Oh my god, is this meme really over?
26. Let's talk art! Do you draw your characters? Do others draw them? Pick one of your OCs and post your favorite picture of him!
http://artemisrampant.livejournal.com/5511.html
This is the only OC drawing I've ever really done, and as you can see, it is abysmal compared to people with real drawing skills. It took me forever, and I was really proud of it until I realized it sucked. I wish I could draw, because I really want to get my characters on paper. Also, a graphic novel would be INCREDIBLE. Alas, all I have is...well, this.
27. Along similar lines, do appearances play a big role in your stories? Tell us about them, or if not, how you go about designing your characters.
When I design characters, I usually feel a sort of general aesthetic based on their personality, and then I make crap up. Nationality, hair/eye/skin color, personal style, et cetera. It *is* very important to me. The way I write, I want readers to be able to remember and distinguish every character very easily, especially if I have a lot of characters. I've read too many fantasy books with a barrage of weird names, but no distinct faces. (Havemercy was a bit like this, but only because I wasn't paying close enough attention. After reading it a second time, I was able to know all the Airmen perfectly. I just need to read slower in that particular case.) Related: I'm very careful to introduce one character at a time, and have them do something attention-grabbing before moving on. I know I get confused, so I want to make it easy for whoever may read my stuff. Especially since I'm so character obsessed.
28. Have you ever written a character with physical or mental disabilities? Describe them, and if there's nothing major to speak of, tell us a few smaller ones.
I'm not confident enough to deal with major mental disabilities. The closest I've come was probably Tak, a minor antagonist from my recent NaNo. He runs a meth lab holed up in a tiny ship floating around in space. He is literally batshit. Also he is probably the least attractive person ever to grace the world of fiction. I had fun writing him, though, especially when he INSISTED on boarding the protagonists' ship. But, no, I've never really written anybody with serious disabilities. My protagonists are able-bodied, and usually sound of mind in some respects. Of course, what worth does a character have if he does not have hella issues?
29. How often do you think about writing? Ever come across something IRL that reminds you of your story/characters?
I guess I pretty much think about it whenever I'm not thinking about fandom. Sometimes that's pretty often, and sometimes it's incredibly rare. It depends on my mood, really. I find things IRL that remind me of tons of characters all the time, and sometimes, yes, it happens with my own. Often it doesn't. Every once in a while, though, I get a spurt of inspiration that makes me obsessed with my characters. I never really know when it's going to hit.
30. Final question! Tag someone! And tell us what you like about that person as a writer and/or about one of his/her characters!
Okay, I need to tag lyricalecho here, because even if I rarely get to read her actual writing, I absolutely love hearing about all of her characters. Especially Katelyn and Juliet <3, who have sort of become their own fandom for me. Echo just has this adorable, quirky style, the sort of thing I get really addicted to really easily. No matter whether she's taking on fandom or something original, she always comes up with something brilliant and entertaining. XD Love you, darling fellow writer!
...So, that's it then! Wow, and four days left to the frenzy of Screnzy. It's been a lovely month of question answering. Time to actually, you know, think about the plot of my script. It's probably not so good to have just a few characters and a ship and no idea where they're headed. It hasn't really worked out in the past. XD
On the plus side, I'm watching POTC right now, and I'd forgotten how much I love this movie. Every single moment of it. I love pirates.
http://artemisrampant.livejournal.com/5511.html
This is the only OC drawing I've ever really done, and as you can see, it is abysmal compared to people with real drawing skills. It took me forever, and I was really proud of it until I realized it sucked. I wish I could draw, because I really want to get my characters on paper. Also, a graphic novel would be INCREDIBLE. Alas, all I have is...well, this.
27. Along similar lines, do appearances play a big role in your stories? Tell us about them, or if not, how you go about designing your characters.
When I design characters, I usually feel a sort of general aesthetic based on their personality, and then I make crap up. Nationality, hair/eye/skin color, personal style, et cetera. It *is* very important to me. The way I write, I want readers to be able to remember and distinguish every character very easily, especially if I have a lot of characters. I've read too many fantasy books with a barrage of weird names, but no distinct faces. (Havemercy was a bit like this, but only because I wasn't paying close enough attention. After reading it a second time, I was able to know all the Airmen perfectly. I just need to read slower in that particular case.) Related: I'm very careful to introduce one character at a time, and have them do something attention-grabbing before moving on. I know I get confused, so I want to make it easy for whoever may read my stuff. Especially since I'm so character obsessed.
28. Have you ever written a character with physical or mental disabilities? Describe them, and if there's nothing major to speak of, tell us a few smaller ones.
I'm not confident enough to deal with major mental disabilities. The closest I've come was probably Tak, a minor antagonist from my recent NaNo. He runs a meth lab holed up in a tiny ship floating around in space. He is literally batshit. Also he is probably the least attractive person ever to grace the world of fiction. I had fun writing him, though, especially when he INSISTED on boarding the protagonists' ship. But, no, I've never really written anybody with serious disabilities. My protagonists are able-bodied, and usually sound of mind in some respects. Of course, what worth does a character have if he does not have hella issues?
29. How often do you think about writing? Ever come across something IRL that reminds you of your story/characters?
I guess I pretty much think about it whenever I'm not thinking about fandom. Sometimes that's pretty often, and sometimes it's incredibly rare. It depends on my mood, really. I find things IRL that remind me of tons of characters all the time, and sometimes, yes, it happens with my own. Often it doesn't. Every once in a while, though, I get a spurt of inspiration that makes me obsessed with my characters. I never really know when it's going to hit.
30. Final question! Tag someone! And tell us what you like about that person as a writer and/or about one of his/her characters!
Okay, I need to tag lyricalecho here, because even if I rarely get to read her actual writing, I absolutely love hearing about all of her characters. Especially Katelyn and Juliet <3, who have sort of become their own fandom for me. Echo just has this adorable, quirky style, the sort of thing I get really addicted to really easily. No matter whether she's taking on fandom or something original, she always comes up with something brilliant and entertaining. XD Love you, darling fellow writer!
...So, that's it then! Wow, and four days left to the frenzy of Screnzy. It's been a lovely month of question answering. Time to actually, you know, think about the plot of my script. It's probably not so good to have just a few characters and a ship and no idea where they're headed. It hasn't really worked out in the past. XD
On the plus side, I'm watching POTC right now, and I'd forgotten how much I love this movie. Every single moment of it. I love pirates.