#no joke i think his backstory is my fave out of all my oc’s

[rosalinesurvived]

Your first non-blood non-school relationships aren’t meant to be this serious Arra, run

[kalegreeneyes]

LOVING burning and buried, but i broke my rule of only reading completed fics so i’m itching for some more wolf star fics to read in between updates. do you have any recs for fics? i feel like i can trust your opinion given how good your work is!

the answer is yes, but the answer is also that i read a LOT of wips, and some of my recs will be bigger fics you may have already read, or have jegulus as another main ship which idk if you're into or not but here!!

completed:

lose yourself by daiver - holy SHIT this fic was so good. remus gets brainwashed into being a death eater and it is sooooo so so angsty and wonderful. it had so many moments that had my heart RACING

the horcrux hunt by lostmy_keys - this is one of my favorite fics of all time. regulus (reluctantly) teams up with remus to hunt horcruxes. it is regulus centric but also remus, MOSTLY platonic moonwater (which if u like burning and buried i assume u like) but they are quite flirty....which may not be your cup of tea, but as someone who has had a flirty close platonic friendship or two i LOVED. slowburn ANGSTY wolfstar. honestly, i might reread this one now that i've been talking about it. so fucking good.

the cadence of part time poets by motswolo- if you haven't read this, you should. its amazing. if you like slow burn wolfstar, plenty of angst, mentally ill remus lupin, and the best oc's i have ever seen in a fic, this is for you. it is a band au, but mostly it is a boarding school preparing to be in a band au and a freshly starting out band au. extremely long, but extremely worth it.

for the love of ducks by viwrites - UGH anything vi writes i love, but this is a wolfstar sickfic that just sort of scoops up your heart into warm hands and holds it. like, don't get me wrong, it's got angst--but in a comforting way? i love this fic. so fucking much.

saccharine by moonymoment - sirius is a ghost in an apartment remus moves into. i was smiling through this whole fic except for when i was crying.

'tis the damn season by moonymoment - wolfstar fake relationship christmas fic - need i say more?

retrial by pheonixgal - remus hosts a true crime podcast and focuses on sirius's case, which is a concept i LOVE.

god i could keep going for a WHILE but I'll move on

WIPs:

godlight by Badhairred - this is my fave wip at the moment. it has SUPER regular updates. it's jegulus and wolfstar, and i LIVE for the wolfstar in this fic. their relationship, the buildup, the backstory, UGH. jegulus is fantastic too in this fic, obvi, but since you're asking abt wolfstar...i love them in this fic.

sirius black's second chance by platypus_and_pen - as you might guess from the title this is a bring back black fic in which he goes back in time to his hogwarts days after going through the veil, and he gets to reconnect with not only himself, but his friends, and also HOPEFULLY right some wrongs.

the middle path of moonlight by asheseverafter - this fic is so long, so well written, and has weekly updates. i will warn you that they are STILL quite young (i think 14/15 right now? i'm not entirely sure) as the author is taking their time with each year (Which i love) but the relationship between sirius and remus (while not explicitly shown, builds into fade to black or is vague) is quite.......advanced. i personally, as a 26 year old adult, have to skip over that stuff just for my own comfort, and there is still a fair bit of overtly sexual flirting/jokes which is kind of impossible to skip over so if that isn't something you'll be comfy with then that's totally fair, BUT. that being said, the writing in this fic is absolutely gorgeous, i get jealous every time i read it. and the moonwater friendship is AMAZING and the black brothers/black family dynamics are some of the best i've ever seen and how in love and dedicated wolfstar are the entire time is very sweet.

cupid's chokehold by lollipopluna - also mainly jegulus and also having a good amount of wolfstar, but i had to recommend because it is just. so. good. it is violent and dirty and everyone is a little rough around the edges (putting it lightly) but no one moreso than reg and remus. there hasn't been too terribly much ACTUAL wolfstar bc of the angst and the slow burn aspect but i am so so excited to see where they go, and where jegulus goes, and where platonic (not even. more like reluctant enemies former friends?? I guess??) moonwater goes. the DRAMA. the INTRIGUE. the INTENSITY. its great.

AND last but not least, on a pillow of blue bonnets by kalegreeneyes (me (: ) - sirius is famous and he's spinning out so james and pete and regulus are like GET OUT OF HERE and they ship him off to remus's ranch in montana where lily and marlene live and work too!! and barty and evan are ranch hands! and it's a slow burn! and there are horses! and cowboy remus wielding an axe! the downside is that i haven't updated it in a really long time and the new chapter is slow going ha ha ha ha ha BUT it isn't abandoned and i have the whole fic loosely planned out!!!

alright that's all for my absurdly long rec. i could have kept going but i had a moment of self awareness and had to stop, lol

ty for asking!!

[linalilia]

I've watched a few videos for MILGRAM now! So how about Haruka, Mahiru and Yuno for the character bingo? :0

YOU REALLY GOT ALMOST ALL MY FAVES HUH..

haruka. OH GOD HARUKA. man. many thoughts, i have many thoughts about this guy. i'm gonna be honest, when i first heard about him, i was like "ah. so he's just a sad boy with mommy issues. okay." I ALSO THOUGHT HE WAS THE "PROTAGONIST"?? I REALLY JUST IGNORED ES DJDKSDLGJFD. so yeah, i wasn't that interested in him at first and even disliked him because of the animals part. as someone who has many pets that part made me a bit anxious but as i learned more about him.. yeah. yeah, i actually like him. STILL WANT TO PUT HIM IN A SALAD SPINNER. I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE NICE. i watched his second drama with eng subs recently though.. i really sat there like "my boy, i ordered your acrylic figure and it's supposed to come soon. and you dare to disappoint me like this??" MY MOM ACTUALLY JOKED ABOUT ME PUTTING HIS FIGURE IN A CORNER WHEN IT ARRIVES TO "PUNISH" HIM 😭😭 okay, okay, it wasn't really a disappointment, but.. yeah. this guy is literally the "look, a little guy!! oh, he's a bit fucked up actually.." meme.

YUNO. GIRLBOSS. i love her so much, she's so pretty and she's such a good character!! her second mv really shows how well-written she is.. the aesthetic of her mvs is so good too.. her acting like this carefree and cheerful girl, but her real personality being much colder and her feeling empty inside.. WOW. and her saying that she doesn't need a reason for her actions is actually so interesting? like usually characters immediately go "okay, here's my tragic backstory, forgive me now please" in situations like this, but yuno really went "i don't have a reason. and even if i do, why should i tell you" OKAY QUEEN. IT'S YOUR BUSINESS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SHARE WITH US. BUT there's this one moment, i feel like i should've picked "canon isn't real" for her too.. i love yuno as a character a lot, but at the same time.. if her crime really is what most theories say (and i think it was confirmed in the second drama, if i'm not wrong), then it kinda makes her case a bit boring? like we have characters who did really interesting and TERRIFYING crimes, but then here's yuno.. and she didn't really do anything wrong? i don't know much about how her case would go in japan, like is it legal or not, but still, i doubt that she should be in a place like milgram for that. tbh i really wanted her crime to be something completely different maybe a "black widow" type of character, haha.. because it would at least explain why she's here.. but if her crime really is not that special, it turns out to be kinda underwhelming in my opinion :( so at the same time i REALLY hope that people are gonna vote her innocent because she does not deserve to be voted guilty at all, but also.. it just doesn't feel right, like THERE MUST BE MORE. like yuno's case is not that bad at all compared to other crimes, IT'S NOT EVEN A CRIME, so what is she even doing here? anyway, i love her, yuno really wakes up every day and chooses to slay and i love that for her.

