I'm finding that as I write I learn more about my characters and none of it is on the bio I've written for them.

Help?

Pal...pondering if she's got multiple personality disorder
 

FWIW I tried doing detailed bios for characters when I started writing, but I've since given up because, as characters change due to the events of the story, their bios are too much work to maintain .

I'm only writing short stories at the moment, and all I do is make a brief sketch of the main features of principle characters in my backstory notes, then let them develop in the story itself. Surprisingly quickly they take on a life of their own and I remember stuff about them using the same (poor) mental faculties I use for my real friends.

I'm hoping this method will scale up to novel-length work, not least because I fear that having to take time out of writing the story to keep several bios up to date will stifle creative flow.

Perhaps the novel becomes the bio?

Hope this helps,
Pat
 

For example, in one WIP Jack is the ship's Captain (his short name to me suggests terse, decisive, as a Captain might me) and Samantha is the navigator (which means she's also decisive but in a more thoughtful, analytic manner than Jack). They're both in their mid-thirties. That's the extent of their bios; the rest I learn as I write the story. I have little idea what they actually look like and don't much mind. I'm happy leaving that to the reader. And just the fact that they fly airships in a dangerous world tells me something about their characters.

Cheers,
Pat

[This message has been edited by TaleSpinner (edited August 23, 2008).]
 

I do this exact thing too! For one of my stories I actuall sat down and had "my characters" write a journal entry about their life.

I go back every now and then to read the entries and it amazes me the difference in voice between them all.

I find out so much just from writing that I couldn't put it all down even if I wanted to.

Thanks everyone for all your advice and comments.

Pal...
 

Nowadays I generally know where my characters come from, at least the major ones---but I keep it in my head. That way I can make alterations at will.
 

Do they need to be an orphan for the story to work? Great. Kill the parents.

Do they need a distinctive hair color? Nope, let's let it pop up and see what happens.

Heck, I'll even change a character's name at the end if I think of something better.

Other writers work differently. So, the answer to your question is that the character bio should only be as in depth as you need it to be.
 

I've done that Robert with two of my characters. I've since done what you did and set all that aside and just wrote. Mayhap I'll use the background for a novel itself.

Pal....
 

hmmmm, let me guess, when you're into it, you're into it; and your character's - they take on a life of their own. Then it becomes as much fun writing as it does reading a story, because, you want to get back to your word processor of choice just to see what they are going to say next?

I have a very concrete mental picture of everything about my m/c's but never anything actually concrete about them apart from their story. I write notes as I go for details and they are short hand in a notebook, for quick reference. I couldn't create a bio first. It's too one deminsional for me. (As you can see, I have a genetic disorder which requires I over-explain everything)

Does the bio confine your story by giving you pre-set boundries? Which do you go back and change when the character starts to drift: The Bio, or the story?
 

Adding family members, and some childhood stuff is okay, but I found I didn't really use it very often in the story I was writing. As mentioned above, the characters grew as I wrote, so they grew going forward, rather than backwards, as what a BIO doe, I feel.

I like to keep it simple. A brief description, brothers, sisters, family etc. A few notes, so I dont have to remember loads of detail as I write them. If something significant happens, or I think of something, I would add that to their profile I have made, but yeah, keeping it simple for me.
 

In terms of getting to grips with characters - interview them. And not in 3-minute puff-your-new-book talk-show style. Shove them in an interrogation room and play good cop bad cop with them and watch them respond - not just the facts that they come up with, but HOW they present them, whether they play tough or play dumb or prevaricate. You learn about characters from how they work under stress, so take half an hour out to stress the hell out of them. You may find their responses surprising, but it will tell you much more about the character, and make you a lot more caable fo slipping nito the appropriate mindset.
 

I'd suggest getting a writing buddy who would interview your characters for you and you return the service. That way, you'll get questions you might not have thought of, and you'll have someone outside yourself to follow threads in the interview that you might find very useful in your story.

In fact, if this sounds interesting to any of you, we could set up some topics, maybe in the Writing Class area or the Writing Challenges area (or even in its own area, if there is enough interest) where people could have their characters introduce themselves (one topic per character--similar to the introduction topics), and we could all interview the characters.
 

I have a problem though, as my scenes aren't very exciting so far as description goes. I have a friend who is a painter and she's helping me with that.

