#oooo? a thing that might help me write my Ocs easily?

[aimlovesmusic]

Hey, I found this relationship template thing recently and tried it with my characters and it was pretty fun. Thought it might be something you’d enjoy. If so, I can ask over the link to it

Omg omg yes PLEASE!!!!!!!

[weekend-whip]

Oooo for the ao3 wrapped, two questions;

7. If you use song lyrics, which artist’s songs did you pull from the most?

8. Which pairing did your write for the most this year?

Aww, thanks Bunn!!

7: Okay so, to the surprise of no one...the last chunk of Born to Be was written in early 2023, sooooo...technically that means I pulled a lot of lyrics for chapter titles from The Fold, specifically from Born to Be a Ninja xD

But also Ch2 of The Green Ninja Lives specifically pulls a lot from the credits song of the Ninjago Movie, so that might be a contender too! Otherwise I haven't done a lot of musically-inclined things this year. Last year was a different story :d

8: *puts head in hands* it's probably Aftershock (Cole x my oc). Outside of the actually-published au story (thaaaat I need to finish, I swear I'm working on it to those that care), there's also potential fics I've discussed, and also the mini-fics I've written throughout the year too (there's one with ghost!Cole, technically two set during Dragons Rising, and at least one more I can't immediately call to mind. It might be something I started but never posted.) But. Yes. They very easily give me brain rot in the romance department. Help.

(Ao3 Wrapped)

[sam-the-friendly-ghost]

Hello! this is your random anon question of the month! (or however often it ends up being.)

YOUR QUESTION IS:

Do you find character sheets help you when you are designing OCs? What are usually the most important things you'd put on a sheet if you use one? If you don't use one, how do you organize OC lore?

Oooo! This is a really good question.

When I am designing characters I don't tend to make ref sheets anymore! This is mostly because I like the freedom of changing their designs as I work out their story. I do doodle them, and come up with a simple here's what they generally look like, but it might not be coloured, or be really sketchy, or just be a portrait. I also find character sheets really boring to make, so skipping that step makes it easier for me to keep motivation. I do often still end up with a design I'm happy with, but I don't like to "finalise" anything, unless another person is involved in which case I'll make a character sheet. Also that doesn't mean I don't draw my OCs a lot, I just don't make a red sheet for them.

I don't make character sheets, but I do write down basic information about them at the top of my document. Generally it goes something along the lines of: name, age, gender, pronouns, sexuality, some important traits, and then maybe some fun facts at the end. I remove traits that aren't strictly necessary to the story though. The important traits are generally tied to the story, or things I need to keep consistent, like "this character injured their right arm," or "this character is autistic, here are the symptoms they have." This means as I work out a story I can reference these points as I go.

Anything that doesn't have to be EXACTLY the same throughout the story, or might change as I go more in depth doesn't get written down as a note. I might like the idea of a characters favourite colour being blue, but maybe I find that the story works better if they prefer purple.

Note: I do change the format of my notes depending on how much information needs to be consistent and number of characters. For example (although not my OCs) for "Integration" I have note categories like: schedules, diagnosis, and opinions on plot relevant problems." This means I can more easily find how these characters opinions differ, and write medical scenes because their diagnosis are all in the same place.

After I have some basic information down, I just start writing, or drawing! I find it a lot easier to make good characters if I don't assign them personality traits, and instead think of them as people. This stops me from making flat characters that don't hold weight. If I have an idea (like a character liking he colour blue) I might draw/write a short blurb that's relevant to that idea so it's down, but it feels less official than a note. This also keeps my notes tidier so I can find information that is actually relevant and necessary.

Ex) Unless a character is gonna need a blood transfusion multiple times and I want to mention their blood type I don't need it in my notes, but maybe I'll write a blurb about them donating blood and get an idea of how they would handle that situation. That gives me the chance to think about details like: are they scared of needles? Would they be upset if they don't get the good kind of juice box? Why are they donating? After that I can draw parallels between that blurb and the plot to see how they would react to larger things. If they are donating because they wanted free food, I might be clued into how they would react to their rations running low while adventuring.

To sum this up: I don't create official sheets for anything I might want to change with time, but if it is set in stone and needs to be consistent, I will write it in my official notes where I can easily reference it. This helps me to be creative and change character traits for the story, but also keep important details consistent!

Ex of a ref I have below the cut!

