A Writer's Woes

Character Portraits

The fun stuff! Last night I put together a scrapbook of my characters. I clip out pictures of men and women from magazines and save them. Then, when I'm in a need of a character, I go through the pictures in search of the evil husband, the dorky looking neighbor, the shy little girl next door.

I do this for several reasons. It helps me to feel more connected to my characters. It also helps me to remember that Susanna is really only 17! That seems young in today's world, but in 1790, 17 was not too young to marry at all. That she should have to go through so much at that young an age makes me often think of her as older than she is. In addition, it helps me to remember that the bad guy has dark brown hair and evil eyes, while her cousin is a blond-haired, blue-eyed dimwit. It would not be good to start switching hair and eye color midway through.

I look for more than hair and eye color when I search through my files of magazine clippings though. More than that, I'm looking for character. Does the person in the picture have kind eyes? An open, honest look about them? Or is there something darker about their persona? The picture I chose for Luke is a bit fuzzy. The atmosphere that portrays suits my purposes just fine as Luke is a bit mysterious and defintely soft around the edges. My picture for Susanna is a bit edgy. This works well as she is a spirited girl. She has a mind of her own. She stands out from other women of her time. I wanted an image to remind me that she is a unique individual, one who isn't afraid to say what she thinks. One who acts impulsively and throws caution to the wind at times.

I had fun putting this together. All of the main characters have pictures now as well as some of the more important minor characters. Interestingly, the magazine Luke's picture came from was a clothing magazine. Due to camera angles, lighting, and different hair styles, I was able to get three pictures of the same male model that looked sufficiently different enough that I could use one for Luke and two others for his two younger brothers.

I also save pictures of anything that might later inspire me. Whether that be a couple holding hands, an ocean scene that inspires romance, or a fuzzy shadow that might someday become the scene of a murder, I save them all. If they inspire me once, they are bound to provide future inspiration.

posted by chrmisha @ 11:37 AM