One of my
favorite things in the editing phase is character analysis. Most people do this
before they start writing and then forget about it once complete. I started it
before, add to it during and review it in the editing stages to ensure the
character I see in my mind is that character coming out on the page. One of
those items that is so important for reader connecting and general depth are
the silly inane things that make us unique as individuals. One of these is, of
course, the crush.
Crushes are
something teenage girls have on movie stars, the local football jock, or the
boy she sits next to in history with the dreamy smile. The almighty crush is something of legend and
by the time we age and become adults the crush shouldn’t be a word in our vocab
right? When we think of a crush, it is defined as unrequited feelings for
another. In the world of adults it
takes on a different tone, I believe Ross Geller from Friends called it his top
five. It is perfectly normal for all of us, single or committed to be attracted
in one form or another to other people. We are in fact human. It is also
healthy to share these ‘crushes’ with your partner as they probably have them
as well.
So here is my
question, who does my character have a crush on? Who makes her giggle or him
smile wide and bright. It's not necessarily a sexual crush, there are all
kinds of crushes. Personally I have several.
Physical – Their body makes your body…uh huh…
you are happy to have the movie on mute is just to see the rippling abs.
Romantic -
Not necessarily hot bodies but definitely dreamy, these crushes are more
romantic fantasy than physical hotness.
Intellectual – Their brains get you riled up and
you are just in love with their brilliance!
Same Sex – Someone of the same gender that we
just drool over because they are so amazing.
As we all
have these types of admiration for people so should our characters. I
discovered that my heroine has an intellectual crush on Anderson Cooper. I have
an intellectual crush on Seth McFarlane, Physical crush on Bruce Willis and
Romantic crushes on Daniel Craig, and George Clooney. My Female crush is on
Ellen DeGeneres, I am just so enamored by her spirit. If you look at my choices
and think about them you can probably discover a lot about me.
So who are
your crushes? Too many to name? Spread them around a bit, share with your
characters and weave it into what makes them unique! This is also another way
to make your characters relatable, grounded and more real. You think this might
be a wasted detail but you never know how something so buried could pop up in
the end.
*And yes, I
did this topic just so I could look up fabulous pictures of hot guys!! LOL!
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