Meme: Characterization
taken from
_call_me_snake_
What are five ideas/concepts/etc you keep in mind while writing your character that you believe are essential to accurately depicting them? Why did you choose them? How do they relate to the character’s over all persona?
1. Murphy does not believe in magic.
Though Murphy has seen a lot of weird things not only working with Harry, but in talking with various muses she does not believe in magic. This is a big deal because it touches everything Murphy says or does with Harry and other muses, especially magically inclined muses. It also creates a good deal of tension in her relationships. Now, this is not saying that Murphy will never believe in magic, but it will take a lot to change her mind on it. And trust me, every now and then I want Murphy to believe in magic because it would make my life so much easier. It would complicate hers more, but hey, mine would be simpler.
2. Murphy wants justice.
Now what justice is, changes from situation to situation and this is important in writing Murphy because she’s willing to give ground and turn a blind eye. Some of you not so pure muses will have dealt with this when dealing with Murphy. Her job is important to her, second only to her daughter, but as important as it is she puts her badge on the line when it’s the right the thing to do. That is really what it comes down to for Murphy, is it the right thing and that’s what justice is. So, she’ll do things that go against her job and her badge as long as justice is done. This is a hard line to walk and leaves Murphy feeling guilty about a lot of things.
3. Murphy is a mother.
Possibly the most obvious one on the list, but it’s true. Murphy is a mother and everything she does is touched by this fact. The reason she works so much, the reason she cannot believe in magic and the reason she worries about the people she knows. In a very revealing conversation with Harry, she says his world can’t be real because she can’t raise her daughter in it because she couldn’t protect her. That’s the core reason why she does her job as well. She’s looking to protect the city, but also protect her daughter from the ugly things in the world. It’s also why she “adopts” so many muses. Basically, if you’ve talked to Murphy, you’ve been adopted and you’re someone she’s got to look out for an protect.
4. Murphy is willing to take risks.
This sort of relates back to #2, but come on people, she hired a wizard. This is a woman who is willing to risk her reputation and cases working with Harry. She’ll also risk her life. She takes on magical things she can’t handle and has no real way to fight because it’s the right thing to do. This is important to writing her because where I would hesitate, Murphy rushes in. She’s not only been trained to do this through police work, but it’s also just part of who Murphy is. She will take physical risk, emotional risks are a whole other story.
5. Murphy has a hard outer shell.
Back to those emotional risks, Murphy doesn’t take them and she keeps people at a distance. It’s rare that Murphy relaxes around people enough to be warm and friendly. This is important to writing her because it makes her very introspective. She deals with things on her own, internally because she doesn’t trust people to share these things with. It all comes from her mother abandoning her and her dad’s distance when she was growing up. It makes it really hard for her to form social relationships of any seriousness which means she’ll never really have anyone to lean on until she lets them. The one person she has let in that much is Harry.
_call_me_snake_
What are five ideas/concepts/etc you keep in mind while writing your character that you believe are essential to accurately depicting them? Why did you choose them? How do they relate to the character’s over all persona?
1. Murphy does not believe in magic.
Though Murphy has seen a lot of weird things not only working with Harry, but in talking with various muses she does not believe in magic. This is a big deal because it touches everything Murphy says or does with Harry and other muses, especially magically inclined muses. It also creates a good deal of tension in her relationships. Now, this is not saying that Murphy will never believe in magic, but it will take a lot to change her mind on it. And trust me, every now and then I want Murphy to believe in magic because it would make my life so much easier. It would complicate hers more, but hey, mine would be simpler.
2. Murphy wants justice.
Now what justice is, changes from situation to situation and this is important in writing Murphy because she’s willing to give ground and turn a blind eye. Some of you not so pure muses will have dealt with this when dealing with Murphy. Her job is important to her, second only to her daughter, but as important as it is she puts her badge on the line when it’s the right the thing to do. That is really what it comes down to for Murphy, is it the right thing and that’s what justice is. So, she’ll do things that go against her job and her badge as long as justice is done. This is a hard line to walk and leaves Murphy feeling guilty about a lot of things.
3. Murphy is a mother.
Possibly the most obvious one on the list, but it’s true. Murphy is a mother and everything she does is touched by this fact. The reason she works so much, the reason she cannot believe in magic and the reason she worries about the people she knows. In a very revealing conversation with Harry, she says his world can’t be real because she can’t raise her daughter in it because she couldn’t protect her. That’s the core reason why she does her job as well. She’s looking to protect the city, but also protect her daughter from the ugly things in the world. It’s also why she “adopts” so many muses. Basically, if you’ve talked to Murphy, you’ve been adopted and you’re someone she’s got to look out for an protect.
4. Murphy is willing to take risks.
This sort of relates back to #2, but come on people, she hired a wizard. This is a woman who is willing to risk her reputation and cases working with Harry. She’ll also risk her life. She takes on magical things she can’t handle and has no real way to fight because it’s the right thing to do. This is important to writing her because where I would hesitate, Murphy rushes in. She’s not only been trained to do this through police work, but it’s also just part of who Murphy is. She will take physical risk, emotional risks are a whole other story.
5. Murphy has a hard outer shell.
Back to those emotional risks, Murphy doesn’t take them and she keeps people at a distance. It’s rare that Murphy relaxes around people enough to be warm and friendly. This is important to writing her because it makes her very introspective. She deals with things on her own, internally because she doesn’t trust people to share these things with. It all comes from her mother abandoning her and her dad’s distance when she was growing up. It makes it really hard for her to form social relationships of any seriousness which means she’ll never really have anyone to lean on until she lets them. The one person she has let in that much is Harry.