Visualizing your characters

[PoisonPen33]

I tend to come up with a general idea ("platinum blonde / basketball player / hippie flower woman") and then Bing/Google Image Search until I find a pic I like and use that as a reference. I try to avoid celebrities as best I can, which works more often than not.

 

[jaF0]

You're being awfully selective about the look. I hope you have a character to go along with it.

As the matriarch of a relatively powerful and very sexually active family, she needs to be tall, fit, attractive, vibrant, and overtly exude sensuality. She needs to make people drool over her knowing what she does and that they can only have her at a very high cost. Think of her as some kind of a cross between Miss Ellie Ewing, Crystal Carrington and both Victoria and Audra Barkley.

She can break your bank and career with one phone call and your dick with one look.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Her Bio says the performer is 48, but I'm not sure when this picture was taken. Doesn't look over 40 here to me.


https://pics.wikifeet.com/Veronica-Avluv-Feet-1574210.jpg


Too big to post, so link only.

God she's had a lot, a lot of work done. Ugly. Sorry, just not my type I guess.

I have female and male characters all hashed out in my mind, they are usually people I knew long ago.

Names, what's in a name? I do tend to use common American names.

My description of people is vague, leaving the reader to fill in the blanks so that character looks like someone they might know.

And none of my female characters have balloon tits or balloon lips.

 

[TadOverdon]

I liked Avluv. Again, attitude: she projected an almost demented enthusiasm for what she was doing, which could not have been easy. Considering how physically extreme some of her scenes were that had to be as close to an acting challenge as porn performers successfully face. LOL

I got curious enough to find out some things about her that confirmed my impression (at least to my satisfaction, YMMV): she started late in the business and has been injured a number of times, some internally. Like a lot of the better-known porn stars she retreated to subscriptions like OnlyFans during the pandemic, and for her sake I hope she can keep making a go of that. Her bio says 48? My gut, and her history, says she's in her mid-fifties. Obviously I may be very wrong.

I've often thought that along with whatever other qualities might typify porn performers, many of the women must have real physical courage. Even when they are not at risk of deliberate harm, they're still often in danger of injury.

 

[gunhilltrain]

You're right - most of the commenters are male writers which probably explains that bias. I'm a lazy bastard - they're my fantasies so I just write different versions of myself into the men. And I don't need a visual reminder of me.

My beta readers always nag me to vary my male characters more. But I'm always far more interested in writing the women.

I'm not sure why, but since I started writing fiction, I've found the female characters to be more vivid and more interesting to write about. For one thing, in many cases, they are more witty than the men.

 

[TadOverdon]

The men don't have names (yet) and very little, if any dialog. What words they say are in response to a statement or question. Not being the intent by any means, its almost as if they're just background props.

The males are sock-puppets for the guys who are reading. Cock-puppets. LOL

Not really fair and not really true, I guess. Not completely. But their jobs are to be irresistible and inexhaustible.

 

[NotWise]

I liked Avluv. Again, attitude: she projected an almost demented enthusiasm for what she was doing, which could not have been easy. Considering how physically extreme some of her scenes were that had to be as close to an acting challenge as porn performers successfully face. LOL

Avluv is totally not my type. I lean more to women like this:

I have no idea who she is, but she's one of several women who contribute to a character in my current story.

 

[NotWise]

The males are sock-puppets for the guys who are reading. Cock-puppets. LOL

Not really fair and not really true, I guess. Not completely. But their jobs are to be irresistible and inexhaustible.

I think (as AMD recently encouraged me to believe) that to tell a good story well, the whole cast needs to be in full flesh. My male characters tend to be cookie-cutter products.

 

[lovecraft68]

Instead of looking at stills for likeness, more and more I look at moments of porn video for attitude, posture, the way someone moves, expression and how it's associated with action.

That's right, who said porn stars can't act?

I'm always impressed when the women can put on this amazing smile like taking that money shot is the best thing that ever happened to them

then two seconds later its cut, and "get me the fucking towel, and get this jack ass out of my face"

 

[TadOverdon]

That's right, who said porn stars can't act?

