How do you choose your characters for your novel?

by Adrian Sroka
26th July 2012

Are your characters based on real life people, complete invention, or a mixture of both?

Are there particular books that have influenced your characters?

Replies

I think Gilly hits the nail on the head.

Except...there are bits of YOU in there, too, particularly in MCs.It's unavoidable. Once you get inside a character something of your own personality must rub off if that person is to be real. Even parts you usually manage to bury deep; things you wouldn't want your family to know.

Good job it's only fiction :)

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Jonathan
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Jonathan Hopkins
26/07/2012

Nice question. My characters are adaptations of people I've known/know and sometimes they are made up of several people I have come across as I've liked different things in them which I make up into a single character. I wouldn't say books have influenced mine but more that life has. I don't think these people would recognise themselves as my characters as I've added and missed out lots of things so they are quite ficticious. I also like 'people watching' in cafes which helps me get ideas.

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Gilly
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Gilly Ansell
26/07/2012