Better Pre-Defined Story or No Story?

I always right backstory for my characters. Even up to the way they came to me. That's a huge part of their story, how they came to me, what happened to them before that, and what's happening with them now. Their pasts help me develop their stories in this time.

I don't think it's easier, personally. Everyone has a past, why not the doll's character too?

 

I think it nice to have a background for your character but not to have every little thing mapped and planned out. Because your character will show you things.

 

I don't think one is better than the other...just different.

For instance, for my dolls that are preexisting characters--it took a little time for me to get used to them in resin form, especially the characters that had been around the longest. On the other hand, once I adjusted to them being in resin form, I already knew them so well it was like being reunited with old friends.

The ones that weren't prexisting I feel comfortable with right away, but it takes awhile to truly get to know them, if that makes sense. And it is fun to be able to play with wigs and clothes more freely without so much worry that it's something the character wouldn't wear.

The dolls whose personalities I have the most in common tend to be the story characters (but as characters they had been around for as long as 12-13 years in some cases--they've been with me for a looong time).

 

I agree with this entirely. Some people seek a doll to embody a character, some people fall in love with the doll first and the character comes later.

Speaking for myself, my first doll is the only one I have who didn't have a pre-existing character, because I had no idea what to expect before he came home. I had barely even SEEN BJDs in person before I bought one. I was totally unprepared for his physical presence. His character evolved very quickly and his personality asserted itself. After that, I knew what to expect from additional dolls, and now I always have a character for a doll before it comes into my home. I have so many now that I HAVE to have a good reason to buy another.

Linda S.
galatia9

 

For me, I truly prefer creating my own characters more than just having them develop with me. The thing that'd been wavering around in your head, you can finally embody it, that's how I see it. (and I see it strongly, I treasure my imaginary creations very much) But nothing is better over the other, it's just a matter of opinion and use for the doll. ;]

 

I like to let the doll form on it's own. And So far they all go together. I have one more doll in mind to fit in with my vamps, maybe two. After that the others I have planned are relatively seperate.

 

i let them develop with me. ^_^

 

None of my girls had any background before they came home or a name for that matter. With the exception of Saphira. All my girls are full of life, and have their own developed personality, which becomes better the longer they are with me.

 

Mm, really, mine have done both. I get a sense of who they are before they have resin bodies, but after they arrive, I still have to get to know them, and they tend to evolve by themselves from there.

 

Mine let me know about themselves once they get here & I'm often surprized with what they reveal. I had no intentions of having a houseful of socerers, Immortals, elves, nymphs & witches but many of my gang have turned out that way. And the ones that I get thinking they'll be dark & somewhat evil just end up being dark, moody & sweet. I can't get a bad guy no matter how hard I try.

 

(I think you know my opinion on this already, but here goes anyway ) I've always had characters with full histories and backstories, futures, and pre-existing ties to other characters come home as dolls. Personally it halps me a lot, as I already know what the 'completed dynamic' of my house will be years down the line when I've got my full set of characters I want to bring home, and I can order their arrival in such a way as to create interesting dynamics in the current crew (for example my most recent two: Dee, my calm schemer, and Ysiri, my angry little git. I purposely decided to bring Dee home months in advance of Ysiri, just so that there would be someone with authority to control 'Siri and keep him from running too freely throughout the house causing chaos amongst my other boys... which he likes to do, to be frank.)

I admire people who wait for their dolls' characters to develop within the doll itself, but that's something I can't do - and have no particular desire to try, really. I like to know who my dolls are, where they're coming from and where they're going, their friendships/rivalries/loves long in advance of them ever coming home in resin-form. It helps me plan long-term developments in my crew, and I think it grounds them and makes them more realistic as characters, too. They don't develop from nothing, but come home as already-formed little people, as it were.

 

My dolls will be pre-existing characters but I decided that instead of having them exactly as I RP with them I'll "reincarnate" them because I used to RP in various different 'times' and settings (medival to futuristic etc...) , so if I start them all off again in the same setting and time they can all 'interact' together (since I won't really be RPing as much to develop them I think this is important)

they will still follow to some extent old story lines but it will be much less fixed

and that probably made no sense : so I appoligise for rambling

 

I have a loose outline for the character before the doll arrives, with the exception of my first BJD - she was a blank slate, and completely became who she was after she arrrived. Since then, when they arrive their character begins to flesh out, and I let that happen as we go along. Most have presented themselves quite clearly to me. Those that haven't have since left for other homes. So I'd say that I lay a small foundation for them, and they build the house themselves. ;>)

 

I always write their character down before they arrive...or even before I order them cause I love creating them XD
But after they have arrived they seem to change and add things to it themselves, and sometimes I get the pre-written personality completely wrong but that's the fun part of it all ^_^

So I can't tell which is better but if it works for you then do it.

Sabriell

 

It never even occurred to me to have a story for a doll before I bought it... until I started poking around in here. In fact, I was really confused at first about all the posts about dolls who "didn't fit the story." (nani?? confoose me?) Now I understand, of course, but it feels foreign to me.

I don't know that I could come up with something that didn't sound utterly dorky, anyway - plotlines are not my best thing. So they are developing on their own as they go.

Doesn't mean I don't enjoy reading about other people's characters, though.

 

Rose and I have been writing together for years, and part of the reason we really got in to BJDs was it was a way to give the boys and girls we loved so much in word a solid form. It's a lot of fun for us, sitting together and searching out the perfect dolls for characters. We're trying to be a little more fussy about it to after making a mistake with our first set of twins. >.O Aiden and Santino seem to be working out well though, if only their hair and eyes would show up. ;_;

Unfortunately the pain in the butt part of it is there are some characters that just belong in sets, like our twins or our very first characters Damon and Nikkos. -.- It's going to take a heck of a lot of time to save the cost & shipping of a Lahoo and Camine to bring them home at once. >.O Gah.

 

They're just different, but I think the idea that the sculpt brings things with it is a powerful one. Sometimes you can't know what the doll will really evoke until it is with you and has the eyes and wigs you've chosen for it!

 

I agree with everybody who said one isn't better than the other, they're just different...

FOR ME, I never have a character in mind at all. Aside from my patented, extremely lame but I think they're fun anyway photostories, the character and plot surrounding my dolls just isn't why I love them or why I choose to buy a new one.

I often feel SOOO badly for people who get a doll to fill a character - and the doll arrives and just isn't who they wanted them to be, and either they sell the doll, or, have to write a NEW person and continue to look for that first shell, you know? I'm glad that's not how I adopt... but again, that's just me.

everybody's different. thank heavens for that!