I'm always impressed when the women can put on this amazing smile like taking that money shot is the best thing that ever happened to them

then two seconds later its cut, and "get me the fucking towel, and get this jack ass out of my face"

Something like, I'm sure. LOL

Based on my unscientific observations, I think that many popular porn performers have the model's gift of self-presentation and that this is more important for their jobs than full-fledged acting talent. They know intuitively what the camera sees and what it shouldn't and how to favor that.

I think (as AMD recently encouraged me to believe) that to tell a good story well, the whole cast needs to be in full flesh.

I can't say. I just tell stories as I can. I do think that there are a lot of examples of well-regarded fiction where it can't be said that even crucial characters are "full flesh;" IMHO Tom Buchanan isn't all that, and other than for a moment I don't think he's especially vivid. What he is, is necessary.

How important is a given character to the viewpoint character? Is the chick who's on her back taking on three neighbors superficial for having any observations of her husband fade into negligibility? My thought is that she's got far more basic adjustment issues than that.

 

[jaF0]

But no one should ever be injured.

 

[jaF0]

And while Mom-bods are without a doubt 10,000 times more common, they're no where near as appealing as Mom! Holy Shit! The BOD!!!!

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Having enjoyed the Young Ones since they first screened on the Beeb, I find that truly bizarre!
You are a very strange person, KQQ .

I'd never dispute that, Leccy!

When not gurning, the guy was quite decorative: https://images.app.*******/9VHqC2BYCtQHsSx78

There's a cute goth working in a local shop with a portrait of Mayall all up one of her arms - it's really well done.

And Craig: https://images.app.*******/mAcxceVSmXN4PXe66

 

[lovecraft68]

I think (as AMD recently encouraged me to believe) that to tell a good story well, the whole cast needs to be in full flesh. My male characters tend to be cookie-cutter products.

I agree on that if you're talking a longer story with depth to it, or a series. If you're talking a stroker, the only real focus is on the participants.

Its good timing on this as I just sat down to pick up where I left off on a new Milf story and when I looked over what I did last night, I have the MC having a conversation with his mother that I use to tell the reader a little about him as a person, and I never described what she looked like, just her actions as she spoke.

I don't think it matters in this case, "Mom" never shows up again in the story, but all of this is preference more than a definitive right or wrong way

 

[NotWise]

I agree on that if you're talking a longer story with depth to it, or a series. If you're talking a stroker, the only real focus is on the participants.

Its good timing on this as I just sat down to pick up where I left off on a new Milf story and when I looked over what I did last night, I have the MC having a conversation with his mother that I use to tell the reader a little about him as a person, and I never described what she looked like, just her actions as she spoke.

I don't think it matters in this case, "Mom" never shows up again in the story, but all of this is preference more than a definitive right or wrong way

In the story that AMD commented on, there's very little description of any character's appearance. The main female character is described in the first scene as "a mousy kind of girl" and after the dust settles as "too pretty to be invisible." The characters are mostly described through their actions.

 

[lovecraft68]

I liked Avluv. Again, attitude: she projected an almost demented enthusiasm for what she was doing, which could not have been easy. Considering how physically extreme some of her scenes were that had to be as close to an acting challenge as porn performers successfully face. LOL

I got curious enough to find out some things about her that confirmed my impression (at least to my satisfaction, YMMV): she started late in the business and has been injured a number of times, some internally. Like a lot of the better-known porn stars she retreated to subscriptions like OnlyFans during the pandemic, and for her sake I hope she can keep making a go of that. Her bio says 48? My gut, and her history, says she's in her mid-fifties. Obviously I may be very wrong.

I've often thought that along with whatever other qualities might typify porn performers, many of the women must have real physical courage. Even when they are not at risk of deliberate harm, they're still often in danger of injury.

There's a series of videos called mothers and sons, some are step mom, but some are mother's best friend, friend's mom or other Milf roles.

