h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The best thing about writing fiction is the ability to create. I guess it is kinda like playing God for three months. And just like God, sometimes you have no idea where the people are going to go. I think that is something all writers will agree on.

I think it is true to say you can create two types of characters. Statics, or people. Statics are the ones so set in stone by your designated profiles. They are the ones that can only go so far. If something happens in the plot that doesn't work, you alter the plot so that it will work for them. Then you have people. People are the charaters who develop a life of their own. If you see something not working later in the story, you go back to the character and change something about them, so that they will react in a different way. But the best thing about people is when they exceed your expectations.

Take for example my character of Major Dan Maxell in "Whisper Of Immortality" (unpublished but you can email for a bit of it if you like... [email protected]). Now, he was supposed to be a bit grumpy, but totally out of nowhere he suddenly doesn't like the war, is about to start a mutiny, and is almost seduced by the Nurse. Quite incredible when you think that he was only going to be a minor character.

Those are the best kind of characters. They make you're writing worth it.

Over to you...

*grabs the mic* Ooohhkkay thank you knight, the creating of characters.. ehmmm yeah

One of the coolest things about writing in my experience is character creating. There´s a dutch writer who can write incredibly dull books with such fascinating characters that all his books are real bestsellers.

Best kind of characters are those who start living in your book and let you see everything they see, let you feel everything they feel but nothing passed that. You are stuck in their heads and don´t know more about whatever´s going on than the main character.

I hate the kind of characters who respond to situations the cliche kind of way, who deal with issues the way they are expected to. Knight called those the statics. Those are the worst.

Maybe it would be cool to do some online character creating in here.. I don´t know how and what but it would be cool to see what others write spontanously.

this is where I leave..
~Madam Zora~

As an amateur actor, I create characters all the time. I create them every time I step into a new role. Any time I've got a new name. This includes (wait for it) online personas.

So, yes, online character creation. I do it all the time. I'm a different person depending on what forum I'm in. But what specifically did you have in mind, Madam?

~Irving