Character Introduce us to your character!
- Thread starter JT Woody
- Start date
I've finally gotten into the headspace of working on my manuscript.
Just finished writing the chapter that shows my MMC's vulnerable side.
Didan experienced a horrible accident before the start of the book that left him with Frankenstein's Monster-esque scars and disfigurement (my FMC met him as a child before the accident... and them re-meets him again as adults after the accident and doesnt recognize him). He's treated as a pariah in his village and has become somewhat of a hermit, living on the outskirts. He's not a people person. Super quiet, and is often mistaken as being crazy (they think the accident might have knocked a few screws loose), so they leave him alone.
Over the course of the manuscript, he's gotten to build relationships with a number of people, including his estranged older brother and parents, a childhood friend, and the FMC who he's falling in love with, who help him reintegrate back into society.
The scene I just finished is an intimate one where my 2 MC's go swimming and he's worked up the courage to show the FMC his scarred body. Until this scene, he's stayed covered up and has made self-deprecating remarks about his appearance.
Just finished writing the chapter that shows my MMC's vulnerable side.
Didan experienced a horrible accident before the start of the book that left him with Frankenstein's Monster-esque scars and disfigurement (my FMC met him as a child before the accident... and them re-meets him again as adults after the accident and doesnt recognize him). He's treated as a pariah in his village and has become somewhat of a hermit, living on the outskirts. He's not a people person. Super quiet, and is often mistaken as being crazy (they think the accident might have knocked a few screws loose), so they leave him alone.
Over the course of the manuscript, he's gotten to build relationships with a number of people, including his estranged older brother and parents, a childhood friend, and the FMC who he's falling in love with, who help him reintegrate back into society.
The scene I just finished is an intimate one where my 2 MC's go swimming and he's worked up the courage to show the FMC his scarred body. Until this scene, he's stayed covered up and has made self-deprecating remarks about his appearance.
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Sounds like you know your character well. What do you think needs more attention?
If it helps, Didan sounds like a character that is likable. At least, I think I would like him.
One of my own characters (which I have a good enough handle on):
Kalahastian or Kal, a former soldier for an intergalactic superstate, chooses to become a pirate. Driven by vengeance he is a kind of anti-hero with a heart of ice, which only one person in the universe seem to be able to melt, his adopted daughter. She tries her best to send Kal on good or decent paths. Sometimes he disappoints her, other times, he does something that could be considered actually morally alright.
If it helps, Didan sounds like a character that is likable. At least, I think I would like him.
One of my own characters (which I have a good enough handle on):
Kalahastian or Kal, a former soldier for an intergalactic superstate, chooses to become a pirate. Driven by vengeance he is a kind of anti-hero with a heart of ice, which only one person in the universe seem to be able to melt, his adopted daughter. She tries her best to send Kal on good or decent paths. Sometimes he disappoints her, other times, he does something that could be considered actually morally alright.
Question because I find this kind of character fascinating. Is he morally gray or morally black? Does he do bad things in a *kill everything because they deserve it and the world must feel pain like I do* kind of a way or a *kill these specifically, because I can't right the wrong but I'll be damned if they ever get to do it again* kind of way?
He shifts between gray and slightly black sometimes. In one chapter, for instance, he gets info that all the people he is investigating have an explosive chip installed in them by a cartel. The cartel shows up and says they will detonate the implants if he does not surrender. He does not surrender, and doesn't seem to care much that a whole heap of civilians just got exploded.
Why didn't he surrender though? That's what matters. The civilians, yeah that's awful, but what assurances were there that they actually wouldn't detonate them? What was to stop them from having both? What else was a stake?
You don't have to answer, of course, but I wouldn't be able to call it gray or black without a lot more info. From what I've read very few characters are fully morally black.
The cartel had an operation going where they needed the civilians to continue working at a distribution terminal, them needing the civilians were the only guarantee basically. And if he had surrendered, he would have been implanted as well. Not killed, because they would have needed him to lead the investigation he had somewhere else.
Yeah, he's leaning more towards grey. Only villains are mostly morally black.
Guess they didn't need them that bad after all.
Sounds like he made the right call to me.
My first thought writing the scene where he strips down to go swimming was making it a soft moment, but believable of a male. I know men have body insecurities and can be vulnerable around chosen people. I feel like, men tend to get more angry and defensive rather than emotional (I wrote his brother to be like that, btw). I hoped that I'd set his character up ahead of time that makes his emotional reaction believable and readers more sympathetic instead of cringe
Fael, the Apprentice (at 14).
i've never heard this term before, but after reading the back and forth between you and Madman.... i think i have a morally black character in one of my WIPs.
This character has a vendetta against 1 person in particular..... but kills a bunch of civilians innocent civilians to make him suffer and eventually lure him out. But he does this in the name of 'liberation' because he sees the OTHER guy as a heartless monster that needs to be removed (despite having killed countless innocents without batting an eye).
the "bad guy" of the story become the "good guy" who saves the innocents by killing the "good guy" who turned into the "bad guy"
That old "you can't hunt monsters without becoming them" or whatever it is. Sounds believable to me. Even with all of those things he could still be a sympathetic character depending on how those motivations are applied in the moment. Most villains can be if you try hard enough and redemption always depends on what side of the line you're standing on.i've never heard this term before, but after reading the back and forth between you and Madman.... i think i have a morally black character in one of my WIPs.
This character has a vendetta against 1 person in particular..... but kills a bunch of civilians innocent civilians to make him suffer and eventually lure him out. But he does this in the name of 'liberation' because he sees the OTHER guy as a heartless monster that needs to be removed (despite having killed countless innocents without batting an eye).
the "bad guy" of the story become the "good guy" who saves the innocents by killing the "good guy" who turned into the "bad guy"
Not all gentlemen are gentle men, but they do exist. There are many ways to prevent cringe. Happy to read if you need eyes.My first thought writing the scene where he strips down to go swimming was making it a soft moment, but believable of a male. I know men have body insecurities and can be vulnerable around chosen people. I feel like, men tend to get more angry and defensive rather than emotional (I wrote his brother to be like that, btw). I hoped that I'd set his character up ahead of time that makes his emotional reaction believable and readers more sympathetic instead of cringe
I have not read your story, so I can't give my opinion on that, but I'm not the type of person who find things cringe. And yup, men can be emotional as well, don't even need to get defensive or angry about it. But everyone is different.My first thought writing the scene where he strips down to go swimming was making it a soft moment, but believable of a male. I know men have body insecurities and can be vulnerable around chosen people. I feel like, men tend to get more angry and defensive rather than emotional (I wrote his brother to be like that, btw). I hoped that I'd set his character up ahead of time that makes his emotional reaction believable and readers more sympathetic instead of cringe
When I try to write women, I try not to generalize too much. I look at who they are and what they want. In this world, and time, women like pink, and men like blue kind of generalisations work for some, but not for me personally. There was a time for example when men wore pink and women blue (I think in the middle ages or renaissance). Just like the colours can be inverted, so can the idea of masculinity and femininity, even if they are strongly rooted in our history. I think such ideas are changing a little, I've seen feminine men and masculine women, even if they belong to a more rare group.
I prefer to write people, firstly, if they then fit some category of sex, that's just a coincidence, mostly. Of course I try to write women slightly more feminine than I write my men. Whoops, this became long, sorry. Just my thoughts on it.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, write your character without fear of cringe! Write them from your heart with the idea of who they are.
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