Objects as CHARACTERS

[Muppetus Galacticus]

I am just starting a trilogy of graphic novels and was just wondering if I doing the right thing here or if it is not really a big deal.

The main driving force of my stories will be the planet Venus. Now, when I give my panel descriptions I go with the following format by using capitals to acknowledge each character. Should I do the same with Venus?

Panel 3: Orbital shot of VENUS with meteors streaking through space towards the planet with a few others burning in the atmosphere.

If so, would it be ideal to write up a character description of VENUS as if it was a person? Seeing it in black & white here now, it does make some sense. If I want the readers to feel it's presense then surely it would be beneficial to give it it's own "character" page so it has more chance of being ingrained into the minds of those who read, artists and even myself as something very important.

Has anyone else worked along these lines before?

[xadrian]

I would only do that if you plan on making Venus a living thing. Inanimate (and by that I mean non-concious) items really can't have characterization. They can have character in as much as how they look or seem on the surface. But they don't act or react.

However, writers have given much to anthropomorphizing the wind, the sea, the mountains, the rivers of Earth and have even given the planet, Mother Earth, the image of a nurturing, warm and caring planet that is prone to acts of agression towards humans. We're always saying things like "She's shrugging us off" about earthquakes or "She's washing us out" for floods.

So you can, but I don't think a characterization sheet would be in order. If it's the focus of the story, let the characters tell about it. Even with anecdotal traits, description of a planet should be about climate and topopgraphy. That should illuminate it's personality enough.

[Ninjai]

A lot of writers personalize inanimate objects not only to avoid saying "it this and it that", but also to set the tone of the writing. Giving objects a gender makes it more intimate in the writing and more personal.