Let's face it we all base our characters to look like someone we either know have seen or even better to to look like a celebrity from films/books or Tvs.. So which character do you have that looks like someone famous ie celebrity?
Fair enough interesting answer. Have you ever described a character that bears some kind of familiarity with someone you know or know of?
Not that I remember. I have a kind of image for each name, but sometimes these are based on people I know, so who knows? Can't think of any times I've used that in a book, though.
No, we don't all. I think that it would be good for you to stop assuming that everybody thinks the same way.
I know lots of writers do this. Every main character in Seinfeld was based on someone in Jerry Seinfelds real life. One of Stephen Kings characters is always a writer from Maine. My dads based a few characters on me. I’ve used some of my friends as inspirations before but as for celebrities I tend not to simply because I don’t really know them. The only celebrity that I’ve used more than once that I can think of would be Carl Sagan and that’s playing fast and loose with the word “celebrity.” I also didn’t really care what the character looked like but more interested in using Sagans particularly speaking idiosyncrasies.
I don't usually start out with a celebrity or personally familiar person as a reference for physical appearance either. I've done so with personality or characterization (most definitively in Under the Knife), but not so much with looks.
I don't base my characters on anyone in particular. However, I have been told that some of my characters are described, either by personality or looks (or both) to fit and be extremely similar to certain characters or people within books, movies, real life, etc...
I like to Frankenstein character looks from attributes that I think best emphasize their character: broody anti-hero? DARK BLACK HAIR! Pure and innocent princess? WHITE DRESS AND BLONDE HAIR! ...I'm basic, so what ._.
I don't get strong mental images of- anything really. Including my characters. I'll get a vague idea, approximate height, build, skin and hair color, eye color maybe, species (I write fantasy) but yeah not much else. I doubt that I could draw a picture of them. (And that's not factoring in my inexperienced art skills.)
https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/35384.Rich_Wallace The MC in his chess book is 100% based on my brother and I.
No... I can't think of a single character whose looks I've based on a celebrity, at least not consciously. Their appearance tends to jump out at me at the moment of conception, and they generally don't resemble anyone I know, personally or otherwise. It happens more often that people I meet resemble characters I've already written, which is always a surreal experience. There is one (minor) character I've knowingly based on a casual acquaintance, with a hefty portion of artistic license.
I try not to do that, that way when I get the inevitable, "you should put me in one of your stories!" I can honestly say, yeah, no, I don't do that. Except of course when I, but those are usually references and in-jokes with people I know. So like 90% of the time I only do it like 40% of the time. But no famous celebrities, because for the most part they're kinda vapid. Christopher Lee and Steve Buschemi are fairly awesome. Marina Sirtis, less so.
Yeah, sure... I've been writing a series of GoT fics that are nearly elsewhere fics (you use the same setting and premiss but none, or almost none, of the original characters). I have a waterdancer who's from the Summer Isles whom I based on U.S Olympic Fencer Nzingha Prescod. The character she takes under her wing to train in the ways of Braavosi swordsmen and swordswomen is a little fellah named Timmor Buckler of Bronzegate in the Stormlands of Westeros. He is the lesser son of Lord Ralph Buckler and comes into the company of Brienne of Tarth, who takes him as her ward when she sees that Lord Buckler is a dickhole to his gay son. Timmor Buckler is played by another U.S. fencer, Race Imboden. He comes to meet Nzingha (in my story her name is Odé) when Brienne takes him and Podrick on a trade expedition to the Summer Isles. I wasn't trying to find famous people to represent my characters when I settled on these two. I was really looking for information concerning fencing, given that it's a large part of the story between Odé and Timmor. I already knew Timmor was a ginger and Odé would be black because she's from the Summer Isles. Coming across an image of these two stunning athletes while I was searching for fencing info was just serendipity. And it's certainly not important to me that my characters be described as exact representations of these two people. They are just a starting point, an idea, an impression of the person. Who they are when it comes to description has to do with whose eyes we are looking through at any given time. When Podrick looks upon his beloved Timmor, he sees through the filter of love. When Brienne looks upon him, he's her ward and responsibility. When Odé sees him, he's a student and a path to other things she needs to accomplish for herself. Each person sees a different Timmor and widdershins likewise for everyone involved.
I'm suprized by the responses actually. I personally never based my characters off of a celebrity or ONE particular person. They are a combination of bits and pieces. Just for example my character may have the personality of my sister, hair like Britney spears, style like some random person I admired on the street, or just something I made up. And then I combine them all to form my character. Thats probably why when I was actively seeking celebrity look alikes for my characters I could not find any.. I could get close but it's never how I picture them in my head
I don't base them off of celebrities or people I know. They're usually variations of what I wish I looked like.
My characters' looks are based on a combination of what I like, what I think they would like, and their personality. If they look like someone in real life, it's on accident.
When I write, I start my characters from scratch. I only use actors in my comic tests because that way I don't have to paint them. I can draw whatever I want but It's an endlessly task to add the colour afterwards.
I can't say I've based any character on an actor or a celebrity. I have based a couple of characters on people I actually know, however. But they are heavily disguised! It's not so much their looks as their personalities that I have 'borrowed,' at least to start with. But they evolve into individuals soon enough.
