Characterisation - Tumblr Posts
how to write like jk rowling
foreshadow foreshadow foreshadow
become a master of chekhov’s gun everything you mention should pay off a hundred pages later or a couple of books later! the diary they had to go back and get? it has voldemort in it! the locket they were polishing? it’s a horcrux! old irrelevant lady? actually a squib watching over you!
write buried clues! like the fact that ginny has a diary is buried under a list of things the weasleys forget and go bring back on the way the king’s cross or the fact that there’s a locket is listed among a ton of things they’re cleaning!
you can also downplay the importance of characters before the big reveal like how harry asks sirius about his brother and he brushes him off as a stupid young boy who joined the death eaters
speaking of characters, jkr says character is plot and that explains how she writes such strong characters take my favourite one for instance sirius black he’s the textbook case of ‘break your characters’ he’s in an abusive household for eleven years, then thrown into a war, and loses his best friend in the whole world, is wrongly imprisoned for twelve years and then jailed in the house of his childhood while everyone is working and YET he is unfailingly kind and doesn’t stray into the dark
and write flawed characters like the kindest, gentlest, wisest character dumbledore. he was not to be trusted with power.
also speaking of characters, write killer motivations that aren’t always foregrounded classic example is snape’s motivation to lie to voldemort for years. is it right and good? debatable. is it powerful? yes.
next up, worldbuilding. jkr makes us forever in awe of her world and till date we’re all bemoaning the fact that we can’t go to hogwarts and YET there’s a dark side to that world it’s a distorted mirror of our own
write visual spectacles that make your readers go whoa. my favourite moment was the dragon breaking out of gringotts. it was emblematic of injustices in the wizarding world but boy did it make a good shot.
use extended metaphors
give! every! minor! character! their! own! subplot! even! if! it! doesn’t! make! it! into! your! story! standard example: dobby!
make us nostalgic. like hagrid taking harry out of privet drive in the last book just like in the first
in that vein, ring composition!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
be preoccupied with morality and mortality
take away everything your hero has. his parents. his father figure. his wand.
be unkind to your hero but let him win
give children everywhere something to hope for
finally, jkr said by writing harry potter, she came to know for sure that love is the most powerful force use writing to explore your convictions
if you’re going to tell me what a terrible person jkr is, make your own post this is a writing blog and i worked really hard on scrutinising aspects of her writing which is objectively wonderful
how to write like jk rowing * how to write like shirley jackson
If you found this helpful, consider buying me a virtual coffee to keep me writing.
hiii, i just found your blog and i love your content! i was wondering if you had any advice/posts on deciding the basics about your ocs? (like clothing, skin tone, appearance) i write fantasy and i can’t seem to get a solid visual on my ocs despite knowing their backstory and personalities x
Hello! I’m so glad you’re enjoying your time here! I wish you the best of luck on your writing project! :D
I don’t have many posts on the subject but I’d love to try to help you. What always helps me is the use of Pinterest!
Especially through the use of their boards feature so that you can organize anything important about the character, from appearance to personality to outfits and race. It’s an excellent resource for keeping your thoughts organized.
Faceclaims, are always key! It’s important to have a visual, and finding one, just by browsing Pinterest or google images of people can be really helpful! It can be anyone from celebrities to stock photos, even your own friends, and family. Moodboards/Aesthetic Boards are also very helpful!
It’s always easier to put a name to a face. And it’s cool you already have the personality part all worked out!
The basics of OCs is always the author’s choice. There’s not much I can say about it, but always go with the first image you get when you think of them!
It’s important to note details like skin color, age, gender, etc. Make sure you’re writing these basics down in a journal or notebook, they’ll help you a lot in the long run! As you start to think more about their appearance, you’ll begin to think more about what they might wear.
Always, always, always try to know what your character is holding! If they’re an assassin, they’ll have weapons, correct? Know their weapons. Does this assassin have anything important to them? Maybe they stuff a picture of a loved one in their coat pocket to look at because they miss them. Take into account things like climate and weather. If your character lives in a cold wintery place, they might have a thick jacket made of furs. If your character hunts in the forest, they may need some sort of camouflage. Question everything, and provide answers for it. Your readers will certainly want explanations. Leave out anything that may be unnecessary and doesn’t move the plot forward.
