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Some time ago, a friend called my OC's "the only redeeming quality of my stories" and made me write an outline how I built them. It took some serious thinking back then, because I do it in reflex by now. But nevertheless I wrote the outline and some friends found it helpful. By now I translated it into english, updating it here and there, adding some hints that I came across later.
And here it is - another completely useless writing theory. *laughs* I hope it is still helpful for someone.
The basic guide to character building
1. Why an original character?
The first, and perhaps most important question of a fanfiction writer: why the he** should I include an original character if I already got the whole bunch of characters that were in the story?! Well, there ware several reasons why an original character might be needed in a story.
Reason A: You are in need of another villain
Yes, this happens rather often as good TV shows tend to kill of the bad guy’s on a regular basis. Just look what happens should you happen to need a good Goa’uld in Stargate, most of them died sooner or later. The same goes for many other Fandoms. Canon villains have a certain time and than they die or change their ways and get useless for fanfic writers. So many villains tend to be OC’s. A well written villain is a treat to any story and makes the hero all the more credible, so it’s good to invest some time into them.
Reson B: You always wanted to get a certain point across.
I think every fan know this situation, there is a point in the story where you’d love to slap the hero, or to kick them all to see reason again. Only no one does. This can be a reason for an OC either. I myself discovered this possibility after rereading “The Vicomte de Bragelonne.” In the end, at Athos and Rauls grave, d’Artagnan says some less than friendly things to Louise. I was always angry at that point and wanted someone to tell Louise, she had done nothing wrong. But there was no one, except that annoying musketeer. So I came to invent a character and needed a story of hundred pages to explain how he had come to be there. For all the time I wrote it looked like it was a story about something else, and mostly about Athos, before I came to the scene that started the whole thing. So you see, and OC can allow you to change the tone of things slightly.
But here you need to check the situation first, is there no Canon character who could do the job? You won’t need an OC to talk some sense into Mace Windu, in “Revenge of the Sith”, you have got a good choice of Canon Jedi, who say next to nothing in the show, and can step in. You might need an OC when you want to change the events at the Bordeaux submarine base in “Highlander: Revelation 6:8”. Technically you could implement Joe into the story, but this could push the bounds of realistic a little bit. Which sane man of Joe’s age would ever try to get between three to seven enraged Immortals? So it might be necessary to have an OC there. You want to have someone to talk some sense into Eomer in “The Two Towers” before he rides off North? Well, that’s certainly screaming for an OC.
Analysing whether a canon character can do the job is easy enough. Just imagine them there, and what they would do, and you’ll know if they can be of any help.
Reason C: You need something done, that no canon character would do, ever.
Now, that’s a tricky one. Albeit it is true, that stories can built up to a point that could only be solved by measures, despised by the CC’s, it is still tricky letting it being done by an OC. There are several things you should think about. First, if this has to be done, could none of the CC’s get around and do it, for the sheer necessity? It might get some interesting character study. If not, we come to the second point. If none of the CC’s ever would do this, how shall they accept the person which did this, for them? If it breaks their code of morality or honour, they will likely despise that character afterwards. If you plan on having them understand in the end, you can go straight back to point one and let a CC come around. This sounds too confusing? Let’s get practical.
For the sake of argument imagine a story in “Star Wars” Fandom where you want someone to assassinate Chancellor Palpatine before he can send the Clone Troops to the Jedi temple. None of the Jedi would sink as low as assassination, we should think. Or would they? Hold it, we need to get a step back further. Why would someone assassinate Palpatine? Because he has found out what Palpatine plans or he knows the future. So, here we are. The Jedi aren’t assassins, they are far too honourable to do this. So one might try to invent a character who does this instead. Fine as far as this goes, but – the Jedi will not think much of that man afterwards, probably even hunt him down for murder. If that’s fine with you, you are on the road to a fine, tragic character. If you want the Jedi to come around and understand in the end, then give someone of them the job and make it a character journey. It will probably become a fine story.
You are probably asking by now, “Why should I invent an OC to do the dirty work, if this ends unfriendly anyway?” I didn’t say that it doesn’t work, just that you should think about the character of the canon chars. You might also encounter a situation, where the canon chars still would never ever do the deed, but are willing to accept that someone with less scruples does it. That’s a difficult attitude to write.
