Take your MC on a date

scarletpeaches · Jun 27, 2009

Hello peepholes.

Well I'm coming up to a part of my WIP where the two male MCs and one of the female MCs have been out to a pub for a few drinks, then back to one of their houses for dinner - such is the situation to inspire this thread.

I found myself thinking, "God, if only this guy was real!" and am throwing the question over to you - if one of your main characters came to life for twenty-four hours, and you could take them on a date, where would you take 'em, what would you do? Tell us a bit about them and what you think they'd like if they had a day to spend with their creator.

Posting this in AW Roundtable rather than Novels to bring it to a wider audience; all media welcome.

scarletpeaches, quietly anticipating thethinker42's answer later...

ccv707 · Jun 27, 2009

Perhaps in the past...I never had the tendency to become so "enraptured" by a character to think about them like that, since I do tend to do horrible things to them in the story (i.e., they're lucky to make it through to the end with a pulse). Plus, I'm finally in a happy, committed relationship (far too many bad ones) and I wouldn't dare

think of another woman in that light, especially a fictional one...though she likes Sawyer on Lost......damn that Josh Holloway and his rugged good looks!

Characters created by other people are another story...I'd take Number Three (Lucy Lawless) on a date, from BSG. But she'd probably want to spend all day talking about how foolish her own people are, and then try to enslave humanity...

Dale Emery · Jun 27, 2009

The MCs of two of my novels are twelve-year-old boys. So I could probably take them just about anywhere for a date. Neverland Ranch, maybe.

The MC of my other novel is a homicidal cuckold. A gun and doll show would be nice.

Dale

(Note to self: Remember to delete this message without posting.)

SPMiller · Jun 27, 2009

Most if not all of my characters would try to kill me for what I've put them through.

jennontheisland · Jun 27, 2009

The elf, she and I wouldn't be going out anywhere. We'd be staying in the whole time.

The Viking. Same.

The Norman soldier... um...

Dude, really? We have to leave the house?? Well, I suppose some things could be done in public....

thethinker42 · Jun 27, 2009

scarletpeaches said:
scarletpeaches, quietly anticipating thethinker42's answer later...

Hmm...decisions...

Answer the question with the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth...

...or...

...continue enjoying my status as non-banned on AW?

Dilemmas, dilemmas...

thethinker42 · Jun 27, 2009

Okay okay, in all seriousness...

If I could choose one of my characters with whom to spend an evening, it would probably be either Darren from Between Brothers or Brandon from Rules of Engagement.

Can't really say much about them without divulging more than I'd like about the stories, but basically, they're both the type I could spend an evening* with just shooting the breeze and laughing. They're both the sarcastic type, though they each have their own sense of humor. Brandon has been known to pull practical jokes on people, while Darren is just more of a smartass. Either way, I'd love to hang out with one or both of them.

*And yes...I do mean spending the whole evening with him...or them...

Salis · Jun 27, 2009

Am I the only person who doesn't want to sleep with my characters? :|

Ken · Jun 27, 2009

... the MC in my current tale loathes people. So if I asked them to have a spot of tea at Starbuck's or teh like they'd probably hang up on me :-(

scarletpeaches · Jun 27, 2009

Salis said:
Am I the only person who doesn't want to sleep with my characters? :|

I dunno. Are they hot?

Chasing the Horizon · Jun 27, 2009

This would surprise anyone who's read all my books, but the characters I'd most like to spend a day with would be the twin MCs from my YA series. Not necessarily a 'date' (they're kind of young for me, though they are cute), but talking with them would be really fun. I'm sure they would be fascinated by a world in which magic isn't a part of everyday life and by some of the more modern technology like airplanes and computers which don't yet exist on their world. Their impression of American culture would be fascinating. And they're sorcerers, so we could play with magic.

Salis · Jun 27, 2009

scarletpeaches said:
I dunno. Are they hot?

This is also what confuses me. I mean.... I have an MC, but I don't. There's a main cast of characters, each of which is pretty important. There's the guy who the narrative starts with, who definitely has more "screen time" than most characters, but he isn't necessarily the most important.

So, I guess, are there characters in my story I would find attractive? Sure. Would I want to sleep with them? I guess they aren't that real to me.

There *are* characters in my story I'd love to hang out with, though.

Cassiopeia · Jun 27, 2009

I have two different novels. Ironically, both male MC's are law enforcement officers. I'd go for the U.S Marshal- Michael Whitly (Irish from Brooklyn) and I'd want to have our date be dinner and a play in Manhattan. If that's too snooty for him, I'd settle for a picnic on the living room floor with candle light and a nice bottle of Gracia Rose.

thethinker42 · Jun 27, 2009

Salis said:
So, I guess, are there characters in my story I would find attractive? Sure. Would I want to sleep with them? I guess they aren't that real to me.

There *are* characters in my story I'd love to hang out with, though.

I write erotic romance. I spent a lot of time in my characters' bedrooms. If I ever actually MET them, you'd better believe I'd want to...ahem...talk shop.