Important details like these define the character! Knowing about where they live and their environment can help with outfits/design!
In fantasy especially, it’s important to research the mythical races you want to use (ex. elves, demons, etc.) so that you can craft your characters around them. Diversity is also very important, especially if your characters are human! Drawing from real life is also very important as well.
Here are a few articles/posts I found that might also be helpful.
Pinterest for Authors: A Beginners Guide
FaceClaim Directory
Getting to Know Your Characters
How to Capture Your Character’s Appearance
How to Resist Writing Stereotypical Fantasy Races
Character 101: Building Complex, Interesting, Memorable Characters
5 Most Common Fantasy Character Types
How to Bring Your Characters Into Focus
7 Tips for Choosing Your Character’s Appearance
99 Fantasy Cliches in Epic Fantasy
5 Tips for Cultural Diversity in Writing
High Fantasy Book Writing Tips and Tricks
Writing a Unique Fantasy Tips and Tricks from Professionals
Creating Fantasy Character Protagonists Interview/Blank
Cliches to Avoid in Fantasy
Five Traps and Tips for Character Development
I hope this helped! If anyone has any more, please feel free to add on to this list!
-Scribble :)
Words to Describe Hair
This began as a guide to describing Afro/curly hair but of course, I got carried away. From look and texture of hair, colors and various styles, this guide serves as a thesaurus of sorts for hair, as well as pointers for use in your writing.
Culturally Significant Hair Coverings:
Know the meaning behind head wear and why it’s worn, when and by whom, such as a Native Nation’s headdress, before bestowing a character with it.
Head Coverings Resources:
More on various head coverings.
See here for more Islamic Veils.
See here for more on the Nigerian gele.
See here on African American Headwraps.
View our hijab and headscarves tags for discussion on these topics.
Afro - Curly - Straightened
There are many varieties of braids, twists & Afro hair styles; have some more!
African/Black Hair: Natural, Braids and Locks
African Hair: Braiding Styles 10 African Types
Describing Black (Afro) hair:
Appropriative Hairstyles: Keep in mind that Afro styles should be kept to those in the African Diaspora, such as dreadlocks, cornrows + certain and many braided styles.
Tread carefully describing Afro hair as “wild” “unkempt” “untamed” or any words implying it’s unclean or requires controlling.
“Nappy” and “wooly” are generally words to stay away from, the first having heavy negative connotations for many and the latter, though used in the Holy Bible, is generally not acceptable anymore and comes off as dehumanizing due to Animal connotations.
There are mixed feelings on calling Black hair “kinky.” I’m personally not opposed to the word in itself and usage depends on the person’s race (I’m more comfortable with a Black person using it vs. a Non-Black person) as well as their tone and context (if it’s used in a neutral or positive tone vs. negatively/with disdain). Get feedback on your usage, or simply forgo it.
See our tags “Black Hair” and “Natural Hair” for more discussion on describing Black hair.
Texture - Look - Styles
Hair Colors and Style
Writing Tips & Things to Keep in Mind:
Combination Words: Try combining words to illustrate look of hair. A character with springy coils that dance across her shoulders with every movement, the man with thick silvery hair slicked back into a ponytail…
Mind Perspective: Depending on POV, a character might not know exactly what cornrows or a coiffure style is, at least in name, and it might make more sense if they described the hairdo instead. More defining terms might come from a more knowing source or the wearer themselves. One book I read described a girl’s afro puff as “thick hair pulled up into a cute, curly, poufy thing on top of her head and tied with a yellow ribbon.”
POC & Hair Colors: People of Color’s hair comes in all shades and textures. There are Black people with naturally blond and loosely-textured to straight hair, East Asian people with red hair, and so on. Keep that in mind when coding characters if you tend to rely on hair color alone to denote a character is white vs. a Person of Color.
Related Tropes: There are tropes and discussion related to People of Color, colored hair, and light-colored hair and features.
