Character Building - Tumblr Posts
that character who is so diffusely plagued with dichotomous, perfectionistic thinking that they self-villainize at their slightest screw up. they spiral into cynical madness at the slightest reminder of their imperfections. if I can't be a Saint, I have no choice but to become a devil.
what are some ways to describe people other than eye and hair color
I am assuming you are looking for physical descriptors. Here are some examples. I may just make a different post on psychological descriptors.
Arms: Long, Muscular, Pudgy, Short, Skinny, Thin
Back: Bent, Hunched, Ramrod Straight, Rounded
Build: Anorexic, Athletic, Beefy, Brawny, Burly, Chubby, Coltish, Compact, Fat, Gangly, Gaunt, Gawky, Haggard, Heavy-set, Herculean, Husky, Lanky, Lithe, Muscular, Obese, Overweight, Petite, Rangy, Reed-like, Scrawny, Skinny, Slender, Slight, Solid, Spindly, Statuesque, Stocky, Strapping, Sylphlike, Taut, Thickset, Thin, Trim, Underweight, Voluptuous, Well-built, Willowy, Withered
Cheeks: Blushing, Bold, Curved, Dimpled, Bold, Curved, Dimpled, Disturbed, Glorious, Glowing, Hairless, High (cheekbones), Hollow, Honey, Livid, Pale, Pallid, Pink, Plump, Puffy, Radiant, Reddened, Rosy, Rounded, Ruddy, Shining, Smooth, Soft, Sun-burnt, Sun-bronzed, Sunken, Sun-tanned, Tanned, Tearful, White
Chin: Angular, Bony, Bumpy, Chiseled, Defined, Doughy, Firm, Protruding, Round, Smooth, Soft, Square, Strong
Ears: Jug-like, Large, Protruding, Tiny
Eyebrows: Arching, Bushy, Emphasized, Near, Spaced, Thick, Thin
Eyelashes: Artificial, Beaded, Beautiful, Blinking, Dark, Dark-fringed, Dense, Dusky, Heavily-fringed, Long, Mascaraed, Sandy, Sooty, Sopping, Tear-drenched, Thick, Uplifted
Eyes: Almond-shaped, Bright, Bulging, Expressive, Frightened, Gentle, Languishing, Little, Luminous, Made-up, Round, Shining, Shortsighted, Smart, Stunned, Thin, Wide, Woeful
Face: Baby, Blood-stained, Bold, Chiseled, Contorted, Dead, Expressionless, Fair, Familiar, Fierce, Flat, Frightened, Furrowed, Honest, Indifferent, Little, Pale, Poker, Pretty, Radiant, Rough, Ruddy, Sallow, Square, Stained, Swollen, Trim, Weather-beaten, Wry
Feet: Athlete's, Big, Flat, Pigeon-toed, Small, Sore, Stinky, Stubby, Swollen
Fingers: Gnarled, Long, Short, Stubby
Finger Nails: Bitten, Broken, Claw-like, Dirty, Hooked, Long, Painted, Sharp, Talon-like
Hair: Afro, Bald, Beehive, Braided, Bristles, Bun, Chignon, Coiffure, Combed, Corkscrew, Corn rows, Cowlicked, Crew cut, Curly, Disarrayed, Disheveled, Dreadlocks, Dry, Flattop, Flecked, French braid, French twist, Fringe, Greasy, Grizzled, Knotted, Layered, Locks, Matted, Messed up, Mohawk, Mussy, Muttonchops, Neat, Oily, Page boy, Perm, Pigtails, Plait, Pompadour, Ponytail, Ragged, Receding, Ringlets, Ruffled, Shaggy, Shorn, Shoulder-length, Skinhead, Spiky, Split-ended, Straight, Tangled, Thick, Thinning, Tidy, Topknot, Tousled, Twisted, Uncombed, Unshorn, Untidy, Wavy, Wiry, Wisps
Hand: Big, Elegant, Small
Height: Big, Knee-high, Medium, Short, Shoulder-high, Sky-high, Small, Tall, Towering, Waist-high
Legs: Amputated, Bandy, Bony, Bowed, Brawny, Bulging, Fluted, Gartered, Gouty, Graceful, Hacked, Hairy, Jagged, Knotted, Leaden, Long, Lower, Muscular, Pitiful, Rickety, Shapely, Shivering, Short, Sinewy, Slender, Slim, Spindle, Stockinged, Sturdy, Thin, Thread-like, Tinder, Tiny, Toothsome, Tree trunks
Lips: Blue, Cracked, Cupid's Bow, Downturned, Dry, Fat, Full, Grim, Large, Luscious, Parched, Parted, Red, Ruby, Small, Smiling, Thin, Wet
Mouth: Arch, Ascetic, Baby, Cavernous, Churning, Compressed, Cooing, Coral, Cracked, Cruel, Delicate, Dumpled, Distended, Dry, Fine, Firm, Frothy, Full, Funnel-shaped, Gaping, Grim, Handsome, Hungry, Insistent, Irritable, Large, Luscious, Munching, Musty, Perilous, Puckered, Querulous, Relaxed, Resolute, Sardonic, Sensuous, Serious, Slobbering, Small, Sulky, Sweet, Tender, Thin, Wide, Winsome, Wrinkled, Yawning
Neck: Bullnecked, Elegant, Long, Short, Swan-like, Thick
Palm: Broad, Oval, Rectangular, Square
Skin: Acned, Alabaster, Albino, Apricot, Black, Blemished, Blistered, Blooming, Blotchy, Blushing, Bronzed, Cadaverous, Calloused, Caramel, Clear, Craggy, Cream, Ebony, Fair, Flush, Freckled, Glowing, Greasy, Ivory, Jaundiced, Leathery, Lily-white, Lined, Milky, Mottled, Nut-brown, Olive, Pale, Pallid, Pasty, Peeling, Pimpled, Pink, Pitted, Pockmarked, Red, Rosy, Rough, Ruddy, Russet, Sallow, Scabby, Scarred, Smooth, Splotchy, Spotty, Sun-burnt, Tan, Wan, Waxen, White, Wrinkled, Yellow
Stomach: Bulging, Distended, Empty, Firm, Flabby, Flat, Heroic, Hollow, Lean, Paunchy, Protruding, Unbounded
Teeth: Artificial, Black, Blunted, Buck, Canine, Chattering, Clenched, Clinched, Compressed, Crooked, Dagger-like, Dazzling, Decayed, Deciduous, Extracted, False teeth, Feeble, Ferocious, Filed, Flashing, Fluoridated, Foam-laced, Fractured, Gap-toothed, Gleaming, Glistening, Glittering, Gnashing, Goofy, Grinding, Hooked, Horrid, Ivory, Jagged, Lacquered, Large, Milky, Mottled, Neglected, Pearly, Perfect, Pretty, Protruding, Razor-like, Sharp, Shining, Short, Small, Snowy, Sore, Spaced, Straight, Sweet tooth, Tender, Tiny, Toothless, Toothy, Ugly, Unrelenting, White, Wisdom, Wolfish, Yellow
Hope this helps! If it does, do tag me or send me a link to your writing. I'd love to read your work.