To return to our hypothetical murder of Chancellor Palpatine: you could try to establish the OC (the later murderer) in relation to one of the tougher Jedi, Mace would be ideal. And you can get Mace to the point of realising that no Jedi can go after the Chancellor without dire results. And he – it would certainly be a lonely decision – might conclude that this has to be done otherwise. He might silently live with what our OC had done later, but it would be a very difficult journey.
You see, there’s a difficult field of study, but one that’s rewarding.
A variety of this, is having someone in because of something the CC’s can’t do. That’s dangerous, because it can easily get you on the road to an Über OC. But there situations when it can’t be done, without an OC. Here too, a deep analysis of the situation is needed. You want to save Boromir from the Orcs? Well, you have five characters to play with already, six, if you decide to give Frodo some guts. Good chances to change the story without outside help. (You could even assume Eomer fled far more north, than Tolkien ever anticipated.) No need for an OC. You want to save Haldir in Helms Klamm? Hm, that’s close to the mark. If you want just someone to bail him out from the orcs, than let Aragorn be a bit faster, if you want to do it the more magical way, you might need another elven warrior or some other OC. Just play the situation around in your head and you’ll get the feeling what you need there. Once you know what you need, start thinking how to get it there. Why is the OC where he is? But more about this, later.
Reason D: You want an outside perspective on the characters.
That’s a particularly rewarding one. To have a character who doesn’t share the same values and outlook than the CC’s and can be a nice point for discussion and banter, is something that can lead up to a deeper understanding of the CC’s. This OC serves as a mirror to the CC’s and can help you to describe the CC’s from the outside, when you can’t write them from the inside. It’s a trick I used more than once.
Reason E: You want to pair off your favourite character.
Big danger sign: this is a very difficult thing to do, and you are facing major Mary Sue hazards. Other readers will not easily accept an OC with perhaps their favourite CC too. The first question is: is there no CC that could be the partner of your little favourite? Take your time before dismissing this opportunity. Sometimes a side character, even someone who hasn’t three lines in the show, can prove an interesting challenge. An unlikely pairing can also be of some challenge. If you really can’t find anyone fitting, than it’s off to OC creation.
2. How to create an OC?
There are writers who never have troubles with OC’s, they just wander into their head and stay there. Lucky those people who never need to think about OC’s. Most other will have to do some thinking work. But it can be far easier by using some Qestions and answers to help you along. During this part I will use an example character, (hypothetically for Highlander Fandom) who serves just to illustrate what is meant, by the Questions.
2.1 Exterior
The looks of an OC are as important as the looks of the CC’s. So make very clear form the outset what the character looks like and what do you want to achieve with their looks. Do you want a character that easily blends in? Than let his looks be mediocre without special marks. You want you readers be a little afraid of him? Give him a nice face scar or make him albinotic, that freaks many people out.
These are the major facts you should get together.
Name: - the most tricky point. The name must fit the character, and it can take some time before you found the right one. Try saying it aloud to find if it got the right ring to it.
Hair – as much as we all love the bright coloured characters, many people are born to in between colours, or the wide variety of brown shades. Keep that in mind, when creating a character.
Eyes – settle for one colour. People with changing eyes are rather rare and the variety of changes is limited. Clearly eyes can grow darker or lighter, but that’s about all mostly. People of the light brown/green or grey/blue variety in changing aren’t that abundant and the colour change is sometimes a little overdone in the fandoms. It can be rewarding to describe the mood changes in eyes that seem to be of ordinary brown or grey.
Height – here the time is important. If you set your fic in the past, you need to keep in mind that very tall people (above 6feet) were a rarity, and the populace was generally smaller. Also keep in mind the disadvantages of being tall – trouble with low doors and all this.
Stature – important point and here too, you need to stick by one description. Is your character rather muscular or rather lean? Is he wiry? Or just of ordinary built?
Marks: - that point is very very important. Here you line out what kinds of marks are visible on your OC. Has he scars? Or tattoos? Birthmarks? They all help to make him unique, but remember: every such mark has a history you need to think about too. (Except the Birthmarks of course)
So here is the example: Name: Léon de la Chapelle
Hair: auburn
Eyes: greyish – green
Height: 6 feet
Stature: lean
Marks: Scar close to the jaw line (received at the age of fourteen), scar on the back of the right hand. (received when nearly killed by an avalanche)
(Highlander specific note: Léon is an Immortal)
2.2 Age, Position and Character
This is a rather complex part of the work, because you determine what you character is all about. Start always with:
Current Position – here you determine what your OC is doing by the time he enters your story. Is he a computer programmer or a shop assistant? Always remember, once you set this fact, you must explain how he came to be there.
