tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post2754391822768177484..comments2024-01-03T04:03:15.300-05:00Comments on S.P. Bowers: Picture ItS.P. Bowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-29906297086290310312012-03-29T14:00:35.152-04:002012-03-29T14:00:35.152-04:00I've never really felt the urge to look. Mayb...I've never really felt the urge to look. Maybe when I'm stuck one day I'll find something to help though. <br /><br />I know what you mean about people, especially actors, changing from photo to photo. It does make it hard.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-10561857404003839632012-03-29T13:33:13.265-04:002012-03-29T13:33:13.265-04:00I definitely can't write straight from a pictu...I definitely can't write straight from a picture (I know because I tried once. That was also the one and only time I plotted a story. It's never been written...).<br />But afterwards - at least once I'm halfway in - I start keeping an eye out and if I'm really lucky, will come across the exact right image.<br />The funny thing is, it's usually... well, it's best if it's an old painting. Because the trouble with finding modern lookalikes is that they don't always match your character. For instance, there's one photo where Mike Wolfe from American Pickers *is* Santiago. But the rest of the time he just looks like himself, and he's not like Rosa's father at all :-)Deniz Bevanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17134553551048836979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-89232676257467047582012-03-28T08:25:47.919-04:002012-03-28T08:25:47.919-04:00Same for me, other than the drawing them myself th...Same for me, other than the drawing them myself thing. I can't even do stick figures.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-52104932254397215652012-03-27T21:09:39.416-04:002012-03-27T21:09:39.416-04:00I don't always know what my characters look li...I don't always know what my characters look like before I start writing. It's not until I start writing dialogue, and they begin playing with their hair or cracking their knuckles that I get a feel for what they look like. <br /><br />Other times, they're so vivid before I begin writing that I could draw their portrait myself.Kimberlee Turleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04695299361596799423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-81291241273437189352012-03-27T19:02:02.481-04:002012-03-27T19:02:02.481-04:00Fun characters are the best so keep it up!Fun characters are the best so keep it up!S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-18450782675103611202012-03-27T17:50:41.181-04:002012-03-27T17:50:41.181-04:00The picture idea is a good one! I've not used ...The picture idea is a good one! I've not used it before, but I might in the future. My characters are better paired with an actor or actress who I think could portray them. That leads to some fun characters, let me tell you!<br /><br />Cheers!<br />JenJenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06683486631901017529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-34667434525416836662012-03-27T13:53:16.804-04:002012-03-27T13:53:16.804-04:00I'm afraid I wouldn't find a match. If you...I'm afraid I wouldn't find a match. If you do it I hope you have lots of fun and success.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-20858173327839587732012-03-27T13:52:25.559-04:002012-03-27T13:52:25.559-04:00Maybe that's why I don't look at pictures ...Maybe that's why I don't look at pictures of them? Without their personalities and actions it doesn't feel like them.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-65774215865727464602012-03-27T13:51:35.376-04:002012-03-27T13:51:35.376-04:00I wonder if looking at pictures would confuse a mu...I wonder if looking at pictures would confuse a murky idea of a character or clarify it? It does sound fun though, doesn't it.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-56593947430817086482012-03-27T13:12:56.485-04:002012-03-27T13:12:56.485-04:00I've never done the picture thing... I'm n...I've never done the picture thing... I'm not sure why! It seems fun... I do have a visual in my head but I've never gone out and tried to match it. Perhaps I should! :DMorganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15747144518868320969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-80622682514127060362012-03-27T13:02:06.830-04:002012-03-27T13:02:06.830-04:00My characters seem to be little wisps of character...My characters seem to be little wisps of characteristics/attributes/physical appearance. They all mold together to form my lovelies. There really isn't any rhyme or reason to it. They just happen. My mind gives birth little by little to who they are and what they become. I love it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06519655950073446857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-407417900779196822012-03-27T12:57:46.075-04:002012-03-27T12:57:46.075-04:00My daughter and I were just talking about this. I ...My daughter and I were just talking about this. I don't have such a clear vision of my characters, physically, that I could pick out pictures of them. Maybe I should try, though. I can see where it would be a fun exercise.Ruth Schiffmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02625363295823548969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-66743199716406913652012-03-27T12:52:36.264-04:002012-03-27T12:52:36.264-04:00I'll have to try it when I've got a charac...I'll have to try it when I've got a character that's fuzzy. Maybe it will help me pin them down.