Fictional Characters

[KanoasDestiny]

When you read a story, who do you envision as the characters? Do you pick celebrities, or does your mind just kind of create people for you?

When I read a book that has been made into a movie, I tend to picture the people in the movie as I read. But if not, then most of the time my mind creates it's own people. Even if a character is blonde, my mind will make them tall dark and handsome. Lol. There has only been one book series where for some reason I put an actor in the place of the main guy, and that made the books sooo yummy. I really should try to do that more often.

 

[jacks'thunder]

For me the only one that stands out right now is Roland from the Dark Tower series by SK. I picture him to look like a Clint Eastwood type of guy. Not exactly but close....Sharp features, thin build, strong cheek bones, nose, and chin, stubble stuff like that.

But most books I make them up in my head.( sometimes my mind even see a different name and I go through the whole book reading a different name for the character! LOL! Try to explain that to some one who already read it!!

)

 

[susanne]

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This is one of my measures of a good author -- the ones I love literally sculpt the character with their words. Since (to me) movies are always a disappointment compared to the book, I never picture a character based upon an actor.

I remember reading Les Misérables when I was arounnd 13 -- I was SO in love with Marius from Victor Hugo's description, I could hardly stand it. I think this would have been spoiled if I had pictured some movie star playing him.

When I read Gone With the Wind, I obviously knew that Clark Gable played Rhett Butler in the movie and that Margaret Mitchell actually wrote with him in mind, but I still created my own vision of Rhett in my mind. Ashley, too, was far better in my imagination -- Leslie Howard was a huge disappointment by comparison!

 

[Kendra]

I know lots of writers who also choose an actor as a placeholder for their main characters. I don't use actors as reader or as a writer. Though I do always have a very clear picture of characters in my head, they're not someone else, they are that character.

There is one book I like, despite it's terrible title - Ex & The Single Girl by Lani Diane Rich - where in the author note at the end of the book she says that she wrote the book with Colin Firth in mind as the romantic interest, and I always have to read it again and remember to picture Colin Firth saying all of Ian's lines. But then, I'm of the opinion that Colin Firth makes anything more enjoyable.

 

[KanoasDestiny]

I don't use actors as reader or as a writer.

Are you a writer? I've always wanted to be an author and I tried my hand at it a time or two, but I always got writers block within the first chapter. Instead I have a list of story ideas and no way of giving them to life. Lol.

 

[Kendra]

Are you a writer? I've always wanted to be an author and I tried my hand at it a time or two, but I always got writers block within the first chapter. Instead I have a list of story ideas and no way of giving them to life. Lol.

I really enjoy writing. I started writing fiction 4 years ago, when I was recovering from surgery and bored out my tree, and I've never stopped.

Have you tried Nanowrimo? It's lots of fun, this is my third year participating. http://www.nanowrimo.org

 

[KanoasDestiny]

I've never heard of that site before. Sounds cool. I guess my problem is that I lack imagination. I'm fine with thinking up a story plot but then I fall short on the small details that keep the story going. I also found that I don't have the patience to sit there staring at a screen. I'd rather be reading someone else's hard work. Lol.