Years ago when I was a teen who read everything she could about the authors she liked, I came across an interview with one of these authors discussing the characters in his fantasy series. I don’t recall much about the interview, but I do remember the author saying that the main protagonist was himself. At the time, I didn’t realize how important character creation would become for me, but it has stuck with me nonetheless.

When I was still a young writer, I listened to authors give their opinions about making characters. Some create characters from scratch; others base them off of people they know. Very few authors (like the one I mentioned above) said that they base characters off of themselves. Now, I know that there is a lot more to this conversation than what I’ve stated, but this is what my understanding boiled down to when I began writing.

My writing started as a way to explore myself and vicariously live a life of adventure and excitement. Later, as my skill improved, I wanted my characters to be unique individuals, separate from me. It distressed me when I noticed that characters would act or think like me during the first draft. Over time, they would interact with the environment without as much influence from my own traits. This is when I would discover what I call the Character Drift.

I don’t think that there is anything wrong with using yourself as a template for a character. After all, who do we know better than ourselves? I believe that with practice of the craft and determination to write beyond the first, characters will eventually take on lives of their own. They will begin to develop attributes and habits that the author doesn’t have. Character personalities will eventually drift from the foundation that they were created from.

Ultimately, the key is practice and feedback. Write often, and allow constructive readers to look at the draft as much as possible. And most importantly, have fun. Even though there are days I have to slog on until I reach my word count, the experience of creating a layered story is one I wouldn’t trade. Writing should be enjoyable, or at least be satisfying after the fact. The good news is that books have to go through multiple drafts before publication. That means there are multiple opportunities to go in and tweak characters or let them come into their own. One way or another, The Character Drift will happen.

While I respect the author who said that his character was just himself in the story, I know that I personally try to have my characters be as different as they can. The Character Drift makes my experience in the world I build so much richer when I look through the eyes of someone who does not react the same way that I would.

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