Hi Leon! I love how you write the dmc boys and the way you pick your descriptions! Your flow is real good! If it’s not too much to ask I was wondering what your process is for getting good at keeping the characters ic and word choice? I want to be a better writer and you inspire me! Thank you for sharing your work with us!
First of all, this is unbelievably sweet of you to tell me. I think hearing that you’ve inspired someone is one of the most incredible feelings as an artist of any kind, writing 100% included. It’s the sort of compliment you dream about, you know? I seriously can’t get over this. It’s humbling. So, thank you for sharing that with me. I’m elated.
To answer your question: I study people and focus on that first and foremost.
For me, I have an idea and I have to imagine it with as much clarity as I can. This means, sometimes, a little acting. I think of it like how a traditional artist might use a physical reference? I need visualization in order to achieve any level of coherency. I watch the way that the characters move, and expressions/body language they’re prone to using.
I also need to hear a character; I need a voice that I can conjure. When I say that, I mean an actual, tangible voice. I have to hear the actor (or in this case voice actor) and get to know their method of speaking. Their accent, their cadence, their musicality and word choices... Like memorizing a song, almost. When I’m writing dialogue, I imagine what it would sound like spoken by the VA and make edits based on what I can hear and what seems the most accurate.
The process of writing itself is where it gets a little ehhh. I free-flow. I write whatever comes to mind and edit as I go. I let the characters take over, which can sometimes mean that things go a bit differently than I initially planned, but I’d rather feel like I’ve been true to the character than make my own point. And in the same way I have to hear a character’s voice, I have to hear my writing, too. I’ll read it aloud - quietly, to myself, because it’s embawassing uwu - and listen to it as if it’s a poem. How does it sound? Are there too many words in one sentence next to another? Does another adjective make the sentence too dense or does it draw attention?
Then I go back to the top and read it again. And again. I keep editing and shifting things around, sometimes cutting out entire scenes that feel unnecessary or like they’re not going anywhere. Then I read it again.
TLDR: I put emphasis on the human condition. What motivates people and why? Who are they on a deeper level? Can I give a full dissertation on the character as a person? I observe and mimic. And, most importantly, I read. Everything. I can’t say that enough. In order to break rules - and I LOVE to break rules - I need to know what those rules are. Give me my parameters so I can brace myself against them and push.
That said, I’m no expert, so take what I say with a grain of salt. Do what makes you sense to you because at the end of the day, this should be a source of joy. Have fun! Seriously.
I hope this incredibly long and ridiculous response answers your question.
Thank you again, and thanks for reading!