Help & Guidance => Member Made Tutorials => Character & Roleplay Tutorials => Topic started by: Twee on December 27, 2013, 09:41:25 am
Title: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Twee on December 27, 2013, 09:41:25 am
? Contents ?
? An Introduction (http://www.feral-heart.com/index.php?option=com_jfusion&Itemid=2&jfile=index.php&topic=41959.msg583294#msg583294) ?
? Types of Characters (http://www.feral-heart.com/index.php?option=com_jfusion&Itemid=2&jfile=index.php&topic=41959.msg583295#msg583295) ?
? What's In A Name? The Basics (http://www.feral-heart.com/index.php?option=com_jfusion&Itemid=2&jfile=index.php&topic=41959.msg583296#msg583296) ?
? So How Do I Look? Designing A Character (http://www.feral-heart.com/index.php?option=com_jfusion&Itemid=2&jfile=index.php&topic=41959.msg583297#msg583297) ?
? Looks Can Be Deceiving - Personalities (http://www.feral-heart.com/index.php?option=com_jfusion&Itemid=2&jfile=index.php&topic=41959.msg583298#msg583298) ?
? So What's Your Story? Backstories (http://www.feral-heart.com/index.php?option=com_jfusion&Itemid=2&jfile=index.php&topic=41959.msg583299#msg583299) ?
? What Now? Roleplaying Your Character (http://www.feral-heart.com/index.php?option=com_jfusion&Itemid=2&jfile=index.php&topic=41959.msg583300#msg583300) ?
? The Do's and Don't's (http://www.feral-heart.com/index.php?option=com_jfusion&Itemid=2&jfile=index.php&topic=41959.msg583301#msg583301) ?
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Twee on December 27, 2013, 09:49:13 am
? An Introduction ?
Characters are obviously an essential area of roleplaying, and we as a community really love to create our characters. But personally, I believe it's an art.
Creating memorable and unforgettable characters can be a challenge, especially when you're just starting out. It isn't something that can be done within minutes - character creation should be something you put your heart and soul into. This entire topic will be centred around the more intricate side to character creation, and will include various tips that hopefully everyone will be able to learn something new from. I am by absolutely no means an expert on the topic, however, and if you see something you don't necessarily agree with (or better yet, something I didn't touch upon that you'd like to see put in), by all means, comment and let me know! Feedback is something I would very much love in order to better this topic. I will also provide links to other topics and various websites that I believe might be of use to anybody.
Throughout this guide, I will use a variety of my own characters to demonstrate the topics at hand. While it is by no means a complete walkthrough, I hope anybody reading will find it useful!
Attsos
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Twee on December 27, 2013, 09:49:24 am
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Twee on December 27, 2013, 09:49:33 am
? What's In A Name? The Basics ?
Having all the basic information of a character thought out is essential for roleplaying as them. You can't not know the fundamental information of your characters, because it can define their characteristics in ways you might not realise.
The power of a name and its value has long been immortalized in prose, poetry, and religious ceremony. Everyone recognizes themselves by name. Your characters are no different.
Names are what define people. When I give my characters names, I generally don't do so until I am almost done with their actual creation - that's how important they are to me.
A lot of authors often keep small notebooks with them at all times, so whenever they hear a name they think is interesting, or see a name they'd love to put in a book they write, they'll write it down. This is a really great way to have a bank of names, rather than creating sub-par characters with a name you like quickly in order to remember it. Don't be rash in these situations - you can save your names and use them later.
If you prefer to have a name before creating a character, that's perfectly fine too! Everyone has different steps to creating characters. Just because I name my characters last, doesn't mean everyone will, or should.
Next, look at the defining attributes of your character - and I don't mean background or personality just yet. Age, gender, species (down to their breed - don't just use 'wolf', define if they are a maned wolf, grey wolf etc.), occupation, health, sexuality, family (whether other real characters or your own/made up), mentality, even scent... These are all points of interest for other characters. It's how we as a people communicate who we are - there are rarely people that we meet who have these details mirrored with your own. It's important to know everything about your character. Why?
Well, how will you describe your character in roleplay without knowing these? Consider which of these short descriptions, used in roleplay, sounds better.
1. Kerani stopped, feeling the cold wind battering her backwards from the destination in her mind.5
2. Stopping, the female Faerie blinked, cold wind battering against her frosty fur and the frozen icicles on her tail tinkling as the blizzard pushed her back from her destination.
