interest of mine, but not something I do rn lol

Every character reflects an aspect of myself to some extent, so some of my interests and hobbies inevitably slip in. For example, the mascot of The Shapes, Triangle, is a journalist which reflects my credentials in studying international relations (even though he was created way before I even went to college) and Round owns a comic book shop which I use as a catalyst for fandom humor and manifesting my deep interest in the medium.

Sometimes we develop our interests because of researching them for characters I think

29 days later

i guess that counts lol, though it hadn't been what i meant lol

17 days later



Sketchy business is about a woman who wants to be a comic artist, so the whole story is about my interests XD.

The plan is to debut the story this year, if all goes as planned