Things To Think About For Characters

things to think about for characters

do they have allergies?

what foods will they not touch?

what kinds of music do they like?

how are they around new people?

do they speak in an accent?

have they tried learning a new language?

how many languages do they know?

what is a song that will always make them cry?

how do they cry? heaving? silently? sobbing?

how do they dress? for practicality or fashion?

what is the first thing they notice about a stranger?

what is their humour like?

do they have scars? what caused them?

do they wear jewelry?

are they a frivolous spender or a miser?

do they prefer luxury or practicality?

who would they quote?

what could make them change their mind?

who is the first person they'd call?

how are they around animals? do they have pets?

what is their favourite childhood food?

what is something they've never told anyone?

childhood friends?

what are habits they've picked up from other people?

what are their guilty pleasures?

what is something they're staunchly against?

do they speak a certain way? do they use contractions? popular turns of phrase?

can they fall in love? what does it look like? does it differ between people -- friends vs family?

what would they rather die than do?

what is their biggest mistake? one that they look out to never do again.

pokepasta masterlist

masterlist of all pokemon creepypastas ive read so far, at someones request+for funsies.ranges from "everyone knows this one" to "deviantart user heaven" to "wiki recommended at 2 am"

(note ill be linking each pastas latest version if they have been rewritten, either by the creator or done with their permission.shouldnt be hard to hunt their original versions if you wanna see smth you remember from old days)

lost silver (fan game in link)

strangled red

glitchy red (r slur is used in a certain part)

buried alive (rom hack)

hypno's lullaby* (song cover)

easter egg:snow on mt silver (fan game) (fan game 2)

(creepy) black (rom hack)

lavender town syndrome (supposed original song)

ash's coma

satanic lavender town (rom hack) (alt ending rom)

HM slave

tommy boy

my shining star

forever mine (TW for suicide in this one)

explorers of death

bad egg manaphy

nasty plot

pokemon dead channel

pokemon dead channel 2

pokepark wii:pikachu's return

ashamed

.194

my guardian angel

pokemon:perfect

pokemon lovelost

flames of life

fallen leaf

jessica

event gone wrong

little red rabbit

disabled

braid

tarnished gold (short rom)

battery ditto

dark green

abandon lonliness (rom hack)

prevention of evolution

lonely pikachu

blue tears (rom hack (flashing cw))

bittersweet

i love you, doll!

hell bell

stained silver

ketsuban

*as far as i can tell the creepypasta is mostly the song, as looking it up shows multiple different stories based off of it+w the fnf mods name its now impossible to properly hunt a supposed original down as it takes over the results

bonus:

escape from lavender town:game maker game using assets of pokemon yellow based on the lavender town syndrome rumors, very short, heavy flashing warning, the sequence after the game is closed might induce nausea.

uhcakip.exe and it's prequel pokemon death version:screamer games with some flashing by the creator of IHATEYOU.exe, the much more known mario creepypasta game, they're no longer downloadable but have full gameplays up

pokemon monochrome ask blog:ask blog made by person responsible for a lot of the stories linked here! has full art n photos, huge recommend! (note:the chrono tag feature is usually broken on mobile tumblr, open it on desktop mode on a browser if it leads to an empty page)

purin's lullaby:archival wiki for an old DeviantArt ARG, the link will take you to the timeline page, i havent looked much myself but i believe enough links have survived the test of time you can understand it (not to be mistaken w FNF's purin, they just share the design)

this list will be updated as i read more, feel free to suggest any not here

I don't know if you've done this before but what are some good ways to describe speech?

Ways to Describe Speech

-> feel free to edit and adjust pronouns as you see fit.

His voice was deep like the rumbling of the earth.

She had the voice of a singer, smooth and rich like chocolate.

Their voice reminded him of spring rain.

He often paused in his speaking, like a car radio that had lost signal.

She had a lilt to her voice that made it seem like she was asking a question.

Their voice was monotonous, threatening to put her to sleep with every word.

He couldn't put her voice into words. It was... otherworldly.

Her voice was brittle, as if she were on the verge of tears.

Their voice was authoritative. Their words carried like a loud command.

His voice, unapologetic and unwavering, made her shrink back.

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Their words were cold with anger.

