And before I forget, there's a giveaway going on, the NAmazing Adventure, which I'm taking part in: I have a little giveaway going on, and then there's the main one for a TON of books. Details here!
So, I was visiting home this past week and a perennial topic came up that I thought I'd ask you all
 |
| Buzz IRL :) |
Here's the thing: I've only once ever used someone I knew as a character in a book. This was Oliver in The Chemistry of Fate, and he was completely based on a very strange flat-mate I had while living in Barcelona (someday I'll go into detail about the time he go into a fight with the quiet Chilean guy that ended with the police arriving...). Anyhow, he was larger than life, often not in the best way, but I couldn't resist borrowing quite a few little things to flesh out the Oliver in my then-WIP.
But, I'll admit that I do sometimes borrow other bits--maybe a quirk, or a habit, or something someone says, to gift to a character. I definitely don't do much, mainly because I like coming up with new people for my book. But a little borrowing is fun.
So, I'm curious: do you have concerned family members? :) How about borrowing little character traits--have you ever done that? Or have you used someone you know in real life almost entirely as a character?
I kinda borrowed some character traits in Reaper's Novice,,hehe My daughter and son. -Ana's sister and brother.
ReplyDeletelol, that's awesome! Did you tell them?
DeleteUmm, yes. When I was little, my cousin was really mean to me, so I used a shadow-version of her in one of my books, and the story ended the way it should have. Tell your mom as long as she's nice to you, she doesn't have anything to worry about. Have you seen the t-shirt reading "Watch out, or you'll find yourself in my next novel"? LOL!
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely using that line on my mom! And I've had my eye on that t-shirt for ages and think I'm going to have to wear it home next time :)
DeleteI absolutely barrow quirks from people I know, but I veil it within the character so much that even they wouldn't catch this, let alone complete strangers. :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome! And tricky :)
DeleteI'm so with you on this topic, Meradeth. I don't think any one character can be a complete depiction of a real life person. But as a writer, you do borrow traits and situations and meld them together into your own creation. Writing has to be based in some reality or else it doesn't ring true.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I think all family members and friends of an author are paranoid about that. You're not alone!
I'm glad I'm not, because, seriously, I must have gotten this question 100 times this past week! :)
DeleteMy brother Ron passed away some years ago of cancer. It struck me that a character named Reis that I use in my first chapter reminded me of him.
ReplyDeleteThat's cool! A good way to remember him, I hope :)
DeleteOh yes. Boisterous and a bit of a rascal.
DeleteLove it!
DeleteIn Elixir Bound the five Kase siblings are basically fictionalized versions of me and my siblings, and one of the characters may be based on my husband. I think they all understood it wasn't really them I wrote about in the books. The characters all took on lives of their own once I started writing the book. Though my brother complains he wants royalties from the sales! :)
ReplyDeleteI had a really specific reason for basing the Elixir characters on real people, but I don't really plan on doing it in any other books.
lol! I love this though, and totally understand why you used your family :)
DeleteMy characters are mostly pure figments of my imagination though I may borrow quirks and stuff as you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteYes, my family and friends are worried. They dissect my work trying to figure out whom the characters most resemble (which is no one). LOL!
So glad I'm not the only one! I swear my mom's like "and so&so from Colors is TOTALLY this person in real life." Cracks me up!
DeleteYes! I'm like, "No he/she is NOT!" LOL! Or they're like, "Are you describing our relationship here?" Ummmm...NO! Ugh! ;) I CAN just conjure people up out of my head, ya know! ;)
DeleteUgh, it's like how celebrities must feel when the tabloids dissect their relationships.
DeleteOh my gosh, totally! LOL! Some days I'm seriously glad not to be a celebrity (and other days I want to go shopping with lots of $$...).
DeleteLOL!!!!
DeleteI borrow mannerisms and sayings, but none of my characters are fictional clones of real people.
ReplyDeleteThat's cool :)
DeleteI have family members who ask the same question. I also have had students who have read my book (I have made a few copies for them to read since it isn't published yet) and they write me letters asking if they are the inspiration for different characters. I have never created a character based completely on someone else- just little borrows for personality. :)
ReplyDeleteI love that your students do that! Very funny :)
DeleteI totally borrow character traits from family, friends, friends of friends, even myself. I think that's how we can write them real. I've never taken someone whole cloth, however. I just think it would feel odd.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that it helps to make them real. It was a little odd to borrow someone whole cloth, but it was only a minor side character and it worked too well not to :)
DeleteI think we do tend to use some traits from here and there to mix up and make our characters.
ReplyDeleteGreat post.
Thanks!!
DeleteNot consciously!
ReplyDeleteI want my fictional characters to be as real as possible, which means people will see parts of themselves in those characters.
I guess all my characters are different parts of me, right down to the really horrible ones. Maybe especially the horrible ones.
I think we take aspects of real people and their motivations and combine them to make a character in a book. I borrow phrases and idiosyncrasies from my friends. (eg, when they say fraudulent slip instead of Freudian slip.)
I don't think your family is alone in fearing a writer in the family. Lol.
lol, love a good fraudulent slip! :) Very good points!
Delete