More: On Character Development
I also really like the character “question” of: > Describe their hands. It makes you think about what they go through in a day, routine, you know? It also carries with it a certain softness and romance that I enjoy in character questioners. > A lot can be said from someone’s hands. What they do for work, what their hobbies are, how they hold a knife (like a butcher or a chef), or a pen (like a scholar or a brute), so on and so forth. The hands, like the eyes, are a gateway, and can tell you more at a glance than months of talking. > River’s hands were not soft. They were a gardener’s hands, calloused and rough from years of digging and toil. There was dirt under her nails, which she kept short to prevent their breaking. Dirt always in the lines of her palms, how deep her head line and how short her heart line. There were shallow scratches from thorns in her skin. She always charcoal on her fingertips and down to the side of her right hand from where it rested on a page. She marked everything she touched, though she rarely meant to. Her hands were always cold, but never freezing. River was gentle in everything she did, even when her fingers were wrapped around the handle of an axe or the string of a bow.
So my problem with most ‘get to know your character’ questioneers is that they’re full of questions that just aren’t that important (what color eyes do they have) too hard to answer right away (what is their greatest fear) or are just impossible to answer (what is their favorite movie.) Like no one has one single favorite movie. And even if they do the answer changes.
If I’m doing this exercise, I want 7-10 questions to get the character feeling real in my head. So I thought I’d share the ones that get me (and my students) good results:
What is the character’s go-to drink order? (this one gets into how do they like to be publicly perceived, because there is always some level of theatricality to ordering drinks at a bar/resturant)
What is their grooming routine? (how do they treat themselves in private)
What was their most expensive purchase/where does their disposable income go? (Gets you thinking about socio-economic class, values, and how they spend their leisure time)
Do they have any scars or tattoos? (good way to get into literal backstory)
What was the last time they cried, and under what circumstances? (Good way to get some *emotional* backstory in.)
Are they an oldest, middle, youngest or only child? (This one might be a me thing, because I LOVE writing/reading about family dynamics, but knowing what kinds of things were ‘normal’ for them growing up is important.)
Describe the shoes they’re wearing. (This is a big catch all, gets into money, taste, practicality, level of wear, level of repair, literally what kind of shoes they require to live their life.)
Describe the place where they sleep. (ie what does their safe space look like. How much (or how little) care / decoration / personal touch goes into it.)
What is their favorite holiday? (How do they relate to their culture/outside world. Also fun is least favorite holiday.)
What objects do they always carry around with them? (What do they need for their normal, day-to-day routine? What does ‘normal’ even look like for them.)
WEIRDLY SPECIFIC BUT HELPFUL CHARACTER BUILDING QUESTIONS
What’s the lie your character says most often?
How loosely or strictly do they use the word ‘friend’?
How often do they show their genuine emotions to others versus just the audience knowing?
What’s a hobby they used to have that they miss?
Can they cry on command? If so, what do they think about to make it happen?
What’s their favorite [insert anything] that they’ve never recommended to anyone before?
What would you (mun) yell in the middle of a crowd to find them? What would their best friend and/or romantic partner yell?
How loose is their use of the phrase ‘I love you’?
Do they give tough love or gentle love most often? Which do they prefer to receive?
What fact do they excitedly tell everyone about at every opportunity?
If someone was impersonating them, what would friends / family ask or do to tell the difference?
What’s something that makes them laugh every single time? Be specific!
When do they fake a smile? How often?
How do they put out a candle?
What’s the most obvious difference between their behavior at home, at work, at school, with friends, and when they’re alone?
What kinds of people do they have arguments with in their head?
What do they notice first in the mirror versus what most people first notice looking at them?
Who do they love truly, 100% unconditionally (if anyone)?
What would they do if stuck in a room with the person they’ve been avoiding?
Who do they like as a person but hate their work? Vice versa, whose work do they like but don’t like the person?
What common etiquette do they disagree with? Do they still follow it?
What simple activity that most people do / can do scares your character?
What do they feel guilty for that the other person(s) doesn’t / don’t even remember?
Did they take a cookie from the cookie jar? What kind of cookie was it?
What subject / topic do they know a lot about that’s completely useless to the direct plot?
How would they respond to being fired by a good boss?
What’s the worst gift they ever received? How did they respond?
What do they tell people they want? What do they actually want?
How do they respond when someone doesn’t believe them?
When they make a mistake and feel bad, does the guilt differ when it’s personal versus when it’s professional?
When do they feel the most guilt? How do they respond to it?
If they committed one petty crime / misdemeanor, what would it be? Why?
How do they greet someone they dislike / hate?
How do they greet someone they like / love?
What is the smallest, morally questionable choice they’ve made?
Who do they keep in their life for professional gain? Is it for malicious intent?
What’s a secret they haven’t told serious romantic partners and don’t plan to tell?
What hobby are they good at in private, but bad at in front of others? Why?
Would they rather be invited to an event to feel included or be excluded from an event if they were not genuinely wanted there?
How do they respond to a loose handshake? What goes through their head?
What phrases, pronunciations, or mannerisms did they pick up from someone / somewhere else?
If invited to a TED Talk, what topic would they present on? What would the title of their presentation be?
What do they commonly misinterpret because of their own upbringing / environment / biases? How do they respond when realizing the misunderstanding?
What language would be easiest for them to learn? Why?
What’s something unimportant / frivolous that they hate passionately?
