Which character represents you?

[Jops]

To me, that testifies of a major rift between people with strong creative impulses and those without them, to the point where those without creative impulses just can't understand motivations of those with, so they try to interpret them through motivations that are closer to them.

I think a good part of what you say is actually true, but, I'm not sure if this is actually connected with having or not having a strong creative impulse.
I mean, the fact the people tend to use themselves as a reference when trying to understand other people's actions gotta be pretty natural, i guess ("I'd do this because of that, so i expect others to follow the same pattern"). But lack of creativity doesn't necessarily get compensated by a big ego.
You'd find as just many creative people who are egocentric as you find the opposite.

So, i guess your point should be: people who'd have ego-boost as motivation would find it hard to understand the motivations of those who don't. Which is probably the same people who're more prone to make the equation main character = author's self insert.

[Spaceprincess]

I killed off character that was supposed to be me.
Then I kind of made another one.

I think making comics is very similar to day dreaming. So the characters may not be anything like me but the stories are a lot like the day dreams I have.

My favorite part of loud era is the folksy old time racism.

[VeryCuddlyCornpone]

I killed off character that was supposed to be me.
Then I kind of made another one.

Did you experience a spiritual rebirth as a result?

My favorite part of loud era is the folksy old time racism.

It's almost cute, like they don't know any better. Like when you take a baby's toy and put it behind something and they forget that it's there...

[Mastermind]

So, i guess your point should be: people who'd have ego-boost as motivation would find it hard to understand the motivations of those who don't. Which is probably the same people who're more prone to make the equation main character = author's self insert.

Another thing is the need to get attached to one character, because it's more fun or easier that way for the creator as they start designing characters. But having real life inserts doesn't equal inability to develop the antagonists, give reasons to their motives and actions. Ego-boosters are easy to spot because of this, there's no sympathy to the enemies who seem more shallow than the heroes.

[Phact0rri]

I find that often I'm so use to looking at myself in the mirror, photographs, etc that often I draw characters that share features of mine. Thats why I draw so many good looking folks obviously.

[Terotrous]

Ego-boosters are easy to spot because of this, there's no sympathy to the enemies who seem more shallow than the heroes.

This is also something I don't like. One of my favourite authors is Guy Gavriel Kay, because in his stories both sides always have equally well-developed motivations, and it's sometimes somewhat ambiguous which is the good side. I think you can build up a conflict much more effectively if you can get the reader invested in both sides.

When I write things, I also try to make sure that most characters are relatable in some sense.

[Phact0rri]

if I know I'm killing someone they get massive characterizations. haha.

[Brockway]

Heheh, The Summer Tree. The obvious answer would be Brooke, what with Brock. She's not very well developed, she apparently deep, but she's not explored or appreciated.

[McDuffies]

I think a good part of what you say is actually true, but, I'm not sure if this is actually connected with having or not having a strong creative impulse.
I mean, the fact the people tend to use themselves as a reference when trying to understand other people's actions gotta be pretty natural, i guess ("I'd do this because of that, so i expect others to follow the same pattern"). But lack of creativity doesn't necessarily get compensated by a big ego.
You'd find as just many creative people who are egocentric as you find the opposite.

So, i guess your point should be: people who'd have ego-boost as motivation would find it hard to understand the motivations of those who don't. Which is probably the same people who're more prone to make the equation main character = author's self insert.

Now I know that's not true, since those assumptions are also made by people who I know as a matter of fact, aren't egotists. Not more than the next guy, at least. Probably everyone is a bit of egotist, it's only normal. That gives them some understanding of egotism, while creativity is an enigma for many - me for one: I can't explain where the impulse comes from. It's just easier to chuck it as a byproduct of egotism, that's all.

[Phact0rri]

They say write what you know, and most of us know ourselves pretty well. so things have to at least in small parts be slightly biographical.

[McDuffies]

Well, you also know other people too.
It's always much more sensible to draw characterizations from what you know people are like and how they act in real life, and to base some basic functioning of your world on how you presume world really does function. In that manner every good story is autobiographical, if you wanna get really loose with the meaning of the word.

[Phact0rri]

True, that's really the main reason why they recommend that writers actually live life. experience many things and many people. That way you can describe these things.

[Terotrous]

There's some truth to that, it definitely helps to draw some aspects from real life to keep your characters grounded and to make them relatable, but you need some imagination as well.

[VinnieD]

A lot of people seem to think it's Pooky but really the chatacter who most represents me is Hannobal. He's just a nice guy who looks after his friends but doesn't take center stage. Pooky more is a conduit by which the reader experiences the world.

[MariaAndMichelle]

... We think ours were pretty obvious.

[Phact0rri]

... We think ours were pretty obvious.

I don't get it!

[peterabnny]

I killed off character that was supposed to be me.
Then I kind of made another one.

A zombie you?

True, that's really the main reason why they recommend that writers actually live life. experience many things and many people. That way you can describe these things.

I've always believed that as well. The ones who write the best about things are the ones who experienced them firsthand.

Strangely, I have never gotten that "where are you" question. Probably because people either didn't care, or they knew me and my comic, and they already knew the answer. In the early days, I had no problem writing myself into the strip because I never expected to do anything with the characters or take them anywhere. But as time went by I figured no harm no foul for doing so. I mean, as long as you keep it fun and real, why not?

There aren't many people in my comic who are based on actual people. Peter, of course, is me. Then there is Annie, my sister, and Julie Louise, a friend of mine. Everyone else is either an archetype, or based on aspects of things I like (or both). Freddy, for instance, incarnates my love of the British. Frieda, the Irish. And so on.