#character tips

[tanaor]

Want quick tips to add instant chemistry to the relationships of your characters??

(🥳With examples🥳)

First of all, I want to say that you can also use most of them for platonic/ non-romantic relationships, so feel free to use this tips however you think they might work better in your story. So, without further adue, let's get to the tips!!!

Make your characters LISTEN to each other. Like, if A tells B they're not a morning person, B could make some coffee for A or lower the volume of their alarm.

This might sound quite obvious, but show that you characters care for each other. It might be as simple as one of them giving the other a glass of water when they feel a little dizzy, but it works wonders!

Make your characters physically close. When you are emotionally close to someone, you tend to be physically close too. But here is the thing. Make your characters react like it's second nature: "how would I not hug B when I haven't seen them in days?" or "Of course I'm gonna take A's hand when I feel afraid".

They don't have to be constantly thinking about each other, but when they do, MAKE IT MATTER!! For example, character A is out shopping, and they see B's favorite cookies. B didn't have a good day, and A knows that. But A also knows B is gonna fucking love the cookies, so they buy some.

Let them believe and trust each other. Also applies if one of them is a little distrustful: let your characters rely on one another, even if at the start they aren't as comfortable doing it. For a distrustful character, letting the other one help with chores might be a HUGE thing.

Other tips for writers: previous | next

[lupinescribbler]

3 tips to writing character flaws

1) make their flaw congruent with the rest of who they are.

There’s a lot of different ways to do this, most commonly I’ve seen the “their strength is their flaw” which you can do but I’d recommend exploring it more deeply.

For example, maybe they’re good at attacking things head on, being honest and straightforward, but because they’ve always relied on that they don’t have the practice or an inclination to rely on other methods such as being more crafty, diplomatic, and subtle which are traits a situation sometimes calls for. I call this the “wrong tool for the job” flaw where an over-reliance on their strength handicaps them in situations where a different approach seems better suited. I think people and characters also just have a habit of using their tool for the job rather than the ‘best’ tool.

2) Don’t just tell us their flaw, show it.

Show this character trait coming out in their actions, have it influence the plot in key moments. If they’re reckless, don’t just have another character call them reckless, have them act reckless in a way that impacts their relationships with other characters or the plot.

3) Screw the whole “strengths vs flaws” thing altogether

try viewing character traits outside of a rigid binary of good and bad that you pull from a deck, and instead derive/connect them to deeper truths about who the character is, (how do they deal with problems/what is their ‘go-to’ method? what do they value? what are they skilled or unskilled at? what do they believe about the world and themselves?) and then why the characters is that way (note that it doesn’t all have to come from trauma. Please don’t attribute everything to a trauma. General life experience informs a lot of beliefs/traits, and then some is also just an inborn inclination) I have a longer post about how I tend to try to build a cohesive layout of who a character is.

Note as always, that these just things that I currently find helpful. Use or discard as works for you and your work. Happy writing!

[cowsabungus]

OC WHEELCHAIR GUIDE

I remade this guide to be a bit easier to read, less info dumping, a bit more specific info and stuff for you to understand, and also some stuff to help people decide which chair would be best for their characters!

[maplewozapi]

Heyo! I hope it’s okay to ask, but I have a question about character design.

I had the idea for a phoenix themed mage, and was considering having feathers growing alongside their hair. But my second thought was how I don’t know if that would be offensive to indigenous people.

If you don’t know the answer, do you know where I could learn?

The thing about feathers and character designs is that nowhere else uses feathers like we do and the silhouette is very unique to us specifically. Looking up feathers in character design or in specific cultures it always seems to come back to us good or bad. So in order use feathers in character designs you have to try not to use our silhouettes with the feathers. (Eagle feathers, head dress, brooches,bustles,ex.) I feel like people don’t understand the importance of feathers like each one you earn or is past down to you by family. During powwows and ceremonies if one falls off they have to completely stop the competition/ceremony and you are disqualified and you have to give away that feather because you disrespected it. And by law we are the only ones allowed to have eagle feathers 🤷‍♀��� it’s a religious thing not an aesthetic

I say consider what bird you wanna use, what they associated with, and use the feathers in a different manner silhouette wise. Like incorporating the bird’s silhouette and stuff. I like what the warrior cats fandom did and moved the feathers to the shoulders instead of head. Because yes we put feathers on our animals as well for the same reasons.

[maccreadysbaby]

Do you still do writing tips?? Cause I need tips on writing a child (12/13) who’s been trained to be living weapon their whole life??

OH MY GOD YES. I LOVE YOU.

this is a massive post I’m sorry

Writing a Child Who was Raised to be a Weapon

tw just for abuse, eating disorders, and the like mentioned below

NOW. This is one of my favorite archetypes used in modern media, if you couldn’t tell by my batfamily oc insert (little mister was-only-kept-alive-to-destroy-bruce-wayne. hi there, bentley, love you!)

While this is a very compelling and interesting type of character to create and flesh out, it’s easy to brush over some of the inner dialogue and thought patterns these children would have, because most people irl don’t have them. (Unless you were raised as a super assassin, in which case, please don’t kill me, and I love you)

The bottom line is, the characters entire personality and dynamic with other people relies on what background you give them. And that’s where I come in! Hi, I’m maccreadysbaby, and I’m going to propose some of the routes you can take in writing these cute little (deadly) guys!

