For Writers of Original Fiction

I thought this looked like fun when I saw it in madkestrel's lj.

Ten Character Meme

Choose ten of your characters (List them by name and give a brief description of who they are), then answer the following questions. For best results, put names in a hat and number them at random.

( The Meme Under The Cut To Spare The Disinterested )

Enjoy!

You can post your answers here or in your own journal. If you are posting these Building exercises in your own journal, please include a link or notation back to writers_loft, the source.

As always, you don't have to answer the questions, they are simply a tool to inspire, trigger ideas or just make you think about your characterizations and the world around your story.

Character Building 5

Let's talk villains.

I often enjoy the villains of the story, they can be more interesting than the good guys sometimes. I really appreciate intelligent villains with real motives and I'm horribly disappointed when the villains are dumbed down or if they are just the default nut bar/pervert. I also don't appreciate villains who are only depicted as bad by raping women (or men), molesting children and/or interfering with sheep. I like depth in my villains.

So, The Villain of the story....

If your villain is a person or persons:
In your lead villain's voice answer the following questions:

1. What is your name?
2. What is your background? (Education, family, current love interest...)
3. Are you acquainted with the "hero/heroine/good guys" of the story? What is your relationship with them?
4. How did your conflict with the opposition begin?
5. Why are you continuing the conflict?
6. How far are you willing to take the conflict?
7. What do you want to achieve?
8. Do you have anyone supporting you? (allies, a friend, a co-villain or two?)
9. What is your personal style? (mannerisms, dress...)
10. Do you have any quirks, pet peeves, habits, phobias?
11. Do you have a big secret you're keeping?
12. Can you kill? In cold blood? Personally and with your own hands?


The bigger picture

1. What is the villain's goal or what is to be gained?
2. What is the villain's motive?
3. Is it a personal conflict or two opposing sides of a larger conflict (i.e. a war, internal gov't conflict...)?
4. What would happen if the villain won?
5. Does the villain fit into a stereotype? (dumb brute, beautiful but evil, nut bar, pervert, sadist, puppy killer...)
5a. Does the villain have stupid henchmen/women or are they of normal intelligence?
6. Is the villain actually "Evil" or just on the opposite side from the "good guys"?
7. Are there any redeeming qualities to the villain? Is the villain all bad?
8. Would the villain ever come over to the Light side?
9. What are the villain's strengths?
10. What are the villain's weaknesses?
11. Why did the villain choose his/her path or side of the conflict?

Don't forget, if you post your responses in your own journal please include a link back to writers_loft to show the source.

Character Building 3

Vice or Virtue

Answer the following questions in your character's voice:

1. Can you kill?
2. Can you kill in cold blood?
3. Are you loyal?
4. How good is your word?
5. Do you lie, cheat and or steal?
6. Are you forgiving or vengeful?
7. Are you trusting or suspicious?
8. Are you brave or cowardly?
9. Are you reliable?
10. Ever been arrested?


Because not all characters tell the truth, admit the truth or even know the truth they may not be reliable narrators.

Other character's perception of that character:

1. Do other characters see the character as trustworthy?
2. Do others think the character can kill? In cold blood?
3. Is the character loyal and trustworthy?
4. Does the character tell the truth?
4a. Would that character cheat or steal?
5. Does the character have a forgiving nature or is he/she more likely to hold a grudge and or seek revenge?
6. Is the character trusting or the suspicious type?
7. Is the character trusting or suspicious?
8. Is the character brave or cowardly?
9. Is the character reliable?
10. Has that character ever been arrested?

Feel free to add to any of the question lists and if you want to discuss something out of one of the lists further, feel free to do that too. Really. :-)

These 'Building' posts are mainly food for thought and to help trigger the creative brain in figuring out characters and world building. You can answer the questions in the comments here or in your own personal journal or not at all, this isn't mandatory. I hope people choose to post their answers here because it is fun and interesting to see how other people see their characters and worlds. If you do choose to post your responses in your own journal please put a link back to this community with it. The more members and participation we have the more fun this will be.


Have fun with this.


The basics - Appearance

Character's name?
1. Hair colour? Style, length, texture?
2. Eye colour? Describe the colour with more detail, don't just say brown or blue.
3. What kind of gaze does this character have or what do his/her eyes say? What would the other characters say those eyes say?
4. Skin colour? Texture?
5. Ethnicity?
6. Body type or build?
7. Height?
8. Weight? Does this fit with the body type? A Conan body builder will be heavy and a voluptuous woman will be heavier too.
9. Age?


Interview with your character

In your character's voice answer the following questions:

1. What is your name?
2. Where do you live and what time period are you from?
3. How do you support yourself? What do you do for a living?
4. What do you do for fun?
5. Do you have any pet peeves (no, not THAT Peeves)?
6. What are a few of your favorite things?


If you want to expand on these ideas or add more questions go right ahead.