July 27, 2026
Have you modeled any of your characters on a real person?
How do you disguise them (if needed?)
I’ve been tempted. A few people out there have irritated me to the point of earning my eternal wrath. I won’t mention any names. Or tell you where I lived when the incident happened. Or what the person in question did. It’s fun to make that person a model for a villain.
Of course, I always change the name. And the color of their hair. Or if they have hair or are bald. And if my characters have anything to say about it, their personalities will change, too. (My characters ALWAYS have something to say about it.) They end up being nothing like the people I originally wanted to insult.
I’ve also honored a few people in my writing. A good boss. A coworker who went above and beyond. Someone I admired for whatever reason. I may give their first name to a minor character who helps the protagonist.
But mostly, my characters create themselves. And it may take time for me to figure them out. For example, it took until book 4 of the Harmony Duprie Mysteries to understand why Harmony drove everywhere. That didn’t come from anyone I knew. (No, I’m not going to tell you. You have to read the books to find out.)
So, I mostly don’t base my characters on real people. How about our other authors? Follow the links below to read their responses.
As always, please stay safe until the next time.
July 27, 2026
Have you modeled any of your characters on a real person? How do you disguise them (if needed?)
Yes, changing their names and hair colour is a must, I think. Most of my characters are made up of more than one person I know.
Yes. Bits and pieces put together works.
I don’t think we can help the bits and pieces, unaware of where it all comes from in out of context and tiny bites. And, I think it’s hard to resist the catharsis exercise. But! It still gives me nerves! lol