COMMUNICATION ↴

none of these children are going to communicate normally, because they aren’t normal. they weren’t raised with a family, or good support system. they might:

be terrified of others. slow to trust. especially if you’re writing a child who was abused when they failed. for example, my oc, bentley, was horrified to be in proximity with any of bruce wayne’s family because he was afraid they would hurt him like his father did. he was afraid to cry in front of them, afraid to admit he was tired or sick or scared, afraid to ask for help, afraid to speak first, because it was all things he’d gotten punished for before. they might also have a terrible relationship with failure, because failure brings pain, and could potentially crumble if they fail or think they’re going to fail whatever they’re doing. (a mission, an assassination, or simple things like a school test or a task someone asked them to complete.) maybe they’re really good at holding it together and pretending they aren’t scared, but after all, they’re just kids. the cracks in their mask are gonna show one way or another.

shut people out. this could be from fear, or from being taught relationships are bad and makes them weak and vulnerable. they might not communicate because they don’t want to have another potential weak spot. they might keep their distance, stay quiet, not come out often. they might come across as cold and heartless, but it’s really them just trying to protect themselves, be it from pain, from the idea of eventual heartbreak, etc. but there is a problem with shutting people out, and it’s that they’re also shutting themselves in, like a prison. kids who choose to shut people out and bottle up everything they feel are slightly more prone to emotional outbursts and breakdowns. especially if they’re fairly young.

learn different ways to communicate, such as sign language, their actions, body language, etc. they won’t do it like everybody else and that’s okay! you can take so many liberties with this. maybe they make origami swans and leave them on the nightstands of people they decide they like. maybe they highlight lines in books and leave them places to tell someone how they feel. maybe they’re an absolute little jerkhole that’s mean to everyone because they weren’t taught how to do it any differently. maybe they’re insanely submissive people-pleasers that do everything asked of them because they were created to take orders. the possibilities are endless. go on an adventure!

be overly trusting. you typically see this in characters on the younger end of the spectrum, but you can drag it up into teenagers, too. a child that’s been abused or suppressed in any way, physically, emotionally, or mentally might decide they wholeheartedly trust the first person who is nice to them, who doesn’t cause them pain. there might even be a little bit of lag time between the meeting and the kindness and the trusting, but when it comes, it comes full force to the face. they’d trust these people to protect their lives and might even cling to them, or run to them as an escape from whoever raised them. (assuming they are afraid of the people who raised them.) they might even allow themselves to open up and become more than just a human weapon in the presence of these lucky folks.

believe that they’re superior to everyone else. obviously they are a higher class, a finer type of person. they can kill in seconds, they’re a master at martial arts, they can have an adult wrapped around their finger within the first minute of meeting them, they can make a person cave with a single sentence, they’re just better. better than all these civilians who let their emotions get in the way, who let other people walk all over them and boss them around. they’re too good for that. this is also a great one to add in some angst. arrogance and pride are often founded on the feelings of uselessness, worthlessness, or that they can’t (or don’t deserve to) be loved. it’s like a defense mechanism. no one likes me — obviously it’s because of my blindingly obvious superiority. they’re so much better that they don’t need love, kindness, care. (but yes, they actually do. they’ll probably break down crying or throw someone across the room the moment it’s given because it opens their eyes to the fact that they’re literally freaking starving for it like they haven’t eaten in their entire lives. my GOD give these kids a hug.)

FOOD ↴

i know this seems random, but it’s something you need to know about your character because it heavily impacts their mental state, mannerisms, energy, and health. chances are being raised as a weapon, they won’t have a stable relationship with food or eating. here are some examples of how you could make them!

refusing to eat. if your child character has had bad experiences in the past regarding food, such as someone using food to manipulate them (if you don’t do this you don’t get food.), torture them (purposefully feeding them something that makes them sick or have an allergic reaction, even poisoned food.), or if there are bad memories tied to eating (always getting fed before terrible missions, or before days locked somewhere, torture sessions, punishments, etc.) your child may not want to eat at all. after all, these are still just kids and they’re going to try and avoid everything that can trigger negative feelings, memories, or circumstances. if food is one of them, your other characters are probably going to have to help reassure them that they can eat and need to (if they’re in the presence of nice characters.) if you’re wanting to go a more severe route, you can even write them getting diagnosed with anorexia (an eating disorder that heavily involves not eating at all.) but of course, you don’t have to. (i didn’t.) just remember, they are growing kids and are going to be hungry whether they like it or not. but they will try to hide it if hunger has been used against them, which is a good point for hurt/comfort writing, since hunger can cause anything as small and embarrassing as their stomach growling loudly in front of everybody to severe stomach cramps (like your organs being tied in a terribly tight knot), vomiting, and fainting. all things considered, you can take a more severe route, or just write about them working with the help of friends to get up to a better food intake level and higher weight.

struggling to eat. if your child has not been fed properly for most or all of their lives, and then are put into a homelife where they have food at their disposal, they still might struggle with it. (for example, my character, bentley, was severely starved by his father for the first ten years of his life and when he gets put into a new home, he struggles to eat much at all and sometimes feels sick when he eats ‘too much’, even though he should be eating more in general.) of course, this comes with a host of complications and all the symptoms that come with malnutrition, not to mention that they won’t even be close to the size they’re supposed to be. (bentley was the size of a 6-7 year old at the ages of 9&10.) this is similar to the last bullet point in the sense that you can go the more serious anorexia route, or the kind people helping them stay on track route

over-eating. this one is more common for youngsters who didn’t have access to food most of their lives, but it wasn’t used against them or withheld from them by another person. (a good example would be a child trained in an area where people routinely don’t have access to food.) this is highly derived from food insecurity, where they think they have to eat everything they’re given because they don’t know when they’ll eat next. (this can also be used for characters in the bullet point above.) this also can cause health issues and routine sickness. (for example, my character, asten (11yrs), who lived in a poverty stricken part of his city and barely ate outside of school, routinely eats himself sick when he has access to food because he’s been starving without it.) this food insecurity can also lead to extreme emetophobia (fear of vomiting) because they don’t want to lose what they do have in them, which can pose a massive problem when this child is either so empty or so full that they need to throw up. so, if they’re put into a household where they have access to food, it might be a constant stream of stomach aches and nights spent in the bathroom while the person helps reassure them that they will always have food and they don’t have to eat it all now. (sorry this is gross but it needs to be said.)

here is a drabble that i wrote recently involving a malnourished child due to poverty, with his internal dialogue and thought processes, if that will help any of you.

