For the Writers... - Comments

I tend to a mixture of both. Like I will make the main character based loosely off of myself but all other characters will be a mixture of my personality and those of my friends. But it actually depends on the kind of character I need to tell the story.

I agree, except obviously with Sid and Jack in Rocking the House. lol. But I loved Jenna and I know there was a big part of me in her. As for Kelly, she's a little fiestier than I am, but I totally see a part of me in her too

Characters, for me, are the easiest part of writing. Plots and commitment to the story never happens for me, really.

My characters aren't really based off of me, but sometimes I might inject something about me or someone I know into them, but my characters seem to just spring up. They're born out of nowhere, out of the way someone's mouth moves or when I'm just thinking and I get into this mode of how many others ways could I see this and then somewhere along the line, I stumble into a mostly developed character with a name and a face. I don't really know how to explain it honestly. They just sort of pop up, their own person, totally real like they're someone I've just ran across on the street and then suddenly knew everything about. They're already got their quirks and ways and flaws and I only have to translate them through my writing.

I'd say 95% of my characters are an extension of myself and the many sides to my personality. As for the development of my characters, I literally just go where my mind takes me, maybe how I'm feeling that particular day will play into it. I don't like to reveal a lot about my characters right off the bat, as I feel like it's a lot of information for the reader to take in at once. I prefer to gradually reveal more and more about them throughout the story, as it keeps the reader interested and wanting more. Really it's all up to you. Maybe someone in your life inspires you and you'll want to incorporate them into your main character.