Date and place of birth – determines obviously the age of you character but also the time in which he grew up. What events happened around him. This is necessary to determine what events shaped him. It also determines the nation of you character, adding to what was already said. Authors often tend to give characters significant birth dates, Christmas, New Year, Solstices, try to avoid this. There are loads of other specials dates. Start at Hallows eve and look up a calendar of the Saints. It’s not very interesting to say a character was born mid-January but say he was born on St. Agnes eve, and you capture the readers imagination, without having said anything different.
Strengths – here it get’s tricky. A flawless character is boring so is a mediocre character. Try to picture every strength you list here, with it’s down side. Someone with a high tolerance of pain, will likely be a little insensitive to others in pain.
Weaknesses – list them in as much detail as you did the strengths. Combined they are the basic character built. Do try and think of some interesting weaknesses, they make the character more human and likeable. They are also an excuse to get him into endless trouble and new stories.
Temper – Not just a bit of trivia, but an important detail. Understanding your characters temper will help you to understand his actions. An impulsive character will head off into danger and wonder how he got there, while an analytical character will avoid half the dangers, but be less likely to flare up.
Character history – list all important events in your characters life. How did he get to the place where he is now? Explaining why a character is there, is very important. Nothing is more annoying than those characters who “just happen to come along” or who come out of the blue.
Quotes – something to verbalise your character a little more, it helps to determine his true character
Current Position – swordmaster, instructs pupils in classical rapier fencing
Date and place of birth – April the 4th (St. Isidor) 1581 in: Chateaux de la Chapelle, Breton
Strengths – strong fighter (preferred weapon: rapier), strong endurance, has a high tolerance of pain, moves usually with ease and grace and nearly silently through most surroundings, usually good with words, using them as a shield, rapid learner of languages
Weaknesses – has a very limited tolerance towards alcohol, nearly unable to express his feelings verbally (words are for him a shield to hide his feelings more often), isn’t good with mathematics of any kind, is still ignorant of many basic physical principles and other physical laws.
Temper – controlled, analytical. Hardly ever flares up but can get very cynical when seriously hurt, what happens rarely Usually parries off anything that comes close with words.
Character history – Léon comes close to be the product of a rape. His mother was taken prisoner by a ruthless nobleman, raped and later took her own life. This nobleman – Brian de la Chapelle – kept Léon just to torture the woman’s family. At the age of fourteen Léon witnessed his father hunted down by several honourable nobles who ended his ruthless days. Léon escaped barely with his life and was raised by Brian’s granduncle who was ignorant of the true circumstances. The old, cynic man formed Léon much after his own image. Léon suffered his first death at the age of 27 and is still struggling to overcome Brian’s influence on his life. The hate of his mothers family haunted him for many generations.
Quotes: “The first rule of a good fighter is to know when not to fight.”
You see what happened. Out of nowhere we have a character with a name, a sketched history and a basic psychology. Ready to start? No?
Here’s some additional advice:
I. When writing, try to forget what you would do, but ask what your character would do. Even as it seems unwise, ridiculous or even stupid. The more you delve into the character the better he'll come out.
II. Get training. Character building is a question of training. There are some things you can do. You can try on writing stories which are basically character conflicts (father - son conflicts or some such). Get into a good RPG. Nothing helps you more than having to built a character from scratch and learning to love his unique strengths and weaknesses. Get interested in the sidekicks. Any novel has some characters, not originally intended as heroes, who often are the salt and pepper of the story. Concentrate on them, try to think out more about them, and so on. And last: always think of your characters background. You say he's afraid of the dark, so why? What happened to him, that he is? It's tedious in the beginning but it will give your characters a psychological depth.
III. Never forget: this character is NOT you, but someone independend.
And here it is - another completely useless writing theory. *laughs* I hope it is still helpful for someone.
The basic guide to character building
1. Why an original character?
The first, and perhaps most important question of a fanfiction writer: why the he** should I include an original character if I already got the whole bunch of characters that were in the story?! Well, there ware several reasons why an original character might be needed in a story.
