Creating Characters · 4:47pm Sep 12th, 2013
And another one DOWN, and another DOWN, another chapter bites the DUST! HEY, I'm gonna write tha-
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yeah I'll stop now.
Aaaaaaaanyways, as you might have noticed, CH4 is up and ready for reading.
But since I'm blogging, I thought I'd answer a question some brony asked a few days ago.
"How do you create such amazingly awesome epic believable your characters?"
So I thought I show you the whole process.
Ingredients: Pen and Paper, Laptop, White board, music of your choice, life experience, and root beer, lots of it.
So I start with a very basic idea, example: A dastardly bounty hunter type villain.
Then I create a ruff hodge-podge of ideas and inspirations.
Such as: Boba Fett, Javier, old western films, and as almost always, a dash of myself
Chuck that into a blender and set to "Believable" on "Evil" for about 10 minutes.
Then I take the resulting concoction and start creating some backstory, this is where the white board comes in. Mine is normally covered in strange hieroglyphics that might pass as handwriting that only I can read.
Make it as tragic or happy as you want. As long as it sheds some light on why so-and-so does what s/he does.
Perhaps our afore mentioned villain, lost his parents at a young age and will stop at nothing to find revenge. Maybe he's a dangerous psychopath with a long history of violence. Perhaps he tries to be good but his violent fits of PTSD from the war have left him convinced he's a monster. Or maybe he was forced to be the garden gnome in drusselstein.
shrugs
You're the writer, anything can happen to the poor sap, or perhaps nothing happens and villainy just appeals to him.
cough-weaksause-cough cough
So now you have a better idea of this character, I'd suggest RPing with him/her to better learn their character, mentality, mannerisms, and even accents.
If you can't/don't want to (ya bum) RP, then just do as I do and walk around talking like how you think they would talk. But I highly advise RP as it gives you the opportunity to hear feedback from others. Perhaps your character is too OP or angsty and you didn't notice.
Alost done!
Now take this character and sit him in a chair. Interrogation time.
You need to be able to answer these questions, even if they don't seem to apply to your fic, always ask them these
What do you fear the most?
What do you believe in the most?
If you could only have one item, what would it be?
What is right, and what is wrong?
And most importantly, find out their core values. What truly makes them tick? A core value is something that is fundamental to their character.
Example: In Les Miserables, the main foil Javier has a strong sense of right and wrong. Now he has an unshakable idea of duty but that isn't a core value, the reason it's not is because his "duty" is a manifestation of his moral compass. When that compass is shattered, his core values were as well, and he took a stage dive. (after hitting an awesome note, good job Russel!)
When the character can only answer: "I don't know it just IS" that's most likely a core value.
Now we are done with the creation process, now final testing. Do terrible things to them. If you write dark/adventure/action like myself, you can kill them or someone close to them. If you are writing rated E for every one slice of life, just have somepony say something destructive.
If you feel anything, anything at all. You've probably accomplished something. If you hate your villians, hopefully your readers will too. (in a good way) If you feel outrage, sorrow, anger, pity, then again, hopefully your readers will too.
If you feel nothing, then I suggest back to the drawing board.
Sorry for the long post but this is one of those things I could talk for a long time about.
Huh. I usually just get an idea in my head and then jot it down, and then a little while later I have a skeleton of a character, which then suddenly transforms into a full character just waiting for a story to include him or her. Like how one of the main characters in my main story came literally just out of nowhere - I was writing and then a few moments later I was asking myself, "Where the hell'd I pull this guy out of?"
As for the terrible things, sometimes I don't use it - like with my deer chieftain who has infinite patience and is destined to die a fiery death - because the character's main point is that only a specific thing can piss him off. However, one of my problems is that feeling thing - no matter what I make them say or do or go through, I never feel anything at all. It's weird.
NO MATTER WHAT.
1344837jimhillmedia.com/cfs-filesystemfile.ashx/__key/CommunityServer-Components-ImageFileViewer/CommunityServer-Blogs-Components-WeblogFiles-00-00-00-00-70/0676.GRP_2D00_1.jpg_2D00_500x0.jpg
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hmmmm, I'll take a look at one of your stories to see if it's you or your characters
1344837 Wait a tick! You wrote "The failed crusade" and felt nothing!? ....
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Would you in any way consider your self empathetic in RL?
1344997 ...is that bad..?
Oh, dear. I always thought I was crazy, and now I have a bit of proof.
Actually, the only characters I have that I can empathize with (albeit only slightly) are the Lamp twins - twins? Does that fit their situation? - because their personalities are loosely based on my own.
