Writing Practice 8: Who is Richard?

If any form of writing whatsoever is practice, then if I write to brainstorm a character I will not only evolve some form of story but also practice writing overall. Writing out some basic ideas about this Richard character is good for me in two ways. If I stick with Richard, I figure he'll end up being endlessly interesting.

I might as well draw some interesting things from my own life and apply them to Richard.
I'm interested in science.
Richard is a scientist.

I'd like to promote optimism, so, Richard is an optimist.

How do I show a man who is scientific in his optimism, or, who manifests optimism through his interest in science?

Richard stands before a crowd, seated in a church.
He is speaking in memory of his life-long best friend, who has just died.
It's the funeral.
Richard begins to speak into a microphone.

"There are too many problems with life. Too many forces fighting against life. If this planet were any closer to the sun we'd all burn and if it were any farther from it we'd all freeze. We're just the perfect distance away - we're in the Goldilocks Position. It's just right.

The chances of life existing on this planet were essentially Nil and we made it. Of all the places in the universe, life happened here. And I was born in the same geographical location as my friend in the coffin here. And I was born in the same period of history. We found each other, connected, had a friendship and we improved each other as people. We evolved.

The chances of me meeting him were unfathomable. But it happened.
I'm a scientist. I don't believe in an afterlife. So, where's my comfort here?

I don't have any regrets from our friendship. I loved him and I told him so. He knew it.
His company clearly made me happy, and my happiness was a clear thanks to his contributions.
I learned about myself while we were friends. I unlocked parts of my character I would have never discovered without that particular collaboration.
Everybody dies. It happens. But our friendship was everything it could have possibly been. We achieved that connection's full potential.
And so, here I stand before you, proudly. I knew this man.
I'm glad to have known him.

And one day this planet will be consumed by the sun.
And one day that sun will explode.
And when it does, the energy that composed this friend of mine will be shot out into the universe.

His atoms will be subject to discovery
The Atomic Memory of his atoms will be viewed.
And his life will be recognized.
Until then, it's up to us to appreciate.
Appreciate our sadness for this loss.
The sadder it is, the more we loved him and the better the person he was."

Now, I don't know what Richard looks like, sounds like, dresses like or walks like - but him saying that surely gives him some character, in my opinion.

That's a start. I like this route. Model a character on their philosophy, as opposed to their actions of physical appearance.

Sidenote: I don't like giving physical descriptions of characters. I'd rather be able to write such an intricate character that the reader pictures them perfectly without me ever having to really describe what they look like.

Sidenote 2 - The Revenge: I gotta be careful not to simply spew my own philosophies into this character, or I'll end up using him as a megaphone for my own personal politics. He'll also come across as nothing more than the voice of me, and I'm not writing me I'm writing him.


Personal Goal: Aim to eventually have Richard not think and talk like I do. Use him now, temporarily, to rant my own ideas but slowly craft him into someone other than myself.