Fiction

Q&A #2

jojo1228 : "Hey, I just wanted to ask, how do you write Brian so well? Seriously, every time I read about him in one of your stories, it feels a lot how I think Brian would act in a similar situation."

A: First thank you! I value my character representation a lot and I want to write them as real as I can, so this means a lot.

Yet there's not much I can say, I guess. There's not really a secret or anything special I did to write Brian "so well".

Beside that I timetravelled and have Brian chained up in my flat, so I can just ask him'how he'd react.

Jk obviously.

Whenever I write a real life character, no matter who it is, I first do research (you seriously don't want to see my notes on Brian lol well a lot are in my Brian book Get a line on you), so basically the first step is to get to know a person.

Something I often notice is that people mix Brian's characteristics all together. I mean obviously 16 year old Brian is different then 26 year old one, so please don't mix it up. Like make him paranoid and totally messed up... or totally innocent and shy? Brian was a troublemaker at school. He had good marks, but played tricks on people all the time. He was mean and rowdy, but yes he was sensitive too- that doesn't mean he was totally shy tho and an innocent troubled potato.

Anyway because of his asshole behaviour people started to turn on him- that took time, hence why 25 year old Brian is more scared of people turning on him and being judged perhaps than his 16 year old self... which is why I think it is important to consider how old they are and what their situation at the time was. Our past and experiences change us after all. We don't stay the same.

Basically:

Seriously.

Sorry for the short rant, but some Brian representations on here annoy me. I get it that it is fanfiction, but how can you call yourself a true fan if you just make up the character of a person??

Sure I like everything about them, if I change everything to my liking. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Nevermind.

Like with my other characters, after I figured out who they are, their motives, what is important to them and so on, I know the person or in this case Brian so well that I can just picture his reaction.

-At first I reread my notes a lot and rewrote many chapters. Out of Time has basically 3 versions. I have like 150 word documents of the first 30 chapters, with scenes and stuff I wrote, but didn't feel authentic enough.

For instance I wrote a really funny after wedding scene with Keith Richards, Mary (the OC's friend), Charlie (OC) and Brian Jones, but I didn't feel like he'd invite them and thought he'd prefer a quiet one with strangers to one with 2 people he didn't like. And Charlie well she would just go along, because she'd respect Brian wishes and didn't care too much about her wedding. So I had to rewrite the whole thing, because that felt more authentic.

So no it isn't easy and a lot of work to get to the point where you know somebody and can write them authentically. Even now and though I heard quite often how real my Brian feels like, I still feel like he isn't real enough and I'd like to rewrite nearly all my stories and change everything.

My uncertainties aside, it's obviously impossible for any of us to know how Brian really was. None of us know him personally nor are we him. (-To be safe though, if you faked your death and are reading this, Brian, please message me (; ♡) Still it is important- no matter who you write to respect their character and at least try to do them justice. I probably wrote some really mean things with Brian (I hit him with a lamp for one lol) and he's an asshole in many things, but he's more than that.

To quote Bill Wyman: He could be the sweetest, softest, most considerate man in the world and the nastiest piece of work you've ever met. Opposites all the time. He'd flit from one to the other. He wouldn't give a shit for anything and then he'd worry about the slightest detail.

So see the whole picture.

Don't make him overly pitiful, or just an asshole or innocent or whatever. Don't settle on one emotion, but on his reasons and then let him act on it? And ofc make it realistic. Yes it might be hard to find the balance, but it helps to think about your own experiences too.

I mean some fanfictions seem like the writer has never ever talked to another person. Brian aside, but I mean some dialogues and reactions sound so fake... For instance, We all got issues, but do you dump them on every person you met?? they then help you magically with 3 words or a love song and then you get married (and all of that in 3 chapters?) I don't think so. Why write this then???

Okay obviously there's stuff we haven't experienced, but one can do research or we just leave it out and write about a situation we know about. Or if you really want to write about something and don't know how to do research just ask a person who might know about what you want to write about. And if you don't know anyone? How about making an announcement on here or wherever to ask if someone could answer a few questions?

Seriously the more you know about something the easier it is to write about it.

Oh and writing a scenario that fits Brian too makes it a lot easier. No offense, but well I don't like these adopting stories anyway, but Brian adopting a kid? That just seems out of character from the start. It is not totally impossible, but a lot harder to write authentically than Brian going out with a model as a starting point.

Nvm. Basically, research and relatable scenarios help a lot.