In which readers are still wondering

So I'm still answering!

Reader Maggie asked:
I was wondering how much of your character's personality and/or traits you decide before / at the beginning of the story? Are they complete persons with their sets of views and likes and dislikes before they appear on scene, or do you come to a point and have to consider "what would be a likely reaction for him/her"? I suppose this also influences character development, figuring out how their perceptions change...

And in terms of their physical appearance - do you have a clear image in your minds eye of each, or more a "feeling" of the character (not sure if that makes sense o.O)?

Thank you! Maggie

Let’s take appearance first. Usually, I have a general idea of what a character looks like, and occasionally I have a specific person in mind as a physical model. For example, I pictured Ailith from Silent on the Moor as Emily Procter. But I like for readers to develop their own image, so if you pictured Claire Danes or Cate Blanchett types for Ailith, that is great.

As far as personality, some aspects are dictated by plot. If I need someone who is an unrepentant gambler with a penchant for fast horses and faster women in order to fulfill a twist of the plot, then that’s the seed of where I begin with that person. If it isn’t essential for the plot, the character will develop according to my whims. I try to keep them consistent or at least explain inconsistencies. Human beings are seldom perfectly consistent, so it’s important to me that when a character strays from behavior we’d expect, we have a reason for it. In Lord March’s case, for instance, he is a liberal lord with radical leanings. However, we also know that he is wildly hypocritical when it comes to extending that liberality to his children. He doesn’t espouse the “live and let live” philosophy when it touches his children, and he can be surprisingly uptight at times. The explanation for that is that he is an intellectual liberal, but his views are often challenged by his own upbringing as an extremely privileged person—something that is, I think, extremely human and completely reasonable.

And yes, I very often find myself asking how a character would behave in a situation I’ve thrust them into!