Andrew's 'name' method is not far off mine, I guess. In fact my last new character is named after a relatively famous person - I was going to alter the spelling but eventually decided against - but it's such a great name I had to use it. There is a risk doing this, but my character's a goodie, so no problems on that score ;)
Anyhow, I'd already written him in a scene when I suddenly decided he must have an eyepatch. But that's a bit passé, a one-eyed soldier, so in fact he wears it for vanity - he has a cataract rather than a lost eye.
It's little things like that help round a character off, I think. The only danger in adding characteristics as you go along is you have to rewrite him from the beginning to include them.
I usually have a name flash into my head from nowhere and that is soon followed by a suitable looking character to fit that name. Their actual characteristics are just made up as I go along.
I hadn't really thought about it before.
Andrew's 'name' method is not far off mine, I guess. In fact my last new character is named after a relatively famous person - I was going to alter the spelling but eventually decided against - but it's such a great name I had to use it. There is a risk doing this, but my character's a goodie, so no problems on that score ;)
Anyhow, I'd already written him in a scene when I suddenly decided he must have an eyepatch. But that's a bit passé, a one-eyed soldier, so in fact he wears it for vanity - he has a cataract rather than a lost eye.
It's little things like that help round a character off, I think. The only danger in adding characteristics as you go along is you have to rewrite him from the beginning to include them.
Sorry - going on a bit :)
I usually have a name flash into my head from nowhere and that is soon followed by a suitable looking character to fit that name. Their actual characteristics are just made up as I go along.