This one is interesting cause it shows the flexibility of this system! In this story the characters more represent ideas. Leslie represents denial, and accidentally causing harm. Her story shows how by acceptance you can have healthier relationships and stuff. The sketch shows her general demeanor and an example of something she might wear. I know I want her to wear black and white clothing to represent the harm of black and white thinking. The sketch is there to remind me of that them in her clothing, but it isn't clean enough for me to feel bad about changing anything.

Thank you for the ask!

And if you read this entire thing... Congrats! You won reading a giant info dump about organising character info! (Thank you!)

[razorblade180]

OC test:Memory lane

Each person is placed in a room with two locks on it. One will be opened by sharing a precious memory, while the other gets unlocked by a sad one. No tricks or gimmicks to get out.

Yujin:Well this is an interesting test; making people open up just to get through a door. I might as well start with the hard part then. When I was nine I ended up getting a fight at school on my birthday. Me being basically motherless was no secret to anyone and always made things awkward. A presentation on the huntsman of our choice was due that day so naturally I chose my dad; it was a no brainer. Most kids chose their parents or a legendary huntsman from our history books. So when one of my classmates did his entire project Yang it caught me off guard.

Yujin:For what had to have been only ten minutes, I sat and listened to him do nothing but praise her; going into detail about how she’s one of the best. Telling the entire class that she’ll be there to help no matter what. Without warning I stood up and started yelling at him; telling him how wrong he was. “She can’t be around to help her own kid! How could anyone consider her the best?” What really made me lose it was his response. “Maybe she has more important things to do?” Looking back, I don’t remember those words holding any malice. That didn’t stop me from breaking his nose right then and there. *tensing up*

Yujin:When I say dad was mad, he was furious. We must’ve yelled back and forth for hours when we got home. To the point my voice started to give out a little; whinnying about how he could still possibly love a woman like her. Trying to convince him that she would never come back to us, to him. It must’ve worked for a second because the shouting stopped. My bratty self thought I’d finally won the argument; all I did was make him cry. The man that has done so much to fill the void; the one I dedicated an entire presentation to. Was crying because I tried smothering what little hope he must’ve had left. *sniffling* I hugged him tight without a second thought and sobbed as I apologized. That was the day everything sort of changed for me; the day I realized I hated mom.

*one lock snaps off*

Yujin:*shaking her head* Okay, time for the happy stuff! I don’t even have to think hard about this one! There’s a convention that happens every year that always has amazing things for aspiring huntsman and awesome guests on panels. When I was 11 I was super excited that I finally got a chance to go and it just so happened that year my absolute favorite up and coming huntress was attending! Her name is Lilith and she’s just, everything. People compare her to Pyrrha Nikos since she’s such a prodigy and winner of multiple regional tournaments. I’m like two years younger than her and just admire her personality. If I had to pick a role model around my age it’s definitely her.

Yujin:Anyways, I unfortunately caught the flu the day of the convention and had to miss it. The entire time I was in bed snotty and crying over it until Tenzen sent me a video. That joker never once mentioned to me that he got invited to the convention because of his rising internet fame, so when I saw that he sent me a video with Lilith wishing me a speedy recovery I actually almost died. Not only that, he got her to sign some merchandise for me with personal messages. That alone was enough for me but afterwards he came over and told me he recently unlocked his semblance. Tenzen managed to convince my dad to let me out the house that night and I got to experience just how fast he could run at the time; felt almost like a roller coaster. I swear that boy never ceases to amaze me. *blushing* To this day he’s always looking for me and trying to get me to smile.

*second lock snaps off and she walks through slowly.*

Tenzen:Bad memory? Well I can’t pick a specific event but I can easily choose a time period; the first four years following the attack on my parents. My mom bounced back physically from it in almost no time at all but my father.... his damage was all but completely crippling. A lot of broken bones, bruised organs, and broken back. He couldn’t do work anything to the fullest anymore so he just....shut down. There were days I didn’t even see him because didn’t get out of bed. Worst part of it all was I could tell how bad he wanted to not feel the way he did but couldn’t. It tore my mom apart to feel so useless and it’s pretty rough for me to see both of them just exhausted; maybe that’s why I try staying positive and hopeful. Trying to make up for years five to nine. Thankfully things got better which I guess brings me to my happy memory.

Tenzen:One day there was a dancing contest in Vale with a cash prize. Thought I’d help pay for some medical bills so I got to practicing in secret. I came in first place surprisingly and immediately rushed back home to surprise them. I didn’t expect him to ask me to perform it so I was a bit taken back at first. *chuckles* both of their jaws dropped when they saw me do their dance routine from their time at Beacon. The rest of the day was just filled with different music and cheers as I treated them to a live concert basically. After that things just slowly started changing; I got more serious with dancing and also started training. Who would’ve thought an old dance routine was the answer to making my dad feel like himself again.

