You may already be in one of my stories
I say this, not as a warning or to shock you. When I develop a story, I have a basic plot (and subplots) in mind. For any plot to take place, there must be at least one character. I imagine someone I know, or maybe someone I’ve seen as an actor on TV or in a movie who might fit the role. From there I craft the character, taking characteristics from different people to produce a character profile. Usually, I start with someone I know in real life, from my present or past, as the base personality then builds on that until I visualize in my mind a character that best suits the story.
From there, I do a Google search for a photograph that best fits my image of what the character looks like. I then attach the photo to a character profile sheet describing the character. The profile includes a physical description of the individual’s likes, dislikes, dreams, fears, etc. until I have compiled a complete profile of the character.
Rarely do I use the attributes exclusive of one individual. When crafting a character, they are a composite of qualities from many diverse people. Sometimes, I craft a character(s) from out of the blue. Take for instance my novella, MASKED IDENTITIES, the two characters (Christian and Ezra) in the interior story are completely made up. Two fictional characters from 1900 London, England with no connection to anyone from the real world. However, I researched popular names of the period, clothing, and hairstyles, including facial hair.
In my upcoming novel CLIPPED WINGS, most of the characters are composites of real-world people. Shane Davison, the 18-year-old narrator, and the protagonist is loosely based on myself and some of my real-world experiences. I base other characters in the novel on real-world people from my past and present. I made up only a couple of the characters with no specific individual in mind.
So, when you read something I’ve written don’t go searching for yourself as a character. However, should you recognize an aspect or trait within one of my characters, embrace the recognition knowing that maybe, just maybe you were part of the inspiration for that character.
I would like to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment in the Comment Box at the bottom of the page.
Bestselling Fiction Author
Stories with an LGBTQ+ Twist
corrupting readers since 2008
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