Comments on: The Characterisation Puzzle: The Thumbnail Method http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/the-thumbnail-method/ Expert tips and how-to's on every aspect of creating and running exceptional campaigns. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 02:27:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=4607 hourly 1 By: Mike http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/the-thumbnail-method/comment-page-1/#comment-2339 Mike Sun, 21 Mar 2010 22:58:29 +0000 http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/?p=1497#comment-2339 @Satyre: Something else that I should have addressed in my reply is your excellent point about thinking in a different way. You are absolutely right, and that's why you can get around mental roadblocks using this technique. Quite often you'll find that it's a single word or phrase or concept that's blocking your way, but until you can articulate that item, the dyke of creativity is blocked with a finger. A couple of sticks of creative TNT can quickly release a raging torrent of creativity, to extend the metaphor! @Satyre: Something else that I should have addressed in my reply is your excellent point about thinking in a different way. You are absolutely right, and that’s why you can get around mental roadblocks using this technique. Quite often you’ll find that it’s a single word or phrase or concept that’s blocking your way, but until you can articulate that item, the dyke of creativity is blocked with a finger. A couple of sticks of creative TNT can quickly release a raging torrent of creativity, to extend the metaphor!

]]> By: Mike http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/the-thumbnail-method/comment-page-1/#comment-2243 Mike Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:07:46 +0000 http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/?p=1497#comment-2243 I save all the working, but not for recycling on other characters, which only limits the potential of the technique to a small subset of the total field of ideas. But sometimes, you can reach the point where you need to further enhance a character description with some additional elements that weren't involved the first time around, and having the original work on file can help you recapture the inspiration that you had at the time. I save all the working, but not for recycling on other characters, which only limits the potential of the technique to a small subset of the total field of ideas. But sometimes, you can reach the point where you need to further enhance a character description with some additional elements that weren’t involved the first time around, and having the original work on file can help you recapture the inspiration that you had at the time.

]]> By: satyre http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/the-thumbnail-method/comment-page-1/#comment-2234 satyre Sat, 13 Mar 2010 11:13:00 +0000 http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/?p=1497#comment-2234 Thanks for the inspiration! It's a nice way to encourage thinking in a different way (words vs. pictures) and it's delightfully easy and low-tech. As you've used this method for a while, do you find it helpful to recycle some of your lists for inspiration or do you believe in a clean sheet every time you do this? .-= satyre´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FameFortune/~3/MmK8ayktuRA/inns-taverns-taproot-of-all-evil.html">inns & taverns - the taproot of all evil</a> =-. Thanks for the inspiration! It’s a nice way to encourage thinking in a different way (words vs. pictures) and it’s delightfully easy and low-tech.

As you’ve used this method for a while, do you find it helpful to recycle some of your lists for inspiration or do you believe in a clean sheet every time you do this?
satyre´s last blog ..inns & taverns – the taproot of all evil My ComLuv Profile

]]> By: Mike http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/the-thumbnail-method/comment-page-1/#comment-2209 Mike Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:50:03 +0000 http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/?p=1497#comment-2209 Glad you found it so intriguing, furiana. And you express the concept fairly well - it's not easy to find the correct terminology, and I'm not completely convinced that un-nuanced English even contains the required subtlety of vocabulary. Other terms that can apply to those "images in your head" are 'stock', 'inanimate', 'cardboard', and 'preconcieved' - but none of them are completely accurate. The most universal is "unsatisfactory" - though that hardly conveys the scope and seriousness of the problem. You'll have to let us know how your experiments worked out - whether or not you're satisfied with the results, etc! Good luck with it, and hopefully you'll find the other techniques I have coming up in this series just as interesting! Glad you found it so intriguing, furiana. And you express the concept fairly well – it’s not easy to find the correct terminology, and I’m not completely convinced that un-nuanced English even contains the required subtlety of vocabulary.

Other terms that can apply to those “images in your head” are ’stock’, ‘inanimate’, ‘cardboard’, and ‘preconcieved’ – but none of them are completely accurate. The most universal is “unsatisfactory” – though that hardly conveys the scope and seriousness of the problem.

You’ll have to let us know how your experiments worked out – whether or not you’re satisfied with the results, etc! Good luck with it, and hopefully you’ll find the other techniques I have coming up in this series just as interesting!

]]> By: furiana http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/the-thumbnail-method/comment-page-1/#comment-2069 furiana Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:34:11 +0000 http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/?p=1497#comment-2069 Interesting! That's not what I expected! I was thinking quick "sketches" in words, jotting down summaries of possible personalities. The writing equivalent of sketching thumbnails for a portrait, you know? Argh, I can't quite express it. Still, I actually like this better than what I had in mind. It should be easier to disconnect from the 'frozen' (static? paused? over-intellectualized?) words in my head and connect to the "sense" of character that's deeper down. With that, I'm off to try it! :p Interesting! That’s not what I expected! I was thinking quick “sketches” in words, jotting down summaries of possible personalities. The writing equivalent of sketching thumbnails for a portrait, you know?

Argh, I can’t quite express it. Still, I actually like this better than what I had in mind. It should be easier to disconnect from the ‘frozen’ (static? paused? over-intellectualized?) words in my head and connect to the “sense” of character that’s deeper down.

With that, I’m off to try it! :p

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