Reason A: You are in need of another villain
Yes, this happens rather often as good TV shows tend to kill of the bad guy’s on a regular basis. Just look what happens should you happen to need a good Goa’uld in Stargate, most of them died sooner or later. The same goes for many other Fandoms. Canon villains have a certain time and than they die or change their ways and get useless for fanfic writers. So many villains tend to be OC’s. A well written villain is a treat to any story and makes the hero all the more credible, so it’s good to invest some time into them.
Reson B: You always wanted to get a certain point across.
I think every fan know this situation, there is a point in the story where you’d love to slap the hero, or to kick them all to see reason again. Only no one does. This can be a reason for an OC either. I myself discovered this possibility after rereading “The Vicomte de Bragelonne.” In the end, at Athos and Rauls grave, d’Artagnan says some less than friendly things to Louise. I was always angry at that point and wanted someone to tell Louise, she had done nothing wrong. But there was no one, except that annoying musketeer. So I came to invent a character and needed a story of hundred pages to explain how he had come to be there. For all the time I wrote it looked like it was a story about something else, and mostly about Athos, before I came to the scene that started the whole thing. So you see, and OC can allow you to change the tone of things slightly.
But here you need to check the situation first, is there no Canon character who could do the job? You won’t need an OC to talk some sense into Mace Windu, in “Revenge of the Sith”, you have got a good choice of Canon Jedi, who say next to nothing in the show, and can step in. You might need an OC when you want to change the events at the Bordeaux submarine base in “Highlander: Revelation 6:8”. Technically you could implement Joe into the story, but this could push the bounds of realistic a little bit. Which sane man of Joe’s age would ever try to get between three to seven enraged Immortals? So it might be necessary to have an OC there. You want to have someone to talk some sense into Eomer in “The Two Towers” before he rides off North? Well, that’s certainly screaming for an OC.
Analysing whether a canon character can do the job is easy enough. Just imagine them there, and what they would do, and you’ll know if they can be of any help.
Reason C: You need something done, that no canon character would do, ever.
Now, that’s a tricky one. Albeit it is true, that stories can built up to a point that could only be solved by measures, despised by the CC’s, it is still tricky letting it being done by an OC. There are several things you should think about. First, if this has to be done, could none of the CC’s get around and do it, for the sheer necessity? It might get some interesting character study. If not, we come to the second point. If none of the CC’s ever would do this, how shall they accept the person which did this, for them? If it breaks their code of morality or honour, they will likely despise that character afterwards. If you plan on having them understand in the end, you can go straight back to point one and let a CC come around. This sounds too confusing? Let’s get practical.
For the sake of argument imagine a story in “Star Wars” Fandom where you want someone to assassinate Chancellor Palpatine before he can send the Clone Troops to the Jedi temple. None of the Jedi would sink as low as assassination, we should think. Or would they? Hold it, we need to get a step back further. Why would someone assassinate Palpatine? Because he has found out what Palpatine plans or he knows the future. So, here we are. The Jedi aren’t assassins, they are far too honourable to do this. So one might try to invent a character who does this instead. Fine as far as this goes, but – the Jedi will not think much of that man afterwards, probably even hunt him down for murder. If that’s fine with you, you are on the road to a fine, tragic character. If you want the Jedi to come around and understand in the end, then give someone of them the job and make it a character journey. It will probably become a fine story.
You are probably asking by now, “Why should I invent an OC to do the dirty work, if this ends unfriendly anyway?” I didn’t say that it doesn’t work, just that you should think about the character of the canon chars. You might also encounter a situation, where the canon chars still would never ever do the deed, but are willing to accept that someone with less scruples does it. That’s a difficult attitude to write.
To return to our hypothetical murder of Chancellor Palpatine: you could try to establish the OC (the later murderer) in relation to one of the tougher Jedi, Mace would be ideal. And you can get Mace to the point of realising that no Jedi can go after the Chancellor without dire results. And he – it would certainly be a lonely decision – might conclude that this has to be done otherwise. He might silently live with what our OC had done later, but it would be a very difficult journey.
You see, there’s a difficult field of study, but one that’s rewarding.
A variety of this, is having someone in because of something the CC’s can’t do. That’s dangerous, because it can easily get you on the road to an Über OC. But there situations when it can’t be done, without an OC. Here too, a deep analysis of the situation is needed. You want to save Boromir from the Orcs? Well, you have five characters to play with already, six, if you decide to give Frodo some guts. Good chances to change the story without outside help. (You could even assume Eomer fled far more north, than Tolkien ever anticipated.) No need for an OC. You want to save Haldir in Helms Klamm? Hm, that’s close to the mark. If you want just someone to bail him out from the orcs, than let Aragorn be a bit faster, if you want to do it the more magical way, you might need another elven warrior or some other OC. Just play the situation around in your head and you’ll get the feeling what you need there. Once you know what you need, start thinking how to get it there. Why is the OC where he is? But more about this, later.