ANXIETY / PTSD ↴

oh boy. these kids will have it, given how they’ve been raised. the question is in how they treat it and deal with it.

hiding it. maybe they were trained to see fear and anxiousness as weakness. the flinch when someone moves too fast, the tightness in their chest at a certain noise, the inability to breathe if they see someone’s face, they’re going to hide it because their fine and they’re tough. no one has to know that they have nightmares every night and cry when they’re alone. you can even extend this into anxiety/asthma/panic attacks that they keep hidden. (typically by leaving social settings when they feel it coming on.) no one has to know that they’re so weak. they might lash out in anger or irritation if they’re routinely asked if they’re okay because they need these people to back off before they fall apart in front of them. they might have little mannerisms that other people might notice for calming or showing anxiety, like biting their nails, bouncing their leg, pinching themselves, quietly doing breathing exercises, etc. PTSD will come more like nightmares and anxiety attacks and flashbacks, and they can’t always hide those no matter how much they want to. the severity of anxiety and PTSD depends on how graphic you make their backstory. (for example, my character, bentley, has nightmares of being abused, which he breaks down crying after. in his instances, he’s never alone. similarly, he once started crying when he saw christmas decorations similar to those his abuser used to have, and he has his first anxiety attack when he sees his abuser in public) you can keep the character secretive about it or let them have a big old breakdown in front of someone else, your choice.

not hiding it at all. if they’re with someone they trust, they might just let loose. (that’s what happened to bentley once he learned his new family didn’t care if he looked weak and wanted to help him) they might tell someone when they’re feeling scared or anxious or bad in any way. they might just cry right in front of them when they have to and have attacks with someone close and all the things because they’re not alone anymore and these people want to help. it might take a while for them to get to this point, and no one blames them. (for example, bentley was really anxious for school so he went to his new guardians room in the middle of the night) and remember, any steps these kiddos take closer to asking for help is HUGE! make sure your other characters encourage them and let them know they’re proud for reaching out :)

keep in mind that if they’ve never been talked to about it, they might have no freaking clue what’s going on if they have an attack of some sort, and will probably need someone to explain to them what’s going on and that they aren't going to die.

Thanks for coming to my ted talk! If you have more specific questions send them in anon!

[moon-delia]

★ ៸៸៸ FRIENDSHIP 1 ╱ post ❜ ✸ ៸ !?!

Good friendships can turn a decent story into a memorable one as, it not only does it make the reader care more about the story, it adds emotional weight to the story.

But there's one problem. Good relationships are difficult to write. You thought writing romance was difficult? Well, writing friendships is a whole new level of difficulty.

Romances normally rely on professions of love and staring into one's eyes for lengthy periods of time. But, how do you develop friendships?

# ៸ make each character their own person.

If a character's only purpose in the story is to act as "the friend", then it's guaranteed that they will be a flat and uninteresting character. This will lead to a friendship that no reader will be invested in.

Unfortunately, a lot of stories are like this ― you have your main character, and then their 1-dimensional friend who might crack a joke every once in a while. 

We have some good examples from movies like Samwise Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings. He isn't just "Frodo's friend" who tags along. He's a gardener and a cook. He has a fascination with elves, a crush on Rosie, and a bad habit of eavesdropping. He is loyal, brave, and can persevere even when there is seemingly no hope.

You see this is in Toy Story as well. Even though Woody and Buzz both have the same goal ― to escape Sid's house ― they both have different journeys. The story means different things to each of them. Woody learns to not be as selfish and Buzz struggles with accepting that he is just a toy.

# ៸ give them something in common.

Once you have fleshed out your characters, you need a reason for them to be friends. What brought them together? What gives them the reason to hang out? You need to give them similarities.

This can be a number of different things, like:

★ Status

★ Hobbies

★ Struggles

★ History

★ Background

★ Interests

★ Enemy

★ Goals

★ Dreams

# ៸ give them meaningful differences.

Once you've established their similarities, it's time to dig deeper and create their meaningful differences. Don't just make your characters different. Give them meaningful differences that can build off of each other.

With those differences, your characters can help support their strengths and build them up during their times of weakness. This can lead to a strong friendship.

Here are some great ways to give them differences:

# ៸ skills.

★ One of the friend can be smart in terms of intelligence while the other is good at using her hands and inventing stuff.

★ One might be good at coming up with plans, while the other might be good at improvising when the plan goes awry.

# ៸ conflict resolution.

★ If there is a bully bothering them, one might want to go and blow up at the bully, while the other chooses to ignore it.

★ If they are having an argument, one friend would want to talk it out maturely, while the other just likes to play devil's advocate and throw more heat into the argument.

# ៸ personality.

★ One is confident and sly while the other is shy and awkward.

★ A is cold and determined while B is relaxed and compassionate.

★ B is an easy-going pleasure seeker, and B is a serious planner.

# ៸ method of action.

★ Both friends are trying to break into a house. One will look up videos on YouTube about how to pick a lock. The other friend will just break the window with a rock.

★ The two friends are trying to persuade someone to do something. One friend uses bribing techniques, and the other friend uses a more passive-aggressive approach.

# ៸ reaction.

★ One friend with freak out and the other friend will stay calm.

★ A will get discouraged and want to give up, and B will encourage them to keep going.

★ One person is terrified out of their mind, while the other tries to stay positive.

[the-smut-analyst]

Making Characters That Make Sense

Walk-through character template & "how to" guide for writing complex, original protagonists.

If you google "character templates for writing", you'll get a lot of very basic examples that read like a grocery list: eye colour, hair colour, skin colour, positive traits, negative traits, etc.

And sure, filling out this kind of template isn't completely useless - but it's also not particularly useful, either. Choosing whether your protagonist has blue eyes or green eyes isn't going to determine whether readers connect with them or not.

Instead, I prefer to use the below template:

There's some fairly left-of-centre categories here, so in this blog post I'll be creating a character from scratch to demonstrate what each section means and how to use the template effectively.

Primary Goal & Raison D'Être

Fantasy Romance is having a bit of a tournament-to-the-death moment right now, with Hunger Games-inspired stories like Fourth Wing, Throne of Glass, The Savior's Champion, and The Serpent and the Wings of Night in high demand - so that's what we're going to work with in today's blog post.

The story premise and primary goal of the protagonist are almost always interconnected. In this case, the story premise is a tournament to the death - and the character's main goal is to win that tournament, obviously.

But where there's room for some originality is in the raison d'être. This loosely translates to "reason for being" or "purpose". It's the why of it.

For example: what motivated this character to risk their life by entering such a tournament in the first place?

It is sometimes helpful to look at similar stories when thinking about this category. Not so you can copy their protagonist's motivations - but so you can do something different.

The whole selfless-self-sacrifice thing, for example - that's done. At least in relation to this particular sub-genre. We can do better for our hypothetical Maera Mystfang character.

Actually, let's really turn the trope on its head and make her raison d'être incredibly self-centred.

