Why make up stories for your dolls?, it's just a doll, right?

I believe that we bond closer to an inanimate object when we manifest some fragment of ourselves into it. For a lot of people, myself included, characters have been mulling in our minds for some time; they are manifestations of different facets of our personality, reborn as separate 'people' with separate minds. It is only natural to project these pieces of our personality onto a humanlike inanimate object. I might even go so far as to say that humans feel closer to an understanding of themselves when different personalities are projected onto something 'tangible.' (Perhaps that is also why we are so attracted to people like ourselves, but that is a different story.) Basically, these characters can be a way of manifesting parts of oneself that cannot otherwise be expressed; these dolls can be a way of 'going' where we as one solitary human cannot.

Plus, it's just more enjoyable for me. It's a little more fun when I have someone protesting against me dressing them up; I try this with friends but then they just don't like me. A doll with a character behind it is going to protest me, but not ultimately leave me, since after all, it is myself projected onto resin.

Or am I just being too philosophical about the whole matter?

 

I myself didn't think much into the stories aspect, or personality at first.

Their personalities came as a result of handling them and playing lol.

As for story, it came as a result of how mine was "interacting" with a friend of mine's.

 

I've had trouble sleeping since I was terribly small. When I was little, of course, this meant having my mother or father read stories to me until I could clear my head enough to think pretty thoughts and fall asleep. While I got too old for the stories, I never got too old for the need for them, and as a result, still will end up making up stories at random in my head as a way of clearing out the problems of the day before I go to sleep. Some I remember, some I forget, some continue randomly on for years and some are the daydream equivalent of one-night-stands, but in the end, the stories have, in some form or another, always been there, and there is a wealth of them to choose from.

Some I've wanted to write but suck too hard at writing to do, some I've further fleshed out characters from for RPGs, others I've drawn, others I've made into 3D characters virtually in my dayjob work just because, and while I am very well aware that none of these quirky concepts are real in any way -- no fantasy/reality issue there -- there are some of them that, plain and simple, I just plain like or find fascinating, inspiring, tragic, or just interesting in some way.

So, if they're there, and the doll is there, and the doll reminds me of the strange creation that floats only in the ether of my addled wits at idle moments, well, why not?

 

For me the story came first. Luma was actually born almost 10 years ago. It's one thing that made me very selective about the doll I wanted. She had to be perfect for Luma and I wanted to make sure that I could get everything for her that would make her into my character. The doll is in layaway, I have the wig picked out, now I just need the right outfits(2 at least) then it's all embellishments from there.

 

About half of my dolls' characters existed before I got into bjds--prior to the actual existence of abjds in fact. Story telling is something that I enjoy, and I like being able to have their characters in a 3D form I can interact with. Doll related fiction and characterization are also the big thing I like to do in the hobby--I enjoy it far more than faceups or sewing, and it gives photography a whole new meaning as I'm trying to capture my dolls' characters in the pictures rather than just take a picture of a pretty doll. It's simply my own personal preference when it comes to dolly activities.

 

I was always creative as a child so much so I would get into trouble for telling lies. So my mom suggested instead of telling lies write them as stories. So I did. But the years alter while into baby dolls I discovered I liked taking pics, but with babies you only could say outfit. I wanted more. So when I discovered BJD I found here was a way to take my pics and make them into stories. Some have done well, others fall flat, but I have learned what works and doesn't and I love it.

 

Oh! I used to make storys... But usually it was the same same same story, and it would last about 3 minuets.. I want to give my doll a story... i havnt yet though

 

I don't really have stories for my dolls. I make up personalities for my dolls as I have them.

It's odd because I've always liked to write and make up stories and I don't really have a desire to make a character of mine into a doll. I guess this is because I find more importance in the story than specifically those that are in it. Writing and forming words together to suit my liking and to strive to write well is harder than making up a character and the challenge is what appeals to me the most when I write.

 

I made a story for my dolls because I like it.
They don't need it, but I like to add another creative input for my dolls.

