Ever "see" your characters?

Exile87 · Jul 10, 2010

Ever "see" your characters in real life, a magazine advertisement, etc?

I have pictures saved of basically all my characters and how I see them in my wee little brain. It's pointless, but oh so fun searching for them! (And a great time-waster when you're not in the mood to write!)

I also happen to be a toy collector and recently got hooked on the new version of the Littlest Pet Shop. I'm starting to realize that I can "see" each of my characters in them! It's absolutely hilarious. My troupe of villains consists of a husky, bull terrier, and poodle! And some of my heroes are ferrets, chinchillas, and great danes! I'm having wayyy too much fun with this...

I'm thinking of taking a pic and labeling them all! HA!
Have I really gone THAT over the edge?!

I mean, how can a bunch of characters from a sci-fi thriller look like cute and innocent little animals?! Well, at least most of them are innocent! Got a few murderers amongst them...hehe...

heyjude · Jul 11, 2010

You're weird! I like that about you!

I sometimes base my characters' looks on actors/actresses.

But the funniest thing happened a couple of weeks ago--I saw Joe Pike. Honest, I nearly ran my car off the road. Into him. Poor guy.

He was standing in the middle of the road, all big and bad and dangerous-looking. Jeans, black tee shirt, mirrored sunglasses, close-cropped hair. Fisted in each hand was the leash to a massive rottie, both sitting at his feet. He didn't even look at me as I drove by, already frantically emailing Todd on my phone ("You will never believe who I just saw!").

Saw him again a few days later, walking one of the rotties. That boy is in danger. Of me. I'm either going to hit him with my car or accost him, not sure of which.

I think it's pretty neat when your vision of a character (yours or someone else's) is so sharp, so defined, that you can "recognize" them IRL--even in the Littlest Pet Shop.

Shakesbear · Jul 11, 2010

I saw a woman who inspired a short story in the High Street of the local town. I was walking behind her and I noticed her at first because she looked so elegant. She was medium height and her hair, which was dark brown, was well cut. She had on a well cut suit in an interesting shade of turquoise which she has accessorized with black shoes, bag and gloves. Then she turned round and she had the ugliest face! But so well made up.

As for other characters - I see them in my mind's eye, rarely in RL.

Jamesaritchie · Jul 11, 2010

My characters are nearly all people I know, so, yes, I see them.

Ol' Fashioned Girl · Jul 11, 2010

Absolutely! And very clearly, too. The painting I sometimes use as my avatar, the one of the woman in the red dress, is 'Carolyn'... or, actually, you could just look up Elizabeth Taylor in her prime...

haystackbat · Jul 11, 2010

I had a bit of a disturbing realization the other day. I've been building my dear Mona for a very long time (not to mention her crazy adventure world) and all along I swore she was the spitting image of an actress named Tania Raymonde. (This wavered when I saw another not-well-known actress who made me think of Mona as well, but I digress.) In my mind's eye I never quite thought of her as looking quiiiite that way, but it didn't matter. Then out of the blue I realize that Mona looks uncannily like a second cousin of mine who I haven't seen in years and am not close with. This wouldn't bother me a lot, except that my beloved character happens to be a medical student. The second cousin is on her way to becoming a doctor as well, or was last I heard.

Just a weird little thing my subconscious did. Of course, no one else will ever know, and the character's personality does differ quite a lot from what I remember of the cousin's, but still. Little creepy.

MissMacchiato · Jul 11, 2010

I have! I saw her in starbucks. She was absolutely stunning, exactly how I pictured my main character. I stared and stared at her, but I was too shy to ask for a photo

triceretops · Jul 11, 2010

Strange, but my SF publisher had an artist friend read the book and render all of the characters, props, ships, bad guys, and beasties. What a remarkable talent to see your images come to life. Not only close, but dead on. I'll have them up on a website very soon that the publisher is constructing. I've never had this happen before. It was a nice surprise.

Tri

Midnight Star · Jul 12, 2010

I once saw Carlos standing outside of Dunkin' Donuts, smoking a cigarette. I stared at him for a while.

I think he's the only one I've actually seen. I've pictured them, but I've never seen one in real life.

mtrenteseau · Jul 12, 2010

I'm looking forward to a trip to New York, where I expect to see a dozen people who could be my main character and his girlfriend.

The first murder victim, Elaine, probably doesn't exist in real life. She's a fashion editor, and I designed her as a source of inspiration for Meryl Streep's portrayal of Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada. The original book was based heavily on Anna Wintour of Vogue, but the parts that aren't Ms. Wintour had to come from somewhere...

ToddWBush · Jul 12, 2010

jude will either kiss the guy or... no, she'll kiss the Joe Pike look-a-like because I know how much she loves Joe.

I've never seen my characters except in my head. Mainly because I don't like giving my characters much definition as far as looks. I like the reader to "see" whatever they want to see. I give eye color, hair color, race, height and weight. That's it.

Susan Coffin · Jul 12, 2010

What a fun conversation!

When I write, I generally have someone in mind I know. I feel basing them on people in my life. I have one minor character who is based on my significant other, who is a professional musician. I told him, "I need someone in my store to own a music store, can it be you?" He thought it was great. Not sure if I broke his heart when I said, "Excellent. But, it's not a lead part."

Personally, I think the best characters are based on real people.

So, yes- I see my characters in my head and in my real life.

