Today’s post will probably be a rambler. I’ve been out of bed for exactly 17 minutes, and my brain is still firing with the energy of the dream I just had. It was all about trying to get someplace, but losing my keys, almost missing the bus, and so on.
And there were a lot of black guys in it. I don’t know about you, but my default dream character is white, I guess because I am, or maybe because I don’t interact with African Americans on a daily basis. I deal with more Indians, but still not enough to impact my dreams. (I don't get out much, obviously.) So once I woke, that aspect stuck out at me. It didn’t in the dream.
In my stories I don’t really have a default character. They speak to me, and their voices tell me who they are. The details of a character always comes through dialogue. So I have a twofold question for you: What is your default dream character (presumably out of your control); and do you work different races into your stories, or just let them come as they will?
Thursday, July 2, 2009
I'm afraid I almost never remember my dreams, but my sense is that my dream character is myself. I don't recall ever dreaming I was someone else.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a default character in my stories. I do tend to write strong female narrators, but then I've written male narrators too. I like having racial variegation in my work. Two under-represented races I've noticed are a lack of Asian and Middle Eastern characters. I'm sure that's because I have almost no contact with them in my daily life. I do have a book planned with an American Muslim (2nd generation immigrant), so that's on the horizon at least. I've had two secondary Asian characters in different books and both died. Hmmm...I wonder what that says about me?
Well, I meant the default supporting characters, but I guess that point is moot if you don't remember your dreams. I love my dream life, and look forward to what my mind will cook up every night, so I feel sorry that you don't remember your dreams.
ReplyDeleteMy default dream character is me, thin and tall. I'm aware that I'm me, and don't generally change except that in my dreams I'm thin and taller than IRL. Weird.
ReplyDeleteAs for writing -- I let the characters come as they may. I've never thought about writing varying ethnicities and wouldn't begin to know how, since the cultural impact on some of them is really strong and influences everything they do (e.g., Chinese/Japanese, Indian, etc.).
Interesting thoughts!
My default dream character is the ideal me. It's always a shock to wake up and look in the mirror. Now the trick is making the real me more like the dream me. Heh. Good luck with that one! LOL
ReplyDeleteI actually don't put a lot of racial descriptions in my fiction - because they generally don't matter. If the race does play a part in a story, then I go ahead and try to work it in.
ReplyDeleteI've actually taken some criticism for some folks about the abundance of "angry white men" in my novel. Which I thought was interesting, because I don't think that I described any of them as being white. I guess the readers just assumed it. (Who's the racist now, criticizers?)
I think I should have attempted to work in the word actually at least one more time in that comment.
ReplyDeleteMy default dream character is me, while the supporting cast are always faceless when I wake up--that is, I can never remember the details of who they were or what they looked like. I'm like Ian in that I so rarely remember my dreams.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of storytelling, my default character type lately has been the monk, nun, or religious hermit archetype. Not quite sure why.
Um, Rachel? Something you need to work out there?
ReplyDeleteBryce, I'm sure you'll actually do better next time. I guess I do the same thing as those criticizers, because I always assume the gender and race of the MC are the same as the author's until proven otherwise. Makes for some interesting first chapters.
Fal, I'm usually physically the same, unless there's a point to be made with younger, thinner, etc. Only in the dream I'm perfectly confident in my middle-aged flab.
Knyt, I left you a comment earlier, but my blog ate it! That does not bode well, because it also ate this post on my first try. Hm. Well, what I said the first time was that I also hesitate to use characters with cultures I know little about. That aspect gave me pause when I realized there was a strong Latino vibe running through Black Veil Angel. I'm hoping to get some Spanish speaker to be my BFF just long enough to give it the right atmosphere.
I'm me in my dreams. Just like I am in real life but in impossible weird situations--like running through a house under water and I can breathe there.
ReplyDeleteAs for characters--main ones are white. I'm white. One day I may challenge myself but I've got to really know what I'm doing. Supporting characters however...sometimes I'm not even sure. My first novel was more diverse. Really though, if I got so far in this writing career for there to be a movie, I could care less what race the actors would be. No reason they have to be white. I'm like as many readers as possible to identify with my characters...
Agreed. I don't mention race, so hopefully readers can see themselves in many of my characters.
ReplyDeleteI like the blue with the subtle flower thing happening. Cool, and classy!
ReplyDeleteROFL I click submit on my last comment, and just that fast your blog is the daisy-petal close-up!
ReplyDeleteI think the bright green grass is more exuberant. Now daisies are my favorite flowers...but this is makes me think of you. Such as I know you here. You know what I mean. Oh golly! Pick the one you like! ha-ha
ReplyDeleteI like them all! That's the problem! LOL
ReplyDeleteOddly-for me, because they are the least colorful-daisies are my favorite flower, too. I know! I'll make an image with daisies and that will balance the color in the template. Woo!
This comment thread layout is kickass...
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