MAHIRUUUUUU. MAHIRU. I LOVE HER. SHE'S GOOD. of course someone who made an oc like allen and so many other similar ocs would say that listen, i have a weakness haha get it like haruka's mv for characters who have big sister energy, characters who are obsessed with the concept of love AND i love characters with the same hair color (even though she's not really blonde.. i think. she does look blonde in official art, but her hair color is a bit different in her mv?) SHE REALLY GOT THE WHOLE BINGO. i love her character so much, she's so goofy 😭😭 but also those moments that make you feel like she's kinda.. trying to repress the memory of her crime in a way.. yeah, those are good. like mahiru acts like such a silly character who's always like "anyway do you have a crush on anyone? <3" but when someone asks her about her crime, she's like ".. ah, yeah, i guess i did do that". i can relate tbh. about the fandom being mean, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE GUILTY VOTE AT ALL. even if those theories about her are correct, i still don't think she should suffer like this? haha thank you kotoko.. like it's a hard pill to swallow, but it must be said that i doubt mahiru did those things on purpose and her face in the end of that mv really says that. HER COVER OF PSYCHOGRAM THOUGH.. y-yeah, i'm not sure what are they trying to do with her, like is she really supposed to be a yandere or they just want to make us think she is one. anyway, i'm a mahiru apologist <3

[unclefungusthegoat]

Far Cry 5 Fanfic Rec List- Author Appreciation Day!

Hello all! In honour of Fanfic Writer’s Appreciation Day, I’ve decided to compile a list of 10 (well, technically 14) Far Cry 5/New Dawn fanfics that I love! This will be in no particular order, but these are stories that have stayed with me long after I read them!

let the redeemed of the father tell their story - A series by my fave FC5 writer, @amistrio! Consists currently of ‘water of the womb’ ‘excommunication is the new black’ and ‘resistance is futile’. So much AMAZING John content that I just LIVE for. I can barely put into words how happy her fics make me feel, they’re so perfectly in character, with a wonderful Rook OC too and I love the way she writes Staci and Earl as well! In ‘water of the womb’, she finally wrote the fic we’ve all been waiting for- Joseph and John reuniting, and it was so damn perfect, literally exactly how I’d always imagined it.

Little subsection here, but she also wrote i sought him who my soul loves (i sought him but found him not), which is a no-cult AU with an intriguing mystery and a jaw-droppingly fantastic relationship between lawyer!John and Rook

Why Can’t We Be Friends? As written by @finefeatheredfarcryplayer! Initially a set of short stories, but has evolved into a full story, this brilliant fanfic so perfectly captures my guilty pleasure ship- John/Sharky - that I literally stop what I’m doing to read the update when I see it. Laugh out loud hilarious at times, emotional and sensitive in others, it’s absolutely fantastic and I recommend it highly!

Therapeutic Crying By @motical I imagine a vast number of us have read this one, but it’s my favourite of all Jacob/Rook fics, and let me tell you, I needed a therapist to cry to when THAT EVENT HAPPENED. Also so much great John content for John lovers like me... hurt!John is a trope I can’t get enough of and I will say no more <3

Patient 0214: Jacob Seed By Jacrispea (I’m sorry, I don’t know if you have Tumblr!) This one is ongoing at the moment and it’s a Jacob/Reader story that is full of all the sexual tension you could ever want! Also what’s sexier than Jacob getting some actual help for his problems? I love it and I highly recommend it!

Little Brother By the crazily talented @seedlingsinner Every time I think about this story, it’s like someone is stabbing me in the heart repeatedly. The Seeds as kids is always so heartbreaking to read, but this one perfectly encapsulates their relationship in just a few perfect moments of a single day. Also, SPOILERS, but John calling Jacob ‘dada’ will be written on my tombstone as my cause of death.

Another subsection but they also wrote Sweet Caroline which is John/Deputy domestic baking and dancing around the kitchen fluff and it made me so happy yesterday, that I physically danced myself. No joke.

Who Wants To Live Forever By @thefluidthespian. A really touching and emotional story where John, as a product of his sex addiction, is dying of AIDS. It’s such a unique concept, really sensitively handled, and the way Joseph behaves in the story towards his dying brother is gut-wrenching. I’d love to read more of it!

Pomp and Circumstance By icannotthinkofaname (Another who I’m not sure has Tumblr, sorry!) A short little one-shot that never got enough attention when it was published. Nick buries John’s body when everyone else just leaves it in the dirt. I can feel my stomach clenching with grief just writing that. And the LAST THING HE SAYS TO JOHN IN THE FIC... it emotionally destroyed me. Please read this, you will not be disappointed.

Baptism of Fire By INMH (Not sure if you have Tumblr, apologies) A John/Joey shipping/unexpected pregnancy fanfic that literally has no adjective to describe how extraordinary it is. Everything I never realised I wanted. Utter perfection. I have bookmarked it forever.

The One Thing That I’m Searching For By @farcry5-obsessions I’ve gone on and on about this story before, I absolutely ADORE it. The latest chapter had John and Nora (holy shit do I love Nora) visiting the old Duncan house and burning stuff as catharsis for John and that’s a spectacular example of just how magnificently written this story is. And they’re so in love, MY HEART <3

for all the sparks that i stomped out By @lowtldes If you are in love with the John/Nick/Kim relationship, then this is perfect for you! Their relationship is one of my favourites that’s hinted at in the game, and this amazing story provides the detail and emotion that the game didn’t. The breakdown of their relationship feels so real in this, it’s completely heartbreaking and it’s the backstory we all deserved. 100% canon now.

Thanks guys for sharing your amazing talent with us, and blessing us with these glorious stories! And happy reading! x

[dont-offend-the-bees]

DGHDA Feedback Fest: Gratuitous Self-Rec Day

Yes, it’s been a crazy couple of weeks and unfortunately I don’t really have any recs ready for everyone else’s incredible work in this fandom- so for today only, I’m gonna treat myself by drawing some attention to some of my own fics, namely the ones that I think (in my more optimistic moments) deserve more love! If you can’t self-promo during @dghdafeedbackfest, when can you?

