Recently I decided to briefly profile all of my major characters who I'm either actively writing or planning to include in future stories. I've written up 15 profiles so far but have since realized that sharing characters I haven't officially introduced to
anyone yet would take away from them. To rectify this, I've decided to share the profiles in parts.
This first part includes three "characters" that members of the
Pokecharms.com community would already know, at least by name. What people may not know is that all three of these characters are heavily reoccurring, both within my writing and outside of it.
Three things to note before reading further:
- I am a massive Pokémon fan. (Oh, wait. Everyone already knew that? Moving on!)
- I like to "role play" (RP), or write stories with others, over the internet. I've been participating in novel-format RPs since the mid to late 1990s and find the concept incredibly fun with the right company. More on that later in future blog updates.
- Alongside my own personal universes, I've also dabbled in fan fiction (aka. fanfics) for many years. For those unfamiliar with the term, fan fiction is essentially writing your own story with either pre-existing or original characters, within a pre-existing franchise that does not belong to yourself. Some call it plagiarism or "rip-offs" of original works, but we fanfic writers simply view it as a form of harmless enjoyment. A quote from TIME magazine said it best:
"Fanfiction is what literature might look like if it were reinvented from scratch after a nuclear apocalypse by a band of brilliant pop-culture junkies trapped in a sealed bunker. They don't do it for money. That's not what it's about. The writers write it and put it up online just for the satisfaction. They're fans, but they're not silent, couchbound consumers of media. The culture talks to them, and they talk back to the culture in its own language."
—Lev Grossman, TIME, July 18, 2011
And now that you know the true extent of my geekiness, on with the character profiles!
The Mass Collection of Character Profiles: Part 1
Kate/Katie
This reoccurring character is based on myself. She originated in my original stories but at present time typically only appears in my RPs or fanfics. Each Katie I've created has been similar yet somewhat different due to my own maturing and life changing experiences over the years. They all have unique origin stories, families, surnames, and so forth. There's always something about each new Katie that sets her apart from myself and others who came before.
To put it bluntly: fictional Katie is a shameless self-insert, but I'm likely to continue creating new variations of myself in fictional form for years to come. Why? Because I can and it's fun. 'Nuff said.
Kaylee/Ceilidh
Kaylee (also known as Ceilidh) is one of my longest running original, reoccurring characters. She has existed within all forms of my fictional writing (original stories, fanfics, and roleplays) and first appeared approximately 13 years ago. Her role within each story has differed greatly - may it be that of an enemy, a friend, or an individual who straddles the line of friend or foe - but her personality has remained fairly constant story to story.
Kaylee is a determined individual who always strives to be her best. While accepting of others and their flaws, she holds herself to high standards and doesn't like to show weakness. Kaylee is not a rock but even when her self-esteem wavers she hides this from others and refuses to acknowledge it within herself. She has a good sense of humor and can be somewhat of a tease but keeps her moods relatively neutral. Even in the face of adversity Kaylee tends to remain calm. Only when truly pushed, such as when someone she cares for is in trouble, does she show her emotional side. Hers is a silent, cold rage.
Kaylee has somewhat of a "big sister" complex. She likes to guide and assist people, and instinctively acts as a Protector/Defender when an opportunity arises - even towards people she barely knows. For these reasons it's difficult for her to ask others for help, even during times when she truly wants or needs it. She doesn't dwell on the past and is very ambitious and goal-oriented. "Never say die" would be her personal motto, and she'll most often push herself to keep moving forward even when it’s difficult to do so.
Kenji
Kenji is my third and final reoccurring character. He is essentially my male persona and used to represent myself whenever necessary, especially video games that center around male heroes, but I've also characterized him within a few of my stories.
I view Kenji as a laid back, happy-go-lucky kind of guy, who likes to have a good time but never at the expense of others. He doesn't have profound aspirations or ambitions and is more interested in the journey than the destination. Kenji has a good sense of humor and lets most things roll off his back. He tends to keep out of other people's business, doesn't like confrontation, and can be somewhat lazy, but he's quick to act when there's a good reason to. He's confident in whatever he puts his mind to and has a very healthy self-esteem.
In friendship, Kenji is supportive and encouraging. He's a good judge of character and very attune to nonverbal expressions but he'll rarely assume anything of anyone. He believes everyone has their own path to follow but is more than happy to lend a hand and help people along their way. Seeing others smile makes him smile, so he does his best to make people laugh whenever possible.
