Have you ever SEEN one of your characters in real life?

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mr mistook

I had a very strange experience today. I went out to a restaurant and was seated near a girl who looks exactly like the main character from my WIP, same short, black hair, same kind of clothes, same age, height, weight, etc.

I thought, "Oh My God! That was Adrianne Benson, in the flesh."

Just wondering if anybody else had ever had a similar experience.
 

Jamesaritchie

That must have been an interesting experience. Nearly every one of my characters are people I know, so I see them all the time. Except for Billy Martin, who died back in '89.

But it must be really interesting to have that happen.
 

Pellegrina Leoni

It's happened to me three times, and yes, it's a really interesting experience.
 

pianoman5

I saw one of mine in a coffee shop the other day. He came over and complained about the lines I'd given him. :lol
 

mr mistook

Pellagrina, Please give us the details! :)

J.A.R., It was mind-boggling!


I saw one of mine in a coffee shop the other day. He came over and complained about the lines I'd given him.

Pianoman, No joke! I half expected this girl to do the same :eek
 

preyer

if that happens to all writers, never will i have any other character not named jenna jameson.
 

Writing Again

Not after I have created a character, but sometimes when I am trying to work out a character I need I will come across someone who fits perfectly. This has happened to me fairly often.

When looking for a nosy neighbor I met an old lady on a bus who could have walked out of my story: she in fact walked into it.

While I was working on a bully type character a truck driver came in to work one day who was perfect down to the way he leered at the women workers.

And one day I was looking for a mentally different sort of fellow when a guy walked into a restaurant where I was eating breakfast, sat down and asked me, "You aren't one of them, are you?"

I replied, "They haven't contacted me in a long time. I think it is the smell. My mother says it is definitely the smell." I told him the way to maintain the proper smell was to only bathe on Sunday afternoon at 3pm -- But not the feet. The feet should only be bathed on Wednesday mornings.

From then on I spent several hours in a fascinating world rich in details I would never have dreamed of on my own, and which has made its way into several stories and will no doubt effect more to come.

Of course it did have one small drawback. For months every time I went in that restaurant people eyed me suspiciously, and no one else sat next to me for a long time afterward.

BTW if you ever meet a guy who only bathes on Sunday at 3pm and only bathes his feet on Wednesday mornings: Tell him Jason said "Hi."
 

maestrowork

The wife of a friend of mine reminds me exactly of one of my female protagonist. I see my male protagonist once in a while at restaurants or coffeeshops. The we get drunk and go home together, but I don't remember what happened... :lol
 

Pellegrina Leoni

The first time it happened, I was shopping, and I saw a woman who looked like a character out of my first novel. She had exactly the same carriage and demeanor. It was as though the character had sprung out of my head. I poked my husband and whispered, "Look, there's Melissa!" My husband was as stunned as I was. :eek

The second time it happened, I saw a man, in a parking lot, who looked exactly like a character out of my second novel. His body build and even the lines on his face were the same; it was amazing. And shortly thereafter, while shopping, I saw a woman who looked and dressed like a woman in my second novel, complete with the gaudy jewelry and heavy makeup.

In all instances, my reaction was... "WHOA, this is... weird...!" 0]
 

KLH

I haven't, but after reading the first three chapters of my work, one of my beta-readers msged me to say she'd seen Keegan Ross. He's actually about 5'10", not 5'8" and while devastatingly handsome in that scots-irish kinda way, he's rough trade.

I figured she was joking, and told her as much, until she said she'd send the pictures. She was going back the next night with a camera. "Excuse me" - after a few drinks - "but you're *exactly* a character in my friend's novel. Can I get your picture?"

If he ever shows up again and she works up her nerve and downs enough alcohol, it'll go down in history as one of the more unexpected pick-up lines, I think. ;)
 

preyer

the ironic thing is that would work for a chick, but if i went up to a girl in a bar and said, 'hey, babe, mind if i took some pictures of you? it's for my, uh, 'novel,'' i doubt i'd get very far, not ass first at least.
 

Flawed Creation

Not my protagonist, but one of my charatcers looks like a guy i know. he wasn't consciously based on him, but i guess it was unconscious. not sure if that counts.

Most of my Characters are not humans, which makes it less common. however, i had been stumped for weeks on my protagonists hair (i had decided that he could neither have long hair, no hair, or just plain average hair.) when i saw a guy with the PERFECT hair for my character.
 

novelator

One of my antagonists is a guy I knew too well. Writing that book was great therapy for me, however. The protagonist and his family were my rural neighbors, cowboys and ranchers all, who helped me through a difficult time.

Mari
 

stormie267

One of the characters in one of my short stories is a dead man who came back to life. And he's not pretty. So, I certainly hope I don't see that one around town!

Anyway, all of my characters from my first novel are composites of people I know. MY WIP (second) novel are from my active imagination. Haven't run into any yet.
 
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