Reason D: You want an outside perspective on the characters.
That’s a particularly rewarding one. To have a character who doesn’t share the same values and outlook than the CC’s and can be a nice point for discussion and banter, is something that can lead up to a deeper understanding of the CC’s. This OC serves as a mirror to the CC’s and can help you to describe the CC’s from the outside, when you can’t write them from the inside. It’s a trick I used more than once.
Reason E: You want to pair off your favourite character.
Big danger sign: this is a very difficult thing to do, and you are facing major Mary Sue hazards. Other readers will not easily accept an OC with perhaps their favourite CC too. The first question is: is there no CC that could be the partner of your little favourite? Take your time before dismissing this opportunity. Sometimes a side character, even someone who hasn’t three lines in the show, can prove an interesting challenge. An unlikely pairing can also be of some challenge. If you really can’t find anyone fitting, than it’s off to OC creation.
2. How to create an OC?
There are writers who never have troubles with OC’s, they just wander into their head and stay there. Lucky those people who never need to think about OC’s. Most other will have to do some thinking work. But it can be far easier by using some Qestions and answers to help you along. During this part I will use an example character, (hypothetically for Highlander Fandom) who serves just to illustrate what is meant, by the Questions.
2.1 Exterior
The looks of an OC are as important as the looks of the CC’s. So make very clear form the outset what the character looks like and what do you want to achieve with their looks. Do you want a character that easily blends in? Than let his looks be mediocre without special marks. You want you readers be a little afraid of him? Give him a nice face scar or make him albinotic, that freaks many people out.
These are the major facts you should get together.
Name: - the most tricky point. The name must fit the character, and it can take some time before you found the right one. Try saying it aloud to find if it got the right ring to it.
Hair – as much as we all love the bright coloured characters, many people are born to in between colours, or the wide variety of brown shades. Keep that in mind, when creating a character.
Eyes – settle for one colour. People with changing eyes are rather rare and the variety of changes is limited. Clearly eyes can grow darker or lighter, but that’s about all mostly. People of the light brown/green or grey/blue variety in changing aren’t that abundant and the colour change is sometimes a little overdone in the fandoms. It can be rewarding to describe the mood changes in eyes that seem to be of ordinary brown or grey.
Height – here the time is important. If you set your fic in the past, you need to keep in mind that very tall people (above 6feet) were a rarity, and the populace was generally smaller. Also keep in mind the disadvantages of being tall – trouble with low doors and all this.
Stature – important point and here too, you need to stick by one description. Is your character rather muscular or rather lean? Is he wiry? Or just of ordinary built?
Marks: - that point is very very important. Here you line out what kinds of marks are visible on your OC. Has he scars? Or tattoos? Birthmarks? They all help to make him unique, but remember: every such mark has a history you need to think about too. (Except the Birthmarks of course)
So here is the example: Name: Léon de la Chapelle
Hair: auburn
Eyes: greyish – green
Height: 6 feet
Stature: lean
Marks: Scar close to the jaw line (received at the age of fourteen), scar on the back of the right hand. (received when nearly killed by an avalanche)
(Highlander specific note: Léon is an Immortal)
2.2 Age, Position and Character
This is a rather complex part of the work, because you determine what you character is all about. Start always with:
Current Position – here you determine what your OC is doing by the time he enters your story. Is he a computer programmer or a shop assistant? Always remember, once you set this fact, you must explain how he came to be there.
Date and place of birth – determines obviously the age of you character but also the time in which he grew up. What events happened around him. This is necessary to determine what events shaped him. It also determines the nation of you character, adding to what was already said. Authors often tend to give characters significant birth dates, Christmas, New Year, Solstices, try to avoid this. There are loads of other specials dates. Start at Hallows eve and look up a calendar of the Saints. It’s not very interesting to say a character was born mid-January but say he was born on St. Agnes eve, and you capture the readers imagination, without having said anything different.