It's Now and Never; a Reverie Endeavour (a Loose End or a Strand, that Waits for You to Mend or Understand)

Gen, 3k, General Audiences

In which Dirk is rather dead, and not entirely sure what to do about it.

Set post-S1, canon divergence, MCD is already established and the character is still very much present, just ghostly.

My notes: Please don’t let the MCD tag scare you! This is just a little thing I wrote for last year’s spookfest, I’m incredibly proud of some of the imagery, and Dirk may be dead but he’s still just as whimsical as ever and gets a hopeful ending (and implications of Brotzly if you squint, but can be read as gen/friendship).

Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder: A Lovely Sentiment, But Rarely Applies To Anniversary Gifts

Brotzly, 7k, Mature

In which Dirk and Todd celebrate three years together- but forgot they were supposed to be doing that.

Rated M for suggestive jokes, mild heavy petting and Dirk being entirely too comfortable in sex shops.

My notes: I wrote this to celebrate a year of fic-writing fandom fun for DGHDA, and I’m still immensely proud of it- I really tried to channel the Douglas Adams-ness with whimsical descriptions and gratuitous footnotes, and a little shot of meta to finish it off!

Mr. Brotzman and Me, and Michael Makes Three! (or Adventures in Polyamory; Holistic Twink Edition)

Dirk/Todd/Assistent, 3k (WIP, drabble collection), Teen

A holistic detective, a washed-up punk frontman, and an ex-government nerd get in a relationship. Believe it or not, not all that follows is as preposterous or unbelievable as it rightly ought to be.

My notes: Okay, I fully understand why this one isn’t big. I’m pretty sure me and @kieren-fucking-walker made up this stupid ship and we mostly did it because we also made up Assistent’s entire backstory, so he’s practically an OC at this point. Nevertheless, writing these nerds brings me great joy, and if you open your heart to my fave little conspiracy nerd I hope they will bring you great joy too.

Stuck in the Middle

Brotzly, Faranda, 19k (WIP), Teen

Sequel to Start at the Beginning

Dirk returns to the Ridgely after an impromptu jaunt across the Nordic wilderness, and finds life has moved on somewhat in his absence. With Farah camping in his bedroom, Bart and Ken living in (alleged) domestic bliss, and Todd freshened up and back on the dating scene, he finds himself with no one to commiserate with but his agoraphobic landlady Amanda; who, sadly, remains the one person he can never be truly honest with, on account of the whole 'lying to get the flat' thing.

A superbly bad idea, in retrospect.

Return to the domestic mayhem as the sadder but wiser six grapple their way through the maze of adult life; featuring quests for belonging, self-actualisation, and hobbies that don't involve shooting each other with paint.

My notes: I’ll be honest, this is the fic I could like, most do with feedback/encouragement for. I know it’s tempting to wait until fics have finished before reading/commenting so you don’t get left waiting on updates, and I know some people will be waiting to get through part one first, but the response to this one since I started posting proper chapters has been practically non-existent and like, as much as I want to tell this story, the actual getting it written and formatted for wider consumption is the part that takes blood sweat and tears, and when no one seems to care it really saps my motivation to keep going. I have to shout out @juniper-and-lamplight for being an awesome beta and keeping me going this far, and also @flailfail for being the only person to comment on the proper chapters so far and being lovely about it, but unfortunately I am a weak-willed person with hand pain and motivational struggles and I need that sweet sweet validation to keep going, y’know?? I promise I’m doing everything I can to make it good and funny and worth a read!

Strange Magic

Brotzly, Pantlas, 118k, Teen

With the freedom to indulge his every whim, the love (or at least toleration) of his subjects, and the affections of the loyal Sir Brotz, it seems the sun shines down upon the its prince’s fortunes. But that's about to change, an ill-wind blowing in the form of a tournament to decide his future husband. No more childish abandon, no more adventure. And perhaps most importantly, no more canoodling with his favourite elfin knight. Desperate times like this call for a quest; but will they find a solution, or just more questions they never thought to ask?

In which Dirk is a prince, Todd is his knight, and it may well be the two of them against the whole of Wendimoor.

My notes: Okay, I actually am super happy with the amount of love this one has gotten. It may only have about 30 kudos but nearly everyone who’s commented has done so on multiple chapters and left me some of the best reviews of my life, and I’m so grateful to them. I’m really only sharing it here because I am just that proud of it: I lovingly crafted this story over five months and it’s the longest thing I’ve ever written, and possibly my favourite thing I’ve ever written. Even if fantasy or established relationship isn’t generally your cup of tea, I’d love for you to give it a try, prince Dirk and elf Todd are my babies <3

And finally, two from my secondary account (which I don’t talk about much because it is basically my Smut Account and these days I like to keep at least a modicum of distance between the two, but it exists and it’s one of the world’s worst kept secrets, please do not read or interact if you’re under 18)

Hold Me Close As The Ticker Thyme Chimes; We'll Talk Of Bedknobs And Bygone Times

Pantlas, 20k, Explicit

Panto and Silas; a brief snapshot of what makes them Panto and Silas.

My notes: I wrote this for the Big Bang last year (or the year before?) and it took me u g h so loooong to get all these separate but connected scenes flowing into one another. It was originally posted to my main account, along with some of my better-known explicit pieces, before I transferred them all to this account. It never got an awful lot of attention because it’s Pantlas and they’re nowhere near as popular as Brotzly or whatever (understandably because they got comparatively no screen time in the show), but I’m super proud of how it turned out and it was such a good piece for getting into their heads and fleshing out their relationship.

gray tears are swept aside, pink sunshine everywhere (don't know where it's comin' from; what do you care?)

Brotzly, 5k, Explicit

The story of how Dirk lost his pants, and Todd acquired his glow sticks.

Missing scene from 2.05/6- what happened between Dirk and Todd during the 'love spell'. See beginning notes for additional warnings.

My notes: Okay. This is, in all honesty, one of my favourite things I have ever written. It was fun, it was cute and sexy and breathless, I’m really proud of some of the descriptions/imagery and sometimes I really regret posting it on my secondary account because maybe if it had been on my main it would have got more attention. But I love it, it has a special place in my heart, uhhhh please read and enjoy it <333

Small extract because I’m still hella proud of this bit:

(Todd) can probably feel Dirk’s heart, hammering his ribs like a xylophone- he’s surprised a chorus of bell-like chimes don’t erupt right out of him in response to the siren song of Todd’s touch. He wonders what kind of sounds Todd’s heart would make if he could only press his ear to it- maybe it would be steady and silky like a purring bass guitar, or bright and quick and sharp like a banjo. Definitely strings, it couldn’t be anything that doesn’t have strings. Dirk’s no musician but he wants to put his hand there, deepen the kiss, make Todd whimper and gasp, see if he can learn to pluck those heartstrings just right-

Anyway, that’s enough flaunting my own wares- if you decide to give any of these a read I hope you enjoy, comments are direct shots of serotonin straight to my brain and uhhhh yeah, enjoy the rest of feedback fest! I promise I’ll recommend other peoples’ stuff from now on xD

[tumblunni]

Ok, apparantly they started to spice up the yokai summoning dances with a full band and even an advert break?? I actually really love those band dudes based on the yokai type logo, i wish you could catch them ingame. Wonder what all the other types look like?

