I have experienced this exact thing where some feel the characters I've created in some way, form or shape exist some how in some form for real. One the one hand it's quite flattering to think you made something that feels so read to someone that they'd feel that way, but on the other hand , you sorta hope the person doesn't stop their life to love something that can't exist from paper.

Well I certainly have had a few character crushes from time to time. I think you have to remember that it is imaginary...try not to lose yourself too much in those fantasties.

I can actually relate. When I was young, furry art meant so much more to me than it does now; the porn has overwhelmed the magic, for the most part.

But Ayame Emaya (or some name like that) was an artist whose art touched me deeply. Even the sexual art, it was all so beautifully drawn that looking at it gave me a sort of peace. I can understand developing a deep emotional attachment to a character, and sympathize completely.

It's unhealthy, though. Real relationships have a greater return value. It really depends on who you are, though. Not every person is the same. For some people, that lifestyle may suit them *shrugs* I dunno. It's ignorant to assume you know every facet of humanity.

I'm fairly certain these aren't real letters, but I do wonder if they are. They're very good, and I enjoy them, whether real or not.

Keep it up, you're a great artist <3 (and writer ;3)

"It's ignorant to assume you know every facet of humanity."

you sir/ma'am/ze, are beautiful for saying this <3

Thanks! :D *slaps you on the back* =]

I have something like this actually. Whether she is my imaginary girlfriend, a figment of my imagination or something else. There is this phantom vixen, she only exists in my mind, I know she does but I still feel weird for how I feel about her. I keep asking myself why I have this phantom female in my life. Is she some sort of compensation for the fact that I haven't found a real woman to have a relationship with? I don't really know...

boy how I can sypathise with this this was me befor I found my boy friend I still have crushes on a couple of my fav characters but as long as it dose not efect your ability to make friendships irl I personaly have no problom but when it gets to the point where it effects your real like I find that it is important to get help maybe from a shrink or some close to you *shrug*

Its no different from having a muse. A mental image of something that helps give your mind wings to write, simply changed to make your heart and soul fly too. I don't see why it is so different. :) We all live in a world where the real is so oppressive sometimes. I know its not healthy to run away from reality but there isn't anything wrong with having a voice to help lift you up and make you feel loved.

for advice: Everyone feels that way about their first love, the problem is with fictional characters you rarely, if ever, see the flaws that make them human like the rest so they will always be perfect. Obsession with anything is never good. If it's interfering with your life or leaving you in a place you don't want to be then it is time to move on. Figure out the qualities that make the ling-doe so perfect and start looking for them in other people. You'll see that the thigns that make her so perfect are much more commonplace and the next time you look at the ling-doe she will be a lot more ordinary. If she does act as a muse there is no problem with that. people who do great things are always inspired by something, but judging from what was written it sounds more like an obsession than a muse.


personal experience... I think Velma was my first crush ever, though I've never been so interested in something I plaster their picture over my walls...* looks at all the snow leopards he has around the room.* ...ok well maybe one thing. :P

I already commented on DA with a much better comment, but it seems to me like people are interpreting this a little differently than I am, here.

I think there is a very heavy line between "having a crush" on a fictional character and "being in love" with a fictional character, and it -seems- like "being in love" was the goal, here. ( Though I might be wrong )

There's nothing strange about having a crush on a fictional character. Crushes are just attraction, really--I'm attracted to fictional characters all the time. That's sort of the BASIS of porn--especially erotica and drawn art. This seems to be what most people are equating this image to.

However, being -in love- with a fictional character is much different. We're not just talking about thinking a character is cute and thinking; "Oh hey, I'd love to hang out with her in real life." We're talking about someone KNOWING that a character is completely fictional, and legitimately having feelings for them. In a worst case scenario, someone who is literally willing to reject other lovers in an effort to "save" themselves for that character, or because no one can ever compare to that character. Or, in some cases, simply for love.

I'm not saying that this is good or bad, but in my mind, my concern lies with the people who will be rejected for that "love." I can only imagine how hard it would be to love someone who was in love with a fictional character--not only knowing you could never compare, but knowing that unless that love faded, you never even stood a chance at being with that person, since they sort of "went in" to the relationship knowing it was hopeless. This is someone who is, at least for now, prepared to go their entire lives with only a fictional character to love. :<

I think a lot of furries have had this experience.
I have had a minor crush-like thing on a couple of characters, but nowhere near the way the way described in this dear L letter.

