What do you look like? · 6:18pm Jul 10th, 2014
A little glimpse at my method...
Okay... I want to write a story involving Princess Luna getting kidnapped...
Obviously I need a kidnapper. It should be somepony unassuming, somepony on the inside.
A mare. Yes, definitely a mare and a servant.
Great! Yeah, I think this will work. Now to think of a name!
What the hell should I call her?
Probably something evoking servitude, and yet I want it to reflect royalty or wealth, that will be important to her character... Sooo... Gold... Goldie... Golden?
No... Not Gold... Too precious, Too royal.
Precious Gems? No... Not a servile or practical use to them.
Platinum? No... Too... Clumsy.
Silver...? Hmmm... Yeah, I think Silver works. So then, Hi-Ho-Silver away!
Now... Silver what? ... Silver Spoon? No! That's already the name of a canon character, menso! Try again!
Silver Platter..? uh... no... evokes images of severed heads... (Bring me his head upon a Silver Platter) hehe! Oh, the picture that paints! Ewww!
Sooo... Silver... Fork...knife...cutlery...plate...candlestick...glass No! Silver Glass is contradictory!
So Silver...Cup...Tumbler...flute...chalice... Hmmm... Silver Chalice... Okay, green light! I christen thee, Silver Chalice! Kidnapper of Luna, and brains of the...merry band of...princess kidnappers... Or would that be 'ponynappers'?
Nevermind!
Okay now, I have a name, Silver should be a unicorn... So tell me, Silver Chalice... What do you look like?
White...? no... too Celestial
Gray... Ugh! No...too gray! And too Silver Spoon!
Silver... Isn't that kinda the same as gray?
Oh, criminey! this is getting boring! How long have I been staring at a blank screen?
FORTY-FIVE MINUTES?!?!
Oh, [forget] it! I have her name, I know she's a 'she' and a unicorn. That's all I need! I'm just going to start writing!
She can tell me what she looks like later.
Chapter 1. The Abduction of Luna...
I wrote this after a careful reader realized that I hadn't told the readership how most of my major characters looked.
Unfortunately, he/she is correct.
Also unfortunate, the above description of my 'method' is pretty darn accurate retelling of the roadblock I suffer when creating characters. Most of the time, names and physical descriptions are a challenge. But I usually have a good idea for how I want them to act: Character.
This story is probably the worst case I had with figuring out how I wanted my main actors to look. (Names weren't easy either. I'm still undecided on Millstone's surname)
If you have a good idea of what a particular character should look like, I'm open to hear it!
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