Are they a listener or a talker? If they’re a listener, what makes them talk? If they’re a talker, what makes them listen?
Who have they forgotten about that remembers them very well?
Who would they say ‘yes’ to if invited to do something they abhorred / strongly didn’t want to do?
Would they eat something they find gross to be polite?
What belief / moral / personality trait do they stand by that you (mun) personally don’t agree with?
What’s a phrase they say a lot?
Do they act on their immediate emotions, or do they wait for the facts before acting?
Who would / do they believe without question?
What’s their instinct in a fight / flight / freeze / fawn situation?
What’s something they’re expected to enjoy based on their hobbies / profession that they actually dislike / hate?
If they’re scared, who do they want comfort from? Does this answer change depending on the type of fear?
What’s a simple daily activity / motion that they mess up often?
How many hobbies have they attempted to have over their lifetime? Is there a common theme?
how to write teenagers
disclaimer: i am in my 20's. it wasn't too long ago that i was a teenager, but admittingly i am not perfect and there might be errors.
Edit: yes i used psychonauts 2 as an example, this does not mean all examples apply to psychonauts 2. This is a GENERAL writing advice post for people who need help, and this is a collection of tropes that personally annoy me. I am playing psychonauts 2 for the first time (no spoilers not finished with the game yet ) i wont spoil anything but i will say this: the interns are fucking awful. which is bizzare because the child characters from the first game were still side characters, but had so much personality. so here is me ranting about badly written teen characters (In general media) in hopes to prevent this annoying trope
1- teenagers are not sociopathic monsters yes some teenagers are terrible. yes high school bullies are a thing. but guess what? people don't magically become horrible once they turn 13. most teens who put down and bully people have hard home lives. stop with this annoying "lol lets just bully a random stranger for no reason" trope. Its lazy. if you want a good bully character give them a deeper reason then "well teenagers are just awful!" (looking at YOU psychonauts 2)
2- actually talk to teenagers/ write for the era it takes place in while teens have simmular attitudes than previous generations, a lot of how kids in that age group think are dependent on trends. being a teenager is a very sponge-ey time in their lives. Its the part where you are old enough to understand deep topics, but not the nuance of it all. at that age, kids re often trying to learn about the world and... you guessed it, become adults. not all teenagers are rebellious "i am going to do this specifically cus i was told not to" types either. stop writing teenagers like how you saw them in the 80's. not every kid is gonna act like the cast of footloose. In my high school experience, a lot of kids my age were very chill and tended to themselves.
3- did you know that you actually retain your personality when you turn 13 ? and that not every kid is a tik tocker attention whore with a phone? who knew? did you know that SHY teenagers exist? that not all teenagers are insecure mentally insane fucks who have to bend their entire personality and thoughts JUST to get attention and to fit in? its almost as if teenagers are people with different interests and personality traits and not identical mannequins with a self image complex not every teenager is a hot topic dweller who does illegal and stupid shit for no reason. Like adults, teenagers are a tad deeper than that.
4- Teenagers are also naive and stupid sometimes. yes i know I just talked about how old people just write about the parts of teenagers they hate and nothing else, but bear with me. don't write your teen like a shorter adult. instead use this opportunity to grow the character ! this is such a malleable age for them to grow as people and i rarely see anyone utilize this! they are young and dumb and learning about the world! that is perfect breeding ground for writing! why don't people use this more?? good example of this: Homestuck. no i am not going to explan homestuck's plot. I dont have 5 years to write this post. Just know that the characters in that comic utilize the age of the characters well without making them stereotypical "ugh smartphones amirite fellow zoomers?"
5- the age of the kid MATTERS a 13 year old acting like an immature prick? yeah thats normal. people in that age tend to be edgy and annoying. 17 year old acting like an immature prick? that guy is well beyond "immature kid" age and is just a prick. The older the kid, the more impactful their actions are. A tween is more likely to grow out of traits more than a 17 year old. I roll my eyes when i see "bully teen group" trope in shows when the kids are seniors and then they expect me to forgive the kids at the end. NO. you kids are almost 18, that isn't teen angst you are all damn near adults. let me say this again: talk to teenagers if you are unsure how they act. there is a reason why its problematic for a 17 year old to date a 13 year old even though there is only a 4 year gap. teenagers develop QUICKLY as they age. a 13 year old and a 17 year old will have vastly different maturity level while a 30 yr old and a 35 year old will probably be the same level of maturity. age matters. and finally
6- stop being a condescending douche. yes. we get it. its cringe that the 14 year old kid thinks referencing death and depression is "deep" but also fuck off. this kid is growing and trying to become an adult. show some sympathy. yes. i know you think your kid's date isn't as important because said kid is going to grow out of it, but don't condescend your audience: they are at a developing age and while it doesn't matter to you, IT MATTERS TO THEM. I have always hated stuff like the hunger games and divergent. I think they are terrible series specifically made to pander to kids looking for an escapist fantasy. But you know what? these shows were not made for me, because i am not a teenager. let these kids have their fun. and if you are making a show/book/etc for teenagers, then you need to put your contempt for kids aside to actually write for them instead of acting like you are all high and mighty. (an example of this done wrong: every bad boomer comic in existence) and honestly ? if you are middle aged and you are putting down someone 1/4 your age for just exiting, it's not impressive. It's sad and pathetic and you need to rethink your life. and yes, i know people put down homestuck for being... homestuck, but homestuck has a wonderful portrayal of teenagers and how they really act. give it a read if you have literally all the freetime in the world. don't read beyond the epilogues tho. HS^2 is dead to me. thank you for reading my bullshit homies.