Already, this is character is shaping up to be something a little bit different within the niche of tournaments to the death. Which goes to show how putting a little bit of thought can go a long way, even with something as simple as identifying your character's initial purpose.

Primary Obstacle

Every protagonist needs a goal - and every goal needs an obstacle. This is what gives the story some tension and keeps readers turning the page.

An obvious choice of obstacle for this hypothetical character, since we're dealing with a fantasy romance, would be that Maera starts to develop feelings for one of her fellow competitors.

This concept has definitely been done, but that's okay. Not every section of this list has to break the mould. Tropes exist for a reason and it is totally okay to lean into them sometimes.

However, just for funsies, I'm going to try and put a slightly different spin on this one too.

Instead of the obvious "I love one of the people I'm meant to kill", let's make Maera's (previously dormant) conscience be the problem. Her reasons for entering the tournament may have been self-motivated, but as she gets to know her fellow competitors - admires some of them, even - she starts to second guess those reasons.

Core Traits

A lot of character templates will divide personality traits into positives and negatives - but I don't think this is particularly helpful. It is far too one dimensional - not to mention unrealistic. The key components of someone's personality aren't usually so black and white.

In fact, most core traits are both good and bad at the same time - it just depends on the context.

Instead of being wholly positive or negative, try to think of three core character traits that can serve as two sides of the same coin, with both positive and negative implications to each.

For Maera, I've given her these core traits:

Self-reliant;

Rebellious; and

Good-humoured.

Her self-reliance means that she is incredibly capable - but it's also the cause of her selfishness. She's always had to look after herself, so she expects others to do the same.

Her rebellious attitude means she isn't willing to accept the status quo. But at times she is also a rebel without a cause, causing trouble just for the fun of it.

Her good sense of humour means she is fun to be around, but she also tends to not take things as seriously as she should.

Thinking of core traits in this multi-faceted way not only adds realistic complexity, but it also sets you up well for showcasing character development and growth throughout the story.

Fatal Flaw & Character Arc / Growth

You've probably read negative reviews that throw around terms like "Mary Sue" or "Gary Stu". People tend to be over-zealous with these terms, especially for Mary Sue, but the gist of it is that the character in question is "too perfect".

They're the chosen one, they're good at everything, all the boys like them, etc.

Some characters can get away with this just fine. Look at Aragorn. He's the ultimate Gary Stu but I still swoon every time he opens those damn doors. You know the scene I'm talking about.

Ooft.

But for the most part, you want to incorporate a fatal flaw into your protagonists - because this is what gives them room to grow.

And, no. "I was born to be King but I don't wanna" does not count as a fatal flaw.

Instead, think bigger. Think worse. Think about where your character starts versus where you want them to end up. Think about how you want the events of the narrative to change their world view - or even their initial goal.

For Maera, her fatal flaw is pretty obvious, given her initial motivations for entering the tournament. Similarly, her growth/arc is linked to her primary obstacle, which is developing a conscious.

Her journey throughout this hypothetical story might be learning to appreciate how her past shaped her, while also acknowledging that there are things she can do to ensure others don't have to go through what she did. By being shown acts of kindness, she learns to appreciate their value.

First Impression

Now that we've covered all the "big picture" stuff, let's get into some of the smaller details that give your character some texture.

The first impression category is a hypothetical exercise where you image how your character might appear to a room full of strangers. In dual, multi, or omniscient POVs, you might even get the opportunity to include this impression somewhere in the story.

But even for first-person narratives, it is still worth thinking about, because it will help to inform how other characters interact and respond to your protagonist (at least at first).

For Maera, I've written this first impression as: a fun person to have a few drinks with - so long as you keep a close eye on your wallet.

From this description, we can guess that Maera probably likes to have a good time, but also comes across as untrustworthy. Whether that impression is deserved or not is up to you, as the author, to decide.

There's also a lot of deeper directions you can take this first impression category, too. Like if most people react to Maera this way, but one particular character doesn't, then your readers are going to sit up and pay extra attention during that interaction. Especially when that person reacting atypically is the future love interest.

Spirit Animal

Ah, this one is a fun one!

I always encourage my authors to assign a "spirit animal" to their characters - especially when they're doing multi-POV.

There are two main reasons for this:

It will allow you to assign some very distinct adjectives and verbs with that particular character; and

It is an opportunity to flesh out some additional character traits beyond the core traits.

For Maera, I've chosen "spider" because she is solitary by nature, opportunistic, and patient.

But, more than that, I also like the idea of Maera being the kind of person who knows how to watch and wait. While her first impression might be "here for the good times", her joking façade is actually a mask she wears while carefully observing others.

For example:

Her words were laced with venom. She crawled her way across the rooftop. At some point, weaving lies had become more of a past time that a necessity. Her thoughts were a tangled mess. She didn't bother to conceal her predatory gaze. Inch by cautious inch, she crept forward. Her sanity was already hanging by a thread. If there was one thing she knew how to do, it was spin a good story - truth be damned.

I've never outright compared Maera to a spider in these examples, nor have I made it blatantly obvious that that's what I'm doing. But by peppering these kinds or words throughout the story, I'll be able to subtly create a very distinct kind of impression for her character.

For comparison's sake, let's assign "cat" to the love interest. Examples of possible words to consider in this instance might be:

He clawed his way through the bushes. "What are you doing?" he hissed. The comment had some bite to it, that was for sure. He slunk away into the darkness. His still, unwavering focus was unnerving. He prowled towards her. In a few quick, agile steps, he'd made it across the parapet. He yawned and stretched out beside her.

Of course, not every single word you use in association with a character needs to be related to their spirit animal. But keeping a certain type of animal in mind - and finding opportunities to throw in some subtle messaging through language choice - can be beneficial on so many levels.

It helps to distinguish your characters from one another through the kind of language you use to describe them - but it's also just really, really fun way to add some bonus texture to your characters. Giving your readers some little easter eggs like this is never a bad thing.

Love Language

If you're unfamiliar with the concept of the five basic love languages, then here's a quick visual overview:

Love languages aren't a consideration that's specific to romance. They're important for friendships and familial relationships too.

Because thinking about what your protagonist values most in love is going to tell you a lot about who they are. Especially when you take the question deeper and think about why this is something they value.

