We have a thread about your plot, and now let's talk about another important question on your novel: your characters.
Who's your main character? Do you have more than one main character? What can you share about them? Do they have goals, aspirations, quirks? What's their favorite color, TV show, food? :)
Do you have a villain? A sidekick? A totally annoying character who'd keep on appearing in your novel? Tell us about them too!
My main character is Faith Alvarez, who was actually a secondary character in my 2006 novel. She's a full time mission worker for her singles community, happily in a relationship with the head of another community. She's a vegetarian, very calm and level-headed and compassionate with others. However, she has a little rift with her parents about her job, and she's about to get her life rocked -- hard. :P
I'll post about her archetype here later, when I get the book with archetypes. I think some of you will find that useful too. :D
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Tina, ML for the Philippines
Refine Me | PinoyWrimos | @pinoywrimos
35,643 / 50,000
Okt 15, 2009 - 10 33
My MC hates her name: Chrysanthemum. Not only does she thinks it's ridiculous, she also hates the fact that she can't have a decent nickname. She's twenty three and yet her family still calls her Mumay like she's five. People at work keep calling her Chrys which she finds ghei. She calls herself C.
C's family consists of her mama, papa, lolo, and four siblings. She's the second child and all four of them were named after flowers: Ambrosia, Petunia, and their youngest and only male sibling Narcissus. She entered college as a Physics major but later on shifted to Linguistics because she couldn't take the Math subjects. She quits her job early in the story and becomes a bum (yay!) XD
C likes, no, loves beer. Hence she has a beer belly that doesn't quite go with her skinniness. Yes, she's skinny, but not by choice, she just can't fatten herself up no matter how much she eats. Some of her hobbies include stealing her grandfather's cigarettes and listening to music much much older than her. She believes that minuscule aliens inhabit their water pipes at home.
I wrote a better version of this a while ago but I had Facebook open and somebody sent me a message through chat as I pressed backspace, causing the browser to go back to the previous page and delete everything I have written. T_T
7,872 / 50,000
Okt 15, 2009 - 21 38
Though Force Commander Chak Lefth remains the main character, in the interests of wordcount, I've also incorporated two additional POV characters: Trooper Chandra Kardaan and Milton Andres. Chandra, calm, cool, and deft, has been recently promoted to Chak's command squad, while Milton is a surgeon - albeit a snarky, ironic, sarcastic one with a worse bedside manner than a rhino.
When the plot really fires up and the Stormtroopers arrive on Medusa V, the two come across each other in a few scenes - which is rather unnerving because both are dead ringers of the other's sweethearts. Not-really-hilarity ensues.
----------"Spartans never die."
NOV.2008 - Emperor's Fall
NOV.2009 - Honour Guard
11,456 / 50,000
Okt 16, 2009 - 03 56
I'm writing a panfandom crossover AU this time, so some people might recognize this character:
A megalomaniac bastard characterized by delusions of godhood, a genius for strategy and manipulation, an exquisitely cruel sense of the appropriate, and utter disregard for morals, limits, boundaries, and anything other than his own will.
In a word: Aizen.
(Villains are so fun to write.)
----------For you I'll burn the length and breadth of sky.
38,823 / 50,000
Okt 16, 2009 - 07 09
I have four kids running in my head for most of this year that don't have a story that would fit them. I have someone I keep describing as a suicidal powerful magikero, then a perky healer person, then a very religious guy who talks bad English because he's from the enemy region, then an in-your-face overconfident smarty possible Hermione clone if I actually knew more about Hermione. ^^;;
----------New Wrimos: not taking any mentorships, but ask me stuff through YM or Nanomail and I'll answer. ^^;
52,706 / 50,000
Okt 19, 2009 - 02 50
My main characters are (in order of their morph): Sarah Conway, Vicki Morgan, Rich Matthews, Shawn Morgan, Chris Douglas, and Brian Romero
Chris (Zeo Ranger 5 - Red) is the leader and brains of the Zeo Rangers. He is also the vocalist of a rock band (I'm open to suggestions for the name of his band) and a skateboarder. Think McGyver meets Tony Hawk meets Johnny Yong Bosch (Adam from MMPR)
Shawn (Zeo Ranger 4 - Green) is the second in command. He's the basketball team captain (since his base is an NBA player) and Vicki's twin brother.
