Who Am I?
I'm not entirely sure. Is anybody? But, I do know that I am not Kasia, Jake, Klara, Chloe or Jess. People tend to ask things like, so which character are you? or did you write ___ that way because you want to be just like her? Er no. I do not want to be an uptight too-smart-for-her-own-good emotionally void textbook junkie. Nor would I prefer to be a gold-digging slut.
Is there any of me in my characters? Well sure. Obviously. I wrote them. Chloe hates shopping, but loves a sweet pair of boots. All me. Kasia has a great "dumb blonde" theory. Yep, mine, too. I, however, have no desire to join the FBI or drive a Dodge Viper around a race track at 160mph (I spent enough of my life at the damn race track, thank you).
But, they are alive in my mind. When I'm writing, I can feel what they're thinking. I sympathize with their pain and I know their intentions are good no matter how they come across to others in the story. I want them to succeed in all they do. And I want them to get the guy/girl. Which brings us to another note.
Yes, I write sex scenes in my books. No, they do not stem (notice I avoided a horrible pun here, you're welcome) from my own experiences. In other words, I do not take my most personal moments of life and offer them in great detail to anyone who reads my work. Matter of fact, Kasia/Jake and Chloe/Jess have different sex. Very different. They are four different people. Very different. With two different relationships...okay, I'm not pressing my luck--you get it by now. Sex in my books=yes. My sex life in books=no.
I will admit that sometimes it can be difficult to separate from a character, especially after an emotional scene. They aren't me, but I sure have a lot invested in them. And in their success. As I've noted before, what I think is going to happen and what actually happens can be quite opposite and surprising. These turns of events can leave me feeling off kilter for days sometimes. I think that's good for the writing process, though, keeps me in the right mind frame.
So, anyone out there that does include massive amounts of themselves in their MC's?
Is there any of me in my characters? Well sure. Obviously. I wrote them. Chloe hates shopping, but loves a sweet pair of boots. All me. Kasia has a great "dumb blonde" theory. Yep, mine, too. I, however, have no desire to join the FBI or drive a Dodge Viper around a race track at 160mph (I spent enough of my life at the damn race track, thank you).
But, they are alive in my mind. When I'm writing, I can feel what they're thinking. I sympathize with their pain and I know their intentions are good no matter how they come across to others in the story. I want them to succeed in all they do. And I want them to get the guy/girl. Which brings us to another note.
Yes, I write sex scenes in my books. No, they do not stem (notice I avoided a horrible pun here, you're welcome) from my own experiences. In other words, I do not take my most personal moments of life and offer them in great detail to anyone who reads my work. Matter of fact, Kasia/Jake and Chloe/Jess have different sex. Very different. They are four different people. Very different. With two different relationships...okay, I'm not pressing my luck--you get it by now. Sex in my books=yes. My sex life in books=no.
I will admit that sometimes it can be difficult to separate from a character, especially after an emotional scene. They aren't me, but I sure have a lot invested in them. And in their success. As I've noted before, what I think is going to happen and what actually happens can be quite opposite and surprising. These turns of events can leave me feeling off kilter for days sometimes. I think that's good for the writing process, though, keeps me in the right mind frame.
So, anyone out there that does include massive amounts of themselves in their MC's?
Comments
I think you have to draw on your own experiences as a person to be able to create a character.
So, at least there's no school to miss this time, eh?
My MC is stubborn like that, too. I thought she was going to be a Feisty Romantic Heroine--turns out she is more interested in becoming a butt-kicking FBI agent, who knew, lol?
I blogged about something similar a couple weeks ago (Didn't See That Coming).