Main * Fiction * Writing * Faith * Fred * Site * Links

Pre-Pylea Fred

We've all seen Pylea's effect on Winifred Burkle. She's become shy and nervous, finding it hard to trust. There are a million-and-one other essays out there for people who want to know how to write this Fred. But what about those of us who want to take a look at the girl she was before? How much do we really know? We know she grew up in Texas with her mother and father, Trish and Roger Burkle. From what we know, we can also assume she's an only child. We know she moved to LA to study Physics, and worked in a library before she was taken to Pylea.

But how much of the character we've seen so far has grown out of her having to survive in Pylea? It seems unlikely that the Fred we know would have had the confidence to move to LA alone at such a young age. Writing fiction around a character that could be completely different from the one we know is difficult, and mainly a matter of opinion that will vary from author to author. I personally see her as a Willow-like character, although weighted more towards Science-nerd rather than Computer-geek.

We know Fred has worn glasses since before Pylea, as she had them with her, a way of keeping her grounded to the real world. Her appearance will probably have remained pretty much the same as we see her now. Many of her little character quirks and traits will have stuck, while others will be new. We know she likes to eat, having been deprived of 'real' food for five years, whereas she probably wouldn't have the same interest in food before this.

Writing a piece of work like this - or even just a flashback - all depends on your handle of the character now, and knowing how she fits into what you're writing. If you want to write her meeting up with the other characters a different way - perhaps she never went to Pylea - what's important is that you keep enough of the girl we know now for the readers to recognize her, and relate her to the Fred we've seen ourselves.

Writing flashbacks to Fred's life pre-Pylea in a fic set now is slightly different. You need to really know what she's doing, who she's doing it with - and if you create original characters, you need to really believe that this is what she might have been doing before - and that she'd really hang around with these people.

Basically, make sure that you keep the Fred you're creating grounded in the Fred we know already. Pylea wouldn't have changed her personality completely, just drawn some fears and traits out of her that may have been hovering in the background before. Look around at essays on Fred today. Don't take everything I've said as the Bible, apply it to your own situations and contexts. Even if you know your fic is set before she meets up with the gang, don't be too stubborn to read other essays anyway.

They might give you the facts and tips that you need to get your Fred perfect.