Strengths – here it get’s tricky. A flawless character is boring so is a mediocre character. Try to picture every strength you list here, with it’s down side. Someone with a high tolerance of pain, will likely be a little insensitive to others in pain.
Weaknesses – list them in as much detail as you did the strengths. Combined they are the basic character built. Do try and think of some interesting weaknesses, they make the character more human and likeable. They are also an excuse to get him into endless trouble and new stories.
Temper – Not just a bit of trivia, but an important detail. Understanding your characters temper will help you to understand his actions. An impulsive character will head off into danger and wonder how he got there, while an analytical character will avoid half the dangers, but be less likely to flare up.
Character history – list all important events in your characters life. How did he get to the place where he is now? Explaining why a character is there, is very important. Nothing is more annoying than those characters who “just happen to come along” or who come out of the blue.
Quotes – something to verbalise your character a little more, it helps to determine his true character
Current Position – swordmaster, instructs pupils in classical rapier fencing
Date and place of birth – April the 4th (St. Isidor) 1581 in: Chateaux de la Chapelle, Breton
Strengths – strong fighter (preferred weapon: rapier), strong endurance, has a high tolerance of pain, moves usually with ease and grace and nearly silently through most surroundings, usually good with words, using them as a shield, rapid learner of languages
Weaknesses – has a very limited tolerance towards alcohol, nearly unable to express his feelings verbally (words are for him a shield to hide his feelings more often), isn’t good with mathematics of any kind, is still ignorant of many basic physical principles and other physical laws.
Temper – controlled, analytical. Hardly ever flares up but can get very cynical when seriously hurt, what happens rarely Usually parries off anything that comes close with words.
Character history – Léon comes close to be the product of a rape. His mother was taken prisoner by a ruthless nobleman, raped and later took her own life. This nobleman – Brian de la Chapelle – kept Léon just to torture the woman’s family. At the age of fourteen Léon witnessed his father hunted down by several honourable nobles who ended his ruthless days. Léon escaped barely with his life and was raised by Brian’s granduncle who was ignorant of the true circumstances. The old, cynic man formed Léon much after his own image. Léon suffered his first death at the age of 27 and is still struggling to overcome Brian’s influence on his life. The hate of his mothers family haunted him for many generations.
Quotes: “The first rule of a good fighter is to know when not to fight.”
You see what happened. Out of nowhere we have a character with a name, a sketched history and a basic psychology. Ready to start? No?
Here’s some additional advice:
I. When writing, try to forget what you would do, but ask what your character would do. Even as it seems unwise, ridiculous or even stupid. The more you delve into the character the better he'll come out.
II. Get training. Character building is a question of training. There are some things you can do. You can try on writing stories which are basically character conflicts (father - son conflicts or some such). Get into a good RPG. Nothing helps you more than having to built a character from scratch and learning to love his unique strengths and weaknesses. Get interested in the sidekicks. Any novel has some characters, not originally intended as heroes, who often are the salt and pepper of the story. Concentrate on them, try to think out more about them, and so on. And last: always think of your characters background. You say he's afraid of the dark, so why? What happened to him, that he is? It's tedious in the beginning but it will give your characters a psychological depth.
III. Never forget: this character is NOT you, but someone independend.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-08-12 03:19 am (UTC)From:In short, nice guide, but it doesn't seem applicable to me. Thanks for writing it and I'm sure you put a great deal of effort into it.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-12 04:21 am (UTC)From:no you are not rude. If you think that a story, a theory or a post of mine is crap, so say it. I can take that and I honour an honest opinion. I am also aware that this might not work for everyone.
Thanks for reading it and for the comment. I'll think about it, perhaps I did something really wrong.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-12 04:40 am (UTC)From:It's just that I've never plotted out an OC and I just can't see myself doing so for a fanfic. Perhaps for an RPG, in which case I would talk to other players with 'is this all right?' None of my OC's have ever been anything great - just enough to help a plot along.
Case in point: my chain-smoking doctor with the wilted houseplants, who does have a life outside the story that's shown a few times, but in the context of the story, only provides a less clinical view of a hospital (it's an AU LOST fic) and a view of how badly injured a character is.
Perhaps I'm doing something wrong.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-12 04:49 am (UTC)From:I put this guide together because there are many not that well written OC's running around in fanfiction. (And comming from writing originals I am always annoyed when I find some badly done OC's.)