Rich (Blue) is the new kid in school. He transferred from Sandford, Gloucestershire, England (guys, if you don't know this town, watch Hot Fuzz starring Simon Pegg, the dude from Shaun of the Dead and Star Trek as Scotty =P) and is also a member of Chris's band as bassist and, occasionally, keyboards.
Vicki (Yellow) is a soccer enthusiast, singer, and (if I have to say it too =P) Shawn's twin sister. Who was born earlier? You decide!
Sarah (Pink) is a dancer and the potential love interest for Chris. Her name came from my first GF who is still one of my best friends.
Brian (Gold) is the outcast of the bunch. He usually roams around Angel Grove on a Harley. His past will eventually be revealed in the novel but a clue here is that his powers are a major factor of his past. Did I mention he's half-Filipino? =P
----------Someone said you're feeling green tonight so step up.
Do you really want to cross the line right now?
Go ahead and try to take what's mine.
Let it roll, let it roll, I'm unstoppable
99,176 / 50,000
Okt 18, 2009 - 22 05
It's fun reading about everyone's characters! :D
Well, I have two main characters and the novel is going to revolve mostly around their POVs. The woman (who really appeals to me more as a girl) is in her mid-20s and is an expert gunsmith and the man (who appeals to me really as a man, this time) is in his mid-30s and is a blind swordsman in that although he can see, he prefers to use his sword with a blindfold on since his battle skills rely mostly on sounds and feeling than his eyes. There is a long story behind that and now is not the time for it. XD
It's a fantasy adventure story so weapons are a necessity! They're both travelers and were strangers before they set out to save the world. They're not especially close but they don't hate each other's guts, either. They're just like...good friends, or civil workmates who just happen to work very effectively together. <3
And I really can't bring myself to say their name here just yet because it makes me feel that I'm already ready for my NaNo -- which I'm not! XD
----------52,706 / 50,000
Okt 19, 2009 - 03 17
As for annoying characters, there will be a monster who will trigger the return of my original Power Rangers that I worked on during the summer (Mighty Morphin, see http://metaclipse07.livejournal.com/297350.html for more details) with new Ninja powers. That monster's name is Cullenax a.k.a Sparkles, as Chris called him before. (People, you do know who I based this monster on, right?) Since I have watched Power Rangers in Space again and again (...and again), I have decided to make this not only a one monster against twelve Rangers battle, but 2 Ranger teams versus a new version of the Psycho Rangers, who are as follows:
(Here's the answer to the question "Who was Cullenax based on?" to those who don't know by now)
Edward/Cullenax - Psycho Red
Jacob - Psycho Black
Jasper - Psycho Blue
Bella - Psycho Yellow
Alice - Psycho Pink
Laurent - Psycho Silver (although it was a fake Psycho Ranger in the original, I'll make it real in my novel)
And as a cover, their group is called the Twilight Society, a play on Are You Afraid of the Dark's Midnight Society. (Mga peeps, sino pa nakakaalala ng Are You Afraid of the Dark? haha!) How more annoying can it get? =P
----------Someone said you're feeling green tonight so step up.
Do you really want to cross the line right now?
Go ahead and try to take what's mine.
Let it roll, let it roll, I'm unstoppable
48,036 / 50,000
Okt 19, 2009 - 05 38
My main character is Joshua Martinez, known at first as Joshee, then later as Josh. He was actually a character I intended to introduce in my 2008 work as a protege of my two main characters then. This year, I'm writing his backstory as a slum-born child leading up to his life as a college student in 2008. Josh is a bit of a tough kid, someone who'd really rather breakdance or play basketball with his buddies than read books. He's about to fall in with a whole new bunch of kids/volunteers who are going to make his universe at the very least more complicated than it already is. And he's going to find himself more capable of well, more things that he thought possible.
Sidekick characters: a prankster neighbor named Kevin. He happens to live to get Josh in trouble, in good and bad ways. Then I also have Mark and Ida from last year's novel attempt, but as younger teenagers. Mark is a bit of a naive brat for the first segments of his part in the novel, while Ida is well, the usual hyperactive mess she is.
