Who's your favorite character, of all those you've ever written? Not the one you'd want to get ice cream with. Not the one you'd kick back and watch netflix with, or the one you'd want by your side for an epic quest. Your favorite character might be too intimidating for that. Who's the one you see as most complete? Most awesome? The person you crafted so tenderly that it gives you the biggest sense of accomplishment? For me, that would have to be the love interest and co-protagonist of my sci-fi series, Strand. Elly Carello. Elly starts out as this selfless, charming girl ready to give whatever is expected of her for the good of her twisted world. When fellow co-protagonist Quincy raises some heavy questions about the rules of their world, however, she deepens more than even I thought possible. She faces choices between truth and tradition that make her look selfish. She struggles with being selfish, the right to life for herself and others, free will, and role fulfillment. She does all this while being a very real, strong character. She does all this without ever coming off as a tomboy or any other flawed "strong woman" trope. She is strong because of her values, and the way she struggles to reevaluate them. Elly developed in a unique and special way that surprised even me. What about you? Who is your favorite character, of all those you've lovingly shaped?
Mr. Milton Thaddeus Fogg, the creator of Fulcrum (our world), rival to Tobias, the creator of Lazarus. He's loved by few, not even his mother, and he is ruthless to get what he wants. I'd go into it further, but I like my secrets just as much as he does.
I would have to say my current main character. I've read books and watched TV/movies where a secondary character is more interesting and I was annoyed we found out next to nothing about them. I would have rather followed their tale because the character had so much potential and you feel that even the writers of that TV/SHOW/BOOK felt the same but were determined to make someone else the main because it was all ready concrete in their heads. I attempt to make my main character always feel like my biggest character accomplishment and be my favourite because that's the person I'll be spending the most time with. I often think, if her best friend, boyfriend or Mother feels more interesting to me, then they should be the focal point of the story. If they are more interesting to me than it's likely they will be to an audience as well. She or he is the one I spend the most time crafting and if my interest drifts to another character to such a point I like them best, I switch to them. My main character for this story has changed about 5 times. In the end I had to pick the character with the most conflicted, with the most at stake and she is the most complete. She was just a minor in the background, an impact character. But she had the most to offer, even though she's not perfect and doesn't possess the qualities of a typical protagonist. Great question by the way!
There's Ingrid Helmsheim. This character has a full story arc that actually has a beginning, middle, and end. She's a character that is often underestimated. Her biggest struggle though is learning how to view things as they are as opposed to how she wants them to be.
Lady Letitia Sommelroux, the protagonist's aunt. She lives in a tower and has her meals brought by a footman - and sits at her tapestry-loom, pretending to be addled when the current mistress of Twillingmarche, widow of Letitia's brother, the last earl, comes for her rare courtesy visits. She was one of my easiest characters to write, and by far the most fun.
Mine currently is Huanglong, the main antagonist for the first two installments of my series Chronicle Of Sekai. He starts out as a hidden villain and doesn’t even tell his own allies all his plans. And his endgame steams from the rough life he’s been forced to live due to him being half-human, half-demon which has left him harbouring a lot of hate.
From an old story I never finished, but I can't get it out of my head because I liked the characters so much! His name was Hwan, an anti-hero and friend to the main character. He was the wittiest and most outrageous character, so he got all the best dialogue; when I started writing, he spoke on his own. I found myself writing scenes just for him to live in, that I had no intention of including in the story, because I had so many ideas about his backstory. He probably should have been the protagonist, considering that he was the most interesting...
Very mysterious! I absolutely love that name. I picture a chubbier Teddy Roosevelt, who's also a genius, just from that!
Love everything about this approach. I completely agree that your protagonist should be the person who offers the most in your story. I really appreciate your willingness and flexibility to change who that is. Most people would hunker down and be stubborn about it.
Very much like many people in the world. There's literally nothing better than an underdog, either. When I see a character being dismissed by others, my first instinct is to keep an eye on them. They might develop into something mighty and wonderful.
