For those of you who are writers, do you keep a collection of photos from magazines for character inspiration? I have a fat folder in my filing cabinet with pictures of celebrities, models, average-joe folks. Yesterday, I spent a good chunk of the day going through these photos trying to find the faces I feel match my characters for some new story ideas. Not only did I have to find the right women and the right men, but I had to make sure they matched up in what felt like the right way. And then I had to go through my naming books to pick out just the right names. I feel like when I have the right visual and the right name, the character is so much more three-dimensional in my mind.
For me, one of the best sources of photos is People magazine, particularly their World’s Most Beautiful People and Sexiest Man Alive issues. I need to go through some of the teen mags I have to choose some photos for my young adult characters.
I do the same thing for settings too, whether they’re scenic outdoor shots or home interiors. I don’t always know what I’ll use them for, but either they’ll someday fit a story I’m working on or the photo itself will inspire a story.
May 20th, 2006 at 8:56 am
For some reason, I seem to do this more for the guys than the girls. But I’ve got quite a collection now.