03/27/2013 Writing Wednesday

Welcome back everyone! This week has been proving to be a challenge so far, but I'm sure we can all make it through the rest of the way for some nice resting time this weekend. The "recoloring" is going well too, and after doing the math of what I should be doing I feel much better about the chances of me actually getting through all of the cards. It still doesn't help that they are each numbered so to me, while I know that I have completely what will soon be 30 of them, I still see IV and V on the top of the cards I'm working on, so that's fun.

With all this work on something different I keep thinking about how it ties into writing, other than the obvious for me since these are all characters from my series. Then I thought about the characters themselves, and when it comes to figuring out who they actually are, having a visual representation might not be such a bad idea for anyone. Now I'm not saying you have to be a world-class artist to have this work (lord knows I'm not one) but even a little stick figure showing their hair length, what they tend to wear, and some notes about facial features will help you figure out exactly who these people are once you get to the point of writing them.

Even deciding what your character wears is a sign of the person they are. If they tend to wear some grungy cover-alls that are covered in grease and oil stains along with a t-shirt, it's probably going to be assumed they are some kind of mechanic. Add in a rag hanging out of a pocket that looks like it's fairly well used and their favorite wrench hanging from their belt, it's now been added they are proud of their work and likely enjoy it. At least that's how I'd interpret it.

Having some kind of visual will likely also help you just figure out what they look like. Sure you can have a vague idea of who they are, but when it comes time to actually write out something they're doing which would include some kind of description, there might be moments of hesitation. Up until that point they're basically faceless bodies (that will now haunt your nightmares) and now it's time to actually make them into a person. I know a bunch of people who have made it a point to sketch out the characters in not just their stories, but also the tabletop games we've been in. It helps you grow attached to them and will actually make them feel more organic as a character.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that writing is going to spill into your other hobbies in some form or another. Whether it's you write a story based on something else you're doing (super guilty) or you start drawing the people in your stories, it's a part of who you are, and if you want to keep it separate from everything else that is going to be incredibly difficult. Don't be embarrassed by it, by all means be the opposite; be proud of it. You are doing something that makes you happy and other people will also be happy for you. Embrace it because in the end you have no idea how far it's going to take you.

Thanks everyone for stopping by today. I will sleepily be back here on Friday with a review for you to enjoy. I am looking forward to my weekend, even if it's going to be full of endless coloring. Thanks again and I hope you have a great rest of the week!