Character Profiling - A Must? or A Miss?

[Tim James]

Character based / Plot based has always been a hot topic of writers the world over.
Some writers focus on characters first and plot with them in mind. Others may think of a plot first and then develop the characters to work it.
Either way the results can be equally amazing.
Character + Plot = Story. Both are needed.
How one develops each part and in what order is up to the writer themselves. We all have different ways of working, that's what is so fascinating about a thread such as this. Seeing how others work.

 

[Eva Ulian]

I'm reading Larry Brooks' Story Engineering and he's shed a new light on the Da Vinci Code for me. Seems it struck a deeper cord with readers because of it's theme:

It was about the veracity of the dominant religion of Western culture. It was about a speculated truth that had been, according to the story, swept under the rug of time. It was about the lengths people will go to in the name of what they believe. On a thematic level, this was what the story was all about.

Brooks, Larry. Story Engineering (pp. 117-118). F+W Media. Kindle Edition.

I agree, there are 4 billion people in the world who are not, and have no desire to be Christians, and just couldn't wait to see Jesus copulate with Mary Magdalene... which as far as I am concerned is fiction passed off as truth, since that is what fiction is supposed to do, isn't it?

 

[Nikky Lee]

@Nmlee, I'm interested in your process. Do you write your story first, then people it with characters?

Hmm, it really depends on the type of story I'm writing and what initially sparked the idea. Sometimes it starts with a scene/situation—often happens with my SF pieces—and this is when I sometimes struggle to develop in-depth characters. Sometimes it starts with a character. In these circumstances, it is usually less of an issue. But I'm very much a discovery writer. I discover the characters as I go (as I put them through hell, teehee) and then go back and whittle and add bits to flesh them out more.

 

[DRFerron]

... But what they look like is not who they are.

This sort of hit home and I had to take a day or so to think about it and whether I'd respond. For a while I've been debating whether or not to give my main character a scar and all its trappings, as I have a scar. I came across this thread in the forum (while searching for submission tracker suggestions):

What Scars Does Your Character Have?

We all have scars—external and visible on the skin—and internal damage that we keep hidden, but which actually has more of a profound effect on our characters. Scars on the skin can become conversation pieces, especially between new lovers. An intimidating facial scar on a rough face warns...

colony.litopia.com

When I was about three the muscles of my right cheek stopped growing. Because of that I have a multi-colored scar on my face and less tissue under the skin and that has determined who I am. As a kid it made me more empathetic to differences in others and I didn't understand that until I was older and realized that I tended to befriend the kid in the school that others made fun of because of whatever physical trait wasn't perfect. When I was in college someone sought me out to thank me for being kind in elementary school. As an eight year old I just thought she was a nice person who I liked to hang with and who didn't annoy me.

It wasn't until high school that I started wearing makeup to cover it up. Kids are cruel and I got tired of teachers asking me if I was being abused at home. It was bad enough I was the only minority in my school, I had the scar to deal with, too. Now I've turned a corner where I mentally slap myself during those few times I feel sorry for myself. Military men and women are returning from overseas with far more to deal with than a silly scar. I remind myself of that and feel ashamed.

Friends tell me that it doesn't matter, that they don't even see it. I'm not sure how I feel about that because it means that they aren't seeing me. A very large and important part of me that partially made me who I am today.

I may be misinterpreting CageSage's comment, or overthinking it, but it did trigger something that I may just end up exploring with my character.

 

[Deleted member 604]

@DRFerron,
Firstly, can I just say thank you so much for sharing this with us, it mustn't have been easy for you.
Secondly, what you have done is so courageous and I have nothing but admiration for you and you have even encouraged, inspired me to speak about something close to my heart.
We are going a tad off topic here but its okay, it's my thread after all.
Up until recently well the last couple of months my life changed and because of that, I was stalked by a certain someone on here, it was bad and it didn't go unnoticed and I can't thank @AgentPete enough for what he has done to help me in that regard.
There was no escaping such a ruinous situation that was prolonged longer than it needed to be by a certain someone. And the reasons why she did it, well three people actually all from the same family. I will never fully understand and that also explained my long break from this ace place. Their actions stopped me from writing, that's what hurt me the most. My Writing suffered in more ways than one, if my life wasn't enough.
To the point I considered deleting my account again as my previous one was hacked and I was going to leave Litopia forever.
Writing for me is something I have done from such a young age and in my teens it was a form of escapism for me. I studied it and I loved it and to be fair I wasn't bad at it. And now, in my later life it is so therapeutic for me and like you, writing has helped me cope in some of my most darkest times and funny enough, that's when I seem to write the most and recently I have written some of my best stuff yet.
So it goes to show some of our strongest writing comes from our very own experiences. Don't you think? Without us even realising it.
And I bet @DRFerron you will create one hell of a character now in your story

 

[CageSage]

...
Friends tell me that it doesn't matter, that they don't even see it. I'm not sure how I feel about that because it means that they aren't seeing me. A very large and important part of me that partially made me who I am today.

I may be misinterpreting CageSage's comment, or overthinking it, but it did trigger something that I may just end up exploring with my character.

but it did trigger something that I may just end up exploring with my character.

I don't think it's misinterpreting - each of my characters will be who they are based on their experiences. Yes, people say they're not real, but they are as real as any other person I've met. The young boy in school with red eyes who couldn't go out in the sun, the young boy who was his friend, the one everyone called Googy because he was as round as an egg, the young girl with a nose bigger than all the adults ... all these things in a person's life shapes some of their character, how they react to the world, how they interact with people. these are real people.
Characters in story should be real, in my view, they should show the things that define what made them. A reflection of society, perhaps, but how do we create that reflection without reality?
When I do a character profile, how the person looks in a general sense isn't the first way I see them - I ask them questions about how they came to be here, what they want to do with their moment in the story. Sometimes, the answers surprise me.
Sometimes, not.
How to define a character isn't about blue/brown eyes, or height, or shape, or employment - it's about what made them, why it made them, how the perceptions of the other players helped with the creation of the perception of self.
So I've asked:
Does it feel feel less womanly to have no hair - ever asked a person with alopecia how it feels, how other women react (the first reaction, not the cover-up)?
Does a man feel less manly if he doesn't have enough muscles in the calves, arms, etc. compared to their companions (or is it from their partners)?
Is a scar a badge, or a barrier?
When it comes to character in story, I only give them one, maybe two, of these defining pieces to round out who they are, and it's never there as a distinguishing feature, but as a distinguishing characteristic, part of the reason they are who they are.

I hope that's given my comment more clarity (and yes, most of the people who know me would say, 'yeah, as mud.' Such is life.

Create a real character, not a picture. And the old adage of 'write what you know' isn't really about what you know, but who you know best ...

As always, my opinion only, and I'm always interested in hearing how others do it - we're never finished with learning, are we?

 

[RK Wallis]

I'll bounce off what @CageSage says and paraphrase what Larry Brooks says in Story Engineering:

Ever heard of a one dimensional character? (we see what we get). But life is in 3D and so we have 3 Dimensions of character.

The first dimension is how a character looks and acts (I've seen this referred to as the lie).

In the second dimension the reader learns why the character looks/behaves as they do in the first dimension (I've seen this referred to as the wound).

In the third dimension, the first dimension acts are pushed aside to make way for your third Act - the life changing moment.

And this is how you show character growth.

I really like his style, highly recommended.

 

[Eva Ulian]

I quite agree with @RainbowNerdAlix , our strongest writing comes from our experiences and I tend to believe all of us have scars, inward or externally, seen or unseen... they are our medals for bravery, so wear them proudly.