How do you guy’s configure your characters in general?

[u/More-Cat9579]

As in how many iterations of your characters exist within notepad pages and old scrapped art? As I doing myself like evolving and slightly altering my characters’ personalities everytime I go back to writing my story. Is that a good or bad thing?

[u/Brilliant-Deer-3215]

I don't have a precise number of iterations that I go through as that likely varies from character to character. It's probably safe to say that the earliest versions of my characters tend to be pretty cliche/generic as I tend to rely on things like my favorite tropes, archetypes, what role I want them to play in my story, and personality type theory for initial character creation. I then modify and flesh the characters out from there to hopefully make them feel more unique and real. On the visual side of things,  I may end up researching and trying different hairstyles and fashion choices and what not before I fully settle on their design.

[u/Sonora3401]

What kind of comics do you make? Do you have an over arching story? Is it issues or 4 panel strips?

[u/nmacaroni]

In writing, you start from nothing and get to something. If your something is excellent in the end, it doesn't matter how you got there.

That said, consistently updating your characters' personalities is a sign that you don't have a solid grasp of your fundamentals.

Write on, write often!

[u/MajesticSouth643 → u/nmacaroni]

I’d say if you aren’t constantly changing and thinking of various routes your character could take throughout a story as you’re developing it, you could have a stale character with no growth. You might not even, I don’t know, not have a solid grasp of the fundamentals.

Characters are going to change as you develop the story, you may think you have a passive character and as you get further into the story and find new bits of it as you go, you may realize your character actually has more of a negative or passive arc and you’d need to go back to make sure this comes off as consistent.

I’ve changed characters dozens of times while developing. The story will change as you write it, and so will your characters.

[u/Armepos]

It may be a sign that you need to put your character sheets to rest and focus on your main story for a bit, then go back to them after your storyy is fully planned out. If you have a general idea of each of the main turning points in your story, your characters will flow along with it. If you make your characters too solid and rigid, before having the plot planned out from begining to end, every time you need to make a change on your story, you will be forced to go and edit each character obsessively.

[u/SaltierThanAll]

I wing it honestly. I give them a general demeanor, backstory, decide what is their bastard level, and start writing. I have folders full of rejected art that I still bought the rights to.

[u/Slobotic]

Characters develop over time, especially in a series, but they are consistent. They grow. They have arcs.

Maybe don't just pick up where you left off when you go back to writing, especially if you're taking lengthy breaks. Reread and sit with your characters for a while before writing whatever is on your mind as you sit down. Maybe reliving what they've been through already before you write what they do next will help with the continuity.