Characterization and Gender Roles

I like exploring the technical side of writing.  Not so much the do's and don'ts, because that's flat out infuriating to me at this point in my life.  There are too many articles out there saying 'don't use adverbs, ever!' and 'you have to do this, this, and this, for a successful novel'.  And let's be honest, that kind of thing can make you so paranoid you'll never put another word on paper out of fear you're doing it all wrong.  I already know I'm doing it all wrong, so why remind me?

But what I like to talk about is the hows and whys of your writing.  Why does this character act in this way, how did he get to be the sweetheart (or asshole) that he is?  That kind of thing.  So, when Miss Wow (which is my new name for you honey, I hope you don't mind) posted her responses to this older Munday post on charloft, I realized I had to do it, too.

( Let's chat )

When Andrej Comes to Life (and then ONTD Proves his Muse is Perfect)

When writing fan fiction, you know what your characters look like and probably have a stash of photos to back you up, too, right?  Well, when writing original fic, you're not as lucky.  However, I will say that I almost always have a firm idea of what my characters look like when I begin a new 'world'.  Normally, they aren't based on anyone I know or a popular celebrity, although sometimes I think 'Michael's eyes, Taylor's abs, and Warren's mouth'.  But sometimes, they are based off someone in real life.

( How can Reyes resist this? )