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@devastate-lasting

Thanks for popping in here and adding to the discussion!

I don’t think it’s necessarily a problem if you’re using different aspects of your own personality, or thinking “What would I do if I was ___?” And that’s because there is a degree to which we have to become our characters; there needs to be a meeting of the identities, so to speak (which is why I compared it to acting). The only danger with this approach is that if we are not intentional and careful, it can be very easy to fall into having an ‘ordinary’ cast of character types which are all based on ourselves, as you mentioned.

One way to combat this tendency, I think, is to get a hold of good personality typing information and build your characters a little more intentionally around a certain personality type. This will increase your understanding of yourself, humans interaction and reaction, and also (most importantly) other people – including characters. They may still be based on or spring out of an aspect of ourselves, but thinking a little more deeply about their personality type may help to give them that last ‘umph’ of individuality that will make your characters jump off the page.

It’s not wrong at all to start with ourselves and then intentionally tweak them to make them different.

As far as narrative voice goes, this one is actually pretty easy to develop, and from what I’ve read of your work, you seem to do well with this aspect. 🙂