Villains? I don't really have a villain per se, but I have a slightly misguided, overbearing volunteer named Cedric, and his protege James. Their philosophies and styles of volunteerism aren't wrong per se, but they just happen to clash with a lot of things in the present situation.
----------My heart, my life, my praise is all for You
99,176 / 50,000
Okt 19, 2009 - 05 55
I don't care if this is going to show my age but I used to watch that a lot when I was a kid!! XDDDD ilit. Too bad I don't remember much about it. Just that when I watched it when I was older, I was surprised at how dorky they made the leader of the group look.
But FTW nonetheless! \o/
----------52,706 / 50,000
Okt 19, 2009 - 06 09
Apir! *high-five*
----------Someone said you're feeling green tonight so step up.
Do you really want to cross the line right now?
Go ahead and try to take what's mine.
Let it roll, let it roll, I'm unstoppable
52,706 / 50,000
Okt 19, 2009 - 06 55
Jacob - Psycho Black
You guys get the pun? haha
----------Someone said you're feeling green tonight so step up.
Do you really want to cross the line right now?
Go ahead and try to take what's mine.
Let it roll, let it roll, I'm unstoppable
37,056 / 50,000
Okt 19, 2009 - 21 27
. . .
for this year, three (3) main characters come to mind.
which means that, yes, compared to last year 's (and the year before) two-story theme, this year it's gonna be three stories; all intertwined with each other throughout space and time.
and, just like last year, it's gonna be in tagalog.
. . .
character 1: present day, reflecting on a short story to which "character 1" is working on; issues revolve within the protagonist's own petty world: daily life, routine, job, broken automobile parts, being broke, pitiful social life. in other words - mundane, drab wretched issues of everyday living... "all the good stuff in life," magnified and illustrated in full color paragraphs.
character 2: the protagonist within the short story in which character 1's working on; set at the time five years after the events transpired surrounding character 3. issues: past life, self-exile, life-threatening experiences, adultery, angst; currently in seclusion and in deep correspondence within an island surrounded by colorful characters, all related with the realm of...
... character 3: the protagonist of an old 1997 PC Adventure game, set at the time five years before 'character 2's visit to the world. environment featured is the setting of the Adventure game itself. full-color, illustrated description in writing; charting the game's focal points and timeline. sword-fights, goblins, banshees, thugs, goons, fairies, paladins... all that post-90's action-packed 1GB goodness.
. . .
all this and more, in...
"Kagabihan sa Silmaria" (Silmaria Nights)
=)
----------. . .
"what the band TrueFaith would've been, hadn't they screw-up with stuff back in the 90's."
800 / 50,000
Okt 22, 2009 - 05 36
I'll be writing about Joe (I'm yet to write their full names and I'll get to that once my story needs them) and his... high school story. Not really. I'll start when he's in sixth grade and end probably sometime after the end of his first semester in university (sounds really, really familiar.)
I'm possibly injecting some other main characters in the middle of the story, as I want to depict high school life not just from the point of view of one person. XD
14,005 / 50,000
Okt 31, 2009 - 00 20
The first two characters who introduced themselves to me were the siblings Emin and Liam Nicantro. Emin is the younger one, 2 years Liam's junior and she looks up to him in everything she does.
Emin is 14, optimistic and very loyal to the people she loves, also a bit ditzy. I can't tell much about her interests because she's very secretive and I don't think she likes me very much hehe. (I mean, she's normally a talkative character but she refuses to talk to me until now :( hehe) It takes a while to gain her trust, though people think she's approachable enough. The people who she TRULY cares about are few and treasured. Her hobbies include drawing (though she's always frustrated because she's not as good as her brother), playing the guitar (she just started so she's stuck with Skyline Pigeon which are only 3 chords) and daydreaming. She's quite childish and self-centered, believing in the adage that she can achieve everything she puts her mind to (in a kind of negative way).