Now its time for AMAZING TWIST!!!

Nate summons Dimmy to fight gaudyness with depressingness, but it turns out Dimmy recognises this dude as a fellow depression yokai!

This is how i learned about the episode, Dimmy was my first big fave when i started my playthru of yw1 and i gave a headcanon backstory to my character's Dimmy partner. They used to have a previous human friend back in ancient times, who died tragically and caused them to become so depressed, but then the idea is that he'd come back as a yokai and they'd reunite all heartwarmingly! And my personality headcanon for that dude was a boastful fabulous ego guy who's actually a total failure, and hides behind his lies to cover up his low self esteem. AND also his Dimmy friend was a child when he met them, and even his design had a long face and long hair! (Tho also he was a samurai, lol) So yeh odd coincidence and now i'm totally gonna pick this dude as that oc's yokai form. :D

Back to the actual episode now, lol!

The anime actually gives a whole new design and new name to his pre-evolved state here that doesnt exist in the game at all. Apparantly kageusuo is a pun on 'plain', 'shadow' and 'lie'. Which fits a lot better with the yokai watch naming conventions than the completely joke free name Gorgeous Ambassador, which is the only evidence we seem to have that maybe this whole backstory idea might have been thought up back when the game first came out...?

He tries to deny his identity at first but accidentally blurts out his own name when nobody else even mentioned it. There's a cute moment of whisper putting on a sherlock holmes hat to point this out!

And now we get to the RIDICULOUSLY DETAILED AND COOL BACKSTORY WITH LIKE A BAZZILION NEW YOKAI DESIGNS

Thats so unfair that these other Gorgeous Club Members arent available to catch ingame, theyd be so cool as rare alternates for Gorgeous Ambassador or something? Like itd be super fitting if this yokai species is so extra that instead of just having recolours they have like five separate models for the same character.

I think my fave is the big cuddly one on the left, but i also think the old guy one is cool cos he reminds me of Porcoline from Rune Factory. The one on the right is weird tho, he literally never moves in the entire episode, he's always just standing there staring blankly into the distance in the exact same pose. O.o?

Oh heres a better pic of their full designs!

[lacylu42]

11/11/11 Tag Game

Thanks @feathersandfortunes​ for the tag!  I’m just getting into the writeblr community, but I’ll try to tag a few people at the bottom.  1. What’s a type of media that you think influenced your writing? Could be anything, from Marvel movies to Magical girl anime or a band or a podcast - anything! 

I did an exercise a while back that suggested listing your top 10 favorite stories — any media, books, movies, etc. — and then look at what they all have in common. And it’s fascinating! Some of my favorite stories of all time, including Harry Potter, X-Files, Hitchhiker’s Guide, Doctor Who, among others, include normal people doing and experiencing extraordinary things, going into extraordinary worlds. 

I know that being in fandom and writing fan fiction has also strongly influenced my writing. I didn’t know it when I was a kid, but my first forays into writing were all thinly veiled attempts to write like my favorite authors in exploration of finding my own voice. 

2. What does your OC do on a road trip or long commute? Playlists, podcasts, daydreaming, games, idk, up to you!

Oh lord!  I feel like Julia has done cross-country road trips before, so she would be all about stocking up on snacks, picking out the podcasts, and plotting out which ridiculous roadside attractions to stop at.

I think David would haaaaate a road trip to start with, like he would hate the very idea of it. He likes to be efficient, and I think he doesn’t like being stuck in small, confined spaces. He’s a walker, too. But I think he would enjoy the novelty of a road trip with Julia if he was forced into it. She would show him the weird pleasures of it.

3. How do you pick names for your characters? Meanings, sounds, anything!

This book in particular was a weird experience because it has a relatively large cast, and I was naming people on the fly while trying to bang out a couple thousand words a day. 

But I enjoyed trying to match the names of the Supernatural creatures with their country of origin (ie: Daoine the Irish banshee) but also playing against type for certain characters (ie: Greg the ogre). 

4. What’s a trope you hate from a genre you love?

Oh man! I love epic hero’s journey stories, but I’m kind of over the “chosen one” who has special powers to save the world. I’m much more interested in ordinary people thrown into extraordinary situations. 

5. Pick a trope you love from a genre you hate, what is it?

I’m not a big fan of straight romance or rom com, but I do looooove me some romance/rom com tropes like THERE’S ONLY ONE BED! (my fave), or friends to lovers, or any excuse to put my characters in fancy dress so they can oogle each other. :>

6. If you’re a fiction writer, what’s something you wish you could write that would be nonfiction (an important historical event, a celebrity’s memoir, idk)? If you’re nonfiction, what’s a fictional world you would live in?

I actually write both; I write fiction for fun and non-fiction in my business. But for this question, I’d love to write a really deeply researched non-fiction book about habits or lifestyle or something. 

OR maybe a cookbook... 

7. Do you like supernatural/magical/mythical creatures? What’s your favorite?

Love. My current WIP is all about supernatural creatures in the normal, modern world. I don’t think I have an all-time favorite, but from this book I love Greg the erudite ogre and Vincenzo, the vegan vampire. 

8. What’s a quote you would love to see on a movie poster or in a trailer for your wip?

Wow, this is hard... This probably wouldn’t fit on a poster, but I like this quote from the scene in which my two main characters meet for the first time: “I said, I’m not crazy,” Julia repeated.  “Obviously I wasn’t shot.  There’s no bullet wound.  So he must have missed.  But I swear to you, I saw the gun.  I heard it go off.  There was…” she faltered.  “I felt all this pain…”

“Yeah, you would,” the man said, pocketing his notebook and taking a few steps toward her bed.  He was wearing a long overcoat and a rumpled brown suit.  

“Then, you believe me?” She pushed herself up into a sitting position. 

“Wee-eelll, yes and no. I believe that you believe you were shot. But that’s not what happened.”

Julia shook her head.  “I saw the gun…”

“You saw a glamour. An illusion.  You saw what the spell caster wanted you to see.”

Julia blinked at him. “I’m sorry.  I thought you said ‘spell caster.’”

“You got hit by a curse, and apparently it’s given you what humans would call the sight. You can see the supernatural world. My world.”  He scrubbed the back of his head with his hand, looking thoughtful.  “Though, whether or not the curse was actually meant for you is up for debate.  Do you know anyone who might have wanted to give you the sight? Anyone in your family make any deals with demons that you’re aware of? Have you ever been bitten by an imp?”

