Friday, September 28, 2012

My Main Characters- Certain Tendencies

It seems as if every writer has a tendency or area of comfort when creating their characters, whether it is to make them lean and tall or intelligent and outgoing. After all, most of our main characters have traits that we would like to have, or that we associate with an admirable person.

Female Tendencies:
  1. Now, this isn't always the case, but beauty always seems to be a factor when developing my heroines. In fact, upon examination of other literary *fantasy* works, I can't name a single heroine who has had an acne-covered face or even a wider-than-normal nose. Even characters that look down upon themselves are accepted naturally by others.
  2. Personality is also a huge factor when I'm developing my characters. Most of my female characters tend to be dynamic: shy at first, but through some kind of changing experience, their views on the world around them changes in its entirety.
  3. I tend to shy away from blond main characters: for some reason I find an inexplicable detachment from them, which is perhaps caused by the persistent hammering of certain stereotypes and generalizations. I intend to arm one of my main characters with golden locks in the future, however.
  4. Strength is one of my biggest commonalities. I despise tales that demean women, and write them off as damsels in distress. It is exceptional on certain levels, but I find it irritating that many people believed, and still believe, that woman are incapable of fending for themselves.
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Despite these tendencies, each and every character is treated to their own developed set of thoughts, ideas, and ways of thinking. They may do different things, express themselves in different ways, and generally behave in a different manner. When I write, I picture that I am the character, and I know instinctively how they will react when they are faced with each and every obstacle.

Male Tendencies: 
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  1. Once again, this is a common tendency among authors. We all love the tall, dark, and handsome heroes, the ones that we dream of encountering in reality, only to be disappointed later on. They're always athletic or toned, to an extent. Most are sure of themselves and confident in their actions and decisions, whether they are good or bad. They are fought over, reveled about, and often end up turning the tables somewhere in the story.
  2.  Eyes are very defining for my male characters--eyes can tell the story of the character's background before they even deliver any dialogue whatsoever, and can foreshadow towards future events. Gray eyes mean mystery, as commonly known, and can hint towards a past filled with danger and despair.
  3. Defining/supernatural trait: Whether it is golden or silver eyes, wings, fangs, or even, more recently, a significantly wider peripheral vision, I like to set my male  characters apart from the rest. They are often non-human, and the most superior ones often end up causing more trouble than that of which they aim to cure. 

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