Now, my characters from my non-romance stories? Not so much. I'd love to sit down and have coffee with a few of them, but wouldn't try to drag them into the bedroom. In this instance, I think genre makes a huge difference.

scarletpeaches · Jun 27, 2009

Salis said:
So, I guess, are there characters in my story I would find attractive? Sure. Would I want to sleep with them? I guess they aren't that real to me.

There *are* characters in my story I'd love to hang out with, though.

Just teasing.

Cassiopeia said:
I have two different novels. Ironically, both male MC's are law enforcement officers. I'd go for the U.S Marshal- Michael Whitly (Irish from Brooklyn) and I'd want to have our date be dinner and a play in Manhattan. If that's too snooty for him, I'd settle for a picnic on the living room floor with candle light and a nice bottle of Gracia Rose.

Ooh, men in uniform? Excellent choice madam!

thethinker42 said:
I write erotic romance. I spent a lot of time in my characters' bedrooms. If I ever actually MET them, you'd better believe I'd want to...ahem...talk shop.

Now, my characters from my non-romance stories? Not so much. I'd love to sit down and have coffee with a few of them, but wouldn't try to drag them into the bedroom. In this instance, I think genre makes a huge difference.

And as I write the same genre and Lori has been rather appreciative of my latest effort, I'm duty-bound to say "Double date with Alex and Gabe."

Salis · Jun 27, 2009

thethinker42 said:
I write erotic romance. I spent a lot of time in my characters' bedrooms. If I ever actually MET them, you'd better believe I'd want to...ahem...talk shop.

Now, my characters from my non-romance stories? Not so much. I'd love to sit down and have coffee with a few of them, but wouldn't try to drag them into the bedroom. In this instance, I think genre makes a huge difference.

Yeah, I was thinking this right after I posted.

"Huh, I bet it's because there's very little sexual context in my story."

Ironically, there IS sex, it's just not very important to the story, in the same sense that sex isn't very important to a lot of people in real life. It's just something you do, like eating*.

*let the innuendo begin

thethinker42 · Jun 27, 2009

Salis said:
Yeah, I was thinking this right after I posted.

"Huh, I bet it's because there's very little sexual context in my story."

Ironically, there IS sex, it's just not very important to the story, in the same sense that sex isn't very important to a lot of people in real life.

That definitely makes a difference, then. Sex is an integral part of my stories, so I get rather intimately acquainted with my characters. Makes me see them in a somewhat different light.

It's just something you do, like eating*.

*let the innuendo begin

*exercises restraint*

Cranky · Jun 27, 2009

Hmm. Out of all my characters, I think I'd like to take Danny from a now-defunct urban fantasy I wrote...holy crap, two years ago!

Anyway, he'd probably insist on going to a bar (he's got a wee drinking problem, does Danny), but I'd have to drag him out somewhere to eat first. Unless he's at his friend Theo's house, he doesn't eat anything that but fast food and microwaved stuff. Sometimes Chinese. I'd take him out for a proper meal, some drinks, and then we'd go shoot some pool or something.

That's about it. Danny's a great guy, but too troubled for me. Well, that and I'm married.

ETA: Oh, and he's also a little bit dead.

Cassiopeia · Jun 27, 2009

Cranky said:
ETA: Oh, and he's also a little bit dead.

Yeah, the dead part would really stop me. LOL

SPMiller · Jun 27, 2009

Cranky said:
Well, that and I'm married.

He's not real, so it doesn't count.

ETA: Oh, and he's also a little bit dead.

Even better.

swvaughn · Jun 27, 2009

Interesting question!

I've written many, many novels. For the most part, if I spent twenty-four hours with any of my characters, I'd need a bulletproof, magic-proof body suit (and if it had invisibility too, that'd be extremely helpful) in order to spend the following twenty-four hours among the living.

But it would definitely not be a boring day.

wannawrite · Jun 27, 2009

Hm...

I would tie Valkan to a bedpost and not let him up for twenty-four hours, and he would be fine with that.

Conner, I would go horseback riding with. That is probably all. He is too nice. Not my style.

Laurion and I would talk politics. Then I would lick him like a lollipop.

Kade I would jump and ride like the wild stallion he is. (figuratively)

Keegan and I would sit on the porch swing and drink lemonade. He is very sweet and more than a little inhibited. I wouldn't want to scare him.

As for the chicks? Pretty much the same, only I would take them shopping first. *smiles*

Matera the Mad · Jun 27, 2009

*Sigh* My MC would be very respectful to me. (His deceased father would be a more likely prospect for a fling, but....) We would find plenty to talk about, though, and if I could come up with a couple of drums, who knows what mischief we might get up to. On the astral plane.

dnic · Jun 27, 2009

thethinker42 said:
*exercises restraint*

- exercises restraint on pointing out innuendos relating to restraints -

:tongue

Oh. Opera and fondue party afterward for sure. The current male MC's a bit of an indoor-ish type.

blacbird · Jun 27, 2009

Not a chance in hell. Not one of 'em. Never ever ever.

caw

Take your MC on a date

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