Why I am not a fan of the interns from psychonauts 2 in terms of writing
spoilers for most of the game. please play this game it is very good. spoilers begin after the cut. Disclaimer 1: I love this game. If I hated it then I wouldn't be talking about it. I criticize the things i love because I believe in improvement from fair criticism. Disclaimer 2: If you are personally attached to said characters and feel as though you are being attacked by reading this, politely piss off. I don't know you personally, and if you think my opinion on fictional characters is some slight against a random stranger, then you need to touch grass instead of spamming my feed. With this in mind, this is my PERSONAL OPINION as to why i dislike these characters from a writer's standpoint
1- they are pricks. i have been told "hazing is just a normal rite of passage!" hazing is a dick move created as an excuse to prank newbies. I don't care how many fond memories you have of your frat house: hazing is something only assholes contribute to. and you know what else is a dick move? bullying a 10 year old kid for no reason. it is very normal for teenagers to group together with people that are the same as them, so i can believe this is a group of snobby little shits. If being bullies was the intended purpose of their characters I would be fine, but it conflicts with the story the writers want to tell. which brings me to my next point
2- We barely get any time for them to develop at the beginning of the game they are introduced as a group of little shits who bully kids for no reason. not great but i can forgive giving characters flaws so they progress. People like that do indeed exist. the problem: they don't seem to learn anything and they just randomly decide Raz is their friend during the casino mission. (and then later randomly shown up to save the day at the end even though they were missing most of the game) "don't forget how i taught you how to grind rail raz!" what???? you didn't teach us anything! you barely talk to us skateboard kid! Raz knew how to do that at the summer camp! and like, this scene is very cool. the artistic style and the characters popping up like comic book panels but none of that matters cus i have no reason to like any of these kids. "but Raz proved himself that he is capable during the lady luctopus fight so they respect him!" thank you for pointing that out obvious straw man I created to make up for my shitty argument skills. but the thing is: just because these kids were proven wrong does not equal character development. They didn't learn anything other than to not mess with Raz specifically. Which:
3- If you asked me their names, I can't tell you who is who other than sam (and we will get to her later) let me describe these characters to you -skateboard kid -kid who is in a really cool lawn chair hover thing -kid who got all of her clothing by stealing from construction workers and rodeo cowboys -the other bitchy one but with a beanie. - darius rucker with a yoyo -and sam. this shit is all i know from these characters. At best I know traffic stop clothing kid and the other one are sisters, but i literally only know that because Raz randomly pointed it out. (and personally, i think those two are the most unlikable of them all) "ah you probably hate them because they are teenagers" listen man. I am an original homestuck fan back when the main cast consisted of 13 year olds. The characters ages do not matter to me, but rather how interesting they are. in Psy 1 the campers were full of personality and depth, BUT they didn't shoehorn them in expecting them to suddenly be all buddy buddy with raz. They were designed as fun background characters, and they served their purpose. The interns problem is that they have the personality of very boring background characters, but they are not given enough time to develop as characters and are expected to be treated like a main characters. We spend all of our time with the Psychic 6 and not them (and i fucking love those guys!) the Psychic 6 are the ones we spent our time with. THEY are the real main characters because we understood their struggles and got to learn about them. I was closet to THEM because i spent time with them. I feel as though most of the interns were shoehorned in to appeal to a younger audience ok now we can talk about sam
4- I think sam is only interesting because she is attached to Dogan (please don't kill me i promise i am going somewhere with this) If you don't know, sam is basically the explodey head kid's sister. She has personality because she is attached to the most wholesome man of all time, and the weird kid from the first game with murderous tendencies. As a result of this, Sam has to be just as weird as her family members to make sense. I guess her character wouldent change if you removed her familial status with the Boole family, but also consider sam is basically pinkie pie. and Mable pines. And Molly McGee and basically every single quirkyyyyyy overly energetic female character in media with animal abuse sprinkled on top for comedy. there is nothing wrong with this. I think sam is fun too. But also she stands out like a real person in a room full of mannequins, mostly because her friends have the personality of mannequins. The poor writing of the rest of the interns essentially makes sam worse by the law of association because sam is grouped with these losers. in case you are curious, the "where did you get the milk" line cracks me up every time. poor Raz needs a hug.
5-They overplayed agent Forsythe a little bit too much and that does not help the interns in contrast. first: i love Raz's arch about learning not to affect peoples brains like it's nothing. It gave me emotional whiplash because i played the first game right before this game, but the games have a 16 year gap between each other and times have changed. I won't blame the game for that, AND the whole "mental health is a serious issue" grew on me. very good story this game has. Point is: Raz's consent arch was a really good thing for his character. but also agent Forsythe is kind of a bitch. first: your two agents brought you a kid who is enthusiastic about the psychonauts and your immediate instinct is to put him up with the mailroom clerk as his mentor? really? Thinking Cruller is a fucking nut and not validating Raz's honorary psychonaut status? yeah fair. she has no reason to think Ford isn't batshit insane. Getting on Raz for being late to class? also fair. She is a very strict teacher and needs to instill onto her kids that punctuality is important. but then some things rub me the wrong way. like you are an adult, how come you are letting these kids bully Raz? surely you saw the footage on the security cams? Or how come Raz got blamed for invading her thoughts when it was the interns that shoved him into it? How come you are targeting the kid for this and not everyone else who was involved in this? lets give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she didn't know about those things. Raz's story about him apologizing and learning from his mistake was still very good. Then sasha and Raz have a very charming fatherly moment about learning when to bail from a dangerous situation. made me smile. but then after all that emotional drama, you then talk to her and raz apologizes AGAIN and the emotional drama tries to continue. Lady you already had a talk to Raz about consent, why are you making him explain himself again out in the open? He is 10 years old and already learned his lesson, chill the fuck out.
and then later on she implies that she thinks Raz is the mole just because his family is from a fallen country related to the current issue. I understand not liking Raz, but is the racist remarks necessary? Do you seriously think some random kid kidnapped the head of the psychonauts? I know it is a serious issue but come the fuck on the kid barely knows how shapes work. i know this is about the interns, but Forsythe rubs me the wrong way and i feel like she is the reason why these brats are the way they are. I feel like she makes my distaste for the interns worse because she comes off to me as a sad fuck who targets kids to fuel her fragile power tripping ego. her level was good, and her arc with Raz was good, but she could use a bit of retooling. I feel as though I can forgive her nastier flaws if she acted more like an adult and gave the teenagers the same amount of lip she gave Raz. Perhaps if she had stepped up the interns would be more likeable because they and raz could have a nice bonding moment over their mistake. Tldr: Forsythe needed to act like an ADULT and discipline the interns just as much as she did raz instead of enabling them.
