I did something last week that I've never done before. No it wasn't skydiving.
I looked up people pics to try and find ones that look like my characters!
I know a lot of people do this, but it just never occurred to me as something to do. I know what my characters look like in my head.
But then on one of the blogs I frequent (can't remember which one) she had posted a pic of her main character and I realized hey, I could do that too!
So I spent hours pouring over pics of teens and adults trying to find the closest match to my characters.
It was so much fun!
If you haven't done it before now, I would recommend it. I used a model/actor website and had a lot of luck.
And here we go!
I looked up people pics to try and find ones that look like my characters!
I know a lot of people do this, but it just never occurred to me as something to do. I know what my characters look like in my head.
But then on one of the blogs I frequent (can't remember which one) she had posted a pic of her main character and I realized hey, I could do that too!
So I spent hours pouring over pics of teens and adults trying to find the closest match to my characters.
It was so much fun!
If you haven't done it before now, I would recommend it. I used a model/actor website and had a lot of luck.
And here we go!
This is my MC Fox. His hair is actually redder and longer and he should look a bit younger but otherwise this is a pretty good match
This what my other MC Quill looks like, she would just have much shorter hair
This is Lisi, Fox's mother
Both Fox and Quill have two love interests (their characters mirror each other a bit)
For Quill we have:
Otter
and
Bear
And for Fox there is:
Memmaand
Amira
The last two human characters are:
Zirah 
Jona
Anyone else ever pick pictures for their characters?
28 comments:
No, but now I think I might. Cool!
~JD
I did not get a chance to do that this weekend but it looks so fun!! Now when I finish your WIP, I will know exactly how you imagined them.
.....
I don't know, but it might have been my site. I've my MC on my top banner, side bar fake book cover, and a bottom manner. Mostly 'cause he's perdy. :-)
Getting an idea of what a character looks like helps me visualize the scene easier. I go charrie hunting all the time, or I go here:
http://elouai.com/
and make them.
Don't know if I could do this. I prefer to imagine them in my mind. I would hate for my idea of a character to get ruined by an actual person (kind of like when a book becomes a movie).
It does look like fun though.
No, but that might be a good idea.
Ooh, ooh, was it me? I remember you commenting that you should do it after I posted a couple pics of my dudes.
Either way, good job! Those are some great-looking folks. Glad you had success--it can be pretty tough.
How fun!! I'll have to give this technique a try. It's perfect because I'm focusing on characters this week.
Thanks!!
A really good idea. Could visualize all your pics except for Otter. He looks like my hub looked when wayyyy younger, got that same twinkle in his eye...problem is, all my hub cared about at that age was sports, not a love/relationship interest. Don't know, just a thought.
I don't know if I would want to do that. I've never thought about it. Great, more ways to spend time on the computer!
I do this all the time. I look through google pics for people and find characters. Sometimes I have one in mind. In my YA novel the the girl who plays Ugly Betty is the MC (the exact same look, but with a bit of a different personality. It's a great way to brainstorm for different characters.
I've never done this - the characters are real in my head & I think I'd just get frustrated when the people didn't match perfectly! :)
I tried once to find my female MC, but came up pretty empty handed. There were a few that resembled her - if I changed this or that, or this and that. But nothing close enough to say: Hey! There she is.
Of course, her love interest? Well, if you've been to my blog on certain days, you've seen a pretty good resemblance through my youtube links ;)
Justine - it is so fun! I picked like 3-4 pics for each character and then whittled it down
Palindrome - true! I never thought about that
Christi - i've never done it before and it was a lot of fun. I'm going to have to do it from here on out
Mathew - i have them firmly pictured in my mind as well, this is just a fun supplement.
Alex - i would recommend it just for fun.
Summer - it may have been you, but i'm just not sure anymore. Either way i'm sure your post helped me to make the decision to do it (also i was looking through your old posts and you have a LOT of attractive mens pictured on your blog...)
