Getting to knooow you~ ♥

[sarahcross]

So, I am putting together some website content & want to include some fun stats/facts about the Dull Boy characters. I have a tentative list already, but I'm wondering: what do *you*, as a YA reader (if you are one), like to know about a character? Nothing really spoiler-y or directly related to the story; picture a questionnaire more along the

Comments

[caer_swan]

Just a fly-by answer -

Underwear always interests me, as in the types/colors/fabric people prefer.* I do love questionnaires for characters where each character has a different set of questions. It's like you're getting an amazing amount of info that in no way can ever be repetitive.

*WHAT?! Hush you.

[sarahcross]

As soon as my book gets banned, I will further inflame the censorious masses by posting about my teen characters' underwear preferences. Until then, you'll just have to decide for yourself. And honestly I have no idea. I never thought about it!

I like the idea of different questions. I was going to make the questionnaires totally uniform, but now you have me thinking . . . Because not every question applies equally to every character.

But some repetition is okay, yeah?

[serafina_zane]

personally, the first thing i make sure i know about a character (in writing) and the thing that tends to define a character for me (in reading) is taste in music,
but if your world is too parallel, using real world bands kind of draws me out of it, so this is a completely useless anserw. ah well.

oh wait, a cool related one. something i love to think about is something that came up on Libba Bray's blog once---if your characters were a band, who would be what position and ect.
now THAT is something fun to come up with when you're really bored.

and hooray for teenagers with superpowers!

[sarahcross]

Me, too! Well, music is *one* of the first things I decide about a character, once I have their other personality details down. Music taste is crucial, IMO (and so telling), because music moves us, carries us through our day, etc.

What do you mean by "if your world is too parallel"? Are you opposed to real-world name-dropping & things like that in books?

Ooh, I like that band idea! Of course, I spent my vacation playing Rock Band, so it's pretty easy to picture it (although someone will have to replace me on bass, heh)~

Hooray indeed! Perfect userpic. Legion of Super-heroes is sooo good right now, btw. The current artist is fantastic.

[serafina_zane]

with the parallel thing i just meant that some books have more real-world name-dropping than others.
like, i think if (for example) you have a book set in a pretty much modern world, except there are vampires/whatever and the public knows that, it's sort of jarring if you mention celebrities or ect that exist in "our" world.
okay, i'm suspicious that's babbling, but maybe some of it got my point across.

and the userpic was extra-relevant because i'd just spent the day doing *major* revisions on my kids-who-control weather story. i have a fearsome obsession with lightning.

[sarahcross]

Ah, got it! That makes perfect sense, thanks. ^.^

Ooh, sounds fun. Lightning storms are my fave part of summer. Although they still scare the crap out of me. ^^; Good luck with your story!

[fabulousfrock]

I want to know the same stuff I'd want to know if I was checking out somebody's blog to see if I'd want to be their friend (yay snap judgments!) like, what music/movies/books/etc. they like, what their favorite foods are, what they like to do...and maybe you could mix them up based on the character in question.

[sarahcross]

yay snap judgments!

LOL, yes!

I like the idea of mixing up the questions & having some of them be unique to particular characters. It seems so obvious, but I didn't think of it until you & caer_swan brought it up.

Thanks for weighing in--you're probably the master of character questionnaires. ^.^

[fabulousfrock]

The master? Yessss!

Another thing you could do IF you felt ambitious to decide questions is fill out one of those reeeally long questionnaires and then just pick out the best answers for each character.

[sarahcross]

I think that's what I'll do. I am nothing if not ambitious.

:D

[crissachappell]

You will laugh but....I secretly love those Tiger Beat questions about what people eat for breakfast, etc.

[sarahcross]

Nooo, I won't laugh! Those questions were how I knew that [insert outdated TV heartthrob here] was perfect for me! We both loved cereal!!!

Okay, I went & looked up the Tiger Beat web site to see if they had any questionnaires online (they didn't), & now I'm thinking I need to get a copy of this magazine. Suite Life of Zack & Cody is going off the air?! I am so out of the loop. That was like, my post-revisions comfort show. Now what will I do?

I will definitely pick up a copy of Tiger Beat next time I'm out, to take a look at what sorts of questions they ask. Buuuut . . . it will be all your fault if I start using this LJ to post Hannah Montana news. I hope you can live with yourself. ^.~

[anonymous]

could you have some pictures of the charckters as well as a bit about there powers

[sarahcross]

I might commission some character art. And there will definitely be powers info on the site . . . so long as I can do it without being too spoilery. ^.^