characters

I can vividly remember the night Friends came to an end. My mom wouldn't let me watch it, so I had to sneak it when she wasn't watching. I also played major catch up once I went to college. The night of the finale, it was just mom and I, and I looked at her and said "tonight I'm watching it no matter what." She shrugged and let me explain why I loved the show and just what all she had missed out on during the ten years it was on.

I remember crying at the end and telling my mom "it's like saying goodbye to my best friends." I know I'm not the only one who felt that way! For ten years, Ross and Rachel took us on an emotional roller coaster with their relationship, Joey and Chandler made us laugh until we though we would wet our pants, Phoebe created songs we just couldn't escape, and well Monica was Monica and we still loved her.

The creators of the show created such believable characters, that they truly became a part of our lives. Characters you never forget. Characters that you know so well that you can guess what they would do before they even did it. Characters that you grow to love and cherish long after they've gone.

I've been working on characterization this week. There was a guest author that took part in a forum this week that I participate in. She shared with us some lessons on creating believable characters. I agreed with a lot of what she said, but some of it sounded foreign to me.

At one point she suggested I have a conversation with my characters and let them tell me what they are like and why they do what they do. I do catch myself conversing with myself from time to time, but I don't know if I'm ready to have conversations with people I've imagined and created. But it's obviously worked for her, so what can I say.

Outside of talking with my characters, I've begun to get to know them. I've used character worksheets that detail a character's history and background, likes and dislikes, regrets, dreams, home life, etc. It's amazing watching your characters come to life before your eyes. Who knows...I may become even more eccentric and take my character to Starbucks for a conversation...Nope, still not happening.

Wonder if David Crane and Marta Kauffman ever had conversations with their Friends. I bet Joey was a blast to converse with!