For Maera, I've chosen "Acts of Service" because this ties in quite well to her character arc.

In terms of Maera's why, I could easily go with "because this was how she was shown love as a child" - and this is a good enough option most of the time. However, since her love language is very much tied into growing out of her fatal flaw, then I actually want to do the opposite.

Maera winds up valuing acts of service because this is something she craved - and wasn't given - as a child. She had to do things the hard way instead. Hence why she ends up appreciating the kindness of others so much. Such generosity is new to her - and precious.

Conflict Response

This is potentially one of the most overlooked character components. Conflict and tension is central to story telling, yet there is so little attention given to creating authentic, original responses to conflict.

The way I see it, there are three main considerations in regards to conflict response:

How your character reacts in the moment;

The unhealthy methods they use to deal with the aftermath; and

The healthy methods they use (or discover) to self-sooth.

When faced with conflict, Maera's immediate reaction is to antagonise. She doesn't like to back down and enjoys creating trouble.

However, in the aftermath, the conflict affects her more than she lets on. She stews on it - and her solution to that is to get drunk until she can forget about it completely.

But even though she sometimes forgets it, Maera has a more healthy coping mechanism at her disposal. When she is surrounded by nature - in the forest, by the sea, whatever - it calms her.

In addition to identifying your protagonist's various responses to conflict, it is also helpful to think about why. Again, this is a great opportunity to insert something unique into their character backstory.

With Maera, for example, let's think about why she finds nature so soothing. Perhaps, amidst a very bleak childhood, one of her fondest memories is of picking grapes in a vineyard.

Perhaps the elderly woman who owned the vineyard was very rude and abrupt - but also quite kind to Maera in her own way. Maybe she would sometimes stitch up Maera's clothes or feed Maera a hearty, meaty dinner - even though she didn't have to.

If you're struggling to think of a real, tangible, unique memory such as this - then it's always helpful to go back to the old classic of write what you know. Think of a real life moment or memory - something that's stuck with you, no matter how simple - then adapt it to your character.

To create this vineyard example, I simply drew on my experience of picking strawberries with my Nonna after school.

Mentor / Idol

I could write an entire thesis on mentors. Or, more specifically, the "death of the mentor" trope - both in its literal and metaphorical interpretations.

But, for the sake of brevity, let's save that sh*t for another time and focus on what's important for a basic (yet complex) character template. And that is:

The Formative Mentor (past); and

Transformative Mentor (present).

The formative mentor (or idol) is someone who influenced your character prior to the events of the novel. Sometimes they're a character the reader will meet, or other times, they're long gone before the novel even begins.

The transformative mentor is a much looser term. It doesn't necessarily have to be a traditional mentor character, but rather it is a character who heavily influences or changes your protagonist throughout the events of the novel.

For Maera, I want her earliest idol to be a random female sell-sword who she crossed paths with. Prior to meeting this sell-sword, Maera was living without hope for a future, surviving on scraps and petty crime.

But after seeing an independent and moderately wealthy sell-sword in her local tavern, Maera got a glimpse into the kind of life that might be possible if she learned to fight. With the right kind of skills, she might be able to earn some decent money for a change - and travel the world.

This is an example of how "mentors" don't always have to be a wise wizard who oversees your protagonist's training and education. Young minds are impressionable - and even distant figures can have a lasting impact.

Just look at all the women who cite Legally Blonde as the reason why they were drawn to law. Elle Woods wasn't even real - but for plenty of young girls, she made an impact.

Similarly, your protagonist's "present" mentor or idol doesn't necessarily have to be a wise wizard either. It can simply be someone who motivates them to change their world view or strive to be better.

In romance, it is more than acceptable to have the present mentor coincide with the love interest - especially in standalone enemies-to-lovers. I know this seems counter-intuitive, since the word "mentor" implies a power imbalance, but it makes more sense if you readjust your definition of mentor to be "inspires change".

However, for Maera, I kind of like the idea of pairing her up with a love interest who shares some of her flaws. I vibe with the idea of making him a bit self-interested too, although for different reasons.

So in her example, I've listed the present mentor as a selfless secondary character. The way I would envision this going is Maera and the love interest team up early on - but somewhere along the way a secondary character saves them both. They're both heavily influenced by this character before this character sacrifices themselves. The aftermath of this incident rattles both Maera and her love interest, and serves as the spark for growth.

I hope you found this template - and very long explanation - useful!

[ahungeringknife]

Let's talk about Aspec characters and relationships!

I'm aroace. I write a lot of characters who are aspec in some way. I have a lot of aspec friends. And this is why your aspec character is driving me crazy. There's also sex talk in here so if you're not mature enough to handle it please scroll past.

Edit: Allos also should reblog this if you found it helpful.

First lets get some terms right:

Aromantic (aro) and Asexual (ace) are two distinct things. Aroace means you're both aromantic and asexual at the same time. It is generally referred to as 'aspec' (aro/ace spectrum) when you fall on one or both spectrums. If you are not aspec you are allosexual/alloromantic (allo). It just means someone who isn't ace or aro. You can also be aroallo or aceallo (aromantic allosexual, asexual alloromantic). All these terms are neutral and not used in derogatory ways similar to trans/cis. It's a descriptive word not a put down.

Now about those characters and their relationships. Because that is the most :))))) to me as an aroace is when people just don't know how to handle an aspec character. Usually because they're allo. But that's okay you probably don't know and we're all here to learn from each other. Here's some things to consider when you want to make or write an aspec person.

Ace's do sometimes have sex. They just aren't motivated by sex. That's it.

Along with sex your ace character may also masturbate and feel good being touched. They also might only like touching themselves and hate when other people do it. They usually also know when someone is hot/sexy and will comment on it. Finding someone sexy =/= we want to fuck them. Thinking someone is hot =/= we want to fuck them. We're still human. We know what a hot human looks like. Your ace character might be attracted to someone's appearance aesthetically but have no interest in their bits. Your ace character might fall in love with the most beautiful person in your story and never show any interest of wanting to bed them.

They can have boyfriends/girlfriends/romantic partners they do or don't have sex with. But they can be anywhere on the spectrum of sex repulsive, to sex positive, to absolute sex hound. Some of the horniest people you know are probably ace. Some of the horniest people I know are ace, and I have a lot of ace friends.