I find that the characters we have the most fun writing are often the most believable and organic. She sounds very animated.
OOH nothing gets me smoldering like a sympathetic antagonist. Especially one readers won't see coming. Makes you want to read the book again to see if you missed any clues!
Oh my gosh I've had this happen before! Where a character is just so bursting with life you find yourself building locations and scenes just to give him/her that moment that inspired you. Definitely a strong candidate for his/her own story!
Currently? Well I think my favorite character from what I'm currently writing, and there's a pretty huge cast so far, would be the main antagonist: Black Sun. In a world full of superheroes and villains, Black Sun emerged seemingly from nowhere to take the reins of a power vacuum in the supervillain community. And, recruiting many of the formerly independent supervillains into his ranks, he strikes back at the complacent heroes with the kind of ferocity and coordination that the villain community has never shown before now. But, more than that, it soon becomes clear that he has goals far greater than simply stealing and causing mayhem. And I suppose what I like the most about him would be his power, his motives, and the past that molded him into what he is at the start of the story.
She's only outlined at present, but I know her better than any character I've written. Her name is Kalira, and she's the reincarnation of a murdered goddess, the goddess, in fact. As creator of Heaven and Earth (not Earth,) she was Aelera. She created a pantheon of gods and goddesses as well. Her lover goddess usurped the throne and killed her. The goddess of life and motherhood, etc. secreted her away in the form of a baby. Now grown, she leads the fight against the human daughter of the evil goddess in a war for the souls of the living and the dead.
Can't quite decide. When I began writing it'd have been clear-cut: Kay. He's the one who taught me the most. I had to challenge myself to learn how someone like him would react and see the world. I'd have said he's the one who is most different from me, who I had no baseline to fall back on. However, after having spent some time in 'his' shoes, I'm not quite sure that was true. Writing him is certainly a learning experience But his counterpart, Alexander, grew on me. He is the one who is most like me from all my cast. It's easy to understand him, because most of what he feels and how he reacts to the world I felt as well, in one form or another. I can understand his outrage and his sense of justice, his determination to right certain wrongs. Both of them can't exist without the other.
I dont have a favorite; I like all of my characters for different reasons Its fun to write Shaula because she's a badass and goes on adventures around the world. There is a little romance, but its not her priority. When he asks her to wait for him, she straight up leaves, hops on a boat, and becomes a body guard to fund her adventure of self discovery. I like writing Olun because i get to explore my romantic side with her as well as fate (do we love the ones we love because we fall in love? or because we are pre-destined to love them?) and Nura (who belongs to the same World as Olun but on a different timeline) because I get to write about religion, spirituality, and philosophy (with a little politics thrown in). Then there is my 10 year old character. I get to be childish and playful with her, but I also get to explore vulnerability. I know what its like to not feel good enough in my parents eyes. Even though they are proud of me and support me in a lot of what I do, there is still a part of me that thinks I'm not good enought, that I have to be BETTER and anything less is a failure. My 10 year and I are immensely different, but similar in this aspect. I like writing her emotions and how she deals with things. I even enjoy my bad guys! Shaula's antagonists, for example, are her mother (feeling as though she has to fight her mother's battles), a holy man (who believes the world owes him because hes suffered in his childhood, and takes in the most cruel ways), and herself (trying to validate her existence by taking life threatening risks). Olun doesnt really have a physical antagonist per se. there is what is expected of her versus what she wants. She has an "angel" and a "devil" on her shoulder: which are embodied in the woman who welcomes her into society, and the woman who believes she does not belong. Nura literally fights a dictator who believes that what he is doing is for the greater good of all, but really, he's leading his people to self destruction. I guess, I wouldnt be writing these characters if I didnt favor them in some way. Currently, I'm focusing on Olun's story, but I am well over 70k words in Shaula and Nura's stories.
