Believable Characters.

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

So what's a believable character do or don't do?

 

[lovecraft68]

So what's a believable character do or don't do?

I would say whatever you feel the average person would do.

But for me, if we are talking strictly erotica, its more like what you won't do.

Examples

A believable 18 year old virgin does not lose her cherry in a gangbang with the football team.

same virgin when she does have her first time does not suck cock like a seasoned porn star.

A believable husband tells his boss to fuck off and sue his ass when the boss says if I can;t fuck your wife you're fired.

A believable mother, when catching her son sniffing her panties, doesn't fuck him, she slaps him in the back of the head and puts him in therapy.

I guess shit would be boring here if everyone were believable

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I would say whatever you feel the average person would do.

But for me, if we are talking strictly erotica, its more like what you won't do.

Examples

A believable 18 year old virgin does not lose her cherry in a gangbang with the football team.

same virgin when she does have her first time does not suck cock like a seasoned porn star.

A believable husband tells his boss to fuck off and sue his ass when the boss says if I can;t fuck your wife you're fired.

A believable mother, when catching her son sniffing her panties, doesn't fuck him, she slaps him in the back of the head and puts him in therapy.

I guess shit would be boring here if everyone were believable

OK. But I've known a few husbands who let the boss pass the wife around until she needs an abortion. I watched one young wife get it atop her desk by the boss' number one pal. I've seen owners come to work and grab a gal for a protein break in his office. And the women are okay with it. Hell! I've seen a few female bosses come outta their offices with large wet spots on their asses.

 

[glynndah]

I think if a writer can establish a rapport {for lack of a better term} between his character and his audience, s/he can often get the reader in that mythical state of suspended disbelief. If the character is likable enough or on the other end of the curve, despicable enough, a reader can believe they'd do just about anything, given the circumstances. And speaking of those circumstances, a bit of back story can go a long way to establish credibility.

To use the above examples:

If that husband is in deep trouble with some very bad guys ala Ludlum or King, to save his family, letting his boss fuck his wife might be a very viable option.

That innocent little cheerleader may have been watching porn since she was ten {but not on Lit, of course} and could be running a prostitution ring out of her high school locker.

 

[lovecraft68]

OK. But I've known a few husbands who let the boss pass the wife around until she needs an abortion. I watched one young wife get it atop her desk by the boss' number one pal. I've seen owners come to work and grab a gal for a protein break in his office. And the women are okay with it. Hell! I've seen a few female bosses come outta their offices with large wet spots on their asses.

But see for everyone of them , how many won't? The majority.

About twelve years ago my wife's boss went from flirting, to blatantly hitting on her, to "Things have been slow and we need to lay some people off, however, if you promise to put in that extra effort (salacious wink here) we can...

My wife rose from her seat, got up in front of him, put her hands on his shoulders, leaned up and whispered in his ear....

"I'm going to the labor board" and kneed him in the nuts.

Right now one of the latest porn crazes is all these wild frat parties where the girls are just dropping down and sucking and fucking in front of a room full of people to get in a sorority.

Yeah some will do that, but for every girl who does, there are dozens who say "fuck you." but we're obviously not going to see videos of that.

We write erotica, we watch and think about these things far more than the average person.

We have gotten to the point that we spend so much time in this world we are starting to forget what is fiction and what is reality.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I think if a writer can establish a rapport {for lack of a better term} between his character and his audience, s/he can often get the reader in that mythical state of suspended disbelief. If the character is likable enough or on the other end of the curve, despicable enough, a reader can believe they'd do just about anything, given the circumstances. And speaking of those circumstances, a bit of back story can go a long way to establish credibility.

To use the above examples:

If that husband is in deep trouble with some very bad guys ala Ludlum or King, to save his family, letting his boss fuck his wife might be a very viable option.

That innocent little cheerleader may have been watching porn since she was ten {but not on Lit, of course} and could be running a prostitution ring out of her high school locker.

I suppose I've had an unusual life so far. But I keep my eyes open, and there's some wild shit going on out there. Its like seeing dead people, cept theyre screwing.

 

[MSTarot]

and could be running a prostitution ring out of her high school locker.

There is something about that statement that just...

got to love those little things that make you go "I can write a story about that."

 

[glynndah]

There is something about that statement that just...

got to love those little things that make you go "I can write a story about that."

Everyone at said high school is over eighteen, of course.

 

[Noira]

There is no list of what a believable character will or won't do. That's the secret. Does the character believe it? Are you writing it right? Can you sell it? It's not about believability, it's about creating the padding necessary to suspend disbelief and buy it for long enough to enjoy the story. It's about voice, character voice, specifically. Does the person sound like someone you might know? Do they sound like a real person? If you can craft a narrative in which the person WAFTS of familiarity, REEKS of natural behavior, RESONATES with the reader in such a way that they can think 'huh, I can imagine my sister/mother/brother/father/friend/uncle/boss/coworker/that guy who sells hotdogs on the street saying that', then you got it. It's the little nuances that create someone believable. It's the right words at the right time. The nerdy shy girl who skulks in, blushes when someone pinches her ass and then turns around and denies to her friends that she's good looking at all--I won't buy that she's the one running the prostitution ring from her locker. But the cheerleader who saunters into the room, her eyes on every guy, sizing them up to see what they're worth, playing their games right back at them and never, ever caving in... her, I might buy it.

What makes believability? The right words. Sell it. He didn't just smile, his cocky grin clashed with the devil in his eyes. Tell me them. Their dissonance. What do they resonate of? What do they smell of? What do they do, how do they manipulate people?

Then, work it into your narrative.

You can make anything believable if you write it right, that's the beauty of writing.

If you're having trouble crafting believable characters, go outside with a notebook, and go park in the middle of a crowded foodcourt and watch people interact, and take notes. Draw inspiration from real people rather than fantasies first, then corrupt. Capture the gestures, the smell, the quirks and things that make people stand out as individuals. Think about what you'd imagine them doing.

People watching is the single best way to get believable characters, in my opinion. The old adage about write what you know? Better said "know what you write". When you're writing about people, know people. Know how they act, interact, and then use it to your benefit.

 

[laptopwriter]

James

Where the hell do you work? Do they have any openings?

I believe there is good and bad in all of us and I try to convey that in my stories; the problem is, most, (not all, but most) of my stories deal with cheating wives. Here at Literotica the category is LW. In that particular genre a lot of people don't want realistic characters; they want single dimension, spiteful, revenge seeking heroes that can turn their feelings of love off like a light switch.
Now I do have to admit, I have had a lot of positive feedback as to the reality of the characters in my current story, but I have also had many that call him wishy-washy, a wimp, a cry-baby, and a few other names along those lines.
I guess it all boils down to, "to each his own." You can't please everyone.
Personally though, I like to read stories with 3 dimensional characters. Show me their bad with the good.