 

All of the dolls I plan to own are acting as shells for original characters that I've created from my childhood. When the doll becomes the shell, the doll then takes on correct characteristics and traits of the character s/he is meant to portray, and in kind, their story and past

That's just how my bread rolls, though -w-

 

I don't really make up elaborate stories for my dolls either. When I get them their 'personality' appears and that's that, it determines how I dress them, paint them, photograph them, etc. It's fun to have them have a conversation or whatever, but like a novel? no way.

I do write/draw stories though, but I could never make any of those characters into dolls, turning one of them into a 2 foot tall thing whose eyeball can fall out would be WEIRD WEIRD WEIRD. Just not my thing.

 

As a writer and an artist, I have original characters of mine that I've had for a long while - they're written about, drawn, painted, if I can think of some way to make them more tangible to me, I'll do it.
The doll I'm saving for atm is based of a character I've had for... I guess three years? Not so long compared to some people. I care about him a lot, and he represents a couple of small hidden aspects of myself. I love writing with him, I love creating art of him. Putting him into a doll is just another creative thing to do with him. It's something 3d, and the closest I'll get to having him as a real life person. I can't really describe what it'll be like to be able to hold him like that, but I'm sure the others who have important OCs will know what I'm talking about.

I don't see why anyone would NOT want to have a story and character for their doll. Giving them a history and personality makes them all the more real and special, and the bonding that comes with a good original character you love dearly is amazing, trust me.

I have a few more dolls planned after my first one (who will be my main OC), but I want them because I love the sculpts. They don't have characters to go along with them yet, but they will soon. xD I'm a OC junky, and I don't think I could have a doll who DIDN'T have a story.

 

The doll I'm getting has a character already. He'll just mean so much more if he has a history, personality, friends, likes and dislikes. If not, I won't know what to do with him, since I'm bad creating characters around images.

 

Hummmm, good question. I guess I make up stories simply because the dolls seem to demand them. Back when I collected antique dolls when asked why someone purchased a certain doll the answer was often, "Because it spoke to me." And my dolls have kept speaking ever since then.

It's just an odd quirk I have that I'll look at a doll or group of dolls & an entire story will come to mind. Doesn't matter what type of doll, this has happened with everything from antiques to artist dolls, fashion dolls & now BJDs. (The antiques & BJDs certainly seem the most talkative though.)

While I have original characters in my head, my dolls have never had anything to do with them. They're both different aspects of my creativity & don't cross.

 

Like others, many of my dolls (or future dolls) are based off characters that existed long before I started buying dolls. However, I do have dolls on my wish list that do not have stories. I do think they will eventually have stories though, just because I like creating characters and figuring out what kind of past each has, etc. Overall, it's just enjoyable to me. Not only that, but writing is important to me so forming stories is something I already do. :3

 

I have an extremely active imagination and I weave stories and characters through it. Not being able to draw, I have to write down everything about my characters to remember them. With dolls I can get a visual representation of the character I've created that live in the stories I write.
Really for me they're not just dolls, their representations of characters.

 

I have written stories and poems for as long as I can remember. My dolls have characters and personalities, but they are not previously created characters. My dolls "spoke" to me with their names. Sometimes that tells me who they are, sometimes not.

 

As others have said, it's just another medium. Another creative outlet. Nor is using dolls in photographs to tell a story entirely new. Look up Dare Wright and her Lonely Doll book series(and if you're lucky Lona: A Fairy Tale) For me, i have stories and backgrounds for most of my dolls in my head, but haven't finished writing them down, or doing the photostories yet due to lack of time.

 

i feel that if i write a story it makes them more real and helps bonding with the dolls

 

I've been writing for fun since I was a kid, but unlike some of the other posters in this thread, NONE of my dolls represent previously existing characters. The appearance of the dolls alone inspired me to create new characters for all of them.

Why do I create stories? Just because it's fun and keeps my mind occupied! It's how I enjoy my dolls most. I love imagining how they interact together. And as each doll's character meets other characters, I get inspired even more and the stories expand. And the dolls "come to life" for me in my photostories because I can see a progression in the pictures. All of my stories and character backstories are related to and inspired by my first doll, my SD13 Link, Hiro.

I sort of wish I enjoyed my dolls more by sewing for them. Then they would have more clothes. LOL!! But no, stories and characters are my favorite thing.

Linda S.
galatia9