Check out these posts on the topic: The East Asian Women + Colored Hair Trope - Black Characters & “Wild” Hair Colors - POC w/ Supernatural Colorful Features. - ‘Uncommon’ Features & POC Characters
~Mod Colette
Superheroes that are like “if we kill them we’re just as bad as they are uwu” ? Micro dick energy
My Personal Character Files: The 6 Box Method
This is for my science fiction WIP, so some things may need to be added/modified depending on your genre. I will also include a screenshot of an example at the bottom so y’all can see how I set it up in my Doc.
1. The Quick Ref
I use this as the first page of my “Character FIles” Doc.
I put all my important characters in a list, then add their height, age, and the page their complete file can be found on. This is helpful when I need to know if a character would have to crane their neck upward to look another character in the eyes. Comes up more than I’d have guessed.
2. The Individual Profile: 6 Box Method
I add and subtract stuff based on how important the character is. Without further ado…
Box One: Reference Photo
This is where I add in any actor, model, drawing, etc that I base the look on. When I don’t need one, sometimes I’ll put in a picture that represents the character’s style.
Box Two: The Introduction
Full Name
Nickname(s)
Age
Occupation
Current home
Situation How do they enter this story?
Motivation What do they want?
Favorite quote/saying
Biggest strength
Biggest issue
Strongest trait
Box Three: Behavior
Personality
Habits
Ambition/Short and Long Term Goals
Greatest fear(s)
Phobias
Biggest secret(s)
Social skills
Interior talents
Box Four: Background
Home moon/planet Apophis
Important history
Family
Friends, Enemies, Acquaintances, and Colleagues
Finances
Education
Phys. Health/Mental Health
Religion
Romantic/sexual preference
Interests/Hobbies
Box Five: Appearance & Physicality
Height
Body type
Skin tone/Ethnicity/Species
Facial description
Prominent/distinguishing features
Dress
Mannerisms
Physical talents
Box Six: Speech
Normal tone
Language & accent
Favorite phrases
3. The Example
Rey from The Force Awakens.
Boxes 1 and 2
Boxes 3 and 4
Boxes 5 and 6
Best of luck on your writing journey!
I think the best piece of character design advice I ever received was actually from a band leadership camp I attended in june of 2017.
the speaker there gave lots of advice for leaders—obviously, it was a leadership camp—but his saying about personality flaws struck me as useful for writers too.
he said to us all “your curses are your blessings and your blessings are your curses” and went on to explain how because he was such a great speaker, it made him a terrible listener. he could give speeches for hours on end and inspire thousands of people, but as soon as someone wanted to talk to him one on one or vent to him, he struggled with it.
he had us write down our greatest weakness and relate it to our biggest strength (mine being that I am far too emotional, but I’m gentle with others because I can understand their emotions), and the whole time people are sharing theirs, my mind was running wild with all my characters and their flaws.
previously, I had added flaws as an after thought, as in “this character seems too perfect. how can I make them not-like-that?” but that’s not how people or personalities work. for every human alive, their flaws and their strengths are directly related to each other. you can’t have one without the other.
is your character strong-willed? that can easily turn into stubbornness. is your character compassionate? maybe they give too many chances. are they loyal? then they’ll destroy the world for the people they love.
it works the other way around too: maybe your villain only hates the protagonist’s people because they love their own and just have a twisted sense of how to protect them. maybe your antagonist is arrogant, but they’ll be confident in everything they do.
tl;dr “your curses are your blessings, and your blessings are your curses” there is no such thing as a character flaw, just a strength that has been stretched too far.
Hey, do you any advice for writing emotionally cold characters? Im having a bit of trouble with body language.
Hmm. Well.
