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Monday, April 12, 2010

J is for Jacqueline, Jedrek, and Jadena

I have a problem. You see, my current wip is based off of an inside joke my friend and I had. So, thinking it wouldn't be a big deal, I based Scotch off of her, and Scotch's best friend, Jacqueline, was based off of myself. Why? Because Jacqueline was only going to be in one scene, so I figured it wouldn't be that big of a deal.

Notice the words "was going to be." Yes. Jacqueline is in a whole lot more than one scene. In fact, she has made it impossible to NOT write her into the series of books. (Yes, it was turned into a series. How? How?) Yes. She will have her own book.

AHK! Do you know what this makes me feel like? Well, um, like I think I'm a super cool person. Can you imagine what that future interview could sound like:

I am the one with the hat.

INTERVIEWER: So, who inspired you for the character Jacqueline?

VAINAUTHOR: Myself, because I am SO brilliant

INTERVIEWER: Wow, everyone hates you.

This leaves me smacking my head on the table asking "Why? Why? Why?" Until Jacqueline came up and smacked me on the head. She told me to make a list of the four main characters.

Scotch: Loud, outspoken, spazz of a person who is cement-hard faithful to her friends
Emdy: Quick-witted, easy-talking, knife-toting kinda' gal
Jacqueline: Quiet, bird-like, mutters curses in Akkadian, Egyptian, or any other language she can think of.
Amarilla: Tends to space-out, spunky, shouts out random words when provoked

The whole reason for this exercise? (Other than being extremely useful.) I realized that Jacqueline is, well, Jacqueline. She isn't me. While we may have things in common, that's normal. I can find things in common with anybody, whether real or not-quite-real. (Seriously, even if it's the fact that we both dislike the smell of puke, I WILL find something in common with people.) Jacqueline has developed, grown an odd fascination for birds, is way more quiet and trusting than I ever will be, and she is completely her own person now. Maybe her personality did germinate with an idea of my own personality, but she grew way beyond me and became her own person. Sweet muffins! How exciting was that?

Have you ever had your own characters become something you didn't expect them to be? And if you would like I'd love for you to write a sentence describing one of your main characters. Just because I love learning more about you guys :D No, I'm not a stalker, really. I just WRITE about them, honest.

Before I leave you to comment, I wanted to mention another couple of characters that keep surprising me. Jedrek and Jadena. They're both from the book I'm writing with a friend (if you ever get confused with how many books I mention, I apologize. I'm such a spazz I end up writing at least three books at the same time, if not more so it sounds like I'm very productive with my writing when really I'm just a spazz.)

Jadena was supposed to be a girl-who-faints-at-blood kinda' person. Yeah. She's a total warrior chick, and is a little bit afraid of babies. Where did that come from?? No idea. But she is also a little bit insecure, which I also wasn't expecting. I'm enjoying learning more about her.

Then there's Jedrek, who was supposed to be not-at-all complicated, kinda' like a rock. Nice, comfortable, dependable. Rocks are NOT supposed to have complicated pasts, and they are NOT supposed to be able to speak a language that's been supposedly dead for the past fifty-odd years. Oh, and he should not be able to speak this language with the local Geikling. Just doesn't happen. (If you're wondering what a Geikling is, he's kinda' made up, and I'm not even sure what he is yet. He IS arrogant and I love him.)

I think that's one of the reasons why I love writing. It's unpredictable, but if someone does get stabbed and dies I don't have to freak out, because I can just shrink the document and walk away from it.

Walkin' away...

11 comments:

Hannah said...

so so many things I love about this post.

I will give you one of my J characters

Jeyne- depressed, overactive dark imagination, paranoid, shy, determined.

She's a closed person even to me.

Grammy said...

Ha, love the characters! Very original! It is fun to think of the characters one creates, having their own way, regardless of what you think. Neat!

Amie McCracken said...

Here's my J character...

Jane - confident but shy, loving, a tad selfish, and a daydreamer

Sarah Ahiers said...

Joachim - moody, angsty, depressed, kinda hot.

But that's mt old WIP, I don't think i have a J person in my current WIP

Also my characters change all the time. I think one is going to be cute and loveable and it turns out he's a creep, and an ass and coward. so there you go

Blam said...


Seriously, even if it's the fact that we both dislike the smell of puke, I WILL find something in common with people.

Aaaaaaahahahahahaha!!! It's been so worth catching up here.

VW: abendsl — That #2 graphite stick, when you're congested.

Laura S. said...

There are many things I love about this post! Your characters speak a lot of languages. Are you multilingual?

Talli Roland said...

Great characters! :)

Hm, some of my characters are bit out there. Here's one:

Adam - a former geek turned CEO of Snake Software, he's obsessed with one of his exes and is determined to publicly humiliate her. He's also addicted to Botox and plastic surgery.

Lord knows what that says about me - I don't think I want to go there!

Anonymous said...

I [in]advertently based one of my current MCs off myself but she is totally becoming her own person. It's really exciting to see how she's growing and learning in such ways that pull her away from me and closer to herself. I've had a lot of characters take their own roads and become people I did not think they would become when we all started out together. It's like having kids, I think.

Arlee Bird said...

One of my characters who I changed goes by the name "Big C" at first I pictured him as a big, rowdy, galoot of a drug dealer, but as I began writing him into the story he became a very focused, spiritually-minded intellectual who is still big and a drug dealer-- though a drug-dealer who is beginning to question his profession.

I'm giving your blog a mention in my post on Wed. 4/14.
Lee
Blogging From A to Z April Challenge

Unknown said...

@Palindrome: I think I remember you talking about her on your blog? It's very interesting when characters are mysterious, even to the person writing them. Have fun with that ;)

@Grammy: Why, thank you :)

@Jane: Thanks for sharing :D

@Falen: It's actually funny, because I wasn't expecting everyone to come up with 'J' character names. I'm finding it very interesting.

@Blam: Aw, I'm glad.

@Laure: Actually I'm not multilingual at all. On Wednesday I'm actually going to have a post up about Language in my stories.

@Talli: The phrase 'former geek' makes me sad. Sounds like a very interesting character you've got there.

@E.Elle: Nice to know I'm not alone! Writing is fun that way.

@Lee: Ooh... That's a twist.

And I'll have to remember to check out your blog. Thanks! :)

Rebecca T. said...

I am finding that when I free-write (NaNo, ScriptFrenzy) I end up writing people that are not me, but are opposite me or are kinda sorta what I want to be. Not that I want to be a Gloria, but I like her spontaneity and her quick wit that I can rarely emulate. Wait, did I just say I want to emulate a character I made up. Sheesh. We writers are a weird lot.

VW: spatolis - a gang of spatulas