*both locks snap off easily and he walks through happily*

Jacquelyn:Oooo so I have to tell a story to get out? No problem, a lot about me has been shared already but there’s definitely some good highlights that haven’t been really explored. *blushing* This is gonna sound really cheesy but I think one of my best memories is Adam saying he loved me. It was a couple years after Salem had been beaten. During that time I still had wavering beliefs if he’d actually stick with being reformed; there certainly was time where it almost felt progress was about to slip away. However, after a certain incident happened and the arrival of Jael all that anxiety melted away. I can still remember his smile when he held her close and told me. After that I knew he’d be okay; that we will be okay. Bad memories are easy. Becoming a maiden and the destruction of my home.

*door opens and she calmly walks through without a second thought*

Sienna:Getting adopted is by far the happiest memory I have. I finally felt safe in Jacquelyn and Adam’s arms after where they found me. *ears fold down* the time I spent before that was very.......

Her face goes cold as her mouth dries out. She just slowly starts nodding and thinking; almost like she’s entered a trance.

Sienna:Painful, it was very painful both physically and mentally. C...can I go now please?

*the locks pop off and she exits the room; still a bit shaken up.*

Jael:Happiest memory is perfecting my version of the moon slice. Dad wouldn’t teach me so mom taught me in secret. Not really the most touching thing I suppose but it just makes me feel closer to him somehow. Even though he still doesn’t know. I have my fair share of bad memories too though. If I had to pick one... it would be the day I realized just how bad my heart condition really was. I always thought the major drawback was hindering my physical performance in anything I do; I was wrong. There’s this girl back where I live that I’ve known about two years now. She’s the only person who’s not afraid to speak to me that’s my age. Actually, she’s one of the only people that speak to me at all. We’ve gotten close, really close...*blushing*. It’s pretty obvious that I like her but it’s not healthy for me to be around her too long. My heart literally can’t take it; I tried kissing her once and almost ended up unconscious on the floor. Pure emotions aren’t a luxury I can’t afford to have. If I truly try to live in the moment, it might just be my last. This life I live is....hardly living at all.

*The doo unlocks but she doesn’t leave. Instead she leans against it, taking a moment to think*

Nick:Winning my first competition with Summer was a pretty great time. It was sort of like our debut to all of Atlas; showing them the Schnee’s are as strong as ever. I don’t ever think I’ve seen mom so proud of the two of us. Visiting Summer in the hospital after lake incident is the worst of my memories. I was...scared one of those visits were going to end horribly. I still don’t like hospitals.

*door swings open as he rushes out*

Summer:Nicholas would think I’m insane but his hospital visits are some of my most cherished memories. We always argued as kids but those visits were proof of how much he cared about me. If anything had to come out of that tragedy then I’m glad it was that. First day of combat school was a living nightmare for me though. *tensing up* we had to get changed into our combat gear and it was the first time I’ve ever been in a locker room. All the girls stared at my scars when I started to undress; gasping and showing grossed out expressions. It got so bad that I dropped out of the class for a year. Eventually I just powered through it but I’m still not comfortable with showing my skin. It’s the reason I’m always wearing long clothes.

*She waits for the doors to open before briskly leaving*

Valerie:My life is pretty boring honestly. I’m pretty sure anybody else has a much better memories. I good memory I have is my mom staying up with me all night the time I broke my arm. The numbing medicine wore off and the pain got really bad. She distracted me from it by just keeping me company until I passed out. I don’t really have bad memories....frankly I have a hard time even feeling important with how talented everyone else is. Almost like I’m dead weight.

*the locks surprisingly accept both responses and the door cracks open. She pushes her way through.*

Lucas:Best memory, writing a book. Worst memory, activating my semblance.....