I do dialogue better and need to remember that not everyone can see (hera?) inside my head.

I'm learning how to let other's hear the characters thoughts. It's been a tough go, but I'm learning.

True story (if you're in the mood)...I was working on a script about ten years ago while at work. I was writing a scene where one of the characters was a real jerk. As I wrote it I loudly exclaimed my opinion of something he had said (I had written).

My neighbour popped over his cubicle and asked if I needed help with "my caller." I told him no, it was something my character had said that upset me.

A quizzical look comes across his face as he asks "But aren't you writing him?"

"Yes, but I didn't expect him to say THAT." I replied in all honesty.

I think my friend seriously considered me for a straightjacket that day.

But it was true. The character just took over and well...what he said wasn't expected.

I call it channeling...others call it multiple personality disorder.

Pal...ponderin...

 

Pal...
 

The bio hasn't confinded me yet. It has, however, kept me in check when I need to know certain things I thought would be useful at the time.

Like why does Seth wear a bandana all the time...oh yeah! now I remember.

It must have meant something when I wrote it in the beginning, but truth be told, more often than not I find myself not using somethings I wrote however many months ago.

Like Mason and a stray dog he feeds every now and then. Why did I put that in there? Who knows. Haven't used it yet. Maybe I will...maybe I won't.

I'll change the story before I change the character because to me, my characters grow in such that the story may not be exactly as it started out to be. I like character driven stories and as such, tend to write them.

Pal...puttin in her two cents
 

Guess what? I just started working on something new. Add me to the list!

S!
S!...C!

Here are a couple that might transfer:

Step One: Make a searching fearless moral inventory of your character (this is supposed to be where a person admits to themselves EVERYTHING that is wrong with themselves without any fear of being called a poop-head)

Step Two: Admit the exact nature of your characters wrongs. (In group, some people went back to jr. high. I take it that far with some of my characters, too)

Step Three: Make a list of some of the people who your character has harmed and where that relationship is going to go. Also, make a list of who harmed your characters. (This is where you explore the relationships of your main characters. Like my m/c put his best friend into a permanat vegetative state, but in the sequel.... well, I've explored that relationship there.)

I like to see my MC sobbing on my couch, and me with a hand sort of on their shoulder saying "There, there, let it all out, this is Good! Let the healing begin!" And really hearing everything that made them the person they are.

This may be a little too personal for an interview, but once you go to group with your character, it'd be difficult to forget the important stuff. Make notes from that.

I should warn you that every time I start up a new area, I have to do certain things to make it work. And while I think I've done them all, I'm not sure until someone goes there and tries to create a topic or post a reply.

So, please, someone go try it out, so I know if I did it correctly this time or not.

[This message has been edited by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (edited August 27, 2008).]
 

quote:

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Create a topic for your character and give a description, then as others ask your character questions, you can answer them as if you were the character. We hope this will help you get to know your character better.

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So there should be one topic per character--have the character name be the topic name.

There could also be topics for group sessions like the one Reagansgame suggested, if you all want to try doing that as well. It might be fun to see your characters interacting with other people's characters.
 

(I'm just kidding, I know Dungeon Masters don't have levels -- I watched that AllTel Commercial)

that would be so tripy cool. Unique.
 

pal...
 

I did something similar and stuck with it about that long.

Sounds reeeeally good for a little bit, then it's on to a new thing.

Glad for it though, otherwise I think life'd be pretty boring.

Pal...pondering just what it means to have multiple personality disorder

I agree with you, that's what makes life interesting. Every experience can be written off as a work expense if we make it as authors one day, because they all provide an aspect of life we wouldn't have if we had a single hobby and stuck to it. (I do have those, too)

So, Doctor Rachael says not multiple personality disorder-- it seems to me that you have a single personality that enjoys the company of all of your characters too much to share with a seperate personality.

Rach--- wishing she had thought of a signature hook as cool as Pal's

 

I couldn't pass it up.

Dressin' up and everything for this shindig...all for the sake of getting to know one of my characters better.

I think I can pull it off. Bringing two of young un's (11 and 17) with me to make it that much more interesting.

Pal...pondering what in the world she's doing...

[This message has been edited by Palaytiasdreams (edited August 28, 2008).]