Post by Edward Mercier on Nov 3, 2008 9:10:43 GMT -5
I don't know about the rest of you fellows, but when I add details to a character, I can't help but spend a long time thinking it through. And I did it this time, too, when I wondered what sort of wand Edward would have.
The result? I found this! (Yes, that's a link, it's just hard to see.)
Some of you might find it useful. It lists the magical and metaphysical properties of different sorts of wood and gives useful lists of the things that they stand for, which could give a character's wand a bit more meaning behind it than just being a sparkly wave-stick of awesome and win. (You could also go with the Celtic system and take a wand wood that fits your character's birthdate--which is actually what Jo did with Harry, Hermione and Ron.)
You might even choose to go with a wood depending on color; holly is white, ebony is black, ash is gray, redwood is... red, and so on, so forth. White might stand for purity and restoration; black might stand for grimness. Gray could be somewhere in between or, perhaps, something else entirely, and red could stand for energy and flashiness. Yellows might be mellow and light-hearted, and browns may be mighty but slow. It's really all up to you, and how you choose to interpret the colors.
Core: I think people usually just pick whatever core they like best, but here's a brief rundown of the three main cores mentioned in the books and the sort of things they might stand for that might apply either to your character's personality or the type of magic they're good at casting. This is not at all an exhaustive list--just a little something to get you started!
Dragon Heartstring - Strength, power, empathy, stubbornness, courage
Phoenix Feather - Immortality, fire, victory, flight, eternity
Unicorn Tail Hair - Innocence, purity, defeat of death, healing, majesty
We can't forget that Jo mentioned that other cores can be used, too--those are simply the three used by Mr. Ollivander. While it's encouraged to pick one of these cores, if you have a foreign character, you might have a fun time thinking about cores from different magical creatures to use in their wand, and the things they might mean. (And I don't only mean Veela hair!)
Length: So far I haven't discovered much about wand length, but Mr. Ollivander always mentions it along with the wood and the core, so I suppose it must be just as important. I'm not entirely sure what wand length has to do with anything; the only thing I can think of is the fact that a longer wand could have a longer, and thus greater amount of, core. I think it'd be best to take your character's size into account when choosing this, though--taller or larger people might wield longer wands simply because they are more comfortable to use. It's really difficult to say what wand length stands for, though, so making up a number in inches and slapping it on is perfectly acceptable. 8B
Characteristics: Wands are often described with words like 'springy', 'rigid', 'swishy', and so on. These can also be used to your advantage when trying to find the perfect wand for your character. Inflexible wands might belong to someone who's either stubborn or simply very sturdy, perhaps being a person that is unshaken by horrors or doesn't mind having their shoulder cried on; perhaps they are very loyal. Swishy wands could be owned by people of whim, bouncing back and forth between ideas, and perhaps doing the same with their favored types of magic. Maybe they're talented in a lot of different fields; maybe these folks are just pleasant and go with the flow. Springy wands sound like they'd be owned by people who can bounce back from unpleasant situations, who don't hold grudges, or who often find themselves exploring new fields, only to return to preferring the one they started with. Brittle wands sound as delicate as their owners might be; easy to shatter, emotionally or mentally, perhaps, but putting up a front of strength (or of inflexibility in the case of the wand) to hide their insecurity and their weakness. And those are just ideas--think about it for a time, and pick a characteristic that best fits your character and their wand.
Der you go, a fairly useless post for your enjoyment, and written mostly for my own entertainment at one of those boring, morning hours when there is little else to do. Have fun with it--these aren't rules, just guidelines and ideas, after all. Don't be afraid to go back and change a character's wand if you find something that you like more and feels more 'in sync' with that character, though. Wands are a tiny little detail, really, but they can reveal a lot about their witch or wizard, if you'd like them to.
The result? I found this! (Yes, that's a link, it's just hard to see.)
Some of you might find it useful. It lists the magical and metaphysical properties of different sorts of wood and gives useful lists of the things that they stand for, which could give a character's wand a bit more meaning behind it than just being a sparkly wave-stick of awesome and win. (You could also go with the Celtic system and take a wand wood that fits your character's birthdate--which is actually what Jo did with Harry, Hermione and Ron.)
You might even choose to go with a wood depending on color; holly is white, ebony is black, ash is gray, redwood is... red, and so on, so forth. White might stand for purity and restoration; black might stand for grimness. Gray could be somewhere in between or, perhaps, something else entirely, and red could stand for energy and flashiness. Yellows might be mellow and light-hearted, and browns may be mighty but slow. It's really all up to you, and how you choose to interpret the colors.
Core: I think people usually just pick whatever core they like best, but here's a brief rundown of the three main cores mentioned in the books and the sort of things they might stand for that might apply either to your character's personality or the type of magic they're good at casting. This is not at all an exhaustive list--just a little something to get you started!
Dragon Heartstring - Strength, power, empathy, stubbornness, courage
Phoenix Feather - Immortality, fire, victory, flight, eternity
Unicorn Tail Hair - Innocence, purity, defeat of death, healing, majesty
We can't forget that Jo mentioned that other cores can be used, too--those are simply the three used by Mr. Ollivander. While it's encouraged to pick one of these cores, if you have a foreign character, you might have a fun time thinking about cores from different magical creatures to use in their wand, and the things they might mean. (And I don't only mean Veela hair!)
Length: So far I haven't discovered much about wand length, but Mr. Ollivander always mentions it along with the wood and the core, so I suppose it must be just as important. I'm not entirely sure what wand length has to do with anything; the only thing I can think of is the fact that a longer wand could have a longer, and thus greater amount of, core. I think it'd be best to take your character's size into account when choosing this, though--taller or larger people might wield longer wands simply because they are more comfortable to use. It's really difficult to say what wand length stands for, though, so making up a number in inches and slapping it on is perfectly acceptable. 8B
Characteristics: Wands are often described with words like 'springy', 'rigid', 'swishy', and so on. These can also be used to your advantage when trying to find the perfect wand for your character. Inflexible wands might belong to someone who's either stubborn or simply very sturdy, perhaps being a person that is unshaken by horrors or doesn't mind having their shoulder cried on; perhaps they are very loyal. Swishy wands could be owned by people of whim, bouncing back and forth between ideas, and perhaps doing the same with their favored types of magic. Maybe they're talented in a lot of different fields; maybe these folks are just pleasant and go with the flow. Springy wands sound like they'd be owned by people who can bounce back from unpleasant situations, who don't hold grudges, or who often find themselves exploring new fields, only to return to preferring the one they started with. Brittle wands sound as delicate as their owners might be; easy to shatter, emotionally or mentally, perhaps, but putting up a front of strength (or of inflexibility in the case of the wand) to hide their insecurity and their weakness. And those are just ideas--think about it for a time, and pick a characteristic that best fits your character and their wand.
Der you go, a fairly useless post for your enjoyment, and written mostly for my own entertainment at one of those boring, morning hours when there is little else to do. Have fun with it--these aren't rules, just guidelines and ideas, after all. Don't be afraid to go back and change a character's wand if you find something that you like more and feels more 'in sync' with that character, though. Wands are a tiny little detail, really, but they can reveal a lot about their witch or wizard, if you'd like them to.