Overall, the interns are poorly written and I dread seeing them on screen. I am not attached to them in the way i am attached to the Psy 6. The story of Helmet and Bob touched my heart, Agent Boole's mission about social anxiety related to me personally, the story of Cassiopea coming to terms with her past and identity issues, Learning about ford's mistakes and the trauma he collected, everything! I love these characters! I guess the lesson is that just because a character is superficially the same as you, does not mean they are relatable. I am in my 20's. I am not a teenager anymore, but I am not elderly either. I am actually closer to the interns in age than i am to the Psy 6. And yet I relate to the Psy 6 more because these are human beings that i have grown to know and learn about. I am a girl who plays videogames. Shocker I know. and I have seen debates about "we need this and this and this or else i can't relate to the character!". There is not a lot of female characters in media and i agree that it would be nice to be represented more. but a character being the exact SAME as you does not equal relatability. I am not a grandfather with a tendency to make people explode, but i relate to Bool because we both share in our self judgement issues and the struggle to not want to hurt people with your personal problems. We have nothing in common physically, but we share in our struggles. and that is why the interns failed as characters when the Psy 6 succeeded. please don't spam my inbox about how much you disagree with me and how much you actually like the interns. this is just my opinion with writing advice sprinkled in it, much like Sam's personality.
Blaine County High (Lps: Trout)
Before 10th grade, Sadie went to Blaine County highschool her freshman year. She went there for most of the school year but was then pulled out due to an... incident. The rest of Sadie's freshman year was spent through homeschooling.
Writing References: Character Development
50 Questions ⚜ "Well-Rounded Character" Worksheet
Basics: How to Write a Character ⚜ A Story-Worthy Hero
Basics: Character-Building ⚜ Character Creation
Key Characters ⚜ Literary Characters ⚜ Morally Grey Characters
Personality Traits
5 Personality Traits (OCEAN) ⚜ 16 Personality Traits (16PF)
600+ Personality Traits
East vs. West Personalities ⚜ Trait Theories
Tips/Editing
Character Issues
Character Tropes for Inspiration
Tips from Rick Riordan
Writing Notes
Allegorical Characters
Binge ED
Childhood Bilingualism ⚜ Children's Dialogue ⚜ On Children
Culture ⚜ Culture: Two Views ⚜ Culture Shock
Emotional Intelligence ⚜ Genius (Giftedness)
Emotions ⚜ Anger ⚜ Fear ⚜ Happiness ⚜ Sadness
Facial Expressions
Fantasy Creatures
Happy/Excited Body Language ⚜ Laughter & Humor
Hate ⚜ Love
Health ⚜ Frameworks of Health
Identifying Character Descriptions
Jargon ⚜ Logical Fallacies ⚜ Memory
Mutism ⚜ Shyness
Parenting Styles
Psychological Reactions to Unfair Behavior
Rhetoric ⚜ The Rhetorical Triangle
Swearing & Taboo Expressions
Thinking ⚜ Thinking Styles ⚜ Thought Distortions
Uncommon Words: Body ⚜ Emotions
Voice & Accent
Writing References: Plot ⚜ World-building
Character Flaws
When creating characters, it's all too easy to envision the most perfect people, especially when it comes to creating love interests. Even our loveable morally grey characters are mostly perfect, if only they would stop killing...
So, here are a list of some flaws (based on personality, not appearance) to help round out your characters. While it's nice to be good at everything, it's abnormal. No one is perfect, and your characters will be much more relatable if you knock them down a bit.
Please note, none of these are (specifically) mental disorders, as I don't consider those a character flaw.
The Good (aka little flaw):
Absent-minded, aimless, argumentative, audacious, awkward, blunt, bold, boring, capricious, childish, clumsy, competitive, complainer, cowardly, critical directionally-challenged, dubious, finicky, fixated, flake, flirty, foolish, gossipy, gruff, gullible, hedonistic, humourless, hypocritical, idealist, idiotic, ignorant, illiterate, immature, impatient, impetuous, impulsive, incompetent, inconsiderate, indecisive, indifferent, indomitable, irrational, lazy, lustful, materialistic, meddlesome, meek, mischievious, nagging, naive, nervous, nosey, obnoxious, overambitious, overconfident, overemotional, overprotective, overzealous, passive-aggressive, paranoid, peevish, perfectionist, pessimist, pest, predicatable, pretencious, prideful, rebellious, renege, rigorous, sarcastic, skeptic, seducer, selfish, self-righteous, shallow, slacker, solemn, spacey, spoild, squeamish, stubborn, supersticious, sycophant, tactless, tease, tempermental, tenacious, theatrical, thoughtless, timid, unpredictable, unsupportive, vain, workaholic
The Bad (aka big flaw):
Addiction, adulterous, aloof, anxious, apathetic, arrogant, belittling, belligerent, bigmouth, bitter, bully, callous, deceptive, dependant, deranged, dishonest, disloyal, disrespectful, egotistical, envious, erratic, exploitive, fanatical, fickle, fierce (at the extreme), gluttonous, greedy, harasser, hubris, impious, infamy, intolerant, judgemental, lewd, liar, meglomaniac, morally grey, narcissistic, negligent, obsequious, obsessive, offensive, prejudiced, quixotic, reckless, rigid, self-martyr, self-righteous, short-tempered, spiteful, squanderer, stingy, unethical, unforgiving, untrustworthy
The Ugly (aka cross the street when you see this person):
Abusive, bigot, controlling, cruel, explosive, immoral, inhumane, intolerant, machiavellian, manipulative, murderous, neglectful, oppressive, racist, remorseless, possessive, self-destructive, threatening, treacherous, vengeful, vindictive, violent
The seven chief features of ego: self-deprecation, self-destruction, martyrdom, stubbornness, greed, arrogance and impatience.
Some of these may not even be considered flaws, and some may jump from one category to the next. It's all about how you present these flaws in your characters.