Which sounded better to use? Both are clearly alright, but the descriptions of my character in the second is more favourable because it includes some of those basic details about Kerani. Rather than just using a name, you can give much more depth to your characters in roleplay by including more information.
They're important for other reasons too, however. Conversation between strangers always includes exchanging this information, and it's likely that your character's going to meet a lot other characters in your time of using them. Get to know their information off by heart if you can. It makes dropping the information a lot easier during roleplay, both in conversations and descriptions.
I've seen various other guides touch on this before, and I've decided to input my own version of them too. I see people everywhere using M and F in their names, and personally I don't actually think this is a bad thing to do at all - but either way, I've included some information that you can use in biographies as well as roleplay. Using the correct terms for your characters is imperative, or the very least, you should know them. I've included all relevant species of animals, but if you have a particular desire to see one that I haven't listed, feel free to request it.
Wolf Male: Dog Female: -Removed by moderator- / She-Wolf (NOT 'Wolfess') Baby: Cub / Pup / Whelp Group: Pack
These may or may not be useful to you, but either way, they're there. If you don't see one here that you'd like to see, just ask and I'll get it up there. I chose the most common ones that people may be using, but I may have missed a few. If it says 'N/A', it means there is no designated word used.
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Twee on December 27, 2013, 09:49:43 am
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Twee on December 27, 2013, 09:49:51 am
? Looks Can Be Deceiving - Personalities ?
So we've already looked over the basic types of characters as well as the design aspect. Your design may not be finalised yet or even not done yet, and that's perfectly fine. Everyone goes about creating characters differently - you might prefer to create your character's personality before their appearance, or vice versa.
Creating a believable personality can be pretty tricky, especially if you're not used to it. A lot of well-known writers even take months to create their latest work's characters! So don't be put off if you're having trouble. Be patient and above all else, put time and effort into your characters and you'll be all the more proud of how they turn out.
Now, let's get started!
? The Basics ?
When looking at personality, there are a lot of things to take into account. It's easy for me to tell you "This is my character, he/she is very timid and doesn't like talking", but it's got no foundation. Why are they like that? Did something happen to them when they were younger? Is it a recent happening? Do they only act like this around adults? What about the opposite sex?
If you can't answer any questions as to why your character acts they way they do, then they're lacking a bit in depth. It's very, very rare for someone to be a particular way without any reasoning behind it, so the same should hold true for all of your characters.
I spoke before about knowing your character's basics, and the same absolutely holds true here. In my experience, knowing your character inside-out makes for far more interesting roleplay. And of course, what better way to get to know your character than filling out a chart?
? Character Charts ?
Chances are, if you've ever roleplayed a character (and I very much doubt many people in this community have not), you've probably filled out one of these before. A character chart, or a bio as most refer to it as, is a very simple form stating facts about your character. Below, I have put a blank form as an example that you can use at your leisure. Out of many I have seen, this is one of the most detailed ones - though for the sake of convenience, I have only taken the areas that correspond to personality. A link to the full version can be found below the chart. I've put it in a spoiler since it is pretty long-winded.
Sleeping habits:
Worst bad habit:
Quirks:
Greatest fear: Worst thing that could happen to him/her? What single event would most throw character's life in complete turmoil?
Character is most at ease when: Most ill at ease when:
Priorities: Philosophy:
How s/he feels about self: Past failure s/he would be embarrassed to have people know about: If granted one wish, what would it be? Why?
Daredevil or cautious? Same when alone?
Biggest regret?
Biggest accomplishment: Minor accomplishments:
Character's darkest secret: Does anyone else know? If yes, did character tell them? If no, how did they find out?
Greatest source of strength in character's personality (whether s/he sees it as such or not):
Greatest source of weakness in character's personality (whether s/he sees it as such or not):
Character's soft spot: Is this soft spot obvious to others? If not, how does character hide it? Biggest vulnerability:
Which of the 7 deadly sins does character fight (or give into, willingly or not)? (lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, pride) Which of the 7 virtues does your character have (or fight against)? (chastity, abstinence, leberality, diligence, patience, kindness, humility)
Optimist or pessimist? Introvert or extrovert? Drives and motivations? Talents (hidden or not)?
Extremely skilled at: Extremely unskilled at:
Good characteristics: Character flaws: Mannerisms: Peculiarities:
One word character would use to describe self: One paragraph description of how character would describe self:
What does character consider best physical characteristic? What does character consider worst physical characteristic? Are these realistic assessments? If not, why not? How CHARACTER thinks others perceive him/her? What four things would CHARACTER most like to change about self? (#1 most important, #2 second most important, etc.)
