Notebook.ai

Ages of characters and the dynamics that come with it

@Rover3672 forum 8 comments schedule
@Rover3672

(This is because I'm halfway curious and halfway in need of ideas lol.)

So i'm considering shifting around the ages of some of my characters in my main group of 5. For starters I'm aging up my character Pike to be in her mid-twenties while aging down my girl Ember to around 6-10 years old (I haven't decided) while keeping two of my boys to be 15, lastly I have a vampire who is around 40-50 years old. I know a lot of fun dynamics can arise from all these different age groups which leads me to my question.

What kind of dynamics or interactions do you see/want to see with all these characters? Is it funny or sad? What kind of shit can you see happening between a 6-10 year old girl, two 15 year old boys, a woman in her mid-twenties and a 40-50 year old vampire that has crazy wine aunt energy?

person_off
Deleted user

I'm imagining the vampire explaining something (like your socks getting lost) with just an, 'it's evil monsters' to the ten-year-old that would terrify her without knowing she is scared, the two boys egging her on and confirming everything she said to be 100% true, (Even if it's not) and the lady in her twenties trying to explain late at night that, no, the giant mutant ants are not going to eat your socks if you don't put them away.
I don't know the characters. I'm not sure if this is true to their personalities, but it was one of the first things to come to mind.

group

-I wanna see the fifteen-year-olds trying to get the vampire to teach them black magic or something, and to get them off her back she teaches them a few completely fake spells, and then when they find out she lied she just goes "I guess you just don't have the gift, boys"
-Also I'm dying to know which character the little girl runs to when she's sad/scared/confused/excited about something/etc. Who does she see as her parental figure? Who does she lowkey (or highkey) hero-worship? Do they live up to her idealistic perception of them?
-The normally funny/easygoing vampire going absolutely feral if anyone threatens the others
-If the kids want to go somewhere like a fair or show, do they get their wish? Do the older ones hate every minute or secretly enjoy themselves as well? Who's the better chaperone?
-If I was the twenty-something in this situation, I'd probably be a nervous wreck from the responsibility of looking after two rebellious teens, a child, and a crazy wine aunt. How does your twenty-year-old handle the pressure? Is she more mentally and emotionally prepared for the task, or is she constantly on the verge of losing her mind? How much responsibility for the group does she think she has, and how much does she actually have?

Like the other person said, idk if these line up at all with the personalities of your characters or the setting of your story. But still, I hope they at least help you come up with some ideas of your own! ^^

@Rover3672

Ahh I all love these ideas so much! They aren't spot on with personalities but I can see all these scenarios happening.

Also for @Young-Dusty I'll answer you questions:

Ember (smol child) would most likely turn to Pike (mid-twenties aka the only real adult) when she is in need, Pike (who came from a very neglectful and emotionally/verbally abusive home) doesn't really get emotionally connecting with a child, or even how to truly comfort someone but eventually she gets the hang of it as she learns to open up with the help of Zara (vampire lesbians wine aunt). Caiman, one of the two teenage boys, would be a close second since he is a very kind and caring individual and is better with comfort since he has siblings as well, even if they are older then him. Zara and Jax (the other teenage boy) are extroverts, and sometimes are overwhelming for Ember sometimes, that doesn't mean she doesn't trust them to help her of course, its just that they aren't the best at emotional support since they both battle are kinda battling their own demons and helping each other more then others, especially Zara.

Pike would be more reluctant to cave into a "fun day" at the fair since they have a mission to complete, but the others are kids and heart and would absolutely have a blast! Pike would still warm up to having fun but she would try to make sure no one gets Ember killed or anyone else for that matter lol.

Pike somewhat holds a lot of the responsibility in the group, although Zara is able to help and comes in second for responsibility. Pike can handle a lot so there isn't a lot that could make her snap, the group does trust her the most since she is able to help protect them the most and offer the most emotional support. The other four are still around for Pike of course, she has a lot to protect and a lot to lose by the time she grows close with everyone and they are able to help her reclaim her ability to know what love it and what a family is to her.

I'm not good at explaining things but its a fun dynamic to play around with since there are so many different age ranges and backstories that mesh.

group

That's so cool, your characters sound really fun and interesting! I agree, age differences and big groups are fun to play with. Good luck with your story!!

@Rover3672

Thank you so much! This is a pretty recent idea for me, since everyone except Zara was 14-16 so it was suggested to change up the ages by a friend. I'm always open to more ideas and this forum will always be here!

person_off
Deleted user

Okay with the 6-10 year old it really matters the exact age because some 6 year olds cant even read, and some 10 year olds are already dating.

group
@stolenbrocoli group

So the mid twenties one i would imagine would take on the more mature role and kind of end up being kind of a mom to the group even though she hardly has her shit together herself (just going off of my knowledge of people in their mid twenties). The vampire would always be offering to teach the fifteen year olds cool vampire stuff and sometimes even the 6-10 year old.
These are my ideas. Hope i was helpful !