How do I meet my characters 🤝

It might surprise you to learn that meeting a character isn't all that different from meeting an actual person. I mean, there are some obvious differences, but in theory, it's quite similar. What do I mean? Let me explain.

When you meet a person, it takes time to get to know them. You can make assumptions about them, get your first impression, but it tends to take time to unravel the complexities of a human being. People are complicated. They're a series of experiences, heritage, genes, and self-concepts that makes them both fascinating and at times, difficult to understand. 

Characters are also complex, a product of their environment, experiences, and views of the world. And contrary to what many people might think, you can't decide ahead of time exactly who they are and fit them in a neat little box. It usually takes writing about them and seeing them in various circumstances and conversations to slowly reveal who they are and how they fit into the world. 

So, in essence, I meet my characters when they come along in the story, but getting to know them is a whole other thing.

- Mima

How characters affect each other 🤝(Updated)

Much like real life, fictional characters affect each other in many different ways. The reader must see the contrast and dynamics of various relationships within the story. Again, like with reality, everyone brings out various qualities in each other. Sometimes good and sometimes bad. That's what makes things fun.

In my Hernandez series, we can see the relationships between characters and how they evolve or change throughout the story. For example, the protagonist, Jorge Hernandez, has a powerful effect on others. He brings out everything from fear to admiration, and loyalty, depending on the character he's dealing with and the specific situation. We can sense the strength in his personality and how people react in turn. For example, some characters try to impress him, while someone like his teenage daughter instead might challenge him. His reaction to each also tells us a little more about who he is and his values. That's the beauty of character interaction; it allows us to see what pushes their buttons and what brings out both their best and worst traits.

One thing to keep in mind is that these connections change over time. Characters grow, some fade from the story, and others devolve. This is much like the people in our lives. It's interesting to see how each plays off the other, creating fascinating plot twists and subplots.

The most important thing is to bring out the 'human' in characters, and really, is there anything more human than our relationships and interreactions with one another? 

Why I have 10 different lives 🤪(updated)

As if keeping track of my own life wasn't enough, I have about ten more to deal with every day. Of course, this is a statement most fictional authors can safely make. We got a lot of stuff going on in our heads, and somedays, it's easier to sort out than others.

When you think about it, fictional authors have to keep track of a lot of stuff: details about our characters, what they are doing, thinking, feeling, their quirks, what they love, and how they feel about other characters. In other words, picture your own life, times ten.

What makes things even more tricky is when you throw complex characters into the mix. Unfortunately, not all authors do, and that's why some books fall flat. We, as humans, are complex, so we most relate to characters who are the same. We don't always understand ourselves, and sometimes, we also don't understand our characters.

Keeping track of everything can be tricky. I have notes about each character, but sometimes I miss important details and have to backtrack. For example, I have one character who has celiac disease. Every time this character sits down to eat with the group, I try to make sure there's gluten-free food mentioned.

I think you have to be dedicated to your craft if you write fiction. Your mind has to be traveling in several directions at once and, it can be exhausting. Someone recently pointed out that this might explain why I'm so tired after writing. There are days when I literally could take a midmorning nap after an early morning writing session. It might also explain why I can't keep track of my own life. Who has the time?

    

Should characters ever be based on people you know? 🤔(Updated)

I recently stumbled across a video recommending that writers base characters on people they know. I cringed.

I never pretend to be a writing expert. I do feel that after a few books, I've learned a couple of things along the way. Basing characters on people I know never seemed like a good idea, and therefore, I never did it. To begin with, I'm assuming there would always be a paranoia of someone 'discovering' that a character was strangely like them, not to mention hurt feelings, potential arguments, and maybe even a few Facebook rants...as much as we all love those.

Most importantly, I feel that characters create themselves. You might have a few ideas of who they are or what they're about, but in the end, characters tend to form as you write the story. It's kind of like having a child and assuming the personality you think they'll have; chances are, they'll soon show you that you never had a say in the first place.

Characters are complex. As a writer, you'll probably have a deeper understanding of your characters than most people in your life. You can see inside their heart and understand what makes them tick. This makes sense because you're on a long journey together.

The interesting thing about characters is that they often are a piece of you. Just like every songwriter inserts a piece of who they are in their songs, every author tends to do the same with their characters. It's not something you think about, but rather it just happens. Maybe one of your characters shares your fears in life or your fixation on a specific pet peeve. The characters are unique, but they're also you.

And really, isn't that what makes the writing process amazing?