IRL I can empathize with people (actually a bit problematic because I tend to go too far and depress myself in their place) but no matter what I write or say I just can't do that with my own stories. A few stories make me go through the feels but never my own.
I'm guessing this is bad. Like, very bad.
1346686 Whoa, whoa, I did not call you crazy. It recently occurred to me that I might be far more likely to get those feels than others. I always said I had a heart of stone but the more I realize it's more like a heart of fluff.
1346936 I know you didn't, I did. I call myself crazy like, every few minutes. The feels thing is probably like the rest of my life - maddeningly inconsistent. I'm happy one moment and then sad the next for no damned reason. It's annoying.
AND I CAN NEVER MAKE MYSELF FEEL STUFF. Well, except depression (and even then it's never from my works). I did make my class cry once by paraphrasing Background Pony, making it human, and making the main character sound like me and attempt suicide.
Boy, did I laugh at them all when they were staring at me like "Oh god dude, I'm so sorry..."
1346974
Well played
Did anyone get the inspiration?
But yeah, I can see what you mean about the inconsistency. I'm right at that age where those stupid hormones are kicking in, making me feel rageful or depressed for basically no reason.
1346978 No, the only people who know pony in my school are people I don't know in person. I know they exist though because there's a drawing of hidden Pinkie inside our gym.
And don't worry about the hormones... someone said something great about that. "They're just chemicals. They're natural, so don't go beating yourself up over it. All you have to do is wait until it gets out your system." I don't remember the exact words, but something like that... you get the gist.
1346982 Yeah I know, but I hate it when I end up taking it out on other people over small things. Part of the reason I write is to vent. Kinda like the "angry letter" idea.
1346989 Nah, when I want to calm down I loop Flying in the Moonlight or Exile, Vilify on full volume until I calm down. Or the Emotions as Kittens and Ninja Stars rant. I'm usually always (how contradictory) calm when I write, even as I kill off Flam while he cackles and taunts his attacker madly.
1346990 Yeah music me helps too. A strong dose of Skillet while walking my dog always calms me down.
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Flam probably had it coming.
1346994 Dammit... you just had to bring up dogs... mine died after a ten - year life some time back...
...ahem. Well, I'm trying to make it a little less black and white with his death, but it's a bit difficult. It sucks when the main theme I'm trying to revolve around is that everything's grey... and yet I'm cursed to never be capable of writing anything that isn't black and white.
1346999 I know right? It's so much easier when black is black and white is white!
...
(well that sounded odd)
But yeah I know what you mean. Like Back Track for example, he's one of the hardest characters (to write) that I've done so far. Is he more like a ruthless bounty hunter, or cop just doing his job?
...
stupid grey
1347028 You racist bastard... wait, what? How is that even racist?
For inconsistency I don't really have that much of a problem since I change quickly, so my characters tend to inherit my mercurial tendencies. It gives me a bit of leeway while also allowing me to go and stretch their limits. Like, the only characters I have that aren't unstable are my deer elder and my half - pony dude. And they're only patient and stable and sticking fully to their alignments because they've both come ridiculously close to death before - I have one hell of an urge to copy my OC sheets here right now... ahem. Point is, all my characters are never fully good or fully bad. I don't even think my main OC is a good guy... at most he's neutral.
My Fluttershy is still weepy whenever she has to fight though.
1347036 Well... at least some things still make sense. I tend to have heroic heroes and villainous villains in the classical sense.
1347042 I don't... my second OC is literally my first's evil reflection, and he's a nicer dude than the main guy. That should say a lot when an evil nemesis created specifically to be a dark reflection of his progenitor is a better guy than the first.
1347044 Aye it does.
I mean, my heroes are definitely flawed and do make bad decisions but at the end of the day their alignment is still most certainly good. I mean, have you read my latest chapter?
1347057 Haven't read anything much in the past few days... been caught up watching dailies. Addictive and fun like hell. I haven't even written anything in the past twenty - four hours (aside from these replies and comments, inb4 I get taken literally).
1347058 ohhh... Dailies?
1347065 The Day[9] Daily... it's a podcast combining Starcraft 2 game analysis, random ranting, tons of good life advice (like his advice on positivity) and humor. I got hooked a little while back.
Anyway, I'll probably read the chapter now.
Done.
1347084 soooooooo-... what'd ya think?
1347085 It's good... although I have a bit of trouble parsing everything with the rapid and brief POV changes.
1347087 I do agree perhaps I could have been a bit more clear.
1347090 Nah, don't listen to me - I'm just rambling. Plus, you're doing way better than I am - you've got like a third of my views and your rating's still higher.
