How do you write?

[Patrick]

Thats what I want to know.  Not your writing style, but how you develop your characters.  Do you write it all down on a piece of paper and refer to it as you write?  What do you do?

I actually have each of their personalities in my head and each time I have to write a certain person I just slip into that "role".  I liken it to acting, I take on the thought process and history of the character I'm writing, not just the persona.  It gets so bad sometime that I feel what my character feels, physical pain, stomach cramps, sometimes I even cry!  I have to take frequent breaks from my writing to keep my emotions under control (thats why I have my replies open right now, I'm writing this, I have three other web pages open that have nothing to do with Triad to keep myself under control).  Its also funny, because sometimes I say things or do things and think to myself after: "Hmmm... thats JUST what Kouna would do."  To use an example.  I think it gives me life experiences to draw off of.

So yeah how do you write for your characters/personas/ poetry?  I'm curious.

[Mikel]

Believe it or not, I am with Patrick on this.

Each of my personae live in my head and I slip into them while writing.

On occassion I have, after working on a post, had to leave the computer because I was mad/elated/frustrated/angry/sad/crying

Most of my personae are created for a need in me, and therefore I invest a lot of emotion in them.

[Vix]

Occasionally one is in my head, but usually I say "I need a character at/for/to do this and start from there. I bring up a Word document with the persona template on it, fill in the info I have and start looking for other bits (name, rank, whatever). At the end of the document, I start making notes as I come up with them and write whatever portion of the sheet takes some type of clarity first.

Example: in the current persona I'm writing, I knew that I needed a character at EFH. I put that part on the sheet, and then checked the location persona page to see what was already there and what was needed. A few notes were added to the end, I checked my ongoing Word document of "possible names" and chose one, saved the document, and went to work. During the course of the day, I occasionally thought of this character, came home, and started writing the history -- which is now several paragraphs long. I also have family members and in my mind a pretty good idea of her appearance and temperment and will finish that tonight.

[Jane]

This is why I have characters, not personas.  My characters are all going from A to B in their lives or are for XYZ purpose and I'm exploring that every time I post with them.  When I write for that character again I read the last few posts and refresh my understanding of where I'm up to with them.  I really don't get into the idea of 'becoming them' at all.

I think this is also why I don't handle surprise copost starts.  It's not a case of just becoming that persona while I reply - like changing one t-shirt labelled Arateyka for the one labelled Swift - I have to know what the purpose is of each little story fragment.

This is probably also why I'm fairly comfortable with changing characters' histories.  The characters are just writing tools to me - not real people!  (I'm not saying I don't find some easier to write for than others, or that they don't seem to have a mind of their own some days.)

New characters happen along serendipitously, occasionally, but more typically I've seen a subject I want to explore and draft out a character who I think will help me develop the subject and showcase it.

Despite my addiction to lists and plans, I don't plan out the characters' futures, though I will plan out a series of posts to get a certain issue aired.  (Moving Lineal and Rahona to the riverboat is planned, for instance.)

[Vix]

Despite my addiction to lists and plans, I don't plan out the characters' futures, though I will plan out a series of posts to get a certain issue aired.  (Moving Lineal and Rahona to the riverboat is planned, for instance.)

Yes, but it's best you keep that plan rather general -- we tend to surprise you with new directions now and then!

[Bree]

I use writing to exorcise emotion, so I tend to write specific characters based on what sort of mood I'm in at the time. I can write certain people easier than others... (right now Abrei's a breeze since I'm almost as crabby and stressed out as she is, but I'm not feeling very relaxed and laid back like O'dan!)

Personas crawl out of the woodwork for me all. the. time. I can't stop them, really... I just get ideas and whip up a sheet in 10 minutes, but that is partly because I do not want to know everything about them. I HATE knowing everythign about them up front. I like to give them plenty of room to grow, and to have things happen to them that I never expected.

I've been writing Dyaera on and off for... oh, nearly 6 years now. Just figured out a week or two ago what happened to her mother. ;)

[Vix]

I tend to be very sparse with descriptions, and write very short persona sheets. However, lately I seem to be undergoing some sort of transformation, since the one I'm getting ready to submit is definitely overly long by my standards.

[Ainsley]

I guess I run the gambit of what's been described.  

Sometimes it's the character that really hits me and other times it's the story that's paramount and then the character is made to fit.  Other times I look at a situation (in the case of Triad location) and try to consider what is needed and then have fun trying to make someone to fit.  