Personal favourite? One of my main characters. He's not the story's main point of view but I consider him an MC. Anyway. I don't like for any other reason that his character in his child-like innocence, over-protectiveness of those close to him and his rather over-blown sense of self and self worth. Though in his arc he goes from being arrogant to joking about it to those he knows of, whilst still occasionally resorting back to his old arrogant self. I like writing his lines and dialogues especially as it makes me thing and enables me to say things that otherwise I'd never be able to say in the story. He also provides some much needed comic relief when needed and is a reliable character for that. Outside of that, one of my (other) interesting character is the mentor-like figure (early on) of my MC. He's background and life was very enjoyable to write and whilst I wish he was still alive in the story, he's death was inevitable and I will miss those moments I wrote with him in scene.
Which universe/story? Nora has helped me work through a lot of things in my life, facilitated by writing difficult situations and traumas from her POV. She helps me realize how I want to handle what life and people have thrown at me, while helping me process those things causing me grief in a healthy way. Murdock is the kindest, most caring character I've ever written. He is unconditionally supportive of the MC of that story, but isn't afraid to call her out when necessary, or give her guidance when she needs it. Aggressively passive does not turn him into doormat though, he stands up for himself and is the one who initiates the obligatory break-up, necessary for the MC to realize she's being a jerk and how much Murdock is worth to her. Mel is my first attempt at writing a character with no gender, which has been thoroughly interesting. On top of that their character development has been one of the few that has totally taken a life of it's own, and ended up being completely different from what I originally had in mind. They turned an attempt at a political unrest story into a coming-of-age story, which is also different from what I normally write. Zeke is based on my little brother, and though he is from a universe I have only really used for writing assignments and personal writing practice, has stuck around in my writing for years as a personal favorite. Quirky, stickler for the rules in the most annoying way, but still just as desperate for the approval and friendship of his peers as anyone else. Kal'toc is the first side character that pulled enough intrigue for me to be pulled in as a major character, and to take up enough of my thoughts to write scenes from the story in his POV just because the difference in what stands out to him and how he interprets things is so different from the MC of that story line is refreshing. Daniel is the antagonist I love to hate. Arrogant, self-assured, entitled, honestly all the traits that make me instantly turn off to a person in real life! Probably because he has a knack for pushing the buttons of the MC of that story. His antics and dialogue are fun to write, and every scene that he interacts with the MC makes me smile. Justin is the embodiment of everything I wish I could be. Perpetually calm, accepting of his lot in life and love, able to move on with his life after being rejected by the MC of that story line. He stands up for what he feels like he believes and refuses to compromise himself for anyone. I literally cried when his moral compass caused him to do the right thing, at the cost of his life. Frank, although he dies several times (time loop), always steals my heart, and was a great addition to my attempt to write horror. He made it easy to love him though, with his indomitable sense of justice and his need to explain the supernatural events rationally.
Sounds very complex! Also, honored to read what you shared about your 10 year old and vulnerability. That kind of raw emotion is tough to channel, but creates a very powerful story.
When you draw tears from yourself, you know you've done a good job with those characters. You've got a cast with quite the depth and range here!
Lol i realized i should have specified that each character mention belongs to different WIPs and not the same one. 2 are science fictions, 1 is fantasy, and the one with my 10 year old character is a coming of age contemporary piece.
I can't really pick a favorite! The main character and her best friend are fun to write for, kids finding ways to be silly in everyday situations. Alex and Rose are their names. Rodney, though an adult, is a bit timid around Alex because she's kind of mean to him, which is a bit hard to write about. Dave is a drug addict who turns out to be Alex's brother (explanation in my Workshop post). He's fun to write for.
Quilani has to be my fave in my new WIP so far. She is worldly and kinda protective, for a xenologist. There are times she can be a smart ass, but pretty well rounded and outgoing. However, she is adjusting to life on the orbital ring. Still trying to process selling her bra for a small fortune.