Almost every character I create in my writings, or very fleshed out characters in games and books feels like a 'real' person to me. I know so much about them, it's like we're intimate friends. Fatalities in novels and games hit hard, especially if they were a dear character. I can't relate to feeling in love with one, however.

Nothing wrong about this at all~

I totally understand, been there before, all I can do is grudgingly force myself to move on

had the entire love thing going for a while, until I forced myself to break off contact, never to see her again; I had to since it was interfering with my feelings for others

As others have related here, I developed a few crushes on fictional characters in middle school, although not to the degree that Anonymous has. More pronounced in my mind are the times in the same period when I got crushes on artists, typically webcomic artists, based on how they expressed themselves in their writing and art.

As for Anonymous him(?)self, he's dealing with multiple problems. Most obviously, if he were focused on a real woman, his level of obsession would be considered fairly creepy at best, as his behavior is the kind typically associated with people under a restraining order. Second, 'his' Ling-Doe is an idealized fantasy constructed mostly in his own head-he's essentially engaging in emotional masturbation, and there's no opportunity for true engagement, much less actual love. This would be true regardless of whether 'his' Ling-Doe were based on a real woman or a drawing. As long as he continues practicing this, he's damaging his ability to grow as a person. As an addition to the last point, as long as he pursues the figment in his head, and probably for some time after, he's going to be blinded to some degree to the world around him, rather like what RainbowsHaven was getting at above.

I think 'quitting' Ling-Doe cold turkey is both best, and rather unlikely. Even if he wants to quit, with the level of emotional investment he's put in, I expect it will be hard. But at the very least Anonymous needs to get out and be around real people outside of his own head.

What your artist has done is nothing more extraordinary than to simply do his job.

Art is alive. It has a personality, and like anything with a strong personality it can have psychological effects on those who come into contact with it. Your artist brought a goddess to your screen, and in her you found a perfect vessel for your latent desire to love someone. Respect her for what she is, Anon, no more and no less than a muse in the aether. Once you settle your relationship with her, you'll find yourself free again to pursue the romantic bond you really wanted all along with somebody else.

Oh, and don't make the mistake of comparing potential mates to her. Your soulmate will be unique woman to which the fevered dreams of artists cannot compare.

Tough to say... As long as you don't lose your grip on reality, you're OK. Still, you shouldn't let a fictional character be the source of your entire happiness. This goes for real people too. Easier said than done? You bet it is.

Great topic of discussion, by the way.

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4346083/
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2176702/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5428951/

i know how this feels, i was kinda like that when i first became a furry. funny, cuz for a while i just like this, though minus the begging the artist to commission cuz i have no cash, but i see where he's getting at. in any case, what i say is simple, it's ok to feel this way, and it feels good, but after a while you'll have to understand that it's unlikely you'll ever really meet. but, if you can also think about it, there must be someone where the art was inspired from. so to a degree, she may exist, though not fully the way the char is made. all i can say is there is always someone out there, i found that out just yesterday...

Totally cool to love and be attracted to fictional characters and feel a connection with them. Many people do. But, forsaking real relationships or trying to get someone who is an exact match to the fictional character, that's crossing the line.

To me my characters are real. I believe they exist in another world. Not here of course. Toran and Erissa have a real life and a real home in a place I can probably never go to. But in my mind they're as real as the memory of someone I met yesterday or five minutes ago. They mean a lot to me. If an anonymous furry was in love with Erissa Rakshanon I would take that very seriously. I would even believe him. As what to do about it I don't know. I would like my characters to be with me in person as much as anyone else would. But besides the stories I write and the commissions I get made, they must stay in that other world where all imagined things live. But I don't think it's wrong to be in love with something imaginary. Who knows, maybe what you imagine does become real in another place.

Thank you for writing this Alex and your art is wonderful as well. Put me in that deep thinking mindset there.

The heart wants what it wants, whether it's achievable or not. At some point in life everyone develops a crush in an imaginary being because they embody some idealistic nature we're attracted to. Most of the time we eventually grow out of this phase at an early age, but sometimes these crushes remain longer than with others.

Help might be needed. Not necessarily psychological help as this is a matter of the heart more than the head. Rather help in the form of finding an actual person that can generate similar feelings of attraction and desire either through actions or personal character.