What is most important to you?

[Ban]

I feel that i have an obligation to be honest on this forum, so i will tell you that i am slightly intoxicated at the time of writing this. It is currently about 3 in the night here and i just returned from a pleasant night of drinking with friends at a pub. During these nights i often start talking about things that i find important, but often lack the desire to talk about during day time. Tonight's conversation was about wat is most important in life and i don't know how my sober self will think about this, but i think this is an important converation for all of us and after some thinking i find that this might be useful to others as well. Don't we writers all want to understand our characters and our audiences wants and needs?

To me my sister is more important than anything, even more than my friends and family. If anything were to happen to her or some guy would do something to her than i don't think of myself as accountable for my actions. She has been with me all my life and as a younger brother i believe it is my responsibility to protect her against whatever she might face in life that i can prevent.

I am very much interested in how you think about this subject.

 

[Heliotrope]

Oh! Bantan, I'll bite

When I'm planning my story the #1 thing I have to know is "what is the MOST important thing to my character? What means the most to them? What could they not live without?" Then I take it from them.

So sure, it is good to know what makes people tick I guess.

My kids for sure. My little girl is 2.5 and has special needs and her total vulnerably and innocence is heart breaking to me. I have an obligation to love her and look after her because she is incapable of doing it on her own. She is my weakness. If anything happened to her I'm not sure how I could manage. I have a little boy who is 'typical' and I love him to bits, but he doesn't need me like she does. Usually I always try to include a character with special needs in my stories. I just find that people who have special needs are an under represented group in fiction (unless they are being represented as 'fools' or cripples) but for me are deep well of inspiration.

I have also always been very defensive of my little sister (who is 30 now… but I still treat her like she is 15).

 

[Zadocfish]

I TRY to make my most important thing God, but I'm not sure how well I'm doing with that.

 

[NerdyCavegirl]

Yeah I just took my medicinal herbs, this question is right up my alley. My family is most important to me. Their love, lives, liberty, safety, health, and happiness. I'm not good at connecting with other humans, so when I do, I consider it my sole duty to protect and provide for them. I would gladly take a life, give my life, or be tortured for eternity for those I love. That family bond extends to my animal cousins and whole of nature in general. I am their healer, guardian, and enforcer. Which tends to get me in trouble. Thus their needs also apply to me, but only because I've learned I can't help anyone before I help myself. Dx

 

[Demesnedenoir]

Someone touched my daughters I would want to go Liam Neeson on them. No doubt.

It is interesting to start with a character's most important thing and take it away. Its a strong methodology, for sure. Totally different than how my brain works, which is why I find it interesting. I start big picture and go backwards to find the characters who are important to the story.

The result is pretty much the same, although not fully intentional.

 

[Ban]

I should have known that family is most important for the vast mahority of people including me. Let me be more specific than.

What is most important to you, aside from family and friends? I am going with my dog. If you knew the little guy you would need no further information