Other Words to Use to Describe Voice:

Firm

Formal

Frank

Hesitant

Humorous

Passionate

Playful

Professional

Respectful

Serious

Sympathetic

Smug

Superior

Croaky

Dry

Forceful

Grating

Hateful

Insincere

Nasally

Snarky

Tuneless

Wavering

Breaking

Coarse

Flat

Hoarse

High Pitched

Husky

Mellow

Raspy

Rough

Scratchy

Strong

Trembling

Boisterous

Booming

Screeching

Faint

Feeble

Frail

Penetrating

Piercing

Quiet

Raised

Shrill

Soft

Weak

Whisper

Captivating

Deep

Feathery

Hypnotic

Lilting

Mesmerizing

Rich

Smoky

Soothing

Breathy

Delicate

Warbling

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How to avoid character inconsistency in your writing

Set your character boundaries:

What's the background?

What's your character's backstory?

What are their traits, and how do they portray them?

Know what keeps your characters motivated. (Are they reaching their goal?)

You can avoid quick shifting of scenes. Let your readers absorb the setting of the scene.

Ensure that their actions and decisions align with their development and growth.

Tip 1: Start your chapter with a scene or dialogue that comes back at the end, which helps maintain consistency.

Tip 2: Throughout the chapter avoid the fast pacing of the story, rather let the characters express themselves so that it's clear for the readers.

Consider how your characters react to situations that are hard to convey. (Do they feel nervous? Scared? Fearless?)

Dialogue writing is crucial in explaining your character's personality while writing a story.

This process requires lots of re-reading and writing, fixing character holes and rewriting character arcs.

Pro Tip: One Simple Trick To Making Your Characters Likeable and Relatable

Want a super easy, never-fail trick to making a character instantly 100% more interesting? 

Make them a paradox. 

 There is a reason why certain character tropes are so common: 

The scoundrel with a heart of gold 

The assassin with a moral code 

The badass “normal” in a super-powered world 

The cute and childish psychopathic killer 

The gruff warrior who’s a softie inside

But you’re not limited to well-trodden tropes, and in fact it’s even better to make your own surprising combinations (because these archetypes are now so expected that they need to be subverted to remain effective). 

When you give a character a strong central trait or motif, and then give them a strong secondary characteristic that runs directly counter to that concept, you generate internal conflict, which is automatically interesting. More than that, you make the character more relatable. 

The thing is that every single person on this earth feels like they’re special. All of us are privy every day to our own messy dynamic traits. We can put the people around us comfortably into various boxes, but we always feel like we are too complicated to really fit any single description. 

So when you give someone a character who is clearly complex in the same way? A person whose identity works at cross-purposes? Someone who doesn’t fit neatly into the box their archetype is assigned? We will find them instantly more likeable and interesting. Give it a try!

Good Traits Gone Bad

Exploring good traits gone bad in a novel can add depth and complexity to your characters. Here are a few examples of good traits that can take a negative turn:

1. Empathy turning into manipulation: A character with a strong sense of empathy may use it to manipulate others' emotions and gain an advantage.

2. Confidence becoming arrogance: Excessive confidence can lead to arrogance, where a character belittles others and dismisses their opinions.

3. Ambition turning into obsession: A character's ambition can transform into an unhealthy obsession, causing them to prioritize success at any cost, including sacrificing relationships and moral values.

4. Loyalty becoming blind devotion: Initially loyal, a character may become blindly devoted to a cause or person, disregarding their own well-being and critical thinking.

5. Courage turning into recklessness: A character's courage can morph into reckless behavior, endangering themselves and others due to an overestimation of their abilities.

6. Determination becoming stubbornness: Excessive determination can lead to stubbornness, where a character refuses to consider alternative perspectives or change their course of action, even when it's detrimental.

7. Optimism becoming naivety: Unwavering optimism can transform into naivety, causing a character to overlook dangers or be easily deceived.

8. Protectiveness turning into possessiveness: A character's protective nature can evolve into possessiveness, where they become overly controlling and jealous in relationships.

9. Altruism becoming self-neglect: A character's selflessness may lead to neglecting their own needs and well-being, to the point of self-sacrifice and burnout.

10. Honesty becoming brutal bluntness: A character's commitment to honesty can turn into brutal bluntness, hurting others with harsh and tactless remarks.

These examples demonstrate how even admirable traits can have negative consequences when taken to extremes or used improperly. By exploring the complexities of these traits, you can create compelling and multi-dimensional characters in your novel.

Happy writing!