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-37268761835598161742012-03-27T12:51:10.995-04:002012-03-27T12:51:10.995-04:00That's the good thing about writing. No matte...That's the good thing about writing. No matter where we start is usually ends up as it's own thing. Makes for an interesting ride wouldn't you say?S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-54257159015135088162012-03-27T12:50:35.914-04:002012-03-27T12:50:35.914-04:00Someday I'm going to re-read that book and jot...Someday I'm going to re-read that book and jot down exactly how much physical description there is. Mostly Austen used personality and one or two physical points and left the rest up to the reader.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-48130707420218107662012-03-27T10:45:27.134-04:002012-03-27T10:45:27.134-04:00I'm terrible when it comes to having a physica...I'm terrible when it comes to having a physical vision of my characters. I don't know why! I find photos help me pin them down a bit.Talli Rolandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04780882465745107715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-67071704180426270712012-03-27T10:25:31.032-04:002012-03-27T10:25:31.032-04:00I don't have one place I get characters from. ...I don't have one place I get characters from. They morph from several different places. Sometimes they're based on a friend or an acquaintance, sometimes from a picture. But after that, the character change and solidify into something distinct and different, enough that by the final edit, they aren't all that much like the person they were based on. I love that. Thanks for the post. :)Rebecca Bellistonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10387850668547139178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-89522703841698326852012-03-26T22:00:57.268-04:002012-03-26T22:00:57.268-04:00Is that all we know of Elizabeth? Wow! Just goes...Is that all we know of Elizabeth? Wow! Just goes to show how you don't need to write out every detail.<br />I'm like you in that I don't have a picture of someone in mind when I write a character. My MC is a very specific type of person, but all the details of her appearance aren't clear. I'd rather drop hints and have the reader finish the picture.Tess Julia https://www.blogger.com/profile/17850176812284692371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-26339378933280232122012-03-26T19:32:12.001-04:002012-03-26T19:32:12.001-04:00I don't get overly detailed in descriptions ei...I don't get overly detailed in descriptions either. There is some but it's sprinkled around the book and gives some room for reader interpretation. <br /><br />In Pride and Predjudice all we really know of Elizabeth is that she had fine eyes and tolerable teeth. I think there's a little in there about her hair color but it's pretty vague.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-58658377591395101142012-03-26T19:29:40.457-04:002012-03-26T19:29:40.457-04:00That's cool that it helps with visualization a...That's cool that it helps with visualization and description. So where do people go to find pictures of people? I mean can you just type, "black haired beauty" into a search engine?S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-76528706599117732502012-03-26T19:27:37.115-04:002012-03-26T19:27:37.115-04:00That's pretty cool. All his life he'll be...That's pretty cool. All his life he'll be able to say he's on a book cover. Yea, if your characters are SF/Fantasy and not so closely related to humans it could be difficult to find pictures.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-1627825889685894042012-03-26T19:25:54.070-04:002012-03-26T19:25:54.070-04:00Wow, I can't imagine what I would have thought...Wow, I can't imagine what I would have thought if I'd read that book when I first started writing. Probably would have knocked me back a few years in the novel writing. Just like the books that said I needed to outline everything and do a cork-board with note cards. I couldn't write like that so I thought I just wasn't good enough to write a novel.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-3484257996132158762012-03-26T19:25:46.280-04:002012-03-26T19:25:46.280-04:00I like having, and giving the reader, the suggesti...I like having, and giving the reader, the suggestion of what a character looks like. I don't give too many specific details, as I like the reader to bring some of their own vision to the story too.Joannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03972054718663959694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-67446587864276061812012-03-26T19:23:17.230-04:002012-03-26T19:23:17.230-04:00Yes, the ones that come fully formed are the best ...Yes, the ones that come fully formed are the best to write. I've heard them called mushrooms, they pop up and steal the scene.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-89425858575922184052012-03-26T16:03:12.050-04:002012-03-26T16:03:12.050-04:00I like looking at pictures if I'm having hard ...I like looking at pictures if I'm having hard time seeing specific hair colors in my mind. Sometimes when I actually see the picture I'm able to come up with good descriptions. And it's kind of fun to have someone who looks a lot like your character in a photograph :)Samantha Mayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09370961661054617338noreply@blogger.com