Have any more to add? Did you find this useful? Let me know down in the comments :)
ok but actually tho
ik this is an ice cold take but western culture is so fucked for making fatness something negative. if you're writing a story about a character coming from a rough life into a better, healthier, safer one, they're going to gain weight. i think it would be so cool to give a character who has that backstory the personal conflict of "my body is so different now, I'm uncomfortable in it" and have them work through that and learn that yes, it's normal, and it means they're healing. it would be the physical manifestation of the mental and emotional growth they're doing as well, give some variety to the "healing hero/villain" role.
if anyone feels compelled to write that story please please please comment or something I would love to read it 🙏
every character should get fatter to signify that their life no longer sucks
*ahem ahem* plsplsplsplsplspls
93 fun OC asks because why not
Basics:
1. What is their gender?
2. What is their sexuality?
3. What is the meaning behind their name? Do they have any nicknames?
4. Do they have any siblings? How many? Are they older or younger? Which sibling are they the closest with?
5. What’s their relationship with their parents like? What about other relatives?
6. What would they give their life for?
7. Are they in a romantic relationship? With who? How did they meet?
8. What do they believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them?
9. What is their favorite color? Favorite animal?
10. What are some of their talents/skills?
11. If they could make a mark on history, what would they like it to be?
12. How old are they? When is their birthday?
13. What do they do for fun?
14. What is their favorite food? How often do they get to eat it?
15. What was something their parents taught them?
16. Are they religious?
17. Where were they born?
18. What languages can they speak? Where did they learn these languages?
19. What is their occupation?
20. Do they have any titles? How did they earn them?
Personality:
21. What is their favorite thing about their personality?
22. What is their least favorite thing about their personality?
23. Do they get lonely easily?
24. Do you know their MBTI type?
25. What is their biggest flaw?
26. Are they aware of their flaws?
27. What is their biggest strength?
28. Are they aware of their strengths?
29. How would they describe their own personality?
30. When frightened, will they resort to “fight” or “flight”?
31. Does this character ever put somebody else’s needs before their own? Who do they do this for? How often do they do this?
32. What is their self esteem like?
33. What is their biggest fear? How would they react to having to face it?
34. How easily do they trust others with their secrets? With their lives?
35. What is the easiest way to annoy them?
36. What is their sense of humor like? Give an example of a joke they would find humorous.
37. How easy is it for them to say “I love you”? Do they say it without meaning it?
38. What do others admire most about their personality?
39. What does their happily ever after look like?
40. Who do they trust most? Is that trust mutual?
Physical Profile:
41. What does their laugh sound like? Do they snort when they laugh? How often do they laugh?
42. What is their favorite thing about their physical appearance?
43. What is their least favorite thing about their physical appearance?
44. Do they have any scars? If so, what are the stories behind those scars?
45. How would they describe their own appearance?
46. How easily can they express emotions? How easily can they hide emotions?
47. What’s their pain tolerance like?
48. Do they have any tattoos? What are the stories behind those tattoos?
49. Do they have any piercings?
50. How would you describe their style of clothing? How would they describe their style of clothing?
51. What is their height? Weight?
52. What is their body type? Are they muscular, chubby, skinny, etc?
53. What is their hair color? Eye color? Skin tone?
54. What is their current hairstyle? What have been some of their past hairstyles? Which was their favorite hairstyle?
55. What is their alcohol tolerance like? What kind of drunk are they? How bad are their hangovers?
56. What do they smell like? Why do they smell like this? (Is it the things they’re around or a perfume they wear?)
57. How do they feel about sex? Are they a virgin?
58. What is their most noticeable physical attribute?
59. What does their resting face look like? Do they have RBF?
60. Describe the way they sleep.
Environment:
61. Which season is their favorite season?
62. Have they ever been betrayed? How did it affect their ability to trust others?
63. What is always guaranteed to make them smile?
64. Do they get cold easily? Do they get overheated easily?
65. What’s their immune system like? Do they get sick often? How do they react to getting sick?
66. Where do they live? Do they like it there?
67. Is their bedroom messy? What about their bathroom? Kitchen? Living room?
68. How did their environment growing up affect their personality?
69. How did the people in their environment growing up affect their personality?
70. How do they feel about animals? Do they have any pets?
71. How are they with children? Do they have any? Do they want any?
72. Would they rather have stability or comfort?
73. Do they prefer the indoors or outdoors?
74. What weather is their favorite? Do they like storms?
75. If given a blank piece of paper, a pencil, and nothing to do, what would happen?
76. How organized are they?
77. What is their most prized possession?
78. Who do they consider to be their best friend?
79. What is their economic situation?
80. Are they a morning person or a night owl?
Miscellaneous:
81. Are they bothered by the sight of blood?
82. What is their handwriting like?
83. Can they swim? How well? Do they like to swim?
84. Which deadly sin do they represent best?
85. Do they believe in ghosts?
86. How do they celebrate holidays? How do they celebrate birthdays?
87. What is something they regret?
88. Do they have an accent?
89. What is their D&D alignment?
90. Are they right or left handed?
91. If they were a tweet, what tweet would they be?
92. Describe them as a John Mulaney gif.
93. What’s the most iconic line of dialogue they’ve ever said?
Four Temperaments Chart
I’ve been looking at ways of writing character groups that work; one of the classics is the Freudian Trio, (like Kirk, Spock, and Bones in Star Trek TOS) but since I’m working in an ancient world setting, the Four Temperament Ensemble, being based on ancient Greek concepts, seems to make more sense. I found some charts on the internet, but none had all the info, so I added some color coding and additional notes to one that was pretty good.
These go back at least as far as Hippocrates, c. 460 – c. 370 BC.
Tips from a YA Editor by Anne Regan: Five Tips for Character Development
Know where they’re coming from.
A character profile can help define influences, values, motivation.
Background history shapes the character’s present and future actions.
Three-dimensional characters have both strengths and flaws.
What is the character’s core problem or desire?
Get readers to care about the character.
Show them struggling with issues and tough choices readers can relate to.
Show the effect their actions (positive or negative) have on the character.
What is the character’s motivation?
Tie in to their background and what’s important to them.
Use cause and effect to make the character’s growth realistic and believable.
Let them face both internal and external obstacles.
External: fired from their dream job
Internal: Longs for revenge on the evil boss who fired them.
Internal challenges can be more important than external ones.
You can’t control your environment, only how you react to it.
Development happens over time.
Avoid last-minute, deathbed conversions that come out of nowhere.
Change often isn’t linear—one step forward, two steps back
Had to round out the bunch with a little Seeker 💫
I think Seeker was extremely treasured growing up.. but they should have been loved a bit more. Their destiny awaited them, and no one ever let them forget that.
