My IWSG is gonna be pretty quick here... I only have a question really...
When writing I tend to use real people and their names in my WIP's to make it more personal. So I can connect with it more. I find it brings out more emotions within me. Then, when the first draft is done I go back and change my characters names to what I really want them to be.
Does anyone else do this or am I completely nuts?
Share some of your favorite photos. It can be of anything you want.
I usually take my own kids yearly photos and every year they get better and better. Here are some on my faves from over the weekend.
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| I love them all but I really love the one in the upper left corner. |
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| She is the most difficult person to take pictures of so I'm pretty happy with the ones I shot. |
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| These two are the best of friends! My favorite one in the serious portrait. He looks so intense. |
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| She's a ham so these were fun to take. The older she gets the more animated she becomes. |
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| Top left: 2012 Halloween - it's hard to get him to wear a costume. Top center: At my cousins wedding Top right: old pic at the lake but I love it. Center left: the last picture of my dad and brother together. He put his rope on at basic. Center: My grandpa and me. I love old pics. Center right: My mom and me. Love her shirt Bottom row: Our wedding day. I love how adorable my kids looked! |
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| The power of unity |
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| The power of books |
I love those pics Dani! you have a beautiful family! And I haven't tried that with the name thing before, most of my characters tend to be a mesh of people, but I'll have to do that in the future. I can see how it would help with the emotional aspect.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures! What fun!
ReplyDeleteI have absolutely used names of people I know. Mainly because in the moment I'm so uncreative those are the first names I think of! Lol. Sometimes I change them later, sometimes I don't. ;)
I extensively interview folks for characters in my stories. So the answer is yes. Cue pics! Happy IWSG Birthday.
ReplyDeleteI rarely every use real people's names, or even whole people themselves, but every one of my characters draws from someone I know. It really does help make them feel more real and believable.
ReplyDeleteHappy 2 years IWSG!
Aww. Great pics of the kiddos!
ReplyDeleteAnd love your mom's shirt, too, in that pic!!!
Lovely photos!
ReplyDeleteI've never used names of people I know when writing, but I do use photos lol. If I link a character to a real person, looking at a photo of them helps me connect with them more.
Dani, that is freakin' brilliant! No, I've never used the names of real people in my manuscripts, but I guess that's because my characters are more an amalgamate of various people I know. How could I relegate one entirely to a single person?
ReplyDeleteI'm never going to forget this idea--and thanks!
I've never done that, but I can imagine that writing about people you care about will help to keep you involved in the story. :-)
ReplyDeleteI loved the pic I used on my Monday post. Those family photos were so sweet and fun. My fave is in the first group with your son and your youngest daughter together. Sibling love all the way. Your writing style is kinda weird, I can't deny that. But if it gets you writing and not chased with pitch forks or hit with old cellphones go for it.
ReplyDeleteReally cool pics!
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried using real people in my WIP's. I think I'll get hung up on trying to make the character fit the person perfectly but I think its worth a try. Great idea ;)
I love the photos. Awesome family there. I don't usually use people's names, but I tend to put people I know in my writing, sometimes in editing I dial them back a little.
ReplyDeleteAww...the pics are great and your family is the CUTEST!! I don't use real people when I write. My friends are very sweet and normal boring, and I go for over-the-top personalities in my novels! lol
ReplyDeleteThose pictures are adorable :) I don't tend to base my characters on people I know at all, I prefer to create my own from scratch :)
ReplyDeleteYour kids' photos are great!
ReplyDeleteAll of my characters are completely made up and I don't think I could change the names after I finished. By that time, the name would be engraved into the character. But if you've found a way that works for you, do it!
You are completely nuts. But that's why I keep coming back here. ;)
ReplyDeleteI need to have my character names set right away. Rarely do I change them unless it's not feeling right. And then it's usually within the first 10,000 words. Once I've changed a name after the rough draft was done, but it was a side character and not so important.
I just feel like I have to have their name in place right away or I don't know them.
Beautiful family!
I love your photos, your zombie enthusiasm which I completely share, and I've done the name changing thing with short stories I've written. :D
ReplyDeleteIf you're nuts, it might be due to having four kids, lol. I only have two, and they make me absolutely nuts! ;D
I also love the Coexist photo. I've been thinking of getting a tattoo of it for quite a while now. :)
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