Julia stared at him for a long time.  “I think maybe you need the psych consult.”

He grinned crookedly at her. “Probably. But not about this.”

9. Where do you start when creating a character? Backstory, appearance, personality, etc?

I usually start a story with a scene or an idea — and the characters just start talking or acting. A lot of times the character just shows up and starts talking at me, and that’s where everything starts. I might have an idea of what they look like, but sometimes not. So I guess it starts with personality and how they act in a particular situation and grows from there. 

10. What’s a scent that makes your OC feel at home?

David’s father was a carpenter, and that was his first trade, so I think the smell of sawdust and cut wood would take him back.

Julia I think is starting to associate the smell of coffee with David, so maybe coffee... ;) 

11. Are there any scenes you’re secretly hoping get fanart in your wip or published work?

Oh my gosh! I would love to see people produce fanart of this book! I really want to see people’s interpretation of Greg the ogre in his police uniform!  Haha. But I’d also like to see this scene, with David and Julia sitting in the grass taking in everything going on in the park: “You sure know how to show a girl a good time,” Julia quipped as the alley turned a blind corner, but the words died on her lips.

It was a park, but not one she’d ever seen before. Hemmed in on all sides by skyscrapers, it wasn’t very big, but it was bursting with life. The sunlight seemed brighter here, even though by all rights the park should have been deep in shadow from the tall buildings all around.

The walls surrounding the park were painted with large and wonderful murals. In one, the seeds of a giant dandelion seemed to be perpetually floating off into the distance, twirling and flying in an imaginary breeze. As they walked past, one of the seeds morphed into a tiny pig that started squealing and chasing them. 

David caught Julia’s curious frown and laughed. “The graffiti artists sometimes enchant the graffiti to insult cops.”

Julia stared at him. “The painting knows you’re a cop?”

“Well, the spell does, anyway.”

[...]

Beings and creatures of all shapes and sizes were walking, sitting, talking, strolling through the park. An extremely tall, willowy woman with long brown hair filled with leaves was dancing slowly around the base of a tree. Little pixies, no more than 10 inches high, were buzzing around, laughing, playing, and shouting profanities at one another. A group of men and women who looked more or less human were sitting in a circle in the sun, chanting, as a strange symbol burned in the air in the middle. She felt like her eyes couldn’t quite take it all in. 

“This is…” she whispered.

“Yeah,” David replied with a smile.  He led her over to an unoccupied patch of grass where he took off his overcoat and spread it on the ground for them to sit on. “I wanted you to see that it’s not all snarling demons and manipulative witches. There’s a lot of wonder in the supernatural world, too. A lot of good.” 

Thank you again for tagging me!

The rules are 11 questions answered, 11 questions given, and 11 people tagged! As I said, I’m new to the #writeblr community, but I’ll tag @copperbadge, @brynwrites, @theticklishpear, @lvslie, and @licieoic if you want to play!

1. Have you had to “kill any darlings” from your current WIP, ie: quotes, characters, scenes, etc. that you LOVE but don’t fit and have to be cut? Please share.

2. What is your favorite genre to write in and why? Is it different from the genres you like to consume?

3. Do you consciously study existing works by other authors to improve your own writing? If so, what types of things do you look at?

4. Have you noticed any patterns in your own writing, ie: you always have a certain type of character, like to explore a certain type of story, etc.?

5. Do you do most of your world building before you write, while writing the first draft, or during revisions? 

6. If when your WIP hits the bestseller list, where would you like to go or what would you like to do on a book tour? Is there somebody you’d like to be interviewed by? 

7. How do you approach setting the scene in your work? Are you into lush descriptions or giving the bare minimum and allowing the reader to fill in the blanks?

8. Do you follow a set structure (ie: hero’s journey, 3-act structure) when plotting out your works, or fly by the seat of your pants?

9. What does your revision process look like?

10. Please share a bit of dialogue from your WIP that shows us something important about the character’s personality.

11. Please share any jokes or funny bits from your WIP of which you are ridiculously proud. ;) 

[sirius-archive]

Who is your fave oc? Tell me about them

oooh man so this is super hard as I love all my oc’s, even the bad ones (lookin at you Julius and Gabriel) but!!! I guess I’m super attached to the Cowan twins.

Lemme tell you a bit about Lukas and Thea Cowan:

- they’re vampires

- wait, hear me out before you roll your eyes and scroll past my babies

- they’re not the brooding, manipulative, or have that I’m-dark-sexy-and-mysterious vibe that we read or see in books/tv shows adored by teeny boppers and lonely mums

- (no judgement here)

- they’re actually really,,,cute?!?

-but before I get into their characters, here’s a bit of backstory

-they were kidnaped as babies from their pureblood parents by Dominic Cowan, a vampire who was trying to appease his wife, Ophelia.

-he ‘turned’ them into vampires as babies and the couple raised them as their own.

-thea and luke did eventually meet their real parents, but their parents called them ‘monsters’ so…yeah touchy subject.

-okay, now onto thea and luke

- lukey is really awkward ?? Like hes the ‘funny guy’ and he cracks jokes when he’s nervous or uncomfortable which is pretty much all the time.

- he is super shy at first, but once you get to know him he gets super loud and sometimes you have to clamp a hand over his mouth just so you can hear yourself think because really luke? It’s 9 in the morning and you’re literally shouting at me.

-he also has a slight stutter and is a very talented musician. Seriously, that kid has talent.

- he is a huge animal lover, which is #awkward for any vampire but hey, it’s luke, he’s pretty much the epitome of all things awkward.

- thea is super organised, competitive and a clean freak but she isn’t uptight. She knows how to throw a party and boy does she go all out with her parties.

- but because they’re vampires, they don’t get invited out often

- :(

- :’(

-so they throw parties anonymously and become notorious around the campus, even though no one knows who the hosts are…kinda like masked heroes except for stressed uni students. Lol.

- in my story, all vampires are blind (like bats, always a pun intended) but they can see/ smell/ hear blood gushing through people’s bodies.

-so basically, to give you a little insight on what they ‘see’, all they can make out is human-shaped blood circulation system and the veins glow red but that’s it

-thea and luke, however, can see but only because thea is a smartass and invented special glasses that gives them sight

-they still have a high sensitivity to light, though, so they’re always wearing sunnies like cool kids

-also, thea is thicc and smol while lukas is tol and lanky. so, obviously, they’re not members of the ‘tall and gaunt vampires club’

-lukas is super uncoordinated and he can’t dance because he’s super clumsy

-but thea is very graceful and she would’ve made a good dancer if she didn’t want to be an inventor so badly

-thea probably would’ve been sorted into Slytherin if she attended Hogwarts because that girl has ambition like you wouldn’t believe

-she’s also like,,,,super resourceful???

