Character Survey Thread

[Blackwidow]

1. Are any of your characters based off of you? I notice this a lot with the so called "Keep Stories" where people call their character "my magi."
Well, I, do not have any characters based off myself. I have contemplated using a fursona, but I just stick with my OCs. (*Original Charater. [Is a derphead]) I have, in the past had characters based of me, though. But, they drift away from who I really am and become something totally different, or I just don't use them.

2. Do you prefer writing male or female characters? Why?
Hm. I usually write or role play with a female character, but I do have males. So, I would prefer writing with a female character, mainly because I can relate more to them, since I am a female. I really don't know what it's like to be a male, to think like a male, to act like one, since I am not. I have one male OC, and one male side character, that only appears in drawings.

3. How attached do you get to your own characters? Do you think getting too attached is a problem?
I am very attatched to my OC, Blackwidow. I've had her for a long time, and I use her for everything. I love all my characters, but especially Blackwidow.
No, I don't think it's a problem to become attatched to a character. It's like having an imagenary friend, and there is nothing wrong with that.

4. How attached do you get to other people's characters?
There is one person's character that I really like, and will be sad to see she won't be rped with, when her owner leaves the site. Also, I became very attatched to a character named Rayne, but then her owner quit the site. Other than that, I am not really attatched to anyone's characters but my own.

5. Do you formulate a story to fit your characters, or do you write characters to fit a story?
Hm. My character, Blackwidow, is a very good example for this. I use her all the time. And with that, I write many stories. Each story, I have a different plot. With that, her background and apperance change to go with that plot. When I role play, I sometimes make up a character to go with the RP, because I find that none of my characters fit that RP.

6. How do you go about making a character? Do you think it's an effective method?
Well, most of my characters are related in one form or another, and I based one character off of someone in the real world. So, when I mix traits of two characters, I come up with a character. For example, my OC, Blackwidow, had an evil father, and a very caring mother. Her sister, Starlight, got her mother's traits, and she got her father's. Blackwidow's mate, Darksmoke, got his traits from his mother and his father, who are described as angels. His sister, Iceshadow, got those traits too.
Other instances, I create a drawing of a random wolf or a dog, and think of names and personalities for that drawing, based off what I drew. If that makes sense.

[Destrauxe]

1.) Yes, I have a character based off me and only off me. I have another character based off of who I want to be and I put a little bit of myself in almost every one of my characters. I try not to base any characters to much off myself though som of my characters are based off of other people I know or have traits that people I know have. I have a fursona but she is not really based off of my personality towards othrs on the outside. She is what I am and what I feel on the inside that I am to afraid/kind/whatever to voice.

2.) I write both but I do believe I prefer female though it does depend on what I am writing or who I am writing with. I guess the reasoning I usually prefer girls is I am a female myself but I have alot more male than I do female characters. It is sometimes harder to get my male character to act and think as a male would because I myself am not male.

3.) Very. I get extremely attached to every one of my characters but I am most attatched to my fursona Shadow. I am not however so attached that I cannot kill them. I have killed Shadow...alot. I can kill them because I know I still own them and they can come back whenever I want. I torture my characters alot because I have them for my amusement and entertainment but I love them all like they are real and living.

4.) I can like other peoples characters but the only characters I get really really attatched to are my own because I completely understand them and know every last detail of the story behind them. I do not understand the same thing about other peoples characters because I do not undertsand all of that about them. The making and history is something I can only completely know about in my own characters.

5.) Both. It depends on what I am doing. I write tories for my characters alot and fit the story or shape it around my characters but often there are places I find I need a character and I will make one to fit that spot. My characters are also subject to change to fit the story if I need them to.

6.) Sometimes an idea of an appearence I really like pops into my head and I create a character with that appearence giving it a personality and stuff and making it mine just because I made an appearence I wanted as a character. I can also get a character by making one for a story and deciding I like it enough to keep it.

[Pumah]

1. Are any of your characters based off of you? I notice this a lot with the so called "Keep Stories" where people call their character "my magi."
Not completely, but I often take one aspect or another of my personality, like my cynicism, my self-consciousness and my (often self-destructive) perfectionism.

2. Do you prefer writing male or female characters? Why?
I much prefer writing female characters, probably because I can identify with them more, but I suspect it's also because I'm pretty much always uncomfortable around the opposite sex.

3. How attached do you get to your own characters? Do you think getting too attached is a problem?
I can get quite attached, but I have no qualms about maiming, torturing or killing off my characters. Now that I think about it, I seem to torment my favourite characters more than the others.

