What if your characters read your story?

[canisaries]

Thread idea shamelessly ripped from Serebii, I know, but it sounded like fun and maybe even useful for figuring out your characters for someone.

So, title. If a character of yours or multiple of them read your story, how would they react? Would they think you did them justice or be outraged at their portrayal? So on. Have fun!

 

[Misfit Angel]

My characters are not particularly "wow your pants off" interesting compared to other stories, so they'd either wouldn't read it from the start or they'd get bored pretty quick, even if they were told it was a day to day retelling of their lives. Well, Andrea might read it to see if I accurately portrayed how people treat her for how she dresses, or to see if I'm taking her side in all of the arguments she gets into. They other characters, probably not. Not many of them value other peoples' opinions of them to care enough.

In fact, that does make me think: Andrea's boss and her supervisor would probably be very interested in reading just to see what this asshole gets up to when she's away from the office. Can she really be trusted to do the work she's given properly? They'd probably fire her quick.

 

[diamondpearl876]

My characters would tell me to get the fuck out of their heads, lol, and let them be to wallow in their misery. I'd say, "Nah, bruh." Depending on the character, they might be grateful someone cares enough to learn about them, as they express this toward other characters in-fic, but... Well, it's a lot easier to be defensive than it is to show appreciation. Woes of an aspiring psychologist.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

As it happens, I usually have Salem's future self in mind when writing her story. She's the narrator, after all, despite the narration being third person close, past tense. So I suppose she'd have no objections, really!

 

[Persephone]

Pixie approves of guidance and is flattered that people are reading about her. Wait, not flattered. It's more like the opposite of disappointed. Humans doing what they always should have been doing.

Valentina is mostly just confused, but she's found that she's mostly just confused by a lot of things these days. She finds Pixie's sentiments charming, even if she's unworthy of them, but doesn't quite know how to say it.

So nothing changes. As usual.

 

[canisaries]

Feel like there's been enough turns for me to give my own answer now.

Red would flip his shit, as the prose is essentially a written confession to all his crimes. Though after the initial shock (and murdering me), he might have a pretty good time with it.

Abe, Fonz and Helix would be understandably horrified to find out what kind of person they've been living with.

HELIX would not waste HIS valuable and already scarce energy to read something HE already knows.

The beast is not only illiterate but also imaginary, so it would have no specific reaction.

 

[Arkadelphiak]

I imagine the reactions of characters from The Deprogramming would be as follows:

Kotone: "Who the FUCK is cataloging my life for the amusement of others?"

Monster McMonsterface: "new phone who dis"

Kurt: "I don't care"

Rocket Executive(s): "Oh shit, I hope this strange narrator actually gets us right"

Director of the Radio Tower: "How did you get all this information??"

Unown: A Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y L M A O

 

[diamondpearl876]

I imagine the reactions of characters from The Deprogramming would be as follows:

Kotone: "Who the FUCK is cataloging my life for the amusement of others?"

Monster McMonsterface: "new phone who dis"

Kurt: "I don't care"

Rocket Executive(s): "Oh shit, I hope this strange narrator actually gets us right"

Director of the Radio Tower: "How did you get all this information??"

Unown: A Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y L M A O

I saw the banner in your signature for the first time with this post, and nothing else in my life has ever been so accurate.

I highly recommend The Deprogramming, folks. For real. It's a fun, wild ride.

Abe, Fonz and Helix would be understandably horrified to find out what kind of person they've been living with.

I've always gotten the impression they strongly suspect something is seriously wrong with Red... but not quite on the level of what he actually is. That feeling when reality is 100x worse than your suspicions, man.