*ahem* if my characters lived in modern times...and spoke to me
Rafe: Dramatic sigh
Gabriel: So Rafe wants to know why you hate him
Rafe: Another Dramatic sigh
Me: What are you talking about? I love Rafe!
Rafe: Eye Roll
Gabriel: Yeah but you haven't written anything for him in a really long time. He's getting really moody about it.
Me: Rafe's always moody
Gabriel: I know right? I don't even know why he's so upset. I mean I only get like two chapters in the whole book!
Rafe: Taps his foot impatiently
Gabriel: Oh right, he still wants to know why you hate him.
Me: Rafe, it's just that you're so moody! You're hard to write!
Rafe: But I'm so very sexy!
Me: Yes you are
Gramma Rosie: Why if I had some chocolate....
Me: Rosie! That's enough!
Gabriel: looks at Gramma Rosie I don't actually ever have to meet her do I?
Rafe: Yes, and she'll pinch your arse too
Gabriel: gulps
Katze: Oh please, she's not that bad you big baby!
Rafe: Hey there hottie, can we make out now?
Katze: dramatic sigh I don't know, ask the author!
Gabriel: Hey...you look familiar...do I know you from somewhere?
Me: You're all so needy! You wonder why I don't want to write you lot!
Katze: shrugs and inspects her fingernails
Me: Fine, Rafe i don't hate you, I'll finish your chapter as soon as I finish your lover girl's chapter. Gabriel I think you will have more than two chapters so rejoice!
Gabriel, Rafe, Katze: Huzzah!
Katze: sooooo when DO I get to make out with Rafe?
Me: Dramatic Sigh
Showing posts with label Rafe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rafe. Show all posts
Monday, July 14, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
The Soundtrack of our Lives
I believe that at any given point in time in our lives we can listen to a song and really relate to it. We, as humans, can listen to poignant lyrics and feel moved and say to ourselves 'hey that's me right now!' It's quite common and I think perfectly normal, if one did not relate on a deep level to a song then I think I'd question either that person's honesty or sanity. So is it not equally logical to superimpose meaningful songs onto fictional characters? I propose that not only is it logical to do so but natural. With the never-ending variety of song choices of every lyrical meaning, of every genre out there it seems like a second nature to me to assign a theme song if you will not only to books I read or movies I watch but also in my own writing.
Before I began The Blood of Renatus I created a playlist basically of motivational music to keep me focused and pumped up through Nanowrimo. I included songs that were soothing as well as angry. I have a section of my playlist devoted to what I dub "battle music". You can almost hear the sword fights in the background of Metallica, Velvet Revolver and Godsmack. I also included songs just because of their title, for instance I have: 1000 Words; Famous Last Words; Things I'll Never Say; Speak; and Paperback Writer. As I wrote more and as I became more in tune with the specific needs and traits of my characters I started to think about what their theme songs would be.
Most of my characters I can assign one or two songs that feel like "them". Perhaps I've simply been inspired by the music that I listen to or perhaps I listen to that music more because I want to get into the mindset of whichever character I'm writing. Because I switch between my characters each chapter I have to really focus on making sure that the Rafe chapters sound like Rafe and that they don't sound like Katze. It's harder than you'd think mostly because Rafe and Katze are quite similar in some ways. To do that I tend to listen to music that I feel fits with that character. I find it so helpful that after a few bars of a single song I can suddenly write all Rafe in all his moody glory.
My character Katze--who I don't think I've really talked about much in this blog--gets an entire playlist all to herself. Why does she get 36 songs and everyone else gets lumped into the general "writing" playlist? Well mostly because she was the first character I created and is probably the most important and most complex character in the whole book. She's full of rage all the time, slightly crazy and kind of mean. There were just so many songs that kept coming to me that just were Katze. I'll give you a selection of my Katze playlist:
Before I began The Blood of Renatus I created a playlist basically of motivational music to keep me focused and pumped up through Nanowrimo. I included songs that were soothing as well as angry. I have a section of my playlist devoted to what I dub "battle music". You can almost hear the sword fights in the background of Metallica, Velvet Revolver and Godsmack. I also included songs just because of their title, for instance I have: 1000 Words; Famous Last Words; Things I'll Never Say; Speak; and Paperback Writer. As I wrote more and as I became more in tune with the specific needs and traits of my characters I started to think about what their theme songs would be.
Most of my characters I can assign one or two songs that feel like "them". Perhaps I've simply been inspired by the music that I listen to or perhaps I listen to that music more because I want to get into the mindset of whichever character I'm writing. Because I switch between my characters each chapter I have to really focus on making sure that the Rafe chapters sound like Rafe and that they don't sound like Katze. It's harder than you'd think mostly because Rafe and Katze are quite similar in some ways. To do that I tend to listen to music that I feel fits with that character. I find it so helpful that after a few bars of a single song I can suddenly write all Rafe in all his moody glory.
My character Katze--who I don't think I've really talked about much in this blog--gets an entire playlist all to herself. Why does she get 36 songs and everyone else gets lumped into the general "writing" playlist? Well mostly because she was the first character I created and is probably the most important and most complex character in the whole book. She's full of rage all the time, slightly crazy and kind of mean. There were just so many songs that kept coming to me that just were Katze. I'll give you a selection of my Katze playlist:
- Uninvited-Alanis Morissette
- Losing Grip-Avril Lavigne
- Learn to Live With What You Are-Ben Folds
- Bruised-Ben Folds
- Going Under-Evanescence
- Hollow-Godsmack
- Whatsername-Green Day
- Dead!-My Chemical Romance
- The Sharpest Lives-My Chemical Romance
- Damaged-Plumb
- Stranded-Plumb
- Life's a Bitch-Shooter
- You Got No Right-Velvet Revolver
That's just a few of Katze's songlist, I didn't want to post all 36. I'm pretty sure if she were a real person in modern day she would only ever listen to Emo or angry chick music. I think if you listened to those songs you would probably get a pretty good feel for her psyche without reading a word. For those of you who know Katze's character you can probably understand why I chose some of those songs based only on the title. I'd tell all you innocuous readers out there more about her but that would spoil the fun wouldn't it?