Gillhoughly · Jul 12, 2010

I've never seen my characters, but I did see ME.

I was flipping through library magazines from the 1930s--long before I was born, long before my parents even met--and there I was staring out from a car ad. My face shape, features, even the same smile and body language.

Strangely, I wore my hair in that same cut and style when I was in the 3rd grade.

I should write a story on that that doesn't involve lost heirs or reincarnation...

kaitie · Jul 12, 2010

Oh, I totally do that. Sometimes I'll see an actress or someone and think, "Hm...she could be Angie." I once saw a character I was writing in an airport and it was all I could do not to take a picture of him and send it to my friend. :tongue

Seriously, EXACTLY like him!

I've mentioned this elsewhere, but you know Die Hard? The bit where John writes "Now I have a machine gun. Ho Ho Ho" on the dead guy and sends him down the elevator shaft? That dead guy looks exactly like Eddie from my last story. Not kidding. Exactly. It's kind of disturbing to watch, to be honest. It's like seeing Eddie dead. And I didn't kill Eddie for a reason haha. Not sure I have it in me to ever kill him.

Carleree · Jul 12, 2010

I wrote my novel based on a very vivid dream I had of my character, played by Shirley MacLaine. So, yes, I see my characters, and I keep a folder on my desktop of other actors I modelled my characters after.

AshenLionHeart · Jul 12, 2010

lmao, that is amazing. I know what you mean though, I am a big time Resident Evil fan so I collect some of the figurines. And yes, sometimes I look at them and think 'Ya know, he could have Blank's personality!' And then I'll amuse myself by making it say random things. Yay for easily amused persons.

Exile87 · Jul 14, 2010

Nice responses, guys!

Why, thank you, jude! haha

Yes, very easily amused, Ashen. You can say that again! Just looking for two more pets on ebay to complete my characters. Then I'll snap a pic and show you guys! Can't wait! These little critters are far more harder to track down than I thought. That combined with greedy ebay sellers...

SJ Gordon · Jul 14, 2010

I haven't seen my characters yet but that doesn't mean I'm not looking! One of my characters is (and don't ask me why because I can't really explain) a David Tennant look-alike. Act-alike, too, sort of. I don't even know where that came from or why. It actually causes a few wrinkles and problems in the story because he persists in being Scottish, as well. *facepalm* My editorial self says, "Get rid of that. It's a mess." But my brain persists in seeing David Tennant and hearing the Scottish burr!

mlouisalocke · Jul 16, 2010

I saw my male protagonist driving next to me one day. Which felt very odd since my book is set in 1879. But it was definitely him. Interestingly one of my main secondary characters-who I first wrote over 20 years ago-turned out to look a good deal like my stepmother-again odd since I wrote the character before my Dad even met her. But I confess that it helped me have a good feeling about her in real life when I did meet her.

Snowstorm · Jul 16, 2010

I saw the gal who could play my first protag. She was a server at a pizza place. I couldn't quit staring at her. She blew me away since she looked just like my protag in my mind's eye. I hope she didn't think I was pervert.

RJK · Jul 17, 2010

I never described my MC, but to me he looked like a younger Mac Taylor (Gary Sinese) from CSI:NY. So I see him once a week + reruns.

jeseymour · Jul 22, 2010

When I first started writing about my main character, almost 30 years ago, I gave some of my writing to a friend to read. She was very encouraging and we chatted a lot about the character. Then my cousin came to visit. My friend grabbed me by the arm and said "That's him! That's Kevin." And yes, I guess I have to admit it. My main character looks a lot like my Vietnam veteran alcoholic cousin.

Gugland · Jul 22, 2010

There's this cute redhead that walks by my place quite a lot (I live on a busy street and I'm often in the driveway, smoking/drinking/bbq'ing). She always waves, says "hi" or we exchange a couple lines of small talk. For weeks I couldn't figure out where I knew her from. Then it dawned on me - she was the feisty character I came up with a few months ago for a comedy that eventually stalled out.

I really liked the ideas I had, but couldn't figure out a story to wrap around them.

Every time I see her I want to say "hey, I'm a wannabe screenwriter who coincidentally created a character JUST like you...can I hang out with you for a day?" but I worry that might sound like a cheesy pick up line.

Ya think?

heyjude · Jul 23, 2010

Gugland said:
Every time I see her I want to say "hey, I'm a wannabe screenwriter who coincidentally created a character JUST like you...can I hang out with you for a day?" but I worry that might sound like a cheesy pick up line.

Ya think?

Yes, I think. But then again, some of us ladies like cheesy pick up lines.

sheadakota · Jul 23, 2010

I draw my characters- don't know if I ever see them in real life. I see their vehicles though- my one character drives a black Jeep Wrangler- every time I see one- i think of him-

But I do have character sketches of all my charaters-

Ever "see" your characters?

New kid, be gentle!

Making my own sunshine

knows a hawk from a handsaw

Hand? What hand?

Bring on the Sweet, Sweet Coffee

We are once in a lifetime.

Mild-mannered accountant by day...

Tell it like it Is

Grumpy writer and editor

With great power comes

Queen of Catastrophes

survived Chicken Island.

New kid, be gentle!

Baby plot bunneh sniffs out a clue

Sheriff Bullwinkle the Poet says:

Sufficiently downsized

Making my own sunshine

part of the human equation