#oc advice

[creation-help]

Advice and tips on how to make your character feel more genuine/real

- Pettiness and shallowness. Obviously it can manifest in different ways, but IRL everyone has at least one or two little things that they're a bit surface level and "Just because!" about. Be it clothes, how they do certain rituals, what color m&ms they prefer ect ect. It can be little details or even major characteristics, and depending on which (and what) they are, it can be really telling about the character! Plus, it just adds a little extra depth and fun. Some examples including but not limited to: Being fussy over getting their clothes wet or dirty, only preferring some items because they look good, insisting on doing some action or tradition exactly a certain way, disliking an aspect of a thing or a person because they just don't like it, and so on. Obviously the big worldview points like morality and beliefs are very important, but when you've figured those out, take a moment to think about the smaller, everyday things your character feels about the world around them. No matter how good or wise a person is, they'll still always have some little thing that they can't give some profound noble answer to. Use this to your advantage to explore your character's shortcomings or flaws!

(In the same vein, Pet peeves is another detail that can flesh out a character!)

- How does your character perceive things? What do they notice about people first? How would they talk about, or describe another person to someone, if asked? How would they describe themself? And why? Just some things to consider. If your character maps out all the little details and deeply analyzes everything they see, it'll show in their interactions very differently than, for example, if they have the perception of a cabbage and are more oblivious than the love interest in a teen drama that the writers are stretching out for five seasons for no reason. Ykno.

- Additionally: what's their opinion of the people around them? Or if you've already mapped that out, what's their opinion of people they've never met before, or people who aren't in their immediate bubble, friends of friends, relatives of relatives, neighbours, or celebrities, mythical/historical figures and so on. Delve into hypotheticals sometimes, it can help you exercise your knowledge of the character. Even if none of these encounters or situations would happen in Canon.

- I'm sure you've already figured out what your character is most passionate about, ykno, whatever drives the story and impacts their relationships with other characters. But how about stuff they really don't care to think about? Just shrug? Not interesting? Doesn't pay attention to this? What is low on their priorities? It doesn't have to be negative (but can be!), it can just be "Meh", or something your character hasn't even noticed before, simply because it's not in their thoughtscape to think about.

- Does your character have any of those "What? I thought everyone did that/thought that/was like that!" - things? What do they take for granted, or weren't aware isn't a universal experience? Did they have a wildly different experience with something that most other characters hadn't even thought of? And yes I understand this is good for exploring trauma and other angsty things, but besides the obvious, think about maybe something that could be related to your character's species/living environment/abilities/opinions ect. This is great for exploring cultural differences, and anything that takes place in a fantasy setting. Very useful for villains and heroes alike! It's insightful. Everyone has small little perceptive differences or big and small thoughts that for some reason just haven't been properly challenged yet. Or brought up even. For whatever reason. Explore maybe what that reason could be, and figure out why it's been unchallenged for so long.

- Imperfections. Little divergences. It's fully possible to write a compelling and genuine feeling character using just archetypes, if you really explore them deeply. And whether you're doing that or not, think about the lines and molds you've set your character into, and let them spill out of them a little bit. Can be one huge aspect or one teensy detail, but make some diversion. Some crack in the picture. Doesn't have to be a flaw but can be! Just have some little aspects that set them apart and make the character themself. Get weird with it. Getting weird is one huge way you can truly make a character stand out and feel more unique and, oddly enough, genuine and real. Actual people have little oddities or things that don't line up with everything else about their person. And again it doesn't necessarily have to be anything big or shocking, in fact I'd argue it's even better if sometimes it's just a small, very ordinary, humanizing detail. Maybe unexpected, or maybe just something that doesn't factor into the surface image your character has. Think about characters similar to yours that you see often. What traits do they all share, or most usually have? Think about the kinds of people your character is inspired by. What are they often like? Make a diversion from that. Make multiple even? It can be the most random thing but think about it, even if you threw a dart at a wall of sticky notes, really chew out what this little thing says about your character. And focus on little cracks, imperfections, diversions and other odd details of your character. Over time they can grow bigger, or maybe not.

