Yet another of the shattering factoids I've run into
was that Andy Warhol always wore green underpants.
Who knew?
Who cares?
Obviously Andy did, or he wouldn't have done it.
This made me think. What undisclosed facts do I store
when I create fictional characters?
Some who write have extensive notes on every
character, most of which do not make it explicitly to the page. I have never
done this.
But there is one bit I do, most of the time. My
characters have middle names. These middle names are not usually for the reader.
They’re for me. They serve as a sort of secret layer. They tell of the family,
or a quirky parent. Except for characters from Israel, where middle names are
still uncommon, all my characters have middle names as well as last names.
I started with a factoid, and will leave you with another.
Richard Gere’s middle name is Tiffany. See what I mean by evocative?
11 comments:
I love those little tidbits that make the characters feel more real. Off to give my characters odd middle names... :-)
A name evokes so much, not just of the character, but of what her parents dreamed of when he or she was born, or well before ... there's a whole backstory in a name.
I love this! It's true...there is a lot more to our characters than what makes it to the page... boy, the one I wrote about this morning... I hope when it ever publishes the illustrator is as imaginative as what's in my brain! LOL
Character trivia is so much fun! Green shorts? I never really thought about Mr. Warhol's underwear. His hair always was so...wild.
What a cool idea. I like the little author's secrets. :).
Nice idea, Mirka! I wonder what Richard Gere's parents were thinking when they gave him that middle name. I bet he never told a soul growing up.
I love that you give your characters middle names! I've given at least one a middle name, but it was mentioned in the story. Now I want to give them all middle names, but keep them as my little secret. ;)
I give most of mine middle names, too. I mean, one needs a complete name. :) Once I gave a character the middle name Sunflower. Her parents were hippies. :)
I love the idea of middle names. I have never thought of that.
I didn't know that (both about Andy's green underpants and Richard's middle name)!
What an interesting idea. I've never thought to give middle names to my characters. Hmm, Tiffany...
Post a Comment