4. How attached do you get to other people's characters?
I think I get more attached to other people's characters than I do to my own, actually, although, again, I like 'seeing' my favourites tossed into dire situations more than I do those I dislike. Which is weird, really. I think I'm just a bit sadistic.

5. Do you formulate a story to fit your characters, or do you write characters to fit a story?
Both, but mostly the latter. However, I often find that when I create a character for a specific purpose, they tend to...I dunno, grow? And then they become ill-suited for their job and I either have to scrap them or modify the story a little. Some of them just seem to take on a life of their own.

6. How do you go about making a character? Do you think it's an effective method?
It just...comes. Most often, I just doodle something on my schoolwork in class and think, "Hey, that looks cool, I'll try and stick that in a story somehow." Other times, I'm listening to a song or reading a poem.

[ShadowOfThePhoenix]

This looks interesting. c:

1. Are any of your characters based off of you? I notice this a lot with the so called "Keep Stories" where people call their character "my magi."
I've based role-play characters off of me, but never really a character in a story. I've given female characters some of my traits (such as they're shy, they have mood swings very easily, or they're impatient, just that kind of thing) but I've never actually made a character based off of me completely. I think it might be fun to try that though-- don't you? I mean, think of it. It'd be like putting yourself in your story and asking, "How would I react here? What would I say here? What would I do here?"

2. Do you prefer writing male or female characters? Why?
This is going to sound ever-so-insanely cliche, but I'm more comfortable with females because... Yeah, I am one. I don't feel too comfortable writing about males because the only guys I know still act like girls have cooties, and the only other male I ever associate with is my own father. Thus, I'm not too cozy writing as them for fear of making them "stereotypical". And I fear that, if I make them unique, then they won't even be believable.

3. How attached do you get to your own characters? Do you think getting too attached is a problem?
Getting attached is fine, but as you say, getting too attached is a problem. If you're going to write an adventure/war series, do you really think you can keep every single main character alive? I think not. It simply won't work. And, as others have said, you could even make too perfect of a character if you get that attached to them. I prefer to type up a little form for my character and write from there, only having them develop over the course of time but never allowing them to grow to that point of "perfection". I have an absolutely awful habit of getting insanely and entirely attached to a character for a little over two weeks or a month before completely disregarding them and killing them off because I simply no longer care. I believe my random little bursts of love-and-then-not-care are my main weaknesses.

4. How attached do you get to other people's characters?
I've never gotten too attached to the character of someone else that I'm role-playing with. however, since we're discussing stories, then yes-- I have a habit of getting a little too attached to the characters in stories. It doesn't exactly matter if they're the main character or one that appears in the sidelines only once every book, I get attached. So when they die, I can scream and cry in frustration, then realize later that it's just a story and that things happen. I need to accept that.

5. Do you formulate a story to fit your characters, or do you write characters to fit a story?
I usually create my main character and fit the story around him/her, and everyone else around him/her is shaped to fit the plot. This way, I can disregard them whenever I wish (again with the whole bursts of love-and-then-not-care thing). However, if they're shaped TOO much to fit the plot, it can actually interfere with a story once you get sick of them and decide to kill them off or use them sparingly. I believe my method is very flawed in many ways and needs much growth, but I'll work on that as I write more and more.

6. How do you go about making a character? Do you think it's an effective method?
As I've mentioned, making a character is typing up a form that you might see in an RP, then basing them off of that and only fleshing them out and taking twists when it would benefit the story. I've been told my stories are wacky in a good way, or even enthralling and different. But then I've written stories when I'm a little lazier that have gotten a not-very-good reception, such as people telling me that the characters aren't realistic and that plot-holes are too abundant. I believe that, being the age I am, I need much more personal growth and experience in novel-writing before I can truly create a work to be praised-- but that's just me.

