Writing Meme, Day 27

27. Along similar lines, do appearances play a big role in your stories? Tell us about them, or if not, how you go about designing your characters.

I would have to say that I do get an idea of what my characters look like (see yesterday’s post), but I’m not so concerned with giving a detailed description of each.  I give a few details (mostly hair, because I generally recognize people by the hair) that I think make them stand out and give the reader an idea of what they look like.  Each person will see each character a little differently, and can change their exact look to fit their own needs.  Holly, for instance, is a blond, blue-eyed, petite woman.  But what does she look like beyond that?  Well, I know a lot of blond, blue-eyed, petite women who don’t look anything alike, so to me she looks the most like the one she acts like (a girl I used to work with who has the same temperament as Holly).  To you she may look completely different.

I think primarily I’m concerned with what the character feels like.  Holly feels like the girl I used to work with, so she ended up having the same physical appearance.  I could tell you the temperament of a character and you would get an idea of that character without me giving you any hint of what they look like – but you might see a completely different physical appearance then I would.  But does that matter?  No.  Not unless something about their appearance is distinct and needed for the story.

Although I will tell you that Lane looks like Christian Bale.  Somehow Lane as Christian Bale has become so embedded in my mind that I cannot separate the two.  Which isn’t so bad.  I certainly don’t mind Christian Bale hanging around in my head (and in The New World when he says “Rebecca” in that whispery, sexy voice of his you better believe I melted in my chair).

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