As for the RPG - yeah you discuss this witht he other players beforehand, but I usually sketch out the character for myself too, just to get the feel for him better.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-12 05:00 am (UTC)From:And, ooohhh, yes. Badly written OC's make little parts of me die inside. Especially the Harry Potter ones.
I play in fandom-based RPs, so the original characters are mostly NPCs that everyone gets to play around with. Although I am guilty of incredibly detailed profile pages for minor canon characters - i.e., the character I've RPed the most has been Nymphadora Tonks... And for more than one HP fic I've written profiles on everyone from Lavender Brown to Pansy Parkinson. I love the neglected characters. *g*
I'm actually having fun discussing my obsessive habits with someone. Mind if I friend you?
no subject
Date: 2006-08-12 05:11 am (UTC)From:Minor characters can be very interessting. I never RPGed in Harry Potter verse, but Tonks sounds like someone very interessting to have. Would you mind to give me a link to these profiles? I'm really interessted just to read though them. It's always great to see when someone takes the minor or 'neglected' characters in hand.
As for you obsessive habits - just tell some more, it sounds like you do a lot of interessting stuff. My only obsessive habit is writing stories, original and fanfiction alike. I'm in writing fanfiction in english language for about a year now, and still enjoying it. My current Samurai 7 fanfic has two fully grown OC's. One became a neccesity because I intended to find a way to save Kyuzo. And once I knew I needed another character there I had to find out how he got there and who he was. *laughs*
So let's go on discussing and be friends.
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Date: 2006-08-12 05:20 am (UTC)From:Hm. I had the profiles on my now-dead PC, but I might be able to find copies of them somewhere, since I almost always handwrite everything out first. ^-^ (And if not, I print! No wonder my room's a mess.)
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Date: 2006-08-12 05:25 am (UTC)From:I used to write much by hand, but since I got a computer I'm mostly a screenworker. What interests me really is - when you got Tonks for a character, what did you do, flesh her out? I'm always fascinated by the way people built up their characters.
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Date: 2006-08-12 05:37 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2006-08-12 05:40 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2006-08-12 05:45 am (UTC)From:I liked Tonks in HBP too, the way her feelings affected her morphing and all this. Albeit I had guessed who was the focus of her attention before it came out. But OoP Tonks should be fun to write and tell, she's a whirlwind.
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Date: 2006-08-12 05:57 am (UTC)From:My Tonks...
- loves pop culture, both wizarding and Muggle ("My dad used to give me old Muggle music. He'd say that it shut me up cheaply. I kinda kept up the habit, at least until Kurt Cobain...")
- is bisexual
- does not use gel, thank you
- wonders, sometimes, if she has anything in common with her relatives
- bought a pair of Spice Girl platforms
- trips over them all the time
- takes her job rather seriously
- sometimes respects Moody, especially when he says that it's better to throw one more curse than you need than one less.
- does not, contrary to popular belief, hate Fleur
- cannot dance, but still makes an attempt
- tugs on her hair when deep in thought
There's more, but I don't want to bore you...
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Date: 2006-08-12 06:03 am (UTC)From:And NO, you don't bore me.The details are interessting.I can picture Tonks listen to pop music. (Oh my, I half hear her whistling "Call the ships to port") And those little mannerisms, like tugging the hair when in tought etc. make a character alive.
Her agreeing with Moody is interesting too. You got a way to show how she thinks about her job.
If Remus/Sirius was canon in your game (did it break completely or just some ppl. left?) how did Tónks feel about this? (I never liked movie Sirius, I still have in mind the Sirius I imagined from the books.)
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Date: 2006-08-12 06:13 am (UTC)From:Movie!Sirius looks like a stoner. Trust me; I go to public high school. XDAt the time? Something along the lines of "eek, knock next time." It was played rather lightly, in the Remus's journal, which has been deleted since then. u.u Um, it was more taken a little more seriously later, and ended up with her grumbling to another character that "they acted a bit like an old married couple. Why didn't I notice?" I actually wanted to play it a little more seriously, but the Remus and Sirius players let loose the cry of, "ZOMG, NO DRAMA!!eleven"
Then they actually asked if they could just godmod Tonks for the scene if I "wouldn't be interested in cooperating."
*sigh*
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Date: 2006-08-12 06:28 am (UTC)From:You seemed to have a very good starting point there, and I am sure it would have played out dramatically and interesting. But then, finding good RPG partners is rare.
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Date: 2006-08-12 06:30 am (UTC)From: