Hello and good evening to you! My name is Menchikatsu, author of My World and You. Today’s vignette is about the characters in MWAY. Whatever your story or plot or lack thereof, at the heart of every story is the characters who inhabit the world you’ve created. I spend a great deal of time in every story behind the scenes fleshing my characters out. Often I find I go into a character’s story with one idea of how they are and find as their background and likes and fears and personality become more concrete the person I thought they were changes and, thus, the story changes. Kasumi is a great example of that sort of event playing out.

Initially Kasumi was a quiet, melancholy girl who wandered through the bleakness of her day with the enthusiasm of a sea sponge. As I worked through her past and personality, I realized she was kind of a troublemaker. I wouldn’t say she is a troublesome person; she just doesn’t shy away from trouble when it interrupts her daily routine. She doesn’t care what most people think which has the effect of drawing people into her orbit in ways she doesn’t really care for. I’ve found many people are attracted to those who seem the least interested in them and that, in a nutshell, is Kasumi.

Kasumi’s name is written 一美 in Kanji which means “is one” and “is beauty.” So, in effect, she is the beautiful one. Being a visual person and useless at drawing (if anyone ever wants to collab with me on a manga I can write for you!) I start the process of my characters with a search for who I have in my mind. For Kasumi the search ended pretty quickly once I found a drawing by Ilya Kuvshinov on his artstation page. (The link is in the comments below!). He had drawn the Kasumi in my mind and her character began to come together quickly.

This is Kasumi. The look on her face and the entire attitude she gave off to me embodied her character. I made her hair shorter in the novel, just about shoulder-length but everything else was her.

The next phase in a character’s development for me is the basics. Height, weight, eye color, the usual. It helps round out their physical stature and gives me a better idea of descriptors and even, in some cases, ways people interact with the character. Here are Kasumi’s vitals:

Age: 16

Height: 158cm (5’2”)

Weight: 48.9 kg (108lbs)

Eye Color: Brown

Hair Color: Black

Measurements: B78, 58, 82 (31B, 22, 32)

Birthplace: Tottori City, Tottori, Japan

Hometown: Daisen, Tottori, Japan

Birthday: June 3, 2004

Birth Sign: Gemini

Zodiac: Monkey

Blood Type: AB

Hobbies: Video Games, Martial Arts, Drawing

The final part of the process for me is the most important: the character interview. It’s a technique I learned in college and employ with every character I write. It seems extraneous, but it honestly makes things even more plain about what motivates a character. Below is Kasumi’s interview for the job of main character:

MenchiKatsu: Good morning, thank you for coming in today. Did you have trouble finding the place?

Kasumi: No. Google and all.

MK: Good, good! So, why do you want the job of main character in My World and You.

K: It seems like it might be fun and not too much work.

MK: Well, there may be some awkward situations you could find yourself in but I doubt there’ll be too much ‘work’, as it were.

K: I’m fine with awkwardness. So long as I don’t have to, like, touch myself or something.

MK: …

K: …

MK: …

K: …

MK: Moving on. Do you have a job?

K: Well, sort of. I work as a Miko at the Ube shrine on the weekends.

MK: Oh! That’s pretty cool. Like, do you battle to the death with other priestesses?

K: What? No. I sell food or candy or charms and stuff like that. What battle? What are you talking about?

MK: Obscure reference, I guess. Anyway. Do you enjoy it?

K: Not really, it’s kind of boring and customers suck sometimes.

MK: Ah, yes, retail hell. I heard you used to be a model. What was that like?

K: I…honestly, it wasn’t by choice. My mom thought it’d help me attract a husband.

MK: I take it that aspect didn’t appeal to you.

K: Obviously not, no.

MK: What do you want to be in the future?

K: You mean ‘when you grow up’?

MK: Well, the phrase seemed kind of disrespectable but, yeah, I guess.

K: Honestly, I have no idea. I guess an artist or something would be cool.

MK: Like a painter?

K: Maybe not that, but like a video game artist might be cool.

MK: Oh, that would be fun.

K: (Shrugs)

MK: So, tell me a bit about your family.

K: (Rolls eyes) Do I have to?

MK: Sore subject?

K: It’s fine. It’s whatever. What do you want to know?

MK: I assume you don’t get along with them.

K: Was that a question?

MK: Sort of, I guess?

K: You’re right. I don’t get along with them very well. I mean, I’m good with Mio, my sister, and my dad’s kind of a non-entity, really. But My mom and brother I am not on good terms with.

MK: Why is that?

K: Wow, uber personal much? Fine. My mom has this whole idea of how “things are going to be” for me. Husband, housewife hell, the whole thing and my brother is a womanizing scumbag who isn’t worth the skin he’s inhabiting.

MK: I see.

K: I mean, what the hell is even up with that? How can two people be so completely clueless about how everyone around them feels? Those girls my brother is constantly screwing then screwing over have families and lives and thoughts and feelings of their own, but he doesn’t give a shit and my mom can’t see anything but her own selfish control freak needs. Who needs that crap?

MK: Do you dislike your brother for the sake of the girls he sleeps with or is there something more personal?

K: (Sighs and rubs the bridge of her nose) Look, Jun is an asshole. I mean, he’s shallow and selfish and spiteful and the personification of every negative trait known to man. Which should be enough reason to dislike him, right? Why do I get the feeling you’re asking something else?

MK: I don’t know. Why do you think I am?

K: I saw this on a drama once with a psychiatrist. No, he never touched me like that. He didn’t have to. He’d invite his friends over and around the time I turned 12 they’d sit in the living room and say lewd things to me. They’d be like “Oh, show that model ass!” or “You’ve got some nice tits growing in, there. Can’t wait to pluck them when they’re ripe.” Shit like that. It’s disgusting and no one should have to deal with that crap. Especially somewhere they’re supposed to feel safe in, like at home, you know?

MK: (nods) Did you tell your parents?

K: (laughs) Of course. Mom said it was “boys being boys” and my dad said he’d talk to him, but nothing ever happened. It was disgusting. Fortunately, they graduated and didn’t come over much afterward. It’s a good thing they didn’t. For their sake.

MK: For their sake?

K: Yup. I was past the point of caring about consequences and was about to kick their ass. Honestly, why should the victim have to worry about consequences when they’re defending their rights to not be tortured?

MK: Ah, yes, it says here you enjoy martial arts. Are you good?

K: I’m not bad. I’m a fourth dan in Shotokan Karate.

MK: Ah…I see. I have no idea what that means but it sounds impressive.

K: (shrugs) I guess. I still have a lot of work to do but I can defend myself or kick Jun’s ass if I need to. (grins)

MK: I guess that’s good! How long have you been practicing karate?

K: Hmmm…since I was 5, I think, so about 11 years.

MK: That’s quite a bit of dedication!

K: I suppose. I tend to throw myself into things wholeheartedly when I enjoy them.

MK: Single-minded?

K: I guess? I just like to make an effort, you know?

MK: I see. Very admirable. So, for the last question, since you have to take the train back to Tottori soon, what would you like to say to everyone out there who may be reading?

K: I guess be yourself. Don’t let other people define who you are and what you can and can’t do. No matter how old you are your feelings and opinions matter. Be true to yourself, even if others think you’re weird. The world was built by weird people so why shouldn’t we weirdos embrace it?

MK: (laughs) Well said! Thank you for your time! Would you like a ride back to the station?

K: Sure. Thanks for having me.

And there’s the interview! Well, there were some other questions but I don’t want to give away any spoilers 😊 I hope you’ve enjoyed this little segment. Next week I’ll talk about the other characters and then its back to the story! I hope you’ll join me as we work toward the end of the first book! Be safe!