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I like three day weekends, good chance to get some Jefferey episodes finished! I do have to be careful, some of these episodes are becoming a wee bit penis centric…

For me, I start forming the main protagonist in my mind as I begin writing whatever idea popped into my head. It's slightly different for fanfiction, but the process is still similar. I then start wringing out side characters, other protagonists(some side characters count as fellow protagonists depending on where the story goes), and antagonists. For the original stories I tend not to post(yet), it's kind of one huge ass-pull. A lot of it, I need to refine and edit to make it all flow well.

I don’t fully work out a character either until I start writing. That’s where backstory is useful. What I tend to do, though, is narrow down an approximate age/gender and use a randomizer to help select some traits. If needed, I’ll figure out relatives too, that’s where the bulk of the characters in my database come from. And I start writing, seeing what traits do and don’t work.

I think its fascinating to hear other writers talk about their process for starting a story and character building. It’s so different and relatable at the same time. I tend to just write the very first scene, and then I put all the work into plotting out the character’s personalities and flaws, based on how they performed in that first scene. For me, its easier to see them as a well rounded character that way, and feel they have a life of their own. When I plan the characters before writing, I tend to have trouble connecting to them because I don’t know them yet! … And I just gotta say I feel you. Many a sexy villain has felled my plans.