Thursday, May 15, 2008

When Details Change Everything

Before Elisita Gayle turned in the title screen of THE SONATA OF CHARLIE GOLD, I had a very different backstory in mind for the teenager. I figured she'd want to assert her independence by dying her hair some wild shades, or wear lots of blacks, or something.

Then I saw in the design that this girl had eyebrow, nose, and even lip piercings. I liked the look, and it didn't start to bother me until the realization of Charlie's age set in.

Charlie is 16! 99% of all the jewelry places won't pierce minors without a guardian's permission. That started a whole ball rolling, all centered on this question: Who paid for/approved Charlie's piercings?

I answered that question, and in doing so, came up with a totally different backstory than I had originally intended. Charlie's still a teenager asserting her independence, but now the hows and whys of Charlie's young life are different than when I first conceptualized the character. It's just an example of how a detail as small as a pierced eyebrow changes everything you had planned about a character.

1 comment:

Elisita Gayle said...

Um sorry I screwed up your plans?

:P

I don't think you actually told me your original backstory.