-and her determination means that she likes to stick to things and she won’t - for the love of merlin and that dumbass beard- give up anything. She gonna finish that project if it’s the last thing she does

-meanwhile

-while I’d like to say that lukas is a hufflepuff, luke is more of a gryffindor. Let’s face it, it takes courage to crawl out of your comfort zone and thrust yourself into the world, even though your an emotional wreck and super nervous/anxious 66669% of the time

-he still puts on a brave face and will put up a fight, even if he knows he ain’t gonna win.

-but none of that matter because they both went to Durmstrang

-anyway that’s the cowan twins

Other honourable mentions include:

- Abigail ‘Juniper’ Bishop, the fierce, flower-crowned queen of hufflepuff - Noah Underwood, the soft and tired loner also a hufflepuff - Aaaaaand Julius King, the sad ghost who acts all mean and tough but would literally crie if you called him a dumb bum.

[atlasifyllm]

Because yes

1. Your first OC ever?

I would say Queen Mana, my self insert alicorn pony princess, but in all honesty I'd say my Littlest Pet Shop toys from 3rd grade that I gave each a persona or my mouse character "Licky" and his sister "Lucky". Yeah Licky had quite the unfortunate name. As for my LPS toys, I'm not sure which was my FIRST among all of them, but I do know the first ones were Trevor and Erica! They were a happy married couple~

2. Do you have a personal favourite among your OCs?

Ooh, I gotta say I have one for each story. Though among all of them? I HAVE to go with Cobalt Zaffre from DOTS: DD. Honestly my fave out of the DOTS peeps, I love his design (thanks Raven), her persona, his character arc, god I love this dickhead

3. Have you ever adopted a character or gotten a character from someone else?

Honesty no? I did base Rose off of a friend's OC, but that was years ago and she's more original now.

4. A character you rarely talk about?

I gotta say Agent Silver and Agent Neon from MAR, mostly since I've been pretty dry with MAR ideas and have near no hope to revamping them both from their 5th grade counterparts. That and the protag of D.exe, since I'm revamping them too. Pretty much any character I've planned on revamping but haven't really gotten to yet...

5. If you could make only one of your OCs popular/known, who would it be?

COBALT ZAFFRE. I honestly feel like he's worth the fame, though I'm probably biased-

6. Two OCs of yours that look alike despite not being related?

Yang and Tig! When designing one of them into DOTS, I created Yang with Tig's original palette concepts of 2016 with no intentions of bringing Tig into the story yet. Though that changed, and I brought Tig into DOTS: DD and got too attatched to their palettes to change them. I have thought of changing Yang's design, but I got too attached so Tig and Yang just so happen to share the same hair and skin tone.

7. Are your OCs part of any story or stories?

The real question is who ISN'T apart of any story? I get too attached to OCs easily so I'd either need to make a story or put them into a story! I did have a void character for a week named Benvolio, though I found him a place in "Dragon Destiny"

8. Do you RP as any of your OCs? If you do, introduce one of your RP OCs here!

I've never actually roleplayed before! I have thought of opening an askblog for Turquoise Sky from DOTS: DD, though I've lost most motivation for continuing it

9. Would you ever be willing to give any of your OCs to someone else?

I'm too attached to my babies!

But in all honesty my brain makes so many character concepts that I could legit probably sell them at this point for the characters I REALLY don't need.

10. Introduce an OC with a complicated design?

I don't have a picture of her on-hand, but the first that comes to mind is Nio from Chrisis! Mostly due to her rainbow sleeves and cards...

A close second is Iris from the DOTSverse, though it's honestly just due to her hair being a gradient AND layer mode at the same time.

I'm sure there's more though, I can never keeo track of them all!

11. Is there any OC of yours you could describe as a “cinnamon roll”?

Rose Morganite from DOTS: DD and Nimbus Fulmen from AuAg! Both are sorta naive kids who don't know what's going in too well...

My other kid OC is basically Ed Elric except with Queen Moon's look-

12. Name an OC that isn’t yours but who you like a lot

fuck it i'm calling them out @ravenwolfie97

I REALLY LIKE SKYLAR BINCH

13. Do you have any troublemaker OCs?

Tig is sorta on the border between troublemaker and full-blown villain. Though my new OC Roman Rho from Dragon Destiny seems to fit that description? Others include Kaiser and Shadow from Last Light, Aquamarine from SOTGC, the entire cast of Sky Games, Viobalt and Charoite from Chrisis, Ater from the DOTSverse (somewhat), Ala Blaster from DOTS: SF, Reed from ROP, Akumu from D.exe, Mika from ZP, and... yeah I hope that's all of them

14. Introduce an OC with a tragic backstory

Cobalt Zaffre from DOTS has a pretty angsty backstory so far, though I can't spoil that right now. Iris actually has a sad story too, but I can't spoil that either. Have some runner ups!

- Bluebot (Beyond Repair) Bluebot is the only android that is utterly seen as useless by Eris, the main AI

- Storm Gray (Dragon Destiny) Storm was treated more as an experiment than child by the scientist who made him, having him be bullied by his scientist's son, Roman

- Ventus Fulmen (AuAg) while he isn't a full blown "angst son", Ventus got into prison thinking his girlfriend was shot dead by soldiers

- Viobalt (Chrisis) Viobalt is trying to strive beyond the void since his own universe was erased from existence by the creator

- Pretty much all the Darksiders in Last Light. Each Darksider succumbed to a dark, deep form of Despair, which caused them to turn into monsterous beings seeking revenge, acceptance, pain, or freedom

- The Squire (A Story Told) The Squire lost his kingdom to an evil king, and wants to try and get it back

Those are the ones from the top of my head!

15. Do you like to talk about your OCs with other people?

Oh honey I could talk about my OCs all year

16. Which one of your OCs would be the best at biology (school subject)?

I'm gonna say the scientists in Dragon Destiny, since out of the two other brands of scientists in my story (D.exe and BR), the DraDes scientists had to deal with organic matter way more in order to create the dragons. Vincent from D.exe is a close second, though he's more of a specifically neuroscientist than biologist

17. Any OC OTPs?

- Storm x Orlene in DraDes

- Cobalt x Ruri in DOTS: DD (and by extension, DOTS: SF)

- Ruby x Blaze in DOTS: DD

- Yin x Tigerlily in DOTS: DD

- Yang x Vio in DOTS: DD

- Ventus x Vepris in AuAg

- Momo x Ringo in PSG!

