Apr 2024
50 / 70
Feb 5
10d ago
Leyelle
Nov '24

For some reason I was like halfway through the story when I decided that Kattar used to be really into Greek food as a kid. It was random, but now it's been mentioned in two chapters. At some point he got more into Indian food, so I created a head canon for when he fell in love with Indian cuisine even though it will probably never appear in the story.

Regardless, here is when it was mentioned in a flashback chapter when he was a three year old:

Getting down from my lap, he goes to put the bracelet in his room as I go to the walk in closet for my shoes. I’m not sure exactly when he reappears behind me, unfolding and wrapping himself in one of my woven shawls.

“Aye! My darling is greedy today,” I laugh, pulling the shawl down over his face, “Must you have this too?”

“Everything is mine,” he laughs in the little evil way he likes to copy from cartoons.

I fold my arms over my bosom, “Kattar…what do you say?”

He pouts, unwrapping the shawl and handing it up to me. “Please.”

“Does Mami ever say you can’t have anything nice if you just say please?”

He shakes his head as I tie the shawl around his head and shoulders so it won’t fall off.

“Anything my kitty wants is his.”

“Anything?” He looks at me, his expression darkening a little doubtfully, and I know what he’s going to ask.

“Of course, anything. Do you doubt Mami?” I laugh quickly, standing up with a clap of my hands. “So should we tell Ms. Weinstein to bring gyros to the park for our lunch? My kitty Kat will like that, yes?”

He seems a little bewildered but he nods, as I keep chattering, selecting my purse and shoes, and heading down the stairs. He follows me slowly with one hand on the wooden banister.

28 days later
25 days later
28 days later
Leyelle
Feb 4

Not until I had been drawing Sketchy Business for about 6 months did I realize that Texas has albinism, or rather, realized my editor had a point when he asked if she had albinism. I went and researched it, and realized that made a lot of sense. She's also not as french as her family thinks they are, but neither of these things are likely to be mentioned much or at all in the story.

clarissapattern
Feb 4

I think that's really interesting learning about your characters as you go, I think I tend to know who they are at the beginning. For one of my novels I wrote detailed character sheets before I started writing.

Leyelle
Feb 4

I like writing character sheets too, but sometimes I don't have answers for certain questions until I actually start writing the scenes/book outlines etc.

Oriflamme
Feb 4

I would describe my process as learning new things about my character to stick to the script. Whenever I write, I often run into roadblock that I resolve by learning new things about my character.

In the first draft of the upcoming chapters, Corrine was too passive, always getting ping-ponged around by the other character. That passivity was becoming a problem by slowing the development of the story. I had to ask myself what kind of motivation would justify her action, keeping her agency, works within established elements, and would flow nicely into the next part of her story.

The answer came to me in a meme:

eternityoz
Feb 5

I'm definitely the type of person to get to know my characters the more I write them. Sure, I may start with a character sheet with design ideas, some adjectives for their personality, and some blurbs about their backstory, but I don't actually feel like I know them.

As far as my 'script' goes, it's basically just major turns or checkpoints of the story that I'm like 95% sure that I'm going to go through with to carry on the story, but for everything in between these points, it's all up to the flow of the writing. That flow is what helps me get to know my characters.

Heck, I didn't really have any romance planned, but at the rate my drafts are going, the characters are basically working that into their stories themselves.

drbwp4
Feb 7
1

I like to interview my characters before getting too invested in writing them. I just come up with questions and write their answers as if they are the ones talking. I've also written a few side stories that I wanted to add to the book but didn't. The side stories helped me learn how the characters interact with each other. The interview helps me get a feel of why my character is the way they are.
I've also tried making character sheets. While this wasn't my cup of tea it's definitely a good way to hash out what their strengths and weaknesses are, or if they have specific habits that I can portray throughout the book.
I also like to introduce my character to someone new early on. This really helps me get a feel of who my main character is.

jwabeasley
Feb 7

I usually have a pretty solid idea of who the characters are, how they work, and the general direction they're going before I start a project. It's when I write that I get to find out the specifics, that part is very fun for me. Although since I am a weekly webcomic and it takes me 6 months to get through a whole chapter, I've had a long time to think about and refine the plot before I start drawing it!

Leyelle
Feb 8

ooh! I love doing this too. it's a lot of fun.

eldritchtroubadour
Feb 8

I have a general outline on how the story will go, but I keep adding small details to the characters as I go. For instance, the protagonist Caelan was a VERY different person from who he ended up being as I srote the first ideas and drafts.

The story itself changed a lot since the start, beginning as a standard plot-driven advancement story with video game mechanics into a character-driven tale about grief and the healing it follows after a traumatic loss.

The same can be said for everyone else. I guess the only constant through most of it is the Lovable Asshole that Leopold is. Starting as a side character, he achieved the position of deuteragonist now that I'm finally publishing.

Anyway, anyone who's curious is welcome to check it out. If you do, don't forget to say hi XD

8 days later
drbwp4
27d

Sometimes, but mostly they make me laugh. I really enjoyed my most recent one because I think the character might be a bit of a narcissist.

Leyelle
25d

Mrs. Moon is a narcissist and I've found her both entertaining and concerning to write, but I thinks it's more her other factors than her narcissism that makes her entertaining lol

drbwp4
25d
clarissapattern

Honestly, a little. But the more I write him, the less he seems like a narcissist. I think I'm going to have to explore writing the narcissism back into him.

clarissapattern
25d

it's interesting and sometimes frustrating how characters change when we start writing them

raspberry590
22d
drbwp4

oh I'm definitely going to try this, it sounds really helpful. also it sounds super fun lol