Every now and then a character runs off and does its own thing. This will happen to a writer from time to time. They would have created a plot and intended their character to follow it.

But it doesn't.

Instead it does its own thing, or at least, in order for the writer to be true to the character, the character must do something the writer never intended.

An organism is defined by the limitation its DNA gives it. A human being is a slave to his psyche, to his limitations and rules and set parameters.

This makes for interesting writing.

The human brain is the most advanced simulation system known to man. Lets say we program a character. Create its limitation. Is it male or female? race? age? did its parents die when it was a child? etc, etc.

And now you run that program in a simulation system in other words, your imagination: your "I" "Magi" "Nation". And then you see what happens.

Lets make it more interesting by throwing in other characters, other programs and see what happens. These programs seem to define themselves more. They know what they aren't because they have another program to compare itself to. They play each other. They effect each other. Or they create each other, or help each other develop.

When I create a major character, I sit down with him and talk to him. What is love? What do you hate? What did you want to be when you were ten? The program creates parameters.

And the more parameters and rules a character has, so many that at times they conflict, it has to make a decision and now it has further developed-- the more realistic he seems.

Labels: Lessons in Cartooning, my work