Thursday, April 5, 2012

Character Woes. Isis...

Mostly a character thing, but since she's a doll (technically two dolls) it's relevant. Especially since it's the doll that got me going on this in the fist place....

I’ve been giving a lot of thought lately to Isis’s character. She’s had issues ever since I did my huge rewrite (kicked off by There’s No Such Thing). Before I changed my own universe completely, I knew who she was, what her motivations were and why she was the way she was. Now I don’t have a clue. She’s lost pretty much all her development and gone from being almost over-developed (like Alex) to…kinda flat and cardboardy. Her “OMG SO TRAGIC” past got lost, and in her current form it makes no sense at all, doesn’t fit with her character and personality. Not to mention, there’s enough tragic backstory in my comic already, someone should have less complicated issues. Once that was gone, she had nothing. All her “things” had to go because without her backstory they made no sense, and to be honest, the character she was doesn’t fit in with what I’m doing now.

The problem is I can’t get rid of her…she needs to be there, her character has a niche carved out in the story that would be a hole if she was gone, I need more females in my story and I LIKE her….she just has to be better.

I’ve thought about it before (this isn’t the first time), and I’ve gotten nowhere. NOwhere at all. She’s been in limbo for years and it’s horrible because – not to beat a dead horse to death again – I don’t want her to be the Bella in my story. She needs her own life so she could potentially stand on her own, like she used too. Only this time make sense and work in the story.

Well now I might have gotten it. Last night I remembered something I had completely forgotten.

At one point I had wanted her to involved in magic in some way…I’d been leaning toward Taro cards or something similar, but never got it ironed out….then Aishe and Anna came along and I didn’t need anyone else doing readings. However, I figure I can always have another witch.

It’s a little cliché, but it gives me something to build on. I’ve already decided that she’s a “closet” witch. Not non-practicing (though she’s claiming that) but one that is completely off the grid, so no one knows. Her specialty will be in potions and charms, and she has a natural ability to sense black/dark magic use, practices and items, which gives her an edge in defense magic. But she’s lame and doesn’t use any of it, and she’s not even registered as a witch.

It might not seem like much, but this is a huge relief to me, because it gives me the perfect reason for her reaction to meeting Alex and David for the first time, which I had planned out, but it didn’t really make sense the way she was (with no real character or point :P ). Now it makes perfect sense. A lot makes perfect sense. I had had her friends with Uriel, who she would have met through Aishe, but never knew how she would know Aishe…as a witch it’s an obvious tie. I have some other “fabulous” ideas for her character now too, which is such a relief for me. Having someone in the story line with no real direction but ws supposed to be a “main” character is scary. Especially since she’s close to showing up in FC! She’ll be in ch2, along with Jacob (aka Uriel) and I can't even write a character description for her. Well, I can now, but three days ago it would have been hard.

Now I have to start drawing her again. I've forgotten how D:

What’s funny about this is that even though it’s been bothering me for a while and Isis is close to appearing in the comic, it was the doll that really made me start thinking more seriously about it. I am selling off most of her wardrobe because it’s not what I want for her anymore. But what bothered me is that I still didn’t really know what I did want for her! She mostly just dresses like me. This got me wondering about her character…and realizing that she needed help before she became a full mary sue. I have enough problems with my other characters lol

My chibis (five pukis and a brownie) will make more sense now too, which is awesome! They were supposed to be in a coffee shop 24/7 but now I want to make ChibiAishe a Magic shop as well…gotta think of a name now…

And, you know, get started on that coffee shop D:

3 comments:

  1. WOOO HOOOOOOOOO

    So excited you got the char settled!!

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  2. Ugh.. I know it sucks when you can't figure out how to make a character work! I run into that a lot so I can sympathize!

    I'm really glad you came up with something that seems to be making all the pieces fall into place! That's great! :D

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    Replies
    1. Thanks! :D
      as sad as it is, it's kind of stressful! Usually the dolls help with character issues, but I have a few where they've been as bad a roadblock as the character itself! if that makes sense lol

      In any case Isis especially is such a main character she was freaking me out with her lack of anything, much relief in finding her!

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