#CHARACTERS

[tasteslikezombie]

Ma said it's his turn with the slutty shorts

[i-assign-you-animorphs]

Rachel @ Marco

[k9effect]

My OCs for my scifi story that is snowballing in my head! I haven't been doing a lot of fandom stuff cause these guys are all I can think about. You are more than welcome to ask me questions about them, they have so much lore in my head and I wanna share it with the world!

[Click for better quality, reblogs and tags appreciated]

[monsterblogging]

"This character reads so many books, they talk like an absolute dictionary; they don't use slang or swear words though" - hey look as a Lifelong Wordhoarder who talks like they ate a dictionary or two, I wanna encourage you to let those guys use slang and swears sometimes. Having more words and phrases is always fun and I love using them when they come out. It's like getting shiny new toys and I Cannot Resist The Allure.

[sweetcardamom]

Which is fascinating in a character, but also tragic. I request an arc where the character learns that he (or she) has inherent value.

I love a character raised to be a weapon as much as the next guy. But what really gets me is a character raised to be a shield. Who can’t fathom being needed—or even being wanted— beyond keeping others safe. Who believe they are alive only to insure someone doesn’t die. no matter the cost. Characters who self-sacrifice not because they think they deserve it, but because no one else does deserve it, and it’s their job to protect.

Characters who’ve been told that’s why your important. Your worth something because this other person/ thing is important, and you are here solely to keep them safe.

Bonus points if it’s not a legitimate job they’ve been given. Maybe at one point it was, but now that they are free from it, they haven’t given up that mentality. No one is forcing or asking them to do this, but they need to. They need to in order to be deserving.

[kahixxi]

[rubyleaf]

Honestly? My main piece of advice for writing well-rounded characters is to make them a little bit lame. No real living person is 100% cool and suave 100% of the time. Everyone's a little awkward sometimes, or gets too excited about something goofy, or has a silly fear, or laughs about stupid things. Being a bit of a loser is an incurable part of the human condition. Utilize that in your writing.

[kimiko24]

Me when I see a picture of ✨The Character™✨:

[theater-girlie123]

I'm always needing a list like this!

Writing Description Notes:

Updated 9th September 2024 More writing tips, review tips & writing description notes

Facial Expressions

Masking Emotions

Smiles/Smirks/Grins

Eye Contact/Eye Movements

Blushing

Voice/Tone

Body Language/Idle Movement

Thoughts/Thinking/Focusing/Distracted

Silence

Memories

Happy/Content/Comforted

Love/Romance

Sadness/Crying/Hurt

Confidence/Determination/Hopeful

Surprised/Shocked

Guilt/Regret

Disgusted/Jealous

Uncertain/Doubtful/Worried

Anger/Rage

Laughter

Confused

Speechless/Tongue Tied

Fear/Terrified

Mental Pain

Physical Pain

Tired/Drowsy/Exhausted

Eating

Drinking

Warm/Hot

[krossan]

Redwall art envisioned as an 80's animated film look. (Milt Kahl / Don Bluth) --- I know nothing abt Redwall. I havent read the books and know very VERY little of its lore. Years ago I remember seeing a tv series but never finished it.

[aitze]

Prototype portrait for a game project.

[helpful-writing-tips]

When writing emotionally reserved characters:

Show your character's struggles with holding in emotions. Just because your character won't let themself go in public, doesn't mean they don't struggle holding everything in.

Find a motive. Pride and/or consideration for those around them can make emotionally reserved people hold back more than would be considered good for them. There are other reasons too, perhaps the initial cause and the reason now are different, but try to give them a reason.

Show side-effects. Everything you bottled up shows itself in another way, whether it's physical or mental. This can be long- and short-term, depending on the severity of the emotions.

Give them coping mechanisms. Everyone who wishes not to show certain emotions has a trick or two to keep themselves in check. Taking a sip of water, not looking people in the eyes, clenching their fists, breathing just a bit too deeply.

Write subconscious signs that they give off, which close friends or family might pick on. Just because these characters want to keep their emotions to themselves, doesn't mean they don't give off signs. Some manage to keep said signs well hidden from those closest to them, but it's more common for environment to pick up on something at the very least.

[lomotunes2008]

Me but with both characters and music :D

this is about procrastinating. or executive dysfunction. i think

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Photographed by Martin Schoeller for The New Yorker in 2002:

 "I was hired by the New Yorker in 2002 to photograph Robin Williams, and after doing my research what stood out most for me was that he was a very physical comedian. I came up with this idea to photograph him swinging from a chandelier in a grand hotel room. Most publicists shoot down these kinds of wild ideas, so I didn't tell anyone what I was up to, but rigged up a chandelier at the Waldorf Astoria hotel for him to swing from. When Robin got there and saw what was happening, he lifted up his shirt and showed me this enormous scar on his shoulder. He'd just had surgery and couldn't so much as lift his arm. He was so disappointed! He really felt bad about not being able to do it, because he loved the idea and really wanted to help me accomplish my vision. 

Unlike most Hollywood stars, he was unfazed by his success and position. He talked to everyone from stylists to the crew, to the hotel staff. We ended up asking a maid at the hotel to swing from the chandelier instead, and I asked him to just sit there and read a newspaper, which I think in the end was an even funnier, more unexpected picture.

[Follies Of God]

[elumish]

This may sound like odd advice, but I think it's important to remember that your character does not need to be smart.

Because there's often a lot of focus on characters, especially protagonists, having agency and pushing the story forward, people often make their protagonist particularly smart--they come up with the right solution at the end, they surprise people with how smart they are, they are one of the best at whatever they do.

Often, it ends up reading like a power fantasy, where the author gets to write and the reader gets to experience being proven right, other people seeing just how smart they are after having been underestimated. There's nothing inherently wrong with that.

But smart is not a personality trait that every character or every protagonist needs to have. Your protagonist can have the wrong ideas. Your protagonist can (and should) get stuff wrong. They can be a worker bee, a Type-B personality, a doer rather than a thinker. They can be a solid B- student (or whatever the equivalent is in your story).