Just some things I've noticed about my Fantasy Worlds.

[April Dawn Hale]

I used to think, up until recently, that my DD characters didn't really resemble myself but I just realized, that I've put more of myself into them than I realize.

 

My main DD character is Jay. Recently, I've decided he is 15 years old and just starting High School. He's blind, due to a car accident that took his Mother's life and he has a twin sister who is sort of like him but at the same time tries to distance herself from him because he is just so... Out there, that she has gotten tired of 'Oh you're Jay's sister...' from everyone. Jay, despite being blind is independent to the point where if somebody tries to do something for him that he knows he can do, he's liable to punch them. He loves Martial Arts, and is something of an expert and even teaches despite his handicap. He also loves hitting the skatepark, and he will keep at a trick till he nails it. He has a band called No Limits, in which he is the lead singer, and also lead guitarist.

These are all things I wish I could do. I can't skate to save my life, and I can't really play guitar all that well. I used to be into martial arts, but when I was younger, while I was good at the katas, I couldn't really spar, because all it took was one punch to my stomach and I would be gasping for breath. I also hate my voice even though I love to sing.

In attitude, Jay is my opposite. Where I tend to go with what other people say, if Jay doesn't like something, he lets it known, and if someone is in his face, threatening him, he's going to knock them on their rear end. I don't know why I made him blind. Maybe it's because of my love of the movie Daredevil, or because I see all too well the failings of people and just wanted him to be able to follow his gut instead.

One thing that seems common across most of my fantasy worlds is that either the main character or one of the main character's friends are twins. One of the earliest fantasy worlds that I escaped to was that of Dolphin Girl and her brother. I don't remember a lot of details, except I think I gave her the power of turning into a mermaid or maybe she was just really really good at swimming (I love swimming). She had a twin brother. In my X-Men world, the main char, Tomokai, was friends with a pair of telepathic and telekinetic twins.

I would write more, but I have plans to help a friend with their computer today and I'm hungry anyway so I'll leave this here. Does anyone else notice this sort of stuff?

[April Dawn Hale]

Kimberly N. Russel,

You asked about whether or not I have siblings... Well, I have two sisters and they are more than a decade older than me. In fact, by the time I was in kindergarten, they were moved out and living on their own. So basically, I was an only child where it really counts.

[Kim Russell]

I have actually thought about this quite a lot recently.  I think the first DD primary character I created was the most Mary Sue-ish, in that she was everything I wanted to be, but wasn't. She is still with me after 25 years (ha!) and she's still a total Mary Sue! But I love her anyway and we have a few things in common. She is also one of the only DD characters that exists in "this" world, i.e., not  a fantasy, alternate reality or sic-fi world. What I have noticed is that over the years (I am now 42), my primary characters are more like me. In the sense that I have a few who are actual "social" introverts and/or flawed in one or more ways. I think that probably represents a shift in what my DD are doing for me -- there was a time when they were total escapism, i.e., " I am going to inhabit this character who is the complete opposite of me." Whereas now, I like to play around with inhabiting more complex, more diverse characters. It's more about creativity than about wish fulfillment. Plus, I am more comfortable with myself and so sharing characteristics with my DD folks doesn't seem like such a bad thing. I think I had one DD primary a few years ago who was me in an alternate reality -- it felt really weird! But kinda fun.

The twins thing is interesting -- I am guess that you are not a twin? Do you have siblings? I have twins in my stories quite regularly now, but that is because I have 4 year old twin boys myself. There is something bewitching about the twin bond, for sure. Oddly, even though I am one of five children, almost all of my DD primaries don't have siblings. Oh, except one that I just remembered and she has a twin brother! Ha!

Anyway, have to run. Thanks for sharing.

[Amoka]

I don't have an idealised self but my characters all have aspects of me. My polar opposite character is my favourite. He's outgoing, witty, charming, cocky and sarcastic, yet empathetic, caring, and surprisingly honest (lol, he's also a lycan from the movie Underworld. Complete opposite there). He represents a stage in my life where I was being forced to become more sociable, therefore I created a sociable character. Later on, I gave up at trying to interact with other so I unconsciously created a character who had done the same. During my dark days, I created a character who was being forced to be an assassin and was hated by everyone. I only realised not long ago how much of myself is actually in my characters.

Also, for some unknown reason all my main characters are male, with one older crueller brother, and one younger more accepting brother whom they protect. In real life I have one younger sister only.