Aaand now that I've done all four characters for 🌐7 Circles🌐 as kids (bby Klaus, bby Val, bby Kaz) I am NOT drawing another child for a GOOD while 🎉 lol ᵉˢᵖᵉᶜᶦᵃˡˡʸ ᵒⁿᵉ ʷᶦᵗʰ ᶠᵒᵘʳ ᵃʳᵐˢ BUT! I'm now curious about what yalls ocs were like as little'ns!! Share one (or more) of the following about your ocs early days;
Something expected of them. Something they came to believe about themself bc of other people (ex. told you're annoying, or you're so smart). A childhood habit they've continued as an adult. How they were treated by adults. Childhood nicknames. Sketches or reference pics welcome but not necessary!
taggamez: @katenewmanwrites @smellyrottentrees @wyked-ao3 @lychhiker-writes @the-golden-comet @fortunatetragedy @cowboybrunch @zackprincebooks @urbiggestfan-01 @quillswriting +Open tag (no pressure tho!)
What Applies to your OC Tag✨️
Snaggin' the tag from @the-golden-comet!
You can find their post and the template here.
Rules: As the title implies, bold/highlight which of the items applies to your OC!
See below for Kazimier and Seeker from 🌐7 Circles🌐
I would LOVE to hear what you do or don't find surprising.
Kazimier💋:
Killed Someone Under Orders | Had Someone Killed On Their Orders | Killed Someone In Self Defense | Spared Someone’s Life | Invented Something | Been Hungover | Kissed Someone | Slow-Danced | Been In A Long-Term Relationship | Had Sex | Had Sex And Regretted It | Had A One-Night Stand | Had A Threesome | Experimented With Their Sexuality | Had A Kid | Adopted A Kid | Wanted To Have A Family With Someone | Done Something On Impulse They Regretted | Gone Traveling | Had A Bounty Put On Them | Eaten An Insect | Been Groped/SA'd | Been Dumped | Dumped Someone | Smoked | Gotten High | Put Someone In A Headlock | Won A Bet | Lost A Bet | Forgiven Someone Who Wronged Them | Indulged In Petty Revenge | Hallucinated | Gotten A Noticeable Scar | Kneed/Hit Someone In The Groin | Had An Unattainable Crush | Laughed Themselves To The Point Of Tears | Been Kidnapped | Been Brainwashed/Hypnotized | Had A Recurring Nightmare | Been Bullied | Bullied Someone | Experienced Survivor’s Guilt | Been Tied/Chained Up | Given Someone A Massage | Received A Massage | Been Backed Up Against A Wall | Shot Someone | Stabbed Someone | Saved Someone’s Life | Cheated On Someone | Been Cheated On | Been In An Open Relationship | Had A Friendship With Benefits | Been In A Queerplatonic Relationship (maybe?) | Had A Stalker | Been Betrayed | Been A Traitor | Been Possessed (as in owned) | Been In A Bar Fight | Been Thrown Out Of A Bar | Been Arrested | Broken Out Of Jail | Been To A Funeral | Been To A Brothel | Had Surgery | Broken Someone’s Trust | Broken Someone’s Heart | Had Their Heart Broken | Broken/Damaged Something Out Of Anger | Broken/Damaged Something Out Of Spite | Gotten A Piercing | Gotten A Tattoo | Used A Fake Name | Been Beaten Up | Been Tortured | Tortured Others | Been Abused | Been Blackmailed | Gotten Away With A Crime | Framed Someone Else For A Crime They Committed | Shared A Bed Platonically | Been In Love | Suffered From Sleep Paralysis | Been Forced To Flee Their Home | Learned A New Language (unless thievescant counts) | Joined A Rebellion | Fought On The Losing Side Of A War | Fought On The Winning Side Of A War | Become A Godparent | Become An Aunt/Uncle Goodness. And more of these get crossed out during the story.
And for contrast, Seeker🌠:
Killed Someone Under Orders | Had Someone Killed On Their Orders | Killed Someone In Self Defense | Spared Someone’s Life | Invented Something | Been Hungover | Kissed Someone | Slow-Danced | Been In A Long-Term Relationship | Had Sex | Had Sex And Regretted It | Had A One-Night Stand | Had A Threesome | Experimented With Their Sexuality | Had A Kid | Adopted A Kid | Wanted To Have A Family With Someone | Done Something On Impulse They Regretted | Gone Traveling | Had A Bounty Put On Them | Eaten An Insect | Been Groped/SA'd | Been Dumped | Dumped Someone | Smoked | Gotten High | Put Someone In A Headlock | Won A Bet | Lost A Bet | Forgiven Someone Who Wronged Them | Indulged In Petty Revenge | Hallucinated | Gotten A Noticeable Scar | Kneed/Hit Someone In The Groin | Had An Unattainable Crush | Laughed Themselves To The Point Of Tears | Been Kidnapped | Been Brainwashed/Hypnotized | Had A Recurring Nightmare | Been Bullied | Bullied Someone | Experienced Survivor’s Guilt | Been Tied/Chained Up | Given Someone A Massage | Received A Massage | Been Backed Up Against A Wall | Shot Someone | Stabbed Someone | Saved Someone’s Life | Cheated On Someone | Been Cheated On | Been In An Open Relationship | Had A Friendship With Benefits | Been In A Queerplatonic Relationship | Had A Stalker | Been Betrayed | Been A Traitor | Been Possessed | Been In A Bar Fight | Been Thrown Out Of A Bar | Been Arrested | Broken Out Of Jail | Been To A Funeral | Been To A Brothel | Had Surgery (maybe?) | Broken Someone’s Trust | Broken Someone’s Heart | Had Their Heart Broken | Broken/Damaged Something Out Of Anger | Broken/Damaged Something Out Of Spite | Gotten A Piercing | Gotten A Tattoo | Used A Fake Name | Been Beaten Up | Been Tortured | Tortured Others | Been Abused | Been Blackmailed | Gotten Away With A Crime | Framed Someone Else For A Crime They Committed | Shared A Bed Platonically | Been In Love | Suffered From Sleep Paralysis | Been Forced To Flee Their Home | Learned A New Language | Joined A Rebellion | Fought On The Losing Side Of A War | Fought On The Winning Side Of A War | Become A Godparent | Become An Aunt/Uncle (They do 16+ more things during the story tho!)
Taggame list!: @katenewmanwrites @smellyrottentrees @wyked-ao3 @lychhiker-writes @fortunatetragedy @cowboybrunch @zackprincebooks @urbiggestfan-01 @quillswriting +Open tag!