- Keep a clear picture of who your character is. Sounds obvious but I'll elaborate. Your character will obviously change and develop over the time you're working on them and whatever story events take place but I think it's very important to keep in mind who they fundamentally are. Basically I'm saying that try to keep them in character, yes even if you did drastic character development, you can still show that it's the same person in other ways even if one of their core traits was flipped. Be aware of what things will never change about your character no matter what they'd go through. Keep some consistency. Consistency matters alot in making a character seem genuine and, ykno, a good character. Even if that consistent trait is that they're inconsistent! The character can be that, yes, but as their creator, you should still keep sights of what's consistent for this character, you feel? If your character is a glunk of slime that slips out of it's container constantly and subsequently molds into whatever situation it gets put in, that's not really a character, that's.. Idk, plot device..? I know this may sound contradicting to my previous point but I fully think that, and this one can and should coexist.

You need to simultaneously be aware of the ways your character will differ from something and be fluid, and the ways your character will not bend, and cannot become. It's simply a matter of knowing their boundaries and restrictions, knowing which way they can lean and which way not. Obviously this'll be up to you as their creator, bc yeah you're allowed to drastically edit your character if you feel like it's for the better, but try to commit to that change then. Don't let the character slip from your hands, or let the story bend them into whatever shape it needs to make the plot go forward. Your character, and more importantly you, should be in control of that.

I emphasize the point of you controlling your character and not the other way around also. I've seen some character owners slip into "Well it's just what the character would do! I can't help it, it'd be out of character if they didn't do x!" even if the thing is completely awful, doesn't fit, or would ruin an aspect of the story. A smart writer will know how to work with your character's traits in a way that prevents them from running off the tracks and becoming their own little gremlin, while also complying with the story. Respect your character's.. Character, while also respecting yourself and the point of the story. This is even more crucial if it's a roleplay character, by the way..

I'm just saying, find ways to write the story in cooperation with your character. That means knowing what situations to avoid and which ones to steer for, in order to keep your character functioning with the plot and other characters. Sometimes you simply have to prevent some event from happening, or some characters from ever meeting, for the sole reason that it wouldn't make the story work the way it should. Or the way you want it to. You hold the pencil, be aware of what that means

[zr-art-world]

oc doodle sheet of my Android oc Psi

Also me working on how his hair is meant to look

[seth-whumps]

I've tried to make whump ocs before but nothing stuck. Any idea I have for an oc or information I come up with about them usually briefly intrigues me but I end up dropping the character because I can't keep caring about them

You have lots of super interesting, fleshed out ocs who you seem genuinely happy to write and work on. How do you do it? Do you have any tips for other whump writers?

Hey, Anon! Great question!

I have a handful of tips. First is to stop worrying about maintaining them. The goal of having an OC is to have fun with them. You don't need a whole universe. You don't even need to know their eye color.

When I came up with Morrigan and JJ, they were each inspired individually by character ideas I was using for novels at the time. (JJ being a hero fallen ill waking up years later, Captain America style; Morri being an android convinced they were doing the right thing until it all came crashing down.) So look for character ideas you could write a longer novel on, and take them out of the story.

I don't always work on my OCs. I'm a fandom writer first and foremost. I never had any originals besides novels. I only fixed that by taking away the requirement of perfecting them. You can just... have guys. You don't have to talk about them every day, you can even leave them be for a good month when you're not invested, and then return. They're not gonna abandon you if you're more excited by something else.

And for just character design tips, here are things I use to keep my characters interesting:

-> Design them as a team.

The fantasy group were all created with each other in mind to play a dynamic off of. I made choices that would put them in direct opposition with each other, so the relationships would be tense and intriguing to consider, even if I wasn't writing them.

-> Use symbols.