Liam is a senior in high school and an artist. He secretly likes watching people walk by in the park, most of the time spending hours in this activity. He likes making up stories for the people he rides the jeep with, tracing their lives after getting off the jeep (do they walk, take another jeep, ride a padyak, what do their houses look, how many people are living in it? etc. etc.). He was an overachiever ever since he was young, so he boasts a quiet kind of self-confidence that borders on believing he can face everything by himself. Another secretive character, but he will openly share with you his views & opinions like you need them. It's his dream to leave a mark in this world because he (secretly) thinks the world deserves it. He won't tell you this though, because he knows that would make him sound arrogant.
Liam is diagnosed to go blind.
The story doesn't revolve on this fact, though. There are other characters that take up a big portion of the story that aren't exactly related to them. I-it's kinda messy right now hehe.
Guh.. They sound a bit mundane hehe. Maybe I should refine them more? Haha
------------
And I just realized the terrible redundancy of having my word count in a signature
--
rants & raves
14,247 / 50,000
Okt 31, 2009 - 10 54
I laughed when I saw that. And I remember the Midnight Society. I used to stay up for that. Oh. I think I just divulged my age group. ^_^
Anyway, my MC is known only by the pronoun "you". He is pretty confident about himself but loses that confidence when he is on the receiving end of what turns out to be a one-sided love.
I am still fleshing him out so that's all i have now.
14,247 / 50,000
Okt 31, 2009 - 10 59
Eek. how come the quote didn't come out? I meant the pun made by metaclipse on jacob being psycho black, not the post above mine.
^_^
52,601 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2009 - 06 05
My main protagonist is Aris Reovalle. He's a closeted seventeen year-old boy; the only son of a Senator, and nephew of a general. He's a cadet in a prestigious all-boys academy (yikes!) and in in his final year as the story begins. He's best friends and in an obsessive unrequited love with an Asian-ish elf (as Asia doesn't exist in my world...) named Kan.
My main antagonist is Alexandria Quelthi. She has a past that's too long to tell. ^_^ I can tell you however that she's possessed, so I guess the real enemy here is the one who possessed her but meh.
Another protagonist is Janthalasa Alanis'thorani Shalvanor (whew). She's an orphan (well it is fantasy after all) elf, thousands of miles away from her elven homeland. She lives within the world of humans and was raised by a human, though she knows clearly what she is. She's a cross between the High Elves and the Dark Elves/Drow.
There are many more, but it's already late and I haven't even started yet hahaha.
Oh yeah. I'm new here. Hi guys!
----------6,107 / 50,000
Nov 2, 2009 - 17 02
Main characters: Lini, a seven-year old kid who seems to have a massive influence on luck (both good and bad), with her pseudo-brother Piet, nine years old and a pyrokinetic.
Main baddies are the Triumvirate, the people who work behind the scenes and who can change the fabric of reality according to their will.
48,036 / 50,000
Nov 3, 2009 - 01 00
7000 words in...my main characters are getting hilariously out of control. For an idea, go read the excerpt on my page.
----------My heart, my life, my praise is all for You
12,025 / 50,000
Nov 3, 2009 - 06 24
It's amazing how the others use the characters they've introduced in past novels as their main characters. "A la William Faulkner" kung baga. Astig! \m/
Anyway, I'm using my main characters of my past 'work' (not a novel, since it's technically a 6k blah thing) in this year's novel.
Rachel Miles. Refugee. Forced to escape along with her (already broken) family after a Nuclear Civil War took place in her country. Had a double life after that: a strong, almost emotion-less woman who secretly joins a band of freedom fighters to fight for her country; and a shy, lonely girl forced to study music. Is stubborn, non-sensical, but loyal, hardworking and so deep no one could actually reach her depths.
Specter Darklight. Musical genius. Came from a poor family who lived just outside the border of Rachel's country. Forced in to child labour. Knows the life of poverty better than anyone else. Became a forced soldier at the age of thirteen, but escapes from the life he doesn't want to live in and began to study music. Is a perfectionist; calm, no-nonsense, an achiever. Wants nothing more than to be recognized for the things he does and sacrifices for.
----------NaNo 07: 9 Hours (Young Adult)
NaNo 08: The Sky is Broken (Military Sci-Fi)
NaNo 09: Speed of Sound (Literary Fiction)