Who Are You Inviting?

I'm not sure if other writers feel this way, but for me, when it comes to writing, I need to have a solid idea of who my characters are before I start.  I may not have every tiny detail worked out, but I have a good idea of their general personality traits, their flaws, their strengths.

I liken this to hosting a dinner party.  Long before I plan the menu or select the vino, I think about who to invite.  Which guests will mix well with the others?  What common bonds might they share?  I may think to myself that I surely have to invite Tyler - he's always good for jokes and injecting humour into an evening. And of course, I have to invite Jim - he always has wild stories to tell.  Julie just got back from a trip to Brazil and I can't wait to hear about the trip.  Donna will probably bring her guitar and after dinner drinks may turn into a sing-along.  And I know that if I invite both Liz and Andrew, there will likely be a heated debate about politics or current events since they are polar opposites.  

You get the idea.  

Once I know who I'm dealing with, the plot slowly starts to come together.  If I know Andrew is a bit of a hothead, then it will be easy for me to thrust him into situations and know just how he will react.  And when it comes to dialogue and Tyler - piece of cake because I know he will crack wise at any opportunity.

There are all sorts of charts and lists that one can create (or find online) to help you with character development, but I don't use any of those.  I'm fairly loose about backgrounds - what I do for one I may not do for another.  But generally, for most of my main characters, I'll figure out:

• political leanings - and do they usually vote?
• zodiac sign
• education (major), or did they drop out of high school?
• religion - whatever it may be - do they practice it actively?
• where they fit in the family tree (middle child, youngest, etc.)
• relationship with parents (and were they divorced?)
• ethnic/cultural background
• attitude towards some "hot button" issues, like marijuana, immigration, gay marriage, etc.
• talents/hobbies that have nothing to do with the plot or with their jobs (do they play an instrument or are they on a sports team?)

The list could go on and on (do they prefer Coke over Pepsi, Apple or Windows, are they afraid of heights, do they have/do they like pets, do they have any allergies, etc.) but the above points usually give me an idea of who my character is.  And that's a great start!

Mimi/Minerva Character Profile

In The Lies Have It, we'll meet Mimi/Minerva, artist by day, dominatrix by night.  Here's a little bit more about her...

Real name: Mimi Geraldina Westlake.  Minerva is her "scene" name for when she's participating in the fetish scene.  She frequently uses a flip-flop or a sandal to slap the firm buttocks of hirsute, blue-eyed men.

Occupation: Artist and sculptor.  Her last exhibit was at the Portent Gallery and featured a series of

decorative accessories made from discarded bidets.  One antique bidet from Belgium had been remodelled into an aquarium (bring your own goldfish).  With another bidet, Mimi covered it in fake gemstones, added a bevelled mirror as a lid, and turned it into a one-of-a-kind jewellery box.  It sold for $6000 to an anonymous art collector from The 'Shwa.

Favourite quotations:

• If sex doesn't scare the cat, you're not doing it right.
• A guilty conscience needs to confess. A work of art is a confession. 
• Censorship feeds the dirty mind more than the four-letter word itself.

Heroes: Lorena Bobbitt, Lady Godiva, Mae West.

Favourite authors: Marquis de Sade, Hunter S. Thompson, and Bill Watterson.

Surprising fact: Was in Brownies, Girl Guides, and other paramilitary organizations until she was about 15.  She was quietly asked to leave after an "incident" involving Girl Guide cookies, lighter fluid, inflatable water-wings, and a myopic boy from the Cub Scouts camp down the road.  However, before her halo became tarnished, she won the orienteering prize for three consecutive years.  To this day, she can identify weeds and deciduous tree bark by smell. 

Fears: Rice Crispy squares and brass.

In College she was voted most likely to:  Beat Paul Newman's (Cool Hand Luke) record for eating hard-boiled eggs.  On her 20th birthday, she ate 54 eggs in just over an hour.  Her prize for winning the bet involved a waterbed, several ostrich feathers, and 24 hours alone with Jared Finkletsein.