OC Deep Dive Tag ✨
@the-golden-comet may be a pirate-wrangler, but I'm the one who keeps stealing their tag games. 🏴☠️
Oh y'all know I'm starting with Kazimier from 🌐7 Circles🌐
I am however adding a cut bc some of this is pretty spoiler-y. 🙊
Phobias: Hemophobia (his own blood, specifically), medical needles. People whose lust tastes of sadism.
Other fears: IVs, feeling not in control, being drugged, being poisoned, getting cut/stabbed, healthy fear of death. Fear of falling in love.
Pet peeves: Naivety, 'baby-talking', clingy people, sometimes even having sex is a peeve.
3 items in their bedroom: Something to lounge on like a chaise, garish clothing, a lot of rope.
First thing they notice in a person: The sound of their voice/how they pronounce things, the way their face moves as they talk.
Scale of 1 to 10, how high is their pain tolerance?: Hmmm...4.
Do they go into fight or flight mode when under pressure? Freeze, followed by fight, flight, fawn (fakely), or fuck.
Do they have a big family/are they a family person?: Does being in a gang at age 10 count as being adopted into a family? Could be a family person if he let himself care about people like that.
What animal represents them? A cat. So particular, weirdly hyperfocused sometimes, likes toying with vermin, can't tell if he'll roll with you giving him attention or try to claw you.
What is a smell they dislike? Cleaning solution
Broken any bones? Maybe, he's almost 300 so it would be a miracle if he hadn't yet.
How would a stranger describe them? Each stranger would describe a completely different person. Kazimier is a shapeshifter. If a stranger somehow saw his 'neutral' form, they'd say he looks fuckin' weird. Horns, green hair, mis-matched eyes of red and green, strange red markings on his cheeks, fangs, black claws, dressed like an 80s rockstar and has this crooked smirk on his face... the fuck?
Night owl or a morning bird? Night? The place he comes from, Du'Preve, barely has a day and night, it's always pretty dark.
A flavor they hate and a flavor they love? Hates sadism, loves desperation. (Kaz is an incubus, and you can discern those feelings from the taste of their lust)
Any hobbies? Sewing (very helpful for a shapeshifter), games like chess, billiards, darts, clue- anything that keeps his mind engaged. Also enjoys doing other people's makeup/make-overs but does this very rarely and is a dictator during the process.
Boom, surprise birthday party! How do they react to surprises? He's already thinking about how much he's going to make everyone suffer. Flip a coin as to whether he shuts it down immediately or plays along up until people get hurt. There is one (1) spontaneous asexual vampire gal who could get away with doing this.
Do they like to wear jewelry? Yeah, and he owns a lot of it.
Neat or messy handwriting? Neater than you'd expect, large unabashed spacing and snarky loops.
The two emotions they feel the most? Fear and curiosity.
Favorite fabric? Hahhahahahaa.. yeah it's cashmere.
What kind of accent do they have? New York-ish, like Baccano. The quality of his voice is not unlike Todd Haberkorn's normal speaking voice, brassy, abrasive, animated, wry and snarkish.
Taggames list: @katenewmanwrites @smellyrottentrees @wyked-ao3 @lychhiker-writes @fortunatetragedy @cowboybrunch @zackprincebooks @urbiggestfan-01 @quillswriting +Open Tag! (No pressure tho!)
Val is so real for just trying to survive and Klaus is hot
Need more info on these two pretty please (especially fanart for Klaus if you have it 🤭)
You get it anon. I will absolutely hook you up.👍✨️
Valian info 🐁⛓️
Every world has it's criminals, and Valian knows a lot about what happens to the ones who get caught. Val has a collar around his neck and is at the beck and call of whatever demon is contracted to 'reform' him. It's exactly what society expects of a lowly ifrit like him.
Klaus info 🌻🥂
Klaus Calvaire is a man with a secret. Although he seems just as demonic as the other inhabitants of the capitol, he shares blood with their greatest enemy- The Fae. He will tear the demons' oppressive system down by infiltrating their glamorous society... if he can avoid getting caught.
Klaus Simpzone👅💦
Welcome to the Klaus simp club 🙏 please enjoy the following gifts.
He's pretty similar to Ben Barnes, who is the black-haired man in the pictures above.
Bonus thirst: he's well dressed and fastidious, is trained as a healer, muscles are built for climbing, 6'2", onyx eyes, loves gardening, and charming enough to fool a whole country.
Thanks for the ask! If you hunger for more you can search 7c_val or 7c_klaus on my profile✌️ also check out my 🌐7 Circles intro🌐!
Pathfinder 1E Traits - Goblins
Art by Pathfinder artist Andrew Hou Considering that I never get to play Pathfinder 1E (since D&D 5E is just way simpler and way more popular), why am I still obsessed with the Traits system from that game?
They're basically just weaker version of Feats that you can only choose during character creation, to reflect your species/backstory. They have really strong flavor but give only a small gameplay benefit, which I like even more because it frees you from feeling like you have to choose the 'optimal' ones. And I just really like building a character where the backstory and the abilities sync up all nice. 'Ludonarrative synchronicity' I think the smart people call it. Anyway! To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, here are just some of the Traits you can pick if you decide to play a goblin:
Big Ears
Your massive ears are your pride and joy, and other goblins claim you can hear a flea scream as it falls off a goblin dog. Benefit: While this might not quite be the case, gain a +2 bonus on all Perception checks made to hear noises. Additionally, you can hear noises that normally only dogs or other animals can hear, like the sound of a dog whistle.
Rude Songs
The lyrics of your songs are incredibly personally insulting. Benefit: Providing an opponent can hear and understand you, you gain a +2 trait bonus on all Perform (song) checks. Perform is always a class skill for you.
Advantageous Distraction
Like most goblins, you’re easily distracted. Unlike most goblins, though, you have a knack for being distracted at the right time, especially when it comes to avoiding pain.
Benefit: Once per day as a swift action, you can be momentarily distracted in combat—ducking an axe swing to inspect a toadstool, or stooping behind a tree to lick some bark and accidentally avoiding an arrow, and so on. When you activate this ability, you gain a +2 dodge bonus to your AC for 1 round.
I just love how well these tiny abilities play into the idea that goblins are dubious little creatures, getting up to mischief ^_^