Lucia (the character, not the novel) wasn't hard to relate to. I blame this ease on the fact her emotions were almost identical to mine. While I definitely didn't have all her likes and dislikes, we were very close to each other in feelings. The character I'm working on now is a Chinese adoptee just like me, but her background is so much different from mine. Lea, what I named the girl, was adopted by a single parent and raised up in Boston as a muslim. There are things I had to research for both these characters and those things related to topics I couldn't relate to. For Lucia, her Italian heritage and for Lea, her religion. Another thing I had to take into account through my research is remembering not all Italians are the same and neither are all muslim girls. I even had to remind myself that Lea's experience as a Chinese adoptee would be different from mine. If there's one thing I learned about creating main characters is having a balance between things you know about and things you don't. If your character ends up being a replica of yourself, why not just make your story nonfiction or state right at the beginning the character is you? Personally, I think it would be kind of cool to read stories about authors in a different world, but often times, at least from my experience, creating a character just like yourself makes it hard to give them troubles. You can start with a rough outline of yourself, but maybe branch off by giving your character different hobbies and likes. Creating a main character that is completely different from yourself is also different. You have less to relate to and a harder time finding the core of the character. While I support writing characters different from ourselves, I also support creating realistic characters. To do this, especially with a character much different from yourself, you have to research. Research and get feedback. I'm excited to continue working on Lea, but also a little nervous. I'm worried I'll get something wrong and accidentally do something offensive. I'm trying hard not to do this by finding sensitivity readers and researching from different angles. Overall, I'm glad for the chance to learn something new and hopeful you'll love Lea, too. See you next time!
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AuthorI'm Darcy Ridge, creating stories that all revolve around family and identity in a myriad of ways. In the past, I have shared multiple stories and published a novella online. You can find me on Wattpad and many other social media websites. They/them [Image Description: black background with the words "Social Justice and Mental Health Resources" in white in the center /end ID]
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January 2024
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