And we're not all virgins. Some ace's had sex and realized 'nah fam. Didn't do it for me' and never did it again. Others are virgins and have no intention ever of having sex. Others are virgins but don't care either way? It just hasn't happened. Others enjoy sex with their partners. Some are parents! You can be ace and had enough sex to procreate. Some also think sex is icky or it squicks them out. Some might be squicked out at the thought of sex with another person but they're fine looking at porn or doing it themselves. There is a wide range of what asexuals are into just like allos.

Aros also sometimes do the sex. They are not motivated by romance. That's it.

That being said your aro character can have a boyfriend/girlfriend/partner and it can be 'romantic'. It doesn't have to be a queer platonic relationship. Your aro character also might not want to be in a relationship at all. It is not weird for your aro character to call their partner their partner or bf/gf or if they're married their husband/wife.

Aro people do not get butterflies. They don't really get flustered around people they like. There's no spark. And they don't feel that romantic attraction allos do when they meet someone and fall in love with them. I've found that aro people are also terrible at flirting or picking up flirting cues. At least in my own personal experience when it took my aro ass 3 years to realize some girl was flirting with me and I just thought she was being nice to me. Take the 'useless lesbian' trope and take it to 11. We just don't know. Aro people also know when other people are hot. Just like aces just because we're aro doesn't mean we don't know a baddy when we see one. We just probably won't realize said baddy is flirting with us...

Aro character still love. They love their family, they love their friends, they love their partners. And it's all real love. The love is still there. Aro characters also probably know what they should do to mimic being in love. Even if we don't love someone more than platonically they may still do the things romantic partners do with their partner. Some don't! And that's fine too. Sometimes you're boyfriends and you share the same bed with him, and sometimes your girlfriend is just your roommate. Both are totally valid aro relationships. Maybe your character kisses their partner passionately and they like it, or they might only kiss during sex, or they might not kiss on the mouth. All valid and correct, still no romo. Kissing =/= romance for aros. Sex =/=romance for aros.

Aroace characters do all those things! At once! They can do the sex, and the boyfriend/girlfriend/partner and loving their friends. They just are not motivated by sex or romance. Kissing =/= sexual attraction. Sex =/= romantic love.

Being aspec is looking at the most beautiful and delicious cake in the world and going 'neat, cake' and walking away not even wondering what it tastes like, not even for a second considering having a bite. It's a cake. Neat. You are not motivated by cake. You don't even really care about cake. It's nice that other people fucking loooooooove cake but it's just not for you.

We also know what love is supposed to be like, what a 'healthy sexual' relationship should feel like. It's everywhere. All around us. Constantly. It's also sometimes fucking exhausting! It's why some aspec people can be a bit agro. We get it you're in love/got a new partner/are sleeping with someone/really sexually attracted to this person/keep spamming us with your celeb thirst pics/etc. It does get tiring sometimes. We don't care about the cake and sometimes listening to you talk about the cake drives us crazy. Consider that too when writing aspec characters. Sometimes their friends and their cakes are annoying no matter how much they love them platonically or romantically.

Anyway just some things to consider for your aspec OCs from an older aroace. Should be said aspec is a wide spectrum and I'm drawing on my own experience as an aroace with aspec friends, and my writing of those characters. If you have more questions about writing characters on this spectrum feel free to ask!

[five-sided-dice]

"Answer three questions for every character: - Who is this character, - What do they want, - And How can I stop them from getting it."

-Someone once said something like this

[ticcitavvi]

y’all.

asexuality ≠ aromantic, and vice versa.

asexuals are perfectly capable of having and/or wanting romantic relationships.

aromantics are perfectly capable of having and/or wanting sexual expierences.

please stop assuming the two are interchangeable.

[problematic-tip-centre]

I saw a post recently about showing the ugly sides of your oc’s trauma and allowing them to lash out and be enraged at people and I thought I’d give some tips on it.

Reasons a traumatised character can lash out at someone else:

•Releasing pent-up tension

•Direct anger at their past traumas to someone else

•Misinterpret something the other did as a threat

•They are reminded of their trauma and displace their fear/anger

•They don’t believe they are worthy of love/are unused to love (due to their trauma) and thus lash out to not receive it

•To test if someone will stay or abandon them (esp if they have abandonment fears)

•They believe it’s a way to show love (rare (I think) but possible)

•They feel/are vulnerable and lash out as a way to protect themselves

•The other abandoned them during an hour of need (esp if they left them in a traumatic situation)

What could happen when they lash out:

•Short and cutting remarks or temporarily giving someone the silent treatment (isn’t really lashing out but can be a sign of trauma)

•Shouting or speaking harshly

•Using insults or weaponising past mistakes in an argument (my favourite thing is if the other accidentally triggered their trauma in the past)

•Throwing or smashing objects

•Shoving or grabbing someone (and yelling at them)

•Hitting or striking someone

•Serious assault (if the character is physically strong and/or they’ve been severely triggered/have severe PTSD such as a war zone or severe child abuse)

•They use any weapons that they have erratically

Potential consequences:

•They feel extremely guilty even though the recipient understands/forgives

•Fear or discomfort in the recipient

•People may grow less willing to support them if they repeatedly do it

•Some may retaliate physically

•Recipient feels remorseful esp. if they in/directly played a part in the other’s abuse

•In severe cases, the recipient dies.

My personal favourite scenarios are:

•A lashes out at B because B left them at the mercy of an abusive family member (bonus points if B is remorseful for it and/or A reconciles with B).

•A lashes out at B because B showed them a film which accidentally triggered their trauma.

•A retaliates at B because B raised their voice.

•B is unable to forgive A for lashing out at them (bonus points if they want to but can’t).

•B lashes out at A because A lashed out at B and B was unable to forgive them.

[story-brainstorming]

Unsettling character traits bc I couldn't find a list

Doesn't blink (great to include with intense direct eye contact)

Smile doesn't reach their eyes (comes across as disingenuous)

Head moves before their eyes (people usually look before turning their head)

Eerily calm or repeated inappropiate emotional reactioins to a given situation

Invades personal space

Slightly off proportions

Too many teeth

Too unrealistic/perfect (they could be putting on a persona)

[sprinklesdonut15]

More Character Things

Decide their handwriting - Maybe write in their handwriting. Is it small and messy because they don't care? Do they write quickly because they're always in a hurry? Do they write neatly because they take pride in themselves? Handwriting can determine a lot.

