Tutorial #1 :: Character Development!

[NicholiDeSchidor]

Alright, Bare with me. This may seem like a scary part, but this is the spot you need to start out with. A good thought out character is a base of a good roleplay. Keep in mind, these are only tips. That does not mean that you have to follow the whole thing. You can take out parts that do not apply for the character that you are trying to create.

 

Ok, On to the tutorial!

 

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TUTORIAL #1 :: CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

 

So you are going to start a roleplay. You have a vague idea of the topic and what you are looking for in the writing. The first step is to develop a character for it! Over half the time, we decide on what are character is going to look like. Hair color, length, color of the eyes and so on.

 

Most of the time, people will do a quick search to get a image as close to the character as they want to use. What now? Your done?

 

Wrong...

 

I understand that some of us as not intrested in having a million word post on what their characters are like. So here we have the basics:

Height, Weight, Age, and so on.

But it does take some extra effort to get the depth and dimention of a character!

 

We all struggle to develop a character. That is just a fact. Even I struggle with new characters quite often. But to create a well rounded character makes things interesting. Take my character, Nicholi for instance. I have had him for over 6 years, and over the years I have added onto his profile.

 

So keep in mind, it takes time to make a good character. Just throwing a character together with basic information is ok... but when you go into depth of the character is where the sweets are at.

 

1. Give insight into your character's past.

Letting your partner know about the past of character can provide them with inspirational moments when they are writing. I mean, no one wants to deal with the likes of a one dimensional character. We all want our characters to be shady sometimes, but even shady has depth to it.

Remember: Give your character some sort of colour!

 

Example:

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[td]His life was no longer kind to him. He had been told that both of his parents had perished, and that he too had the same illness. Right now, that illness was laying in waiting. Waiting for just the right moment to take him down. How could he live with the knowledge that he too would end up dying at the hands of the same illness? That was until he had come upon someone... Someone who wished to relieve his pain.

 

Having been promised a new life of his own. He had been charmed by this man. Only to learn his dark future was worse off than it had been as a human. Having been the one that caused such harm to his Sire with what was called a dark gift. He was cast out on his own. To starve, or to live with the guilt of having unknowingly and unwillingly have stolen this dark power.

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[NicholiDeSchidor]

2. Dont be afraid to mention side characters or NPC's.

 

I'm not saying that you have to mention them, as most roleplay's involve a few side characters that pop in from time to time.

 

Example:

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[td]Gregori turned his head to see what was going on this time. Only to noticed a few younger pups playing a bit roughly behind the female he had healed. "I see..." He whispered softly. He turned his gaze to the elder werewolf once again. He wasn't one to apologize so easily, let alone to something like them. But he knew that he had done wrong towards them. "I am sorry that things have turned out this way. And thank you for allowing us to know the information you have given us. This will help us figure out what is going on better. And possibly, put a stop to it." He said softly.

 

The elder werewolf lowered his mussel to the ground before shaking his head a bit. You best put a stop to it. Its not only your kind they are hurting... We have lost most of our own pack due to them.

 

Gregori stiffened at the news. "I see. So its not just us they are after. Give me some time, and I will see what I can do." He said softly.[/td]

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[NicholiDeSchidor]

3. Talk about quirks!

 

Everyone has them, even your characters. Make them more real to you and your partner by adding their actions that they have. Like: raising a brow, acting nervous, being scared, disgusted by something. Basically breath life into your character. They are not a stick in the mud, just laying there without some sort of emotion. Also talk about thoughts, as this will help your partner get to understand your characters thought process better!

 

4. Material Possessions

 

Just like in real life. The things you own can say alot about your personality and status. Because we all are a bunch of judgemental asses, its human nature. The easiest way is the use of motifs. Motifs are recurring objects that are mentioned throughout the RP, and hold some form of significance to your character. Like a ring, or something larger.

 

5. Down & dirty, nitty-gritty.

 

Ok, maybe not that dirty. Its the smallest things that you add to your character, and I mean... "smallest" things. Like a birthmark, or a mole, or a scar... ect. It leaves your partner wanting to know more of what your character has gone through.

 

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[NicholiDeSchidor]

6. Execution _I_

 

Writing, as with acting, is an art form that requires understanding of a person who may not be fully fleshed out. But work with what you have, because until you can get inside your character’s head, it is difficult to accurately represent them in a way that is convincing and compelling.

 

There are a few techniques that can be used to do this:

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[td]1. Method, useful for portraying emotions

2. Spine, useful for determining actions[/td]

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Method draws upon an your personal memories and emotions, and requires that you remember that which you’ve felt in a particular situation. It might not always be easy calling back to a particularly dark part of your life and is definitely easier for the happier moments, but the method usually produces the best results.

 

Spine helps keep the characterization of your fictional creation consistent by introducing the idea of his or her or its ultimate goal. The ‘Spine’ refers to the character’s ultimate goal and should always be supported by the individual actions make up the ‘vertebrae’, with occasional deviance.

 

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So that is basically it. I will post a Basic template in another thread for a character reference sheet, for those that want to use it.

 

Happy Postings! I hope this helped out some people on the character side of roleplaying.

 

~NicholiDeSchidor