With emotionally cold characters, they are going to have a wall of some kind between them and everyone else, whether it be physical or not. They’re cold and are emotionally stunted. There is a good chance that someone or something made that way and that it wasn’t something that just happened
And that makes them distrustful
A lot of the time, emotionally cold characters are not going to smile. They’re going to have grave expressions or frowns or are glaring. Or maybe they are going to be very serious. They may purse their lips or narrow their brows. Their eyes may be blank or harsh
Or it could be the opposite. For example, Esca is a cold, harsh person and he smiles a lot. But it is not a friendly smile. It is a knife’s edge and a weapon in it’s own right
They may also fold their arms. This shows a barrier between them and the other people. it shows them being defensive or opposing the other person or situation. They may stand apart from a crowd or not be involved at all
Their poster could be closed, with arms and legs crossed, their frame rigid. It shows their hostility, their distrust and aloofness
They could shove their hands in their pockets and smile mildly while their backs at straight and chin raised. The authority and Better Than You vibe puts them apart from everyone else
Cold characters always have an Air of Mystery around them, that always keeps people guessing their motives, their emotions. They will not reveal their plans quickly or easily
They will opt out of hugs for hand shakes, or even going so far as to not shake hands at all and keep their distance. They might slightly incline their head instead
When speaking, they speak in an even tone, or mildly. They will not raise their voice, show that kind of passion. It shows a refinity, the elegance of the icy demeanor. They likely do not laugh or cry and bury it all deep on the inside
They rarely speak about themselves and hold their secrets to their chests. They trade in secrets and only reveal things about themselves to people they trust, and even then, they may not reveal everything
They do not ask many questions, just the Need to Know. So often those questions are not going to be questions of a personal nature and will be more straight to the point. And they will rarely, if not, repeat themselves a second time
They will have very little qualms, if any, for hurting people, whether physically, verbally, or emotionally. They are already stunted in their own emotions and are not going to bother with sugar coating anything
And lastly, they are very practical, or realistic and ruthless in decision making. Emotions will not cloud their judgement. It could make them seem insane, or could very much risk their lives and without a feeling of precaution, it could get them very dead.
—- I hope this helps!
How to Plot a Complex Novel in One Day
Now first, I have to say, that the plot you’re able to come up with in one day is not going to be without its flaws, but coming up with it all at once, the entire story unfolds right in front of you and makes you want to keep going with it. So, where to begin?
What is your premise and basic plot? Pick your plot. I recommend just pulling one from this list. No plots are “original” so making yours interesting and complicated will easily distract from that fact, that and interesting characters. Characters will be something for you to work on another day, because this is plotting day. You’ll want the main plot to be fairly straight forward, because a confusing main plot will doom you if you want subplots.
Decide who the characters will be. They don’t have to have names at this point. You don’t even need to know who they are other than why they have to be in the story. The more characters there are the more complicated the plot will be. If you intend to have more than one subplot, then you’ll want more characters. Multiple interconnected subplots will give the illusion that the story is very complicated and will give the reader a lot of different things to look at at all times. It also gives you the chance to develop many side characters. The plot I worked out yesterday had 13 characters, all were necessary. Decide their “roles” don’t bother with much else. This seems shallow, but this is plot. Plot is shallow.
Now, decide what drives each character. Why specifically are they in this story? You can make this up. You don’t even know these characters yet. Just so long as everyone has their own motivations, you’re in the clear.
What aren’t these characters giving away right off the bat? Give them a secret! It doesn’t have to be something that they are actively lying about or trying to hide, just find something that perhaps ties them into the plot or subplot. This is a moment to dig into subplot. This does not need to be at all connected to their drive to be present in the story. Decide who is in love with who, what did this person do in the 70’s that’s coming back to bite them today, and what continues to haunt what-his-face to this very day. This is where you start to see the characters take shape. Don’t worry much about who they are or what they look like, just focus on what they’re doing to the story.
What is going to change these characters? Now this will take some thinking. Everyone wants at least a few of the characters to come out changed by the end of the story, so think, how will they be different as a result of the plot/subplot? It might not be plot that changes them, but if you have a lot of characters, a few changes that are worked into the bones of the plot might help you.
Now list out the major events of the novel with subplot in chronological order. This will be your timeline. Especially list the historical things that you want to exist in backstory. List everything you can think of. Think about where the story is going. At this point, you likely haven’t focused too much on the main plot, yeah, it’s there, but now really focus on the rising actions, how this main plot builds its conflict, then the climactic moment. Make sure you get all of that in there. This might take a few hours.