*and just like that he was out of the room. No words or movements wasted what so ever*

Girl:....... *sits down and leans on it* Sorry, I don’t feel like opening up to something that’s supposed to open for me. Guess I fail this test; not that it matters. Can’t win them all; just ones that matter. *goes to sleep*

[halcylu]

what is the worst ooc interaction you’ve had? is there a rule/guideline you can’t stand? what is your favorite experience with shipping? what is your worst experience with shipping?

like a true clickbait hoe i’ll leave all the t under the cut !! [ send me ooc ask memes !! ]

what is the worst ooc interaction you’ve had? oooo f !! i’ve stayed clear of ooc drama ( i think ??? ) but i’ve had several interactions w ppl that has left me feeling … uncomfortable to say the least, one of them just a couple months ago actually oop ! it was a classic case of them shoving fcs and names in my face and taking control of my character which is such a turn off for me personally. that might just be me being easily weirded out, but if i want suggestions or help choosing i’ll always ask for it, other than that it just rubs me the wrong way for some reason. ANYWAY — they proposed doubling up which i agreed to, but it was sooo fucking obvious that my f character was just supposed to be background noise pretty much, which didn’t sit well with me at all. it’s totally cool to have favorite ships, ig that’s just natural ( i’m guilty of that myself ), but just blatantly ignoring one ship bc ur thirsty ??? nah sis. for someone who genuinely enjoys creating and developing and connecting with all my characters i honestly can’t relate to what seems like someone making up ocs for simply doubling up and to put all their time and energy into one of the ships without the feeling of guilt. i see through that bs and it’s just ….. big yikes. 

is there a rule / guideline you can’t stand? not rly ?? i mean sometimes i’ll get annoyed by silly things like cancel culture regarding fcs when ppl just ban faces left and right bc god knows even the most righteous ppl in this community used to be problematic at some point. but at the same time that’s just personal preference and i can’t rly argue w that asdkl. simply put — if i don’t fuck w people’s rules / guidelines i just ,, don’t plot w them.

what is your favorite experience with shipping? SO MANY !!! i have such a great set of friends / writing partners and i luv all of them w whole my heart ok !!! not to get all sappy on main but @lcmongrass has rly created some of the characters and ships i truly hold closest to my heart, my absolute favorites being dex & chris, violet & jesse, finn & melanie, izzie & mason, paige & dylan and jack & chrissy * clutches heart intensely * !! also if i could mention some dynamics while im at it paige & olivia, felix & trevor and jack & olivia are the ones that make me laugh the most !! so a big shoutout to maren for making me fall so head over heels for every. single. one. of her characters ♡ @summerrobrts is rly also out here giving me the feels left and right huh !! we have so many plots and ships at this point and they’re all just giving me LIFE. we’re currently setting up our second ( 1!! ) mumu and i’m hella excited !! and i could never forget @dvisy for creating one of my absolute favorite ships and characters ever tbh. lacey & tucker just makes me feel some kind of way u kno ??? like their ( rare ) but soft moments makes my heart fucking jump out of my chest and the pure angst makes my heart hurt, but then there’s also those more snarky moments like lacey being a lil brat and tucker just being so fucking done w her that genuinely makes me laugh out loud asjks. i feel like i should probably shut up now but i can’t go on without mentioning the amazing @controlists bc as u know salem & joy and harlow & ezra owns my freakin ass !!!! playing tainted souls like salem is an actual Kink of mine and if i’m gonna be honest writing and exploring harlow as a character has been one of my favorite rp experiences so far though half the reason is probably how well you portray ezra like DAMN. creating the biggest mumu ever w @geminisrps ( seriously we need an award or smth bc that shit is COMPLEX ) and actually developing all sorts of pairings / dynamics and threads has been such a fun time, and @dumbinspo keeps breaking my poor heart with our amazing ships !! ♡ 

what is your worst experience with shipping? i honestly thought i didn’t have that many but now i’m trying to choose from a number of experiences lmao. i guess one worth mentioning is from my indie days ( rip ) when someone reached out saying they wanted to play one of my most wanted opposites against me, which naturally got me super excited, though i had to jot that down real quick as it was close to impossible to actually get some real plotting going. their character was just too above any plot or character if that makes any sense. and this isn’t me just reading into things, this person clearly stated their character was just simply too complicated and special for any type of relation ( which is also like yikes … i promise u they’re not ) UNLESS the plot would center mainly around their character while mine would basically just play a minor role helping the development of that character’s story asjks ew. i’m all about a good amount of brainstorming and throwing out ideas and spend actual time building the storyline but they were just ,, not having it and seemed straight up uninterested and annoyed by my ideas which for a second there had me wondering like ?? didn’t u approach me ?? asjkls. there’s definitely two sides to these kind of stories ( or more ) but that whole interaction just left me feeling like i was the one forcing my characters on someone which kinda sucked :–//. the gag is that similar stuff has happened since and in more recent times and im always just so ?? confused by it ??  END OF RANT.