Music's good for the soul and to me one of the points of being a writer is to give soul to the people I've created on paper. At some point, they stop being text on a paper and become people with thoughts and feelings that as far as I'm concerned can easily be expressed in song. Anyway, I'd post my other MC's (main characters) theme song but it's time to go home. Maybe another day. :)
Friday, May 9, 2008
Two hours until the weekend...
So it's come to my attention that there are in fact two hours remaining until the end of the work day.
Two hours until I'm free for the weekend.
Two hours until I can go home and watch my DVR'd "A Shot of Love with Tila Tequila" (I kid you not, it's solid gold programming).
Two hours until I can play mario kart...well only if i play before watching the above otherwise it's more like three hours.
Anyway you get the idea, two more hours of work. So what am I doing right now? Obviously I'm working see? I don't have anything planned tonight (except for mario kart and tila tequila) which strikes me as very unfamiliar. I honestly can't tell you the last time that Daren and I did not have something planned for a Friday night. We don't have anything planned for tomorrow either which is equally odd. It's a good thing though. I think I'll go to JP's tomorrow afternoon and do some writing with Sarah. Well not WITH Sarah but you know what I mean. Maybe I'll finish the chapter I'm working on. It's a Katze chapter, one of my favorite to write. Maybe I'll just write another blog entry, we'll see.
I've been thinking a lot about one of my characters lately and why I just can't seem to get his chapters quite right. I'm pretty sure it's because I tried to change his character from being quite moody into something much less moody. It didn't work, Rafe just wants to be moody. So that got me thinking about characterization in general. For me characters just seem to pop into my head as whole people. Rafe started off as a moody guy with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. When I tried to change that and failed miserably I realized that I just have to let him be what he was always meant to be.
If you're doing any bit of creative writing think about your characters first before you really put pen to paper. Characters are malleable...what didn't I just say the opposite about Rafe? Well yes but that doesn't mean I can't add quirks or other characteristics. Moody is just one. It's a base to work from. I see moody Rafe...but I can add that he's incredibly protective and has a slow burning temper. He's not one to flare up at people and if he does is alone or with just one other person he can trust. But all throughout that he's moody. See? No probably not because I don't think I'm making much sense.
I said something to Sarah once about how our characters become real people to us (us meaning writers) and I still think it's true. I think that characters drive the story and we should listen to them. For a non-writer that might be a hard thing to comprehend but it's true. To make a story-a plot-meaningful I think an author has to be able to stand on the characters. I'm pretty sure my Grandfather (an avid reader) once told me it didn't matter to him what genre he read as long as he cared about the people in the story. So if your character wants to be moody, let him be moody but don't be afraid to also add other aspects. Nobody wants to read about a guy who does nothing but sulk and sulk and sulk. But reading about a guy who sulks...and then protects his best friend...and then helps start a revolution to overthrow the empire WHILE sulking. Now that might be interesting. At least I think so...obviously I did write it.
Two hours until I'm free for the weekend.
Two hours until I can go home and watch my DVR'd "A Shot of Love with Tila Tequila" (I kid you not, it's solid gold programming).
Two hours until I can play mario kart...well only if i play before watching the above otherwise it's more like three hours.
Anyway you get the idea, two more hours of work. So what am I doing right now? Obviously I'm working see? I don't have anything planned tonight (except for mario kart and tila tequila) which strikes me as very unfamiliar. I honestly can't tell you the last time that Daren and I did not have something planned for a Friday night. We don't have anything planned for tomorrow either which is equally odd. It's a good thing though. I think I'll go to JP's tomorrow afternoon and do some writing with Sarah. Well not WITH Sarah but you know what I mean. Maybe I'll finish the chapter I'm working on. It's a Katze chapter, one of my favorite to write. Maybe I'll just write another blog entry, we'll see.
I've been thinking a lot about one of my characters lately and why I just can't seem to get his chapters quite right. I'm pretty sure it's because I tried to change his character from being quite moody into something much less moody. It didn't work, Rafe just wants to be moody. So that got me thinking about characterization in general. For me characters just seem to pop into my head as whole people. Rafe started off as a moody guy with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. When I tried to change that and failed miserably I realized that I just have to let him be what he was always meant to be.
If you're doing any bit of creative writing think about your characters first before you really put pen to paper. Characters are malleable...what didn't I just say the opposite about Rafe? Well yes but that doesn't mean I can't add quirks or other characteristics. Moody is just one. It's a base to work from. I see moody Rafe...but I can add that he's incredibly protective and has a slow burning temper. He's not one to flare up at people and if he does is alone or with just one other person he can trust. But all throughout that he's moody. See? No probably not because I don't think I'm making much sense.
I said something to Sarah once about how our characters become real people to us (us meaning writers) and I still think it's true. I think that characters drive the story and we should listen to them. For a non-writer that might be a hard thing to comprehend but it's true. To make a story-a plot-meaningful I think an author has to be able to stand on the characters. I'm pretty sure my Grandfather (an avid reader) once told me it didn't matter to him what genre he read as long as he cared about the people in the story. So if your character wants to be moody, let him be moody but don't be afraid to also add other aspects. Nobody wants to read about a guy who does nothing but sulk and sulk and sulk. But reading about a guy who sulks...and then protects his best friend...and then helps start a revolution to overthrow the empire WHILE sulking. Now that might be interesting. At least I think so...obviously I did write it.
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