- Alpha x Zetto in DOTS: 5x5

- Iris x Alba in DOTS: 5x5

18. Any OC crackships?

- Cobalt x Yang in DOTS: DD. The two palabros honestly are hilarious together as a hugely dumb couple

- Reed from ROP x Zetto from DOTS: 5x5. This is a REALLY odd one, but one time I had a dream that created a new OC that looked like a fusion between the two with a dark blue color scheme. So of course I joked about them having a son, though it's extra funny when Zetto is just a humanoid snorlax made of pure light and eats flowers, and Reed is an energetic anime prince protag boy who's... well, not made of light. And of course, some crossover ships are absolutely hilarious

But my favorite:

- Turquoise x Cobalt in DOTS: DD. Gotta get that good ol fashion Oncest 👍

19. Introduce an OC that means a lot to you (and explain why)

All the Chrises tbh, but especially Cobalt in particular. Cobalt (and by extension, the other Chrises) is based off of the guy who inspired me to continue making stories and OCs, and I can never thank him enough for helping me find that spark that gave me a purpose. Cobalt's everything to me, a coping character and a tribute to the man who inspired me to be this creative. I created the other Chrises because I want the creativity that the guy gave me to be a symbol of all my stories, and a tribute to the man himself. Cobalt as I've developed him has represented all the things that remind me of the guy, so he's the closest to him but also with my own twists I adore so I can't help but love him so much! Cobalt, out of all the Chrises, represents the man who's inspired me to be a creator to this extent the most, so he means so much to me. The other Chrises are a VERY close second, since they represent him in various ways too that is both a tribute to him and a symbol of me, though Cobalt represents him the most.

20. Do any of your OCs sing? If they sing, care to share more details (headcanon voice, what kind of songs they like etc)?

HA! EASY! The Zero Percent crew 100% (pun intended)

Robin I can see sounding probably like a mix of the singer from Set It Off (Sorry I don't know his name!), Natewantstobattle, and I think Billie Joe Armstrong/Gerard Way?? There's so many good voices crie-

He likes rock music tho! He's in a band so that's a given but... yeah.

Elliot is a newer OC from the same story, but not from Robin's band! He's a lone singer cause I wanted a singer OC who sounded like Adam Lambert-

Outside ZP, I had the headcanon that Yang from DOTS: DD had an embarassing rap phase in high school. Ash Embers from the same story was also in a band, though it disbanded as soon as it was made ;n; I'm not sure if she was the vocalist though? Def rockstar, though. Cobalt I can see having a good singing voice since I've really liked Chris Niosi's singing (sing more Chris ;o;), and Ruri too since her voice claim is Rose Quartz from SU! Not sure on their genres, though... Other punk rockers include Ruby, I have been thinking her voice claim changing to Hayley Williams? Not sure, though...

Lastly, The Bard in A Story Told. She plays medieval music, though it's not particularly good since she'e pretty much a drunken bard who gets around by riding her horse backwards.

Anyway that's 20 questions, hope you 5 peeps enjoyed it, ehehe-

[vokriid]

I know you haven't been feeling well lately, but can you tell me about Kalaron? He seems like a really interesting character.

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA BOOOOOOOIIIIIII I CAN TALK ABOUT KALARON, I CAN TALK ABOUT KALARON ALL DAY IN AND OUT.

first of all: he’s my fave oc and I love him, so naturally he has one of the most tragic backstories. he’s also a horrible person and a Hot Mess. has A Lot of things to cope with and does not do very well with any of it despite being as close to a psychologist as TES can get.

hands down, my most attractive oc. he’s naturally decently attractive, but uses both makeup and Illusion to make himself even more pretty. probably thinks he’s prettier than Dibella and he’s right 

not a prodigy by any means, but he is clever, at least when it comes to how people think. he’s also smart enough to weaponize Illusion magic, which he relies on far more than melee skills or any other magic. (without Illusion magic, absolutely gets his ass beat most of the time).

he’s a Thalmor, and a high-ranking one, who played a major part in purging the Blades, though he isn’t involved with the justiciars or persecuting Talos worship; that’s too religious a matter for a Sanguinist to be dealing with. his usual reaction to imprisoned Talos worshipers is to release (or kill) them ASAP so he can use the prison cell for important targets.

the friendliest and most easy-going of the Thalmor in Skyrim. Elenwen often sends him on diplomatic errands with the Imperials, since he’s quite frankly easier to deal with than a lot of his coworkers (almost entirely bc he isn’t racist, is openly friendly, and likes to crack a few jokes now and then. the bar is so low).

his default expression is smiling. most of his other facial expressions involve smiling, regardless of the emotion. it’s a habit and defense mechanism. 

is pansexual and very hypersexual.* flirts with every adult between the ages of 20 and 1000, regardless of race, gender, relationship status, etc, though he doesn’t always realize he’s doing it, as it’s definitely a habit to the point of reflex. will also sleep with just about anyone who’ll lie down, including lycanthropes and vampires.

absolutely an alcoholic, and has tried (and actively takes) a number of different substances. only mostly gets away with it due to Restoration, but many healing potions don’t work very well on him anymore. he’s still tipsy just about as often as he’s sober.

some backstory:

he was the second son of five kids (his brothers were named Kalandil, Kalanril, Kalayon, and his sister was…. Aniya) in a low-income merchant family out in the boonies of Summerset.

literally the only surviving member of his family of origin is the child of his older brother. the rest of the family died when an Oblivion Gate opened up basically on top of the house when Kalaron was the mer-equivalent of a teenager.

Kalaron survived because he was born under the sign of the Shadow and was able to make himself invisible and hide. the invading daedra didn’t notice him, but they sure did notice everyone else in the house.

he was taken in by his brother’s husband in the aftermath of the Oblivion Crisis, but got kicked out of the house because he was acting out in ways that were potentially dangerous, and his brother-in-law was much more concerned about his baby than dealing with a difficult, traumatized teenager.

Kalaron and his brother-in-law do not talk to each other as a result. they’ve had one meeting since Kalaron was kicked out, and adult Kalaron basically told him ‘yeah I know I was being a delinquent and you had valid fears about me being around your child, but also I hope you go straight to hell and I’m gonna piss on your grave.’

has a legitimate panic attack when his niece shows up in Skyrim to meet/reconcile with him because he's terrified of 1) anything resembling familial relationships, and 2) his boss or Elenwen having any kind of potential hostage to use against him.

as mentioned, he is a Sanguinist and very much hypersexual. not in a sexually liberated way, but in a ‘can’t form healthy relationships but also craves intimacy so he has as much sex as possible without committing’ way. it’s a little more complicated, but that’s the tldr of it.

has been in a “””friends with benefits””” relationship with Solalis for… nearly an entire century, because he Cannot Commit and is, quite honestly, a blatant cheater. also lowkey has a running tally of how many relationships he’s managed to ruin, and always excuses it with ‘it takes two to have an affair.’ Marina and the Diamond’s ‘Homewrecker’ was written about him.

a ....lot of people rightly hate him. the only people who actually like him are the ones who don’t have to deal with him lol. even Solalis eventually gets fed up with his shit and leaves him.

I have…. a lot more of him but this is already pretty long. just know he’s my most developed and fleshed out character, so I love him.