Pay noooo attention to my troglodytic tete - a - tete.
1347096 Views and ratings aren't everything. And hey, The Failed Crusade did pretty well.
1347113 You must construct additional ponies - wait, what? Well, that was actually just a trial story... and ironically one of my better - off works. Personally, I've always considered my Fluttershy story as my main even before I remade it into a Fluttershy story. Hell, even before I wrote the Failed Crusade I was already planning it.
1347116 Yeah, I know that feel. EFM is my pride and joy, but I can tell the feels-mass bomb (also proud of) I'm releasing tomorrow will blow it out of the water views wise.
1347119 From the Imperium of Man's tons of uplifting wisdom: Hope is the first step to disappointment.
1347120 The Emperor is never wrong...
1347125 I don't know... he could have dealt with Magnus better.
1347128 Sorry, not super familiar with extended verse stuff. By the way, since we're chatting... how's that banner coming along?
1347151 Sorry about that, some dude slammed my laptop shut...
..well, it's hard as hell. Turns out Photoshop reduces my speed to sloth - like.
1348775 Haha, that sucks. (I've had that happen) Well no worries, and take your time.
[sarcasm]maaaaaann, I'll have to buy a whiteboooard to make characters
?[/sarcasm]
Cool guide, man. I never thought about the whole rp thing, do you really think that is necessary? I've written before but i never had characters actually tugging at my heartstrings, maybe I'm just not living it enough.
1349598 Thanks for following me home.
...
(well that sounded odd)
I don't think it necessary but I find that it helps a lot. (at least for me) Also there's a good chance that my heart is a bit mushier than most, so I feel for my characters (and those of others) more easily.
1349603
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Heh, I get into these two part conversations all the time, bad habit of mine
I kinda wish that my heart was a little mushier sometimes, I have a hard time really relating to a lot of stories. Where do you go to RP btw, is it something you do on forums?
1349610 I would suggest OC Roleplay as a good place to start. They also have two other groups for superheroes and supernatural stuff (vamponies, ghosts, etc)
And yes, it's on the forums. I also find it very entertaining. It's almost like collabing rather than role playing.
1349615
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Thanks man, I appreciate your reply
1349620 Glad I could be of service. If you would like, tell me what kind of character you want to work on and perhaps I could run a game for you next week.
1349621
Awww you would do that for me? That sounds really rad!
th08.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2012/049/d/4/mlp__pinkie_pie_happy_by_ookami_95-d4q6e9r.png
I'm working on A character named Cold Hoof. He's an earth pony clockmaker with an adoptive Pegasus daughter. The story that he will be in takes place in an alternate universe where earth ponies are oppressed by the other two races. I can give you more details on the universe if you feel that is a good idea.
I've never really Rp'ed before though, so I don't know exactly what to do.
1349636 No worries, I'll help with that.
Do you want it to be a private RP? Just you and me, or would you like to just jump write in with other people? Personally I think the more the merrier in the sense that they can give feedback on your OC's performance. (Is he too Gary Stu? Is he OP? etc.)
1349643
. I am +1 on the gmt though, so it might be best to do this in a weekend.
More definitely sounds like an option I would be comfortable with
I suppose I should take the time to write up a character sheet and submit it?
1349650 Aye you should. Though if you think it best to do it over a single weekend, you might have to wait until next weekend then.
1349653
?
Sounds great, I'll be in touch thursday-fridayish, if you end up otherwise engaged I'm sure I'll be able to figure it out as well, so don't feel too obligated eh
1349657 Alright, sounds good.
Given the description you have given, I don't have a clear idea of core value's. From your description a core value is so fundamental it can't be changed. If we take Fluttershy for example, she is incredibly kind if not the kindest soul in the entirety of existence. Her core value would be kindness, except due her time as 'new fluttershy' that wouldn't apply. So what would it then be?
So can you give me some clarity here?
1365004 As we can see in the episode (awesome episode btw) when she realizes what she's done, her world kinda crumbles. She thinks herself a monster until Rarity and Pinkie come to tell her other wise. The fact that she thought that she had been mean (unkind) nearly broke her.
Allow me to clarify, A core value is something that either cannot be changed, or if it is, it shakes them to the core. (like Javier, or Fluttershy)
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Did that help?
1365084
It did. I have been muling over my OC's personality since last night as you have seen in my thread on the writer's group so having a clear definition of core value is helpful.