How do you write another persons character?

The introduction of Xylia today marks a challenge in writing. Using another persons character in a story. I'm sure the same issues arise when doing tributes to a character like Sherlock Holmes or other well known and often used characters, but it's particularly challenging when you're taking a D&D persona of a friend.

So how do you do it? First, since the characters I'm taking from the campaign I ran were experienced from my perspective as a DM, so as far as how the character acts in a party, it's a bit easier to understand how the character acts. But in writing the character, I also have to be able to channel the personality which is a bit more tricky, because that means I have to assume I know how my friend was thinking when she played and made the character.

That's where my belief that a writer cannot write themselves out of a story comes in. Or in this case, a person cannot distance themselves from their character. Xylia has a lot of traits that are evident in my friend, especially in her appearance which I took great liberties with. Personality wise though, the character is also drawing upon parts of my friends personality.

So the hard part really is fitting them into the story, which works well as a true chaotic neutral entity in what is developing as a lawful good, lawful neutral, and neutral party. The little bit of chaos will do everyone good.