Decide where to start writing. This part will take a LOT of thinking. It’s hard! But now that you’ve got the timeline, pick an interesting point to begin at. Something with action. Something relevant. Preferably not at the beginning of your timeline - you want to have huge reveals later on where these important things that happened prior are exposed. This is the point where you think about what information should come out when. This will be a revision of your last list, except instead of being chronological, it exists to build tension.
Once you’ve gotten the second list done, you’ve got a plot. Does it need work? Probably. But with that said, at this point you probably have no idea who half your characters are. Save that for tomorrow, that too will be a lot of work.
the signs as angels
check moon and venus signs, sun if you like
aries
the angel with eight wings and no halo. you fly above sleepless cities at night and yearn for the glowing lights. you are the angel that wishes to live on earth and kiss all the mortal strangers with cherry lips, red like summer fruit.
*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*
taurus
the angel who walks among people on earth. you have no wings but there is an otherworldly glow around you, deep and silent like half bitter coffee in the early morning. you sit in hidden libraries and dream of golden skies and flying fish.
*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*
gemini
the angel with 20 blinking eyes. you are the angel that sends whispers of advice spinning down to earth in silver gusts of wind. you make the tides turn and the papaya flowers blossom in the early springtime.
*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*
cancer
the guardian angel with a shining halo. the angel who washes the shells like love letters up on sandy beaches. you watch the follies of human beings from a pink cloud in the sky, and cry streams of starlight.
*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*
leo
the angel with wings large as oceans. you float above sleeping people and laugh like sunlight. your fingers are the kiss of life as you brush the earth unthinkingly, lightly. you are the angel that sweeps the oceans with your wings, sending sea spray across the land.
*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*
virgo
the angel who guards the gates to heaven. your golden skin glows like moonlight on water as you peer through the clouds at the earth below. you blink your eyes through golden eyelashes as you hold your golden notebook and write golden words in heaven’s ink.
*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*
libra
the angel of loving. your dragonfly wings can barely support you but still you perch on windowsills and rooftops and gaze down at the passers-by at night. you kiss strangers and eat sugar cubes out of the moon’s palm.
*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*
scorpio
the angel who came down from heaven and hides in a dark blue seaside town. the people whisper your name like a secret and dream of feathered wings. your lips taste like salt and red wine and you weep for the skies.
*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*
sagittarius
the angel with flowers in her hair. you have the desert in your fingers and the forest in your feet. when you cry, you cry oceans. you are the angel who falls in love with everyone, and everyone falls back in love with you tenfold. summer’s rotten fruit juice flows through your veins.
*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*
capricorn
the angel who sits by the window. your fingers stitch flowers onto the fields and clouds into the skies. heaven is your home, but earth but for all her sadness calls to you; tea in the morning, rain in the evening. your halo, gently gold, unspoiled.
*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*
aquarius
the angel who smokes a cigarette outside a downtown bar. your feathered wings are nothing to the neon signs. you look like a painting as you dance under the flashing lights, brushing the hands of everyone as you spin circles.
*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*
pisces
the angel who lost his wings a hundred moons ago and now leaves footprints in white sands. in your dreams you float amongst the stars and kiss the fingertips of heaven’s angels, but when you awaken you are left only to the warm waters of the pacific ocean.
Stuff I Learned at My Writing Workshop (That I’m Kicking Myself in the Head for Not Realizing Sooner):
- The difference between a book that grabs you from the beginning vs. one that you’re on the fence about tossing out the window is winning your trust. It’s why it’s “easier” to read books by authors you already know, or fanfic where you’re familiar with the characters. Winning the reader’s trust as quickly as possible should be your first goal as a writer when you’re going back and editing your first draft. This can be accomplished by things like: speaking authoritatively about the subject (even if it’s utter bullshit), graceful prose, or establishing quickly in the story what it’s about. For example,“Character A had a problem. Character B didn’t love them back, so Character A was going to kidnap them so they would.” Maybe it’s not a story you want to read, but you are now firmly couched in what you signed up for in this story and the promise the author is going to deliver on before the end.
