Motivators: A list?

mrWr0ng said:
I'm not sure what people are arguing about.



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We're discussing the creative process in regards to writing. Some people here think the best way to develop a story is start with a plot and then worry about the other stuff later. I'm saying starting with a character is equally valid, widely done, and shouldn't be discouraged as creative approach. I'm also saying it doesn't even have to be an either/or, character or story, it could be setting, a poem, or any number of things.
 
Well yeah, I mean if you dumb the creative process down to a "start with X, then add Y and you get Z."

If you're making a painting, not every artist starts with the background and paints the foreground over. Some go the other way. Some start with a sketch and then paint, some just start painting with no idea and then go with what forms in their head as they put paint to canvas.

There is no one way to create anything.
 
mrWr0ng said:
Well yeah, I mean if you dumb the creative process down to a "start with X, then add Y and you get Z."

If you're making a painting, not every artist starts with the background and paints the foreground over. Some go the other way. Some start with a sketch and then paint, some just start painting with no idea and then go with what forms in their head as they put paint to canvas.

There is no one way to create anything.
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That's the point I've been trying to make. It's a no brainer.
 
A good writer needs both interesting characters and a good story to place them in. Whichever one gets you to the other in your own process is just as valid. I personally don't even have a fixed method of getting there (and maybe this is why I am not strictly a writer).

Now, having sidestepped this debate, I think I can share a few tools for creating interesting characters. EJ's list is really useful and comprehensive, but it would be easy to just go down it, making choices that actually aren't compatible without any well-considered rationale. Why do that when there's an entire industry out there practically designed to be support services for writers: role-playing games.

Seriously, find yourself a game or comic shop and buy a copy of the GURPS rules set. Skip straight to the character generation section and go to it. In no time you'll have a really interesting, balanced, sensible character, complete with history, motivation, physical and mental foibles, and more. I don't think I've ever actually played a GURPS game, but I have used that character system to death. There are faster, simpler alternatives out there, but GURPS is so thorough, and so adaptable to all genres, that I have to recommend it without reservation.
 
That's funny; I used to do a lot of illustration work for TSR and Game Designers' Workshop and Steve Jackson Games, in college. I played with using the Traveller system to flesh out characters and backgrounds, although I didn't stick with the approach.
 
I've based some of that list on role playing game character creation sheets. Actually if I remember, I recommend people rolling a d10 dice and letting the questions be decided that. way

I used to be a big fan of CYBERPUNK, which had an interesting character sheet (or did have once I was finished adapting it).

In the past, I've 'interviewed' characters on various subjects, documenting their dialogue responses to get their 'voice'.

I read in an interview recently with some writer that he likes to piss off his characters in this 'interview', and thus they would reveal their inner core and trueselves.

EJ
 
EJ's list got me cracking quickly. I had a January 25th deadline date for a 120 page re-write which I started two days ago. In two days I've locked down sensible, plausible characters and their conflicts and have totally RE-WRITTEN 40 pages of script.

I'm ahead of schedule!!! Thanks for the list, E.J. And everyone for advice.
 
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