They're about 20-30 minutes and are fairly erotic, kissing, touching, undressing, foreplay...Avluv is great in hers, and as you said, she's done some hardcore work by even porn standards, but it was sexy as hell to see her slow it and be more sensual and seductive.

Zoe Holloway is one of my go t milf/mom stars, her dialogue(most of which is ad lib) can be both dirty AF, but also downright hilarious, and like Avluv she's done some insane things, but has been in some of the longer, slower sexiest milf/mom scenes I've watched.

 

[jaF0]

I've said before that I don't write (or generally read) direct parent/sibling stuff. But what fucks with my head is that crap like 'Saw' and 'Hunger Games' among millions of others (OK,maybe a slight exaggeration) are considered acceptable for general audiences while a guy schlonking his sister or mother is considered off limits.

 

[DanDraper]

I want to try to be more creative in the people I describe but it gets hard sometimes unless I think of an actress I know. Sometimes I do a mix of them into one character. This isn't a bad idea, I'm sure most professional writers do the same thing whenever they can.

 

[PriestOfIshtar]

My characters take form in the dream-state of writing. They often surprise me with both their appearance and actions. As I write I build up an inventory of details to strive for consistency, but usually, once I see them in my mind, the image holds true.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I'd never dispute that, Leccy!

When not gurning, the guy was quite decorative: https://images.app.*******/9VHqC2BYCtQHsSx78

There's a cute goth working in a local shop with a portrait of Mayall all up one of her arms - it's really well done.

And Craig: https://images.app.*******/mAcxceVSmXN4PXe66

I can't get the links to work.

Janey, the wife of the narrator in the Big Red stories. She looks like something of a tight ass, which she can be at times. She's been discussed but won't actually appear until the next story is published.

http://www.mature-library.com/galleries/aj/09p/0f1caa/01.jpg

Sometimes her passionate side come out, and she has a different personality:

http://www.mature-library.com/galleries/aj/09p/0f1caa/03.jpg

 

[Thefireflies]

For the female characters, I often use photos I find online. Some of them are not head-turning gorgeous, but instead, they may be rather ordinary looking...

I work off memory or photos of ordinary people.
It’s interesting to see photos of “beautiful” people without makeup and “ordinary” people with professional makeup. It makes a big difference both ways.

Of course many ‘ordinary looking people’ are ‘head-turning gorgeous’, even without make up (especially without make up, in my book!). I think that’s partly why the girl or boy next door stereotype is appealing. All my stories are of ordinary people, but they often see their lovers as beautiful works of nature’s art, no matter what their physical description is, because we surely all see our lovers as beautiful.
To me descriptions are important, to give a sense of who the person is in a physical sense, to give them presence (height, hair colour, eye colour, facial expressions, other body language etc). Flaws are ignored, or if described, they are seen as a positive attribute their opposite character has noticed (wrinkles forming at the corner of eyes when smiling). After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and in my stories the lovers generally see one another as beautiful.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

I'd never dispute that, Leccy!

When not gurning, the guy was quite decorative: https://images.app.*******/9VHqC2BYCtQHsSx78

There's a cute goth working in a local shop with a portrait of Mayall all up one of her arms - it's really well done.

And Craig: https://images.app.*******/mAcxceVSmXN4PXe66

Links blocked by Lit! Oh well.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Links blocked by Lit! Oh well.

They don't seem very consistent about what they block and what they allow to go through.

 

[jaF0]

Links blocked by Lit! Oh well.

They don't seem very consistent about what they block and what they allow to go through.

I just posted this thread over in the GB.

http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=1545295


In the first post, I had to replace the second picture since the first link I found was blocked/censored like that. It was a news link from the Desert Sun. The only thing I can figure is that some sites request to be blocked here thinking it may be too naughty for their prudish asses.

 

[SimonDoom]

My female characters often are based either on women I have known or erotic models I have liked. My Hotel Exhibitionist series was written with a very clear picture of a 40+ year old erotic model I liked. I subsequently found out she is a member here, reached out to her, and she read and liked the story. I thought that was cool.