*disclaimer: he’s not my only pansexual character, but is the most sexually active. the other bi/pan (and other lgbtq+) characters do just fine being monogamous, it’s just him cheating and running around sabotaging people’s relationships.

[beaulieaux]

Tell me about ya OCs

i always want people to ask me about my ocs but now you have im Nervous this is gonna end up so long bc i love my kids so much !!

ok so basically they’re a squad of rich assholes who by unfortunate circumstances have ended up living rough on the streets of post apocalyptic france

my main boi is aconite, who has the stupidest name possible, because that’s how i like my characters. he’s short and angry and likes shooting things w a bow and arrow but he’s like not very good at it. his parents died when he was little whilst trying to resist the evil regime that controls southern France. he’s trying to fulfill their dream of ending the dictatorship.

then there’s his boyfriend holland, who is a fucking loser drug addict and makes a joke out of all his negative emotions so he comes off as Cool And Funny but he’s a sad boy. needs a hug. his family escaped south france to a better life, but ya boy was caught by soldiers and thrown back into the city alone.

my personal fave oc is anezhka, she’s a highly trained super soldier with intense PTSD from her training so she has trouble communicating with people. she’s just a Soft Girl. i love her so much. she has a really cute gf called dusty who im trying to flesh out rn

there’s abigail who is like your average catty bitch and honestly what an icon!! super manipulative and kind of evil. her backstory isn’t that sad she’s just a massive cunt. nearly got executed once whoops. she’s holland’s former drug dealer and is dating noir, a french-korean sweetheart boy who was orphaned at birth, whomst i love with all my soul

and then there’s vincent who is like… a failure. big failure. he goes to the only university left in the city bc he’s supposed to be smart but really he’s super gay and dumb and likes disappointing his parents and wears thigh high boots bc he thinks he’s cool. he also puts on a fake british accent all the time; the only person who knows that the accent is a ruse is abigail bc they’re tight

they’re all super bi and stupid and i love them a lot with all of my heart jdjwndjsns im sorry if you didn’t want this much info

[kiwi-pies]

I'm sort of new to -good- oc making and was wondering since you have so many awesome ocs that if you had any tips or tricks in developing an oc? Thanks!

For starters, I’m quite honored you think my ocs are awesome, as well as coming to me for oc advice! I’ve been making ocs for YEARS and I would be more than happy to give out some tips!

Oc creation is a process. A character may come to you very quickly, however even if you think you’ve fleshed them entirely out in a day, that character may still change and develop over time! Be it their back story, personality, design, etc. I’ll break this into a few parts for your sake and the sake of myself haha.

Appearance

Starting with appearance! IMO, as an artist it’s my favorite part of oc creation! I more than often create a character's physical appearance before giving them a personality or backstory, while I’m sure there are plenty of people that do it in reverse, not that there's anything wrong with that!  It’s just personally easier for me this way, and how I’ve sort of become conditioned to make ocs.

When creating visuals of your characters, don’t be afraid to take inspiration from things you like! It’s what I do all the time! But it’s important to put your own unique spin on that character, because while I know a lot of artists don’t like hearing the “this looks like this existing character” you do have to be careful, if you want that oc or character to be their own stand alone thing you have to eventually while developing them, push further and further from their inspiration to make them something that stands on their own!

As someone who wants to be more of a cartoonist, I tend to try to exaggerate my character appearances as much as I can! For example my short characters are very very short, and my tall characters are practically palm trees! I also try to avoid same face as much as I can haha, as I’ve been growing as an artist I’ve been trying new things, I’m not scared to give characters different noses or facial hair or different body types! I’ve become really personally proud of how unique my characters have been starting to look, based on their silhouettes alone you can tell each one is different. I can’t wait to see how I personally develop as time goes on, I can only get better from here! I feel just in general playing around with different styles too, can help you make some pretty cool looking characters.

Another important thing I wanna just mention is color schemes, you wanna make sure that in general the colors don’t clash too much, my current characters I essentially just based off the colors of the rides they are inspired by, so they are (at least I hope) pleasing for the eye and not to overbearing.

Also as I mentioned before, characters you make may change over time! I first drew infamous Mr. S back in July of this year and he’s changed quite a bit in that time frame (all thanks to me drawing him over a potato as a joke)

So don’t be scared to develop your ocs  visually after you’ve created them! Be it for personal projects, stories, comics etc, your characters will grow with you!

Personality/Backstory

Another thing I’ll touch on quick is backstory and personality! Another thing that will probably change a bit as your character develops over time, and sometimes you don’t even have to totally retcon their old lore/personality! That can just be your character developing or changing after something occurs in their story line that makes them either a better or worse person.

Each of my characters I try to give their own personality. Don’t be afraid to make a mean character, or a nice character that pushed past their breaking point might get a little snippy! People aren’t perfect, so characters wouldn’t be either. They will make mistakes, people will get mad at them, they will get mad at others, etc. It may be hard at first to develop a character's personality on the spot, but don’t get discouraged! For me it's helped to write out scenarios with these characters, rp them, as well as doodle them interacting with others, it’s really helped me to develop them further!

Backstories are a big more general, you can really do whatever it is you want with your characters lore and history. However take into consideration how this may affect your character's personality! For example, Odin is a bit of a bitter grump, due to the fact he has to deal with LD AND LL constantly bickering, and is the only one who has to put up with them. Other things have happened to him as well, that have caused him to become a bit of an uptight moody snob. “Wow, what a jerk!” Most people probably think, but his character will eventually develop to be a bit less of one! It’s just going to take things happening to him that soften his personality a bit, but he will still be the same old grump from time to time regardless, good ol Odin.

As someone who’s been making characters for so long, it can be hard to make one with a unique personality. Yes, I am one to look up random personality traits to help me out, and you shouldn’t be afraid to either! Look at your favorite characters, how do they act? Look at your least faves, what do they seem like? Borrow traits from several characters and tack them onto your own, but always be careful not to contradict yourself too much. Yes, even the most soft spoken and shy of people may get angry and practically explode sometimes, but what would it be to push them so far as to do so?

I hope this was helpful! If anyone in general has oc questions, I’ll try my best to give advice! In general, I would always recommend asking for critique on your characters if you want them to have a bit more polish (if they are being created for a story or comic you want to share with several people) , but if you're creating ocs just for yourself or fun, just have a blast! As long as you are having a nice time, you have made a great oc

Also totally random note but I feel that also submitting characters to really strict closed RP groups on DA has really helped me become aware of the characters i have been creating. It’s made me think about balancing negative and positive personality traits and creating a coherent back story that makes sense and ties to the character's personality, pffff. I also maladaptive day dream a LOT, been doing it as long as I can remember really, and from that day dreaming I have thought up 100s of character designs and, some which I’ve developed into a lot of the lil gremlins you see me posting to my social media today!