- Characters need goals. They need goals in every moment and in every scene. Every character needs a goal in every moment and in every scene. Maybe they’re not directly pursuing that goal right this very moment but it’s probably always at the back of their mind. Romances and detective stories are the easiest to deliver on this need. Character A wants to win their love. Detective A wants to solve the case. Even when they’re having tea with grandma, their thing is at the back of their mind. Keeping your character and your story focused on this thing they want helps pull your reader along and keeps them engaged on the “So what?” and “Why are we reading this scene?” questions of why they should keep reading.
- Characters shouldn’t just have things they like, they should have obsessions. This is the one I’m kicking myself for. The scientists in Pacific Rim are eccentrically obsessed with studying their thing. Thorin in the Hobbit is obsessed with regaining his home. Katniss Everdeen is obsessed with protecting her sister. Every crazy whackadoodle fandom darling character is obsessed with something. What do they have in common? They’re intensely obsessed with the thing that they care about. We love characters who are obsessed with things beyond reason, whether it’s reclaiming their home stolen by a dragon, or building artisanal bird houses, saving your sister, or studying monsters. Everyone “likes” things, but people and characters who are obsessed with something fascinate us. Examine the characters you’re most attracted to writing in fanfic, and examine your original characters if you’re trying to build those, and figure out what are they obsessed with and how does that inform their character. That’s the thing that’s going to make readers care about them.
Character Mannerisms
Here’s some considerations for the tiny little details that can add a lot to a character. Figuring out these mannerisms can do a lot for conveying character traits through their normal actions rather than just their thoughts, dialogue, etc.
How’s their posture? There are more options than just sitting up straight or slouching a lot. What’s their most comfortable sitting position? Do they have a consistent posture or does it change depending on situation / present company?
How’s their etiquette? Do they hold the door for people behind them? How do they handle handshakes and other kinds of typical contact? Does their language change or become more formal when speaking to strangers? To their elders? To their superiors?
In a crowded space, do they get out of people’s way, or do people get out of THEIR way?
How do they point something out? Pointing their finger? Nodding their head? A flippant wave of the hand?
What are their comfort gestures or self-touch gestures? Common comfort gestures include rubbing the back of the neck or gripping their own arms. Can they suppress these gestures or do they do them often?
Also consider the character’s common reactions to common emotions. Do they whoop when they’re excited? Do they tremble when angry?
What parts of the body are the most expressive? Do they shuffle and stomp their feet a lot when agitated or excited? Are they a hand talker? Do they have an impressive range of motion with their eyebrows?
How do they sound? Do their car keys jingle as they walk? Do they drag their feet? Do their heels clack resoundingly on hard floors? Do they breathe loudly? Do they fidget in ways that make a lot of noise?
How do they handle eye contact?
Any behaviors they reserve for moments when they’re alone? (Or possibly among family/friends that don’t care?) Do they pick their nose? Do they bite their toenails? Do they sniff their armpits? Or do they not care if people see behavior like this?
Apart from comfort gestures, what else do they do to comfort themselves in trying times? What’s their go-to self care? What’s their comfort food? Where’s their safe space?
What are they doing with themselves as they’re suppressing emotion? Lip biting, fist clenching, and avoiding eye contact are common methods of coping with strong emotions.
tropes that will always f*ck me up
composed characters losing their composure
kind characters snapping
characters hugging each other after one or both of them have been through hell
character cradling their significant other’s face while they kiss
character says something hurtful. later on in the movie they are in a similar situation and say something kind instead.
self sacrifice
griefstricken women (who under normal circumstances wouldn’t hurt a fly) lashing out and striking the person responsible for the loss of their loved one
ugly crying
characters struggling to talk because they’re about to cry
characters reuniting with someone whom they thought were dead
FOREHEAD KISSES
F O R E H E A D T O U C H E S
if your favorite ship doesn’t boil down to ‘they’re both stupid but they help each other be less sad’ then What’s The Point