Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Eyes - building the characterization

I decided that I will make characters first, and then find a story to suit them. I am ridiculously focused around eyes, so usually I decide what color eyes my character has before I even decide anything else. Once I have the eye color, I design my entire character around how I described those eyes… so I shall start with my female character. I decided that she’d have gray eyes (I started with brown, then i couldn’t come up with any interesting descriptions, and then moved onto green or blue, then realized that I wanted the male character to have green or blue eyes, and I will certainly not have my character have strange orange or lilac colored eyes. I’d like a bit of realism, even if my story ends up being completely random and strange. So far, I’ve run my idea by a few people, and the general reaction is “what on Earth is wrong with you”. I’m okay with this. It’s fairly not contrived… and I feel like I’ll have fun writing it). Here is her (I still don’t have a name from her… it’s more like I have a list compiled of a million people who I bugged into giving me names) character sketch (incomplete, more like just of her eyes):
Her eyes were dark gray and intense as a brewing thunderstorm with sparks of lightning flashing through. Cold and tumultuous, possessing a wisdom far beyond her years, they bore holes into the souls of those who she observed. It was unsettling – those misty orbs seemed to pass judgment with every flicker, every blink, every movement they made. They were idolized and envied for their unparalleled and mysterious beauty, yet feared for the unnerving clarity with which they shone, as if revealing all of the deep and dark secrets one stores within the depths of their heart.
I wonder if I can put that entire chunk into my short story. Maybe I will type up what the guy’s eyes will look like too. I wish I could make the entire story about eyes. But I won’t, because I don’t really have an idea for that. And having a fun (contrived) story with a gruesome and terrible ending just sounds like more fun to write. I don’t have a name for the guy either. I have many more names of the girl than the guy, but the guy I need to find the name of someone – well, I’ll not spoil the ending. J I decided that because her eyes are so intense, I need to make her just as intense to match. And here are the green (I decided on green, because blue is so overdone…):
Sparkling and cheery, the skin around his eyes crinkled and accentuated the lighthearted joy that shined through his eyes. The color was as lush and vibrant as the dewy grass on a cold morning, and they existed with a vibrant liveliness that paralleled his personality. They were windows to his soul, clear portals to the simple and unrestrained personality inside the tall and broad frame. Gentle and kind, he looked upon everything with deep eyes that spoke with a charismatic force far louder than his words. The color of glittering emeralds, rolling green fields, and luxurious tropical islands attracted and lured people to him despite his quiet and shy personality.
Meh, I need to work on that one. It’s like ridiculous amounts of descriptions that I just like, and not that much substance…
I think I will just start posting random ideas here – my story won’t be much of a surprise.

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