[Feathersun]

1. Are any of your characters based off of you? I noticehttp://magistream.com/styles/prosilver_se/theme/images/editor/link.png this a lot with the so called "Keep Stories" where people call their character "my magi."
Almost all of my characters are based off of me or my friends. Very rarely do I not base characters on people I know.
2. Do you prefer writing male or female characters? Why?
Female. Because I am female so I find it easier, cuz I have noooo idea what goes on in a guys head! I do wish that I could write stories about guys, because all of my favorite books have there main character a guy.
3. How attached do you get to your own characters? Do you think getting too attached is a problem?
I'm attatched to ALL of my characters, as most of them are based off of people I know.
4. How attached do you get to other people's characters?
Very!
5. Do you formulate a story to fit your characters, or do you write characters to fit a story?
Oh, I just make the story up as I go along (in other words, both)
6. How do you go about making a character? Do you think it's an effective method?
I base them off of people I have met or sometimes if I can't think of anything interesting base them off of other characters and then change them to fit my book/other characters. And no, I don't like making them like this xD

[Shizune0715]

1. Are any of your characters based off of you? I notice this a lot with the so called "Keep Stories" where people call their character "my magi."
Majority of the time, they have some of my traits but are usually their own people. They seem to take a life of their own and I get shocked that I wrote it
2. Do you prefer writing male or female characters? Why?
Lately, I'm more on doing male characters. They usually come out more interesting and fun to write My female characters usually aren't as fun to write and my friends have amazingly humorous reactions when they read my male character stories. Since I come from an all girls school, they tend to fangirl over them and praise my 'inner hot male'.
3. How attached do you get to your own characters? Do you think getting too attached is a problem?
It depends on how much time I spend creating them. I'm especially attached to two of them who I spent a good few days working on. Getting too attached isn't that bad as long as it isn't obsessive. My friends have also become attached to them for some reason ^w^'''
Besides, even characters have to be let go of at some point. Every story has to end after all. Whether its a happily ever after or the character dies, the author has to let go eventually.
4. How attached do you get to other people's characters?
It depends on the story. If I like the story, I get really attached to it but if I don't find the story that interesting, I don't look back on it.
5. Do you formulate a story to fit your characters, or do you write characters to fit a story?
It starts off as the second then becomes the first cause I can't plan to save my life
6. How do you go about making a character? Do you think it's an effective method?
First off, I make use of a form then slowly add more details along as I think is needed. Most of my characters seem to be made crudely at first, with just basic facts like name, age, appearance, etc but if the story progresses, I add things like history, family tree, horoscopes and other personality affecting things. Of course, I need to jot it down somewhere or else I forget it. It seems to work, especially when you're bad at planning like me

[TheStrangeWeirdo]

1. Are any of your characters based off of you? I notice this a lot with the so called "Keep Stories" where people call their character "my magi."
Well, yes. My main characters are usually based off me a little. xD

2. Do you prefer writing male or female characters? Why?
I have no clue. xD I don't have a preference unless it's the main character, in which for some reason I always go male. Quite strange.

3. How attached do you get to your own characters? Do you think getting too attached is a problem?
Yes, I can get a little attached to my characters. Very hard to write their deaths, if indeed they die. However, I take that as a good thing, because then it is likely for my readers to get attached to them, and their death will hit them harder and so elicit more emotion.

4. How attached do you get to other people's characters?
Depends on the character. I once cried when someone killed off a good friend of the main character. It was just so sad.

5. Do you formulate a story to fit your characters, or do you write characters to fit a story?
I basically just wing it, and let the story flow. Having said that, I'd say both. The story has to fit the main character that I come up with, but I do write in random people who have to be placed in to help the story along. xD

6. How do you go about making a character? Do you think it's an effective method?
I try to make my characters as varied as possible. However, I also try to make the characters suit whatever they're needed for, and then I'll see if I can implement them later on.

[Phenora]

1. Are any of your characters based off of you? I notice this a lot with the so called "Keep Stories" where people call their character "my magi."
I'd say sometimes one of my characters may be based off me. I wrote this little novel for NaNoWriMo November of 2010, and the main female character had a few personality traits that are like mine, and the main female character of the one I tried to write for NaNoWriMo 2011 was going to be more like me. I felt like having someone with that personality, or how I see myself anyway...

2. Do you prefer writing male or female characters? Why?
I'd say I don't prefer writing one or the other. I have fun shaping the character either way. Though with some of my male characters it's a bit more fun.

3. How attached do you get to your own characters? Do you think getting too attached is a problem?
I get a little attatched to a few characters. But it's only a few I've been attatched to. I do think getting attatched may be a problem, if something comes up and they have to "disappear" for a while or some other such thing.

4. How attached do you get to other people's characters?
I tend to get fairly attatched to some of the characters. Mostly the main characters or some of the more appealing ones. (Like Ash Redfern and Jeremy Lovett(sp?) in the Night World series, and several charactes form The Hunger Games...)