Choose ideals or objects your characters represent. And you can do this with anything, not just original works. It's something I add to fanfics all the time. You've probably heard the classic "Character A is the sun, and B is the moon", but you can expand that so far even in the same metaphor. Out of four, one is the sunrise, one is the midday sun, one is the setting sun, and one is the night. Now they play off each other, because they're required to work in opposition.

-> Don't be afraid to start simply.

Almost all of my OCs started from one phrase of intrigue. Monstrous monster hunter became Coronacht; blood in the snow became Winter; personality shape-shifter became Morrigan. You don't need everything at once. Start small.

-> Think of it like a D&D campaign.

If you're unfamiliar, in Dungeons & Dragons, the character you create is malleable. You make choices based on a situation given to you. If you shift that focus of thinking onto your OCs, it feels far less set in stone and much easier to mess with them, because their reactions are changeable and you can push them much further.

-> Check out other whump OC blogs.

One of my favorite things about this community is how we all do things differently. There isn't one way to write an OC. You can do drabbles or a whole plot; you can make it isolated or build it into a universe. Take inspiration and mess around.

-> Make a friend about it!

My loveliest mutuals have been so kind to hype up these OCs with me, and I do the same for them. If it weren't for the people actively invested, I would've fallen out of love with them quickly. So reach out and do the tumblr thing, mutualize and become crazy about their OCs, and trade it off.

And if you're worried, feel free to tag me! I will happily reblog and hype you up. Never fear.

Thank you so much for the ask, anon! I hope these help at least a little bit. Have fun! Lose the pressure! This is for you, not anyone else--so just follow the whumperflies, friend :)

[kidrunaway]

What are some trauma responses that you can give characters that isn't ptsd?

Im asking because of my OC!! If you need more details about what happened to him in order to get an idea, I can gladly tell you.

To keep it short and simple, he watched his own species get blended, and he escaped that place with scars. He went blind in one eye. I want to keep his slightly joyful manner, but I'm not entirely sure on what kind of a trauma response I can give him.

So far I have: overworking himself until he's exhausted (cause of childhood trauma not related to this particularly), insomnia as well as having frequent nightmares, and ED. For some reason I feel like this isn't realistic enough but I don't know, I'd love yalls advice.

[msvblight]

Need some assistance/advice from people that use mobility aids.

I'm working on a character for one of my ttrpg games who, for a particular reason (a former superhero using his power to stave off his immediate death as the cost of the strain slowly killing him in the long run) is now dealing with a variety of symptoms. Notably at the moment something similar to chronic fatigue - and eventually progressing to muscle weakness and degradation of motor control.

I am thinking that due to this he uses mobility aides. My initial thoughts are that some dayd when his fatigue is more prominent he uses a wheelchair, and when out and about he uses either a crutch or a cane.

Possibly progressing later down the line to using crutches .

I was hoping to get some advice on this, what sort of things should I avoid? What should I include? What can I change to make it more grounded?

Any and all advice would be appreciated, as I'm shamefully ignorant on this topic.

Many thanks.

[i-write-comics-not-screenplays]

Organizing Your Lore: Icebergs

I dunno if anyone has said this before (or if I've said this before)... but I came up with a cool way to organize your info for your story.

Are you like me, and have trouble organizing all the fun info you have about your story that you may or may not implement someday, but still have it and want to record it somehow?

You know those iceberg memes, where it shows interesting facts about a concept or piece of media, ranging from commonly known to quite obscure?

Make an iceberg for your story!!!

Like. Stuff that is abundantly clear in your story or that you plan on incorporating, put at level 1.

Stuff about main or secondary characters that takes a little while to know about or is only subtly implied/briefly mentioned can go in level 2.

Things about minor characters or settings that aren't really mentioned or significant to the story but could be relevant goes in level 3.

Heavy things that are very deep in the story, setting, characterization, etc., but are either never explicitly stated or only known at the end (like things you would consider major spoilers) can go in the deeper levels. The more there is to know, the deeper you make the iceberg go.