When the character's themselves really strike me, I tend to be more personally involved and may "become the character" to some extent.  Often times I'll try to get to a computer to jot down the specifics that come to mind, not because I would forget, but because I need to do something with them.  

When it's the story that's really on my mind, I will often sketch out the basics of a character and fill in the details later, leaving that character relatively open for later development.

When I'm looking at a specific situation and trying to consider what would fit, that takes me quite a bit more time, but ultimately can be alot of fun because I run so many different scenarios through my head.

It's always fun to see how characters develop and sometimes seem to go their own directions.  I guess I'll see that even more writing within a club!

[PastMember]

I usually have a specific character in mind and then I try to "sketch" out a history and what I want to happen to he/she ICly. Once I have that figured out, I make my character around the history I created. Keeping in account how I want him/her to react to the events that will take place when working on their personality.

In some cases, if you read into my characters, you might be able to guess what I'll do with them. Kaefen is a perfect example of that.

Kate and Kaefen

[Dana]

I start out with rough ideas of how their personalities are, and from there, I just add to them--when I'm writing up their sheets, anyway.  I don't know much about them when I write them up...only when I actually start posting with them and getting into their heads do I really get a feel for them and who they really are.  I'm very emotionally attached to some of my personas, and many of them have surprised me and have taken off to write themselves.  

[Eimi]

I'm kind of with Ainsley on this.  I tend to make the characters and their histories fit what I want them to be/do.  If they're needed for a SL I try to think of how they will act to fit into that SL.  If I just want a persona with a certain quirk to their personality, I build the persona around them.

For example, I knew I wanted a baddie in V'lorn, so I thought about what kind of bad guy could I make at a Weyr that could go as bad as possible without being too evil to Impress or too much of a troublemaker to get into real trouble all the time.  Then I went back and thought up a history of why he would act that way.  Being a psych major, I always heard the debate "nature vs. nurture" and I always thought it was a little of both, so I make sure that both a personas natural tendancies and the history they came from could influence who they eventually become.

[Devin]

It seems that my sonas here have come out of a few bits of personality and history that come together in the right combination to spark my interest. I keep my persona sheets simple, because I don't really know the character until I start writing them. Sometimes they end up with a very different slant than I originally thought.

When I write, for the most part it's a partnership. I take on a degree of the character's personality, but another part of me is still seeing it as the writer. They tell me what they say or do, and I find the right words for it. Sometimes though, for particular characters or posts, I get very involved. I feel anger, jealousy, happiness, desire, or sadness that comes from the character. I've cried while writing posts, or even just plotting.

[Rochelle]

I do sort of a combination of what has been described here, but I lean more toward a character based creation than persona creation. I tend to let my new personas rattle around my brain until I think I have enough ideas to jot on paper. Sometimes they start as a quirk or name that I want or need to fill a story hole, more often they are an idea or concept that slowly snowballs into someone interesting enough to let out of their prison. In one case (not in Triad) she came into existence with a complete background, appearance, and heavy accent all at once and smacked me upside the head for not paying attention.

But once I get an idea I like, I start jotting them down on paper. If I still like them, I experiment with short story or scene exercises until I get a personality that I can work with and actually want to write -for me skipping this preliminary writing step is a guarantee to dead end a character. I have to be able to relate to them enough that I can slip into them if I need to, but I prefer for them to become their own person and write themselves.

[Paula]

I think I'm mostly like Patrick and Becky. My characters live in my head and they are usually already pretty well formed when I start writing down their sheets. I might tweak the details a bit (like physical look) but their history and personality are ofter 'set'.

I can do the other way too, but I don't get attached to those sonas as deeply.  

Most of the time my characters tell me where they want to go. Sometimes I have to 'beat' them into a mold for some post or storyline. To me, writing is kind of inner 'have to', way to express my creativity.

[Kaysea]

Hello.

My name is Kaysea - and I am schizophrenic.  

That's right - I hear voices in my head.

And these voices talk to me, and tell me what to write.  Be they called persona's or characters, I have little control over them most of the time.

Yes, they are all some part of me, like Sybil, I am many people.

Or am I channelling?

Who knows? All I know is, a post shows up in my email drafts folder (which is looking decidedly empty right now *frowns*) and they answer.

~Kaysea ;)