5. Do you formulate a story to fit your characters, or do you write characters to fit a story?
A little of both, I'd say. Usually it flows around the main character(s), and other important characters that play huge roles, but sometimes I have to add some people to fill loose ends. Explain a few things I left out.

6. How do you go about making a character? Do you think it's an effective method?
Sometimes I will sit and plan out a character. Their history and personality. Even their looks and overall attitude. Sometimes I give a name and shape stuff around that and what the story needs or what is called for based on other characters. Seems effective for me, but then again it's said by Fenoglio in Cornelia Funke's Inkdeath, "And for another, real writing is a question of staring into space and waiting for the right ideas." Isn't that what we all do, at some point?

[IndigoBook]

1. Are any of your characters based off of you? I notice this a lot with the so called "Keep Stories" where people call their character "my magi."

• Not generally. I've seen warnings about basing characters too closely off yourself because of the danger of not explaining things properly (since you know things about yourself that others don't, of course), and I'm not the kind of person I like to write about. Sometimes a trait of mine will go into a character, but it's usually just a minor mannerism that has no real bearing on anything.

2. Do you prefer writing male or female characters? Why?

• I don't have a conscious preference, but my characters are overwhelmingly male. No idea why. It bugs me a little, and for a while I tried to add female characters to every story just for gender balance, but since that just resulted in a lot of flat characters I gave up. Now they just are whatever gender they are.

3. How attached do you get to your own characters? Do you think getting too attached is a problem?

• It depends on the context of the character. Those from one-off stories or otherwise insignificant plotlines I'm inclined not to care about too much, but if they're in anything longer or just come up a lot then I will get attached. This doesn't keep me from doing terrible things to them as the plot demands, though, so I don't think of it as a problem. Haven't had to kill anyone yet, though.

4. How attached do you get to other people's characters?

• Very, if they're well-written. I have occasionally had to stop reading something for a while because one of my favorite characters was killed off and I haven't quite processed it. Usually that only lasts for a couple of hours at most, unless the death came out of nowhere, in which case the quality of the story can be debatable.

5. Do you formulate a story to fit your characters, or do you write characters to fit a story?

• I have to write the story to fit the characters, because I can't invent characters on demand and if I waited for the right ones I'd have a bunch of extras waiting.

6. How do you go about making a character? Do you think it's an effective method?

• Either some kind of "What if?" or just a couple of character traits, and then I build on them. Sometimes I also start from a name or an appearance. The building happens at varying speeds; sometimes it takes a while to flesh them out, and others are easy. It's effective for me, but possibly not very efficient--I tend to get a lot of interesting-but-useless types who don't fit into any story.

[ZafiaPurewater]

1. Are any of your characters based off of you? I notice this a lot with the so called "Keep Stories" where people call their character "my magi."
I am usually making my characters as how I would reply to something or someone. Sometimes they will go off and be completely different than me at times and usually they are funnier and more daring. I myself am very introverted and get violent but with my characters I can think things through and have them be more careful and calm. They usually stick to the same personality but become their own in the end. I have a char who has become very carefree yet deep and another who is aggressive but really kind.
2. Do you prefer writing male or female characters? Why?
Male, I'm a girl though, because they come easier to me. I usually see it easier to do those characters, but it gets awkward once you try and g into romance. I have recently tried to make a female character. She has not debuted yet but will be coming out soon enough.
3. How attached do you get to your own characters? Do you think getting too attached is a problem?
It is not wrong to get attached, but it gets hard to let them go. I have to make sure to keep an open mind while writing about them, and I get not too attached because there are so many of my char to me.
4. How attached do you get to other people's characters?
I usually go into that "world" and get attached like that. It is fun to get attached but I still have to keep an open mind to them or else they'll start to look back to me. I don't like criticizing another's character because it may be good to another.
5. Do you formulate a story to fit your characters, or do you write characters to fit a story?
Sometimes they will have a story to them, but they can evolve into their own selves. They will usually change with the influence of other characters. For example, my char is a wolf and is only just a little older than a year but acts like he is more than 6 years old. He didn't act very young until now where a new character joined and she was a pup. This brought out a more childish side to him, but once again another character was there and made back to be more mature. He had to evolve to the situation and he changed how he was.
6. How do you go about making a character? Do you think it's an effective method?
I would usually make them vague so as the story progresses, he/she would adapt and become something different. It works for me because I can change them to how they should be. they fit in and adapt but they are very different. One could become very outgoing and fun in a gloomy confided place. My characters usually become like the setting or become a different kind of person than another.