Tapping into a certain character or characters essence for writing a story

Hi there,

TiggerBear here. I've got a query for all of the writers out there.
When you're writing a story with Anakin Skywalker, Qui-Gon Jinn or any of the other characters from any or all of the StarWars movies, how do you tap into said persona so that it really feels like that character?

Any help or ideas would be appreciated,

TiggerBear

 

I just...do it. I don't really know how to explain it. I guess I begin by asking myself what the character would do in that situation. You have to remember what the character is like- their qualities and personality and background, and then you have to go beyond that and start asking a lot of 'what if's, that tie into your story.

 

I watch the movies. Hey, it's research.

 

I definitely watch the movies a lot, looking for nuances of character. Do they say certain phrases a lot? Avoid certain words? Bite their lip? And then, of course, I look at the general character traits and motivations in the movies, and then move those into my fic and decide, given those primary motivations, how would character A react in this situation?

I find it's a lot like acting, except I'm acting in the role of all the characters at once .

 

I agree most wholeheartedly with "I definitely watch the movies a lot, looking for nuances of character. Do they say certain phrases a lot? Avoid certain words? Bite their lip? And then, of course, I look at the general character traits and motivations in the movies, and then move those into my fic and decide, given those primary motivations, how would character A react in this situation."

You have to be sensitive to phrasing, pauses, inflections of voice. You need to sense the motivations behind their words and actions. Just like Yoda often starts a sentence with a verb (Do, or do not. Tired,you are. Asleep, you should be...you get the idea). If you truly "hear" the character, you can become the character.

 

Yeah, and I agree with Alethia's take, too. Apart from behavior and mannerisms, look at the choices they make, what they're capable of, what they want, what lengths they'll go to in order to get it, think about what makes them tick, what you think they'd order at Burger King, anything you can.

 

What helps me get to know a character is to have them interact with other characters. Some authors seem to have trouble writing convincing dialogue. This might be because they aren't quite sure what that character would say. To write smooth dialogue, you need to know your character. It might help you discover a character by sitting them down with another character (or with yourself) and letting them "talk". What do they have to say? Ask them questions. This may sound crazy at first, but it really does work. I've had my characters answer me.
Try to understand the characters struggles, joys, and fears. What is their motivation for doing what they do?

Does that help any?

Just keep working at it. It may take a few rewrites of the story before you finally understand your character to the extent that you want.

 

If I've got some problems getting into a character's head I start with trying to imagine what they would think about everyday pedestrian things. One of my favorites is hearing a song on the radio and trying to come up with an idea of what the character would think of the song. Then I have to justify it. Once I can empathize with a character to that extent I have little trouble figuring out how they would react to scenarios.

 

I would agree with everyone else. I watch the movies first, then read any books that the character may have had a starring role in. I also hang out in the character threads. If you ask what the posters there think are the defining characteristics, most people would be very happy to tell you.

Also, if you are writing a character and are unsure about if it's written correctly, you might ask someone who likes the character to read a small section for constructive critisism (or spelling in my case) But don't bug someone that you don't know well or haven't interacted with before - that could be considered rude, depending on the circumstances.

If you have a certain character in mind, read some fics by other people that are known to like or write that character and see how they approach it.

Good luck with it.

 

I agree with what everyone else says, you have to observe the characters in other settings and then imitate it through your own story. I find that just thinking 'Well what would such-and-such do in this situation?' And really think of all of the possiblities before picking the one that seems more...characteristic of that character.
Asking people about a particular character is always helpful, very helpful.
And look at other writers to start to get the general theme of the person. I find that helps me alot. But always make it your own, and unique! To read the same character in the same situations...gah, very tedious.
Make it unique, make it right, and as always, just have some fun! Nobody's perfect!

 

If you know/note from the books and films how they react to different situations, and interactions with people, then replicate that in your fiction, people will recognise it as belonging to a certain person, and they should have a little flare of recognition, and you're in.

 

Sith... that is an excellent idea! And really you wouldn't have to do it for every character - minor characters give you more wiggle room. I'm going to try the write-out-the-reactions method.

 

In the fanfiction I'm proudest of, it's kind of like acting (you're playing the P.O.V. character). Consider what someone of that background, personality, and age would do/say/think in the situation you have them in. There are some characters I can get with only a small amount of canon, and others I can have trouble with even though I know them through a lot. It's not necessarily who you think you can "nail" that you can, so try many P.O.V. characters. And make sure they say what they want to say, not what you want them to say for plot purposes (I've gotten into that trap).