Make them a playlist - Further adding onto this, their music taste can determine a lot. Maybe their music interest aren't the basic "because I like it, it's relatable, etc." Maybe someone used to play it in their car. Maybe their friend recommended the music. Maybe it's the music taste of someone close to them who passed.

Give them random quirks - Enough of those lengthy and excessive character sheets. Just make bullet points. Random little things about the character, some I have are things like "always has candy & soda" "anger issues tbh" "likes being out of the house". Nothing has to define a character, but it sure can help.

[informl-onthings]

OKAY last ooc question for now but do you have any tips for like acting as Light? I know this is an L blog but you are a genius and I trust your intuition cause you're doing so well at playing L! I'm planning on making a Light blog purely because death note is a current obsession and even though I hate him lovingly I would love to play as him too but I need TIPS cause this bastard has too many facades and stuff >:( - Misa (I promise I only get more annoying from here on/hj)

OOC: DON'T WORRY ABOUT BEING A BOTHER! I'm very talkative when stuff I'm into is talked about, so send an ask whenever!

I'm no genius but thank you so much for the compliments! I don't have much experience playing these characters but their psyche and reactions are so interesting that I can't help but go mental over them; none of these goofs can be labeled as one-dimensional because, although they do stem from character archetypes, each one brings something new to it, without being a copypaste of the genre. My relationship with Light is very similar to yours lol, I hate him but he's such a great character that I appreciate his complexity.

Therefore I can't guarantee that I'm the best person to ask for this, but here are my thoughts anyway!

Light's character keeps the 'model student' trait up until the second half of the show, it's an asset that is extremely useful to him as both a cover and advantage in terms of gaining trust/information easily; this doesn't get to his head unlike the DN, despite how many times he uses it, it's all that it is to him, a title. He weaponizes it but doesn't view it as an achievement, it's more like a standard that he has to live up to; a "normal" person would jump of joy or at least be happy to be the number one student nationwide, to be praised no matter where they go, but he doesn't care, ergo: he's not a bragger. Sure, he utilizes his high intelligence to get his way, acknowledges his superiority to others in intellect, but he never outworldly brags about, he rejects it. On the outside he is moderately humble and denies/gently pushes away the flattery he's given, even though he knows it's true; the same goes for women, he knows he's popular and uses that, the only time he's proud of it is when he's talking to Ryuk about, which sounds like explaining attraction to an aromantic or science to a philosopher.

One common misconception that has been floating around for decades about his character is his personality pre-death note, which I am very against; the statement that Light without the Death Note would have been a wonderful guy who’s modest and kind is so fundamentally wrong that it’s jarring to me. It’s so reflective of the treatment of serial killers in real life that I can’t not mention it; if the person who committed the crime was “good” or performed good actions, then something turned them into a monster or drove them to do whatever crime they did. While they can be conditioned/solicited by outside sources, saying it happened out of the blue is erroneous; I can understand why people would think that, even more so if they were someone they trusted or saw in a good light, because believing otherwise would crush them. No one does things that major without reason, yes they can be pushed to do it, but the intent is there, it has been, it doesn’t appear out of thin air, take this as an example; when you cry while laughing, it’s because you laughed too hard, when you unintentionally leave the light on it’s because you forgot about it, when you miscalculated it’s because you weren’t paying attention to your calculations etc…

How does this have anything to do with Light? People seem to believe that he’s ‘innocent’ or wouldn’t have become a mass murder if he hadn’t found the note; this is mainly the Yotsuba Arc’s fault, which led to misinterpretations of his character, it’s true that Light feels horror at the sight of these killings because of the sheer brutality, but he’s not completely against them either. In that same scene, Light is contemplating if he could really fit the profile of a merciless serial killer, subsequently reiterating his possible motive for doing something so cruel; eradicating evil. He admits that and we hear it, yet his innocuous behavior is the only aspect the fandom highlights, not his self awareness or the re-affirmation of his established morals. This conveys the message that it’s all the DN’s doing, and while all of this mess wouldn’t have happened without it, it’s wrong to say that it’s the root of all evil when it’s not. The DN served as a catalyst for Light’s nihilistic morality to be enacted, exteriorized, the switch that flipped his passive worldview into an active one; Lighr saw the world as rotten long before he picks up the notebook, the world has always been full of weeds that need to be removed to him, the DN was just his means to do it, the apple for Eve, if you’re looking for a religious metaphor.

Another thing is how he interacts with people. The obvious thing we can learn is that he’s extroverted and a role model for other people to follow and idolize, but he’s actually the most alienated university student ever, take Patrick Bateman from American Psycho as an example — he has everything, he embodies the ideal American man, except he doesn’t feel human at all and feels alienated from humanity which drives him to commit murder. Both of these characters know they aren’t like everyone else, know that the expectations that they are raising are just a cover for an empty soul that can’t understand why it’s different. Light consistently draws this line between himself and other people because they’re not equal to him, he’s something else that doesn’t follow human nature or behavior; he has been emulating it since day one, which is why his attempts at behaving ‘normally’ to avoid suspicion actually increases it and doesn’t feel normal to us, the audience, at all. His words and mannerism, neatness and appearance, are what people expect of him, his conversations prioritize what other people want to hear instead of what he wants to say.

I have no clue if this helped at all, I’ve tried writing down my thoughts as coherently as possible, please don’t be afraid to ask questions if there’s anything I said that confuses you!

Thank you sm for the ask! -K.

[artist-issues]

A question: I'm working on a story of mine that deals with the problem with obsession, like obsessing or worshiping ideas, skills or people within the context of a people who are master artisans called the Yetenek. How would I go about conveying a message which says ' worshiping the material and temporal only leads to chaos and crossing lines?' Because the main character suffers from a worshiping complex concerning his absent father that gets pulled apart due to it causing tension and hurting others. I'm hoping that by the end, my main character will still want to find his dad but in a much more healthy way that doesn't involve him nearly killing his group.

Hi! This sounds like a story with a lot of punch behind it, I’m sure it’s going to be good!

