Fanfics always help or scenes. RPing them is even more of a help.
Aren’t people contradictory, at times? Most people I know are, for certain, especially when you broach a topic with them that they lie to themselves about.
I’ve been working with a friend of mine on a book and he’s more of the story/world-builder and I’m the character guru (we kind of complement each other that way). When he wants to develop a new character (it’s a series of books we’re working on), I make him RP the character to figure him out, because when I write, I’m not writing, the character is (don’t know if that makes sense to anyone or not) and he’s beginning to get that now, too. Plus, it’s fun as hell to take your character, stick them in a situation and see what they do. They often surprise you. And yes, they will contradict themselves–it’s in those contradictions that you can learn the most about them!
Finally got around to these questions:
What is your detective’s most embarrassing moment?
Dezh: A complicated answer. She doesn’t really get embarrassed, mainly because she doesn’t really care what anyone thinks about her (until UB came along). She is upset that she needed to be rescued from Murphy, but that’s different than embarrassment and is mostly anger at being a ‘weak human’. That said, if anyone ever saw her cry, she’d want to crawl in a hole and die… but would tell them to eat a bag of dicks if they said anything to her about it
Nyx: In college, she had a presentation due and was not ready for it. It embarrassed the hell out of her. From then on, she never procrastinated again.
Wolfe: Admitting to herself that she was in an abusive relationship and didn’t get out of it immediately. She prides herself on being strong and feels like that made her weak.
Jax: In high school, she was all dressed up and walking down the stairs, but caught her heel on one of the non-skid strips and bounced down the stairs on her ass, right in front of a guy she had a crush on. She was mortified!
And how would they react if they did something embarrassing in front of UB?
Dezh would double down on it, be extremely self-deprecating, then roll her eyes and tell everyone to suck it when she got sick of hearing about it.
Nyx: The only one who could embarrass her is Adam, and that’s if she actually risks herself by making an overt advance on Adam and he rejects her. Not sure she would want to be around him after that.
Wolfe: She’d laugh about it. Unless it was because UB found out about her abusive relationship, in which case she’d likely clam up and not talk to anyone for a while.
Jax: She’d laugh at it, then point out embarrassing stuff they’ve done to even the score.
What position does your character sleep in? Does their sleeping position match their personality?
Dezh sleeps in the pillow hugger, hugging a pillow close to her body, with one or more limbs wrapped around it in some way. Pillow huggers like to get cosy and be cuddled, cherishing the relationships they have with the important people in their lives above all else. If you asked her, she’d say this doesn’t fit her at all. It completely fits her.
Nyx: The Yearner, on your side with arms stretched in front of you, as if trying to reach something. Complex Characters: People that sleep like this are a bit of a mixed bag, being both open-minded, yet cynical. They are suspicious of their own decisions, though have a firm resolve once they’ve come to a conclusion. Yep, this is her. And even though she makes decisions quickly, she has a moment of self-doubt as she does so, right before she commits.
Wolfe: The Foetal Position, curling your knees towards your chest, as if sleeping in the womb. Means you’re tough on the outside and soft on the inside. You can be shy to begin with, though usually open up and relax quite quickly. Yep.
Jax: The Stargazer, lying on their backs with their arms wrapped around their head. The Best BFF’s: Stargazers prioritise their friends, doing everything they can for those they hold dear. Usually these sleepers will have a happy, easy-going disposition. Yep.
Write your MC’s signature, and then your MC’s print? What MC’s handwriting reveal about them? (I know that not everyone knows handwriting analysis, so you can skip the second question if your want.)
Too lazy to do this for all of them, so I’ll just do it for Dezh. Her signature: heavy pen pressure suggests tension and anger; illegible means hard to read person; disconnected letters represents more imaginative and impulsive; writing quickly usually means impatience and dislike of wasting time
Print: large spaces between letters means they enjoy freedom and independence. Yep for pretty much all of this.
What is one thing nobody should ever say to your MC? (I’m expecting some interesting responses to this. Hehe)
Dezh: Three things, actually. “You’re a coward.” That’s a good way to get your ass kicked. It’s also a good way for people she respects/likes to get her to do something she’s resisting (she has trouble resisting challenges). Second one, threaten someone she cares about. She will destroy you. And, lastly, from someone she’s grown to care for, is “Goodbye.” Seriously, once you gain her trust, if you walk out on her, you may as well stab her in the heart repeatedly—it has about the same effect, and she’d like the latter more.
Nyx: “You have to do what I say.” Yeah, dream on!
Wolfe: “ASAP”. Anyone who adds that acronym at the end of a request has just ensured they will never get whatever it is they want. Also, threaten someone she loves. Good way to end up in a bloody pool.
Jax: “You’re a cold-hearted bitch!” That’s like saying water isn’t wet. It’s just insanity.
Does your MC like themselves?
Dezh: It’s not something she really thinks about. She seems to have somewhat of a death wish, with the way she rushes into everything and likes pain and teetering on the brink of death, but it’s not really a death wish—it’s just her way of feeling alive, because she’s closed herself off to everything around her, for the most part.
Nyx & Jax: Yes
Wolfe: She wouldn’t answer the question. Much like Dezh, she seems to have a death wish and, in a way, she does. Being close to death makes her feel more alive. She’s tough on the outside, and really soft inside, but she is also sad, underneath it all. She just won’t talk about it.