And it was tough. Some of them i found right away, but it was really hard to fine redheaded men under age 20 for Fox
Nicole - have fun and good luck!
Kittie - that is perfect! Because Otter has his boyish charms but he's less interested in a relationship and more interested in the sex and one-upping Bear
Sonshine - LOL - it's true. It does take some time. I don't think i'd do it before i had a peice written but afterwards it was a lot of fun
Noelle - i was suprised by how much easier it was to find pics of minor characters vs the main characters.
Jemi - i was a little frustrated, but i just tried to match faces. And a few were absolute perfect fits so that was exciting
Tara - yeah it was much harder for my MCs than minor characters. As it is, the faces are pretty good, but the hair is not even close
(Hey Tara...yeah, we know! ;o) He IS a smexy muse!)
I never find face pictures, BUT, when I want to be bad, and procrastinate, I do sometimes sneak off to Polyvore and pick out ensembles and accessories etc. to make up little character sketches for my characters. It's fab-fun and a total time suck.
Happy Monday!
Lola
Like you this hasn't ever occurred to me because I can see them so vividly in my mind's eye. However, it sounds like a cool idea. I might have to try it out. Also my nephew could seriously be your MC Fox. He has the hair and everything.
I've never done this, but I did have a friend do sketches of the main characters from Fate Lost once upon a time, and I still picture those from time to time when writing.
What a great idea! I've never done this but I think I could certainly spend hours and hours procrastinating and having fun doing it!
I've never done this, well except for my last historical but I stole Russell Crowe from Master & Commander.
You have such great ideas on your blog Sarah, thanks.
Lola... accesories?! That sounds GENIUS!
angfla - you should give it a try! And does your nephew have red hair?
Teebore - usually Twin draws character pics for my stuff as well. I tend to critique her harshly...
Talli - there is much procrastination possibility with this activity. Much...
Piedmont - i'd be interested in seeing character pics for Masquerade, since i've read the Query.
Oh this is fun! Thanks for posting these pictures -- I love seeing what other writers' characters look like.
I admit, I've done this before, but I forgot to save the pictures, so I lost them. But I do have two actors (both lesser-known TV stars) who I have set out in my crazy mind to play two of my MCs one day. Not that I want my writing made into a movie, but just for fun. :)
All the time. Usually it's a pic that inspires the character so for the most part I have at least one character with a picture (or many!). It's nice to have that visual though, isn't it?
Hi,
This is Callie Forester, from Chimera Critiques. i didn't see an email for you, so I thought I'd just leave this in your comments. Our site went down for about a week and a half, so I'm just writing everyone that entered the contest to let them know the site is up and running again, just in case they stopped by and saw it down. Thanks for entering!! Oh, btw, love your cast list! I've done this before and it's so much fun. I can never find a guy to be my MC, but I have everyone else. :) Callie
Shelley - i am intrigued by which TV actors you speak of. And yeah, i figured out real quick that i should probably be saving the ones i liked...
MRJ - it is nice. I kind of wish i had a few of them to reference when i was doing character descriptions
Southpaw - it was! Time consuming, but fun
Callie - thanks for letting me know! And yeah, my MCs were the hardest but i guess it's because we know them the best
Cool! I've never done this, but it looks like fun. :-)
Oh, yeah. I've done this a lot. I usually do it after the book is all written and revised and stuff. That way I can see if there's anyone out there exactly like the person I've created. And you know what? There usually isn't. Which is my goal, after all. Great post!
I have lots of attractive mens waiting to be put on the blog, too!
One of these days I'm going to dedicate a post to Jensen Ackles. Maybe the "J" day on the A-Z challenge?!? Oooh! Idea!
Shannon - it was a lot of fun! I would reccomend it
Elana - yeah none of them are exact matches (accept maybe Memma since she was a bit hazy in my mind due to her complete character reversal). But it was still fun to find close dopplegangers
Summer - OMG - DO IT!!!!! I want that post RIGHT NOW!
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