These are just examples, and it depends on your story, but I plan on doing this to help me visualize what is important to mention in my story, how it relates to my plot, tidbits I know but have nowhere to put them, things like that!! I hope this helps anyone else who needs a new way to organize their story :)

[patchworkfox01]

So like

I wanna make a slugcat oc but I've got no clue where to even begin.

Should I make them have some sort of special trait like the others or like???

I'm in several servers but I've got genuinely 0 clue where to start

[squeegee420]

WIP... im not satisfied yet idk... any advice yall?

[oc-culture]

What do you even someone makes you feel bad about your OCs?

My OCs are literally the only thing that keep me sane and now I just feel bad just looking at them now. 😭😭😭😭 and I don't want to keep making anymore because of this person.

Unfortunately I feel you there a lot. I have been exactly where you have been! Like exactly at that place!

Just today - as luck would have it - I discussed with another mun the trauma of people just down right hating your OCs, unjustified for the most stupid reasons and offering only insults and not even constructive criticism.

I won't go too deep into it now, for that is not the question.

I will admit I still suffer under it today, but it gets gradually better - because I found people who appreciate the OCs for what they are and not what they make up or for shipping reasons.

Seriously sometimes I just go to them, asking what they like about my OCs and they have solid, pragmatic reasons what they enjoy about their writing. And I know if anything would not work with them, they would also tell me. I wouldn't mind and never did, if you have well... solid reasons.

So you need to find the right people.

It might take you a while to find joy in writing your OCs again, but it will get better and better, I promise.

You need people not blinded by their hatred, who offer praise when deserved and gentle criticism too if needed.

Shoutout to the most appreciating and supportive OC server I found so far!

[scozthewoz]

Hey scozzymcwozzy, do you have any tips on how to make MY OWN silly tf2 oc?

yessarino i do, my good bitch! this ain't just regular oc advice you can look up, no no no! this is how to make a good and proper TF2 OC like a MAN.

(disclaimer: i'm not an expert. i didn't go to school for this shit, oc creation has just been something i've had a hyperfixation with since childhood. also this is kinda long.)

i always like to start with a purpose. you know, give them their occupation title and brainstorm their unique mechanics/functions, what they would bring to the table in the group. if they're meant to be a merc, that is. you can really find inspiration anywhere! you have a little more freedom to play around with non-merc characters, take a look at the diversity of the side characters in the comics! there's plenty of lore you can retcon a little guy into.

then, i like picking out a unique nationality to go with the theme of all the mercs being from different places and having their own accents and dialects and stuff. i think that's really fun. that's when i start to flesh out the actual character! their personality should usually be closely tied to their occupation. think about how engineer is depicted as sweet since his role is in support and providing things, or how sniper is seen as quiet and and introverted due to having a solitary playstyle.

their personality could also be a play on nationality stereotypes! you would expect a medic to be kind and giving, but instead he's got a classic crazy german scientist theme going on! and demo is a classic drunken scotsman.

for character design, you wanna go with outfits that fit the vibe of the purpose you're giving them. you wanna be able to at least sort of tell what they're all about just by character design. you also want to make them seem semi-suited for battle if they're someone who engages in that, so i would avoid things like overly devorative accessories or, like, high heels and stuff that would be an active hindrance for their specific line of work, but i'm not gonna stop you. sometimes the design comes more easily than other times, but it's perfectly okay to squish your little guy around like a dough ball. sometimes you even bake the bread, then realise you don't like the shape or something about the flavour. guess what! you can do it again! as many times as you want!!! i marinate mine in my brain for quite a while before i actually put them on paper. like a fetus in the womb :)

if you DO end up making a silly little oc, whether you followed my advice or not, for the love of god please show me. i love other people's ocs like my own nonexistent children.

tschuss!