Do I have this right: your character’s desire to find his dad is representative of worshipping tangible things?

If I have that right, I think it’s best to introduce an alternative to the Finding-His-Dad goal. Think Treasure Planet. Silver’s a character who’s singlemindedly, doggedly after Finding-His-Treasure. They design his character, introduced with missing body parts, to demonstrate that he’s already willing to cross lines. So he’s a pretty good template for the same mindset or flaw your character’s got, in a way. Like I said, what stories like this usually do is they have an alternate object-of-worship introduced. Silver worships the idea of having that treasure. Then the alternate-object-of-worship is Jim Hawkins. The whole movie builds up their relationship until Silver has to choose, in the climax, between what he’s been obsessed with, and something else, something better, to be obsessed with.

That might sound like a strange take on Treasure Planet because I’m using the word “obsessed.” So I can hear people going “no, Silver is obsessed with treasure, but he loves Jim Hawkins.”

Okay, but we’re talking about worship in this context. And human beings have a tendency to worship what we love. Usually, one all-consuming object of worship is what every other love in our lives falls under. So your character worships the idea of being with his dad. Even though he loves his friends, (group? You said “group.” Are they friends?) that love for his friends “falls in line” under the all-consuming object of worship. Usually, that’s not a bad thing. As long as what you’re worshipping is worthy of that worship.

(If his dad were really standing next to him, and was a good dad, his dad would probably say “no son, take care of your friends.” So the two wouldn’t conflict. But he’s not worshipping his dad, a person who’s next to him able to direct him—he’s worshipping the idea of being with his dad. One is “good” and worthy and would help him order his priorities; the other is “bad” and unworthy because it’s a fantasy in his head.) In a situation like your story, remember that when a character has a strong flaw/motive with deep roots, and you want them to grow out of it, your character needs something stronger to force itself on him in the course of the story until he comes to “decision-time.” That “something stronger” can be a relationship (it most often is) or it can be a new idea, or it can be a new dream. But remember, you have to tell it in a way that clearly displays the progression. His grip loosens on the old obsession, step by step, scene by scene, and is sort of reaching for a new obsession, inch by inch, scene by scene, warmer and warmer, until the climax, when it’s time to make a decision that shows how he’s grown.

The very natural solution to all of this is for your character to not care too much about the group at the beginning, because he’s so focused on Finding-His-Dad, but then as the adventure continues he starts to care more about the group, or see their value, or see the value of real people who are immediately affected by what you do over the value of a fantasy where you get to be with your dad. In that way, your story follows the same basic template of Treasure Planet or Onward. And that’s not a bad thing—I’m not saying it’s derivative.

I’m saying it’s a tried-and-true lesson, because in real life, all of human history is kind of the story of us being made to worship something good that would help us get our priorities straight—but instead we worship literally anything else and so our priorities are wrong. It’s a really good truth you’re going for!

Pause.

But time-out. Here’s the thing I feel like my brain hit a snag on as soon as I read your ask.

Your character does not have his dad. Right? So that makes his motivation, the thing he’s obsessed with, a dream. A hope. Something he has faith in and looks forward to; a scenario where his father is all he should be to him, including present. Which means? Your character is obsessed with something intangible. It’s intangible because he has no certainty that he’ll ever find his dad, or that it will be a good thing when he does find his dad. Meanwhile, his “group” is right there with him on the adventure. People present, actively affected by what he does, and he needs to learn to care about them more than his fantasy. Which means? Your character needs to be obsessed with something tangible.

You want him to go from “worshipping an intangible hope” to “worshipping tangible people around him.”

But your message was, “worshiping the material and temporal only leads to chaos and crossing lines.”

Maybe I mis-phrased it? Or was not understanding? More likely you meant, “He needs to go from worshipping this fantasy in his head to realizing that he can’t cross any line for that fantasy—and that realization is expressed by the way he stops nearly killing his group.”

Okay. But what I’m saying is, consider this: if you want your character to tell the story of someone who learns that material, tangible things are not worth worshipping, and he’s an artisan (right?) have him be more obsessed with whatever he’s in the process of creating. A painting, a magnum opus, a piece of his own worksmanship.

You don’t have to get rid of his motivation to find his dad. But maybe he worships art as a form of (what’s that ladies and gentlemen?) god-like communication. He sort of worships his own talent, his own ability to make something that would be seen and loved by everyone—and in his heart of hearts, maybe his long-lost dad will see it and come find his brilliant artisan son. See? All the characters’ hope, faith, and worship is now in how powerful his own artistic skill is. And so he is willing to sacrifice the group around him to get this special piece it needs, or find the best inspiration for it, or it’s already made, but he needs publicity—and he’s willing to sacrifice anything to get that.

And then you know what you could do? Make it fail. That’s what I would do. Let him do it. Let him go on this journey with his group, sort of nearly getting them killed a bunch of times, but also bonding with them, and there’s a building tension of “how long is he going to keep risking everything for this dream?” and then when the pre-climax comes, and he has a choice to sell his friends out and get his craft in front of the eyes of the world—he does sell them out. Because he really believes it’ll work. Give him the thing he’s worshipping. And then have it crumble out from under him.

Then, even better, you can have him see that it was never worth it, and go back to his friends, and give them an opportunity to forgive him.

These are just ideas. I don’t have enough info to tell you what the best thing to do is; I’m just spitballing about the idea of a story based on the great message you’re going for. What I’m saying may not be the direction you were thinking of at all—and that’s not bad, as long as the direction you were going in still ends in the same place: communicating that great message.

Basically, in conclusion: Give the character something that is tangible which he’s obsessed with. Something that clearly has some value, but no lasting value. And then have him worship it—but introduce an alternate, worthier object of worship that gets stronger and stronger over the course of the story, while his previous object of worship seems weaker and weaker by comparison. Have him cross lines. Big lines. Then show that he should never have “trusted his weight” to the tangible object of worship, and crossing all those lines was totally in vain—then end it however you feel gets the point across. I’d have the alternate-object-of-worship save the day. But you might end it there, as a cautionary tale, sitting in the ruins of an idol. 🤷‍♀️

I think you have the bones of it! It’ll be really good because your head is on straight and you’re focused. I’m no expert, so thank you for asking me and reading all this! Hopefully I’ll get to read/watch this story?