[zinziinziiin]

if your oc doesn't have a hat, give them a hat

if your oc already has a hat, make it bigger

if your oc already has a big hat, make it bigger anyway

[louistryingtobeawriter]

Can someone help me make my OC actually special grade? I been finding no reason what makes my OC special especially after getting criticized by friends that he isn't at all befitting for be special grade.

And I'm completely unsure how to make him special grade at all and I'm struggling to find motivation to fight or try to make Special grade anymore and I'm considering giving up on working on him and roleplaying because my friends don't like how my OC is a special grade as a first year(especially for this roleplay as we made all our OCS Year 1's for fun)

They always had a problem with my oc people always had a problem with my OC for years saying he isn't special grade but I know he is but I don't know how to tone him or anything to make him truly SG or anything of that such.

Can someone help me?

[aller-geez]

I love your OC art and I was wondering how you're able to make them. Is there a website you use or a template you follow? I'd love to make my own OC's but don't know how/where to start

Hey there Anon! So sorry for the lag in the response, I wanted to be sure I could give you an in depth answer! It’s gonna be long, so I’ll put a Read More here~ if you have any questions, feel free to dm me!

Lemme start by saying, Thank you so much! You’re so sweet! 😭😭 it seriously makes my day to hear that, you don’t even know 😭🖤

Secondly, as for Remi and Levi, both characters started out as roleplay characters that @thekinkyleopard and I came up with about 10 years ago! The characters themselves have evolved over the years as we’ve done a hundred different storylines and bounced ideas off of each other. Draeko, on the other hand, was created less than 6 months ago, so he’s not as in depth of a character.

Now, I’ve been doing art for as long as I can remember, and creating characters has always been something I love doing. But everyone creates an OC differently. Personally, I always start with the visualization of a new character, first.

Like for instance, for Draeko, I started with just a color pallet, (ie, pastel pink, white, pastel mint green, and pink plaid). And because I’m a furry, most of my OC’s usually have an attachment of some kind to an animal (shifters, or my Hellhound), plus I wanted more of a complex character since Remi was so plain.

I started drawing a reference sheet for him, which is pretty much a large, informational sheet with your OC in a bunch of different angles, along with key information, accessories, or whatever you want people to know about your character. Here’s some examples of reference sheets I’ve done for our OCs:

I usually start with the full body view first, coming up with details to add as I go.

(Most of my OC’s started out as fursonas, so they already had their animal form, I just would need to design a human form that matched it.)

I then come up with their personality as I’m adding details, and accessories, and naming them. And very last, I come up the details for their backstory, as well as any lore I can come up with.

HOWEVER

Everyone creates differently, and if you’re someone without much art experience or just don’t have a want to create art, OR if that just seems backwards to you,

An easy, pain free way to create your own in depth character that can just always live in your head, or one that you commission another artist to bring to life for you, they have these AMAZING character development type sheets that you can fill out, essentially making a written Reference Sheet so someone else can imagine (or bring to life) your character accurately. Here’s just a few I found in Pinterest by looking up “character development sheet”

As for how I create my art, I use an iPad and Apple Pencil, along with the program Procreate to freehand draw (or I also use bases or pose references from Pinterest!) all of my art from scratch!

Sorry if this is way longer of an answer than you were hoping for/expecting, but I wanted to cover as many points as I possibly could!

Like I said at the top of the post though, if this doesn’t make sense or if you have any other questions about it, shoot me a dm! I promise I don’t bite, I just suck at replying to messages (:

[nekokvmaaa]

Guys help me out I have this random old design I found in my gallery and I finally know what to do with him for my story

But I cant choose a name

[anadorablekiwi]

If anyone sees this, i need creative/oc backstory advice

Whats the most embarrassing, not scary way to get a long scar on your cheek?

The OC is tall and intimidates/scares most people, and his scar doesn’t help.

But i want the story behind it to be a little stupid and very much Not scary, perhaps even somehow indicating that he is very much not a person to be scared of

[uncannybob]

Silly question, how many times do you feel you can rename/re-design your OC after you've posted fanart with them?