If change #1 was made, would character be as happy as s/he thinks? If not, why not?
Is character divorced? Why? If yes, how many times? Has character ever cheated on any signficant other? How does character relate to others? How is s/he perceived by... Strangers? Friends? Wife/Husband/Lover? Children? Co-workers? Protagonist? Antagonist? First impression character makes is: What happens to change this perception?
What do family/friends like most about character? What do family/friends like least about character?
Immediate goal(s): Long range goal(s): How does character plan to accomplish goal(s)? How will other people around character be affected?
How character react in a crisis (calm/panic/etc.)? How does character face problems? Kinds of problems character usually runs into: How does character react to NEW problems? How does character react to change?
[ Full Template ] (http://www.eclectics.com/articles/character.html)
This is the ideal depth that every character should possess. It's a brilliant chart, and a lot of the information in it is actually quite important for you to know. Building a believable character from the ground up can be quite a challenge, but a chart such as this one can definitely get you well on your way.
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Twee on December 27, 2013, 09:50:00 am
? So What's Your Story? Backstories ?
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Twee on December 27, 2013, 09:50:21 am
? What Now? Roleplaying Your Character ?
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Twee on December 27, 2013, 09:51:19 am
? The Do's and Don't's ?
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Twee on December 27, 2013, 11:27:12 am
Still a very large work-in-progress, but I hope you like it so far. ;v;
Let me know if you think any changes are in order. This is all coming from my personal learnings and experiences, so you may have differing opinions from me - and that's okay! I'd love if you'd give me some feedback on what you think could do with a change.
I'll continue this at a later date. This is probably going to take a long time to complete. ;3; Anyway, you can go ahead and post for now <3 I'll sneakily update as I go along.
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Loumental on December 27, 2013, 11:42:53 am
A very nice tutorial you have there, even if it is a WIP. I find this very useful and I'm sure others will to. I really enjoyed reading it, actually. +floof
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Twee on December 28, 2013, 09:23:29 pm
Thank you, Loumental! I hope so. ;v; I have quite a lot of information to compile and put in, so it may be a lengthy read by the time I'm done - I hope people don't mind. :P Partially why I've split it all up.
I'm glad it was enjoyable to read though! Thanks for the feedback! <3
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Vespian on December 28, 2013, 09:32:49 pm
I am intrigued Ms. Twee. It pleases me to know that yer makin' a, thus far and by what it seems, a very detailed tutorial on a variety of characteristics to choose from. It'll certainly aid those who wish to create a new character but is havin' a bit of trouble when it comes to the depth of it via personality, backstory, personal goals, etc. By what I've read, what ye've provided thus far is pretty flawless and I'll definitely check back here and there to read any possible updates. So far, a job well done Ms.
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Twee on December 28, 2013, 10:45:06 pm
Thank you, Vespian! I have a lot of information laying about still to be compiled into something useful for this, and there's a lot more to come. ;v; The feedback is appreciated! <3
On another note, small update. I've finished What's In A Name and will move onto Designing a Character soon. ;v;
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: OreoHeroz on December 28, 2013, 11:41:52 pm
Nothing more to say than...
(http://i45BannedImageSite/20hatc.jpg)
<3 This was smooth and easy to understand.
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Twee on December 29, 2013, 12:02:05 am
Thank you Oreo! ;v;
Remember if anyone has any suggestions for the currently completed OR the ones that I haven't started, please feel free to tell me them! I have a lot of information already, but you can never have too much when it comes to this topic. Plus, everyone has a different way of doing things!
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Loumental on December 29, 2013, 09:30:35 am
I'm going to say something else naaaaow. Keeping it split up is great for keeping the readers attention span - and that's exactly what you've done. ;v; I can give you another floof now, so yey!
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: OreoHeroz on December 29, 2013, 03:02:15 pm
The advice I can give is what Loumental said; if you clump the whole guide into one fat post, it's going to be hard for others to read, which is not what you did, so that's gewd. The colors match too, I suppose^^
Wait wut, I'm Stargazer? o.0 lul
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Twee on December 29, 2013, 03:56:04 pm
omg I swear I've been so very silly the past few days I DEEPLY APOLOGISE /slaps self
I've amended it lmao i'm so sorry
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: OreoHeroz on December 29, 2013, 04:09:49 pm
Lol it's okay! No need to apologize x3
I read through the whole guide again and its perfect<33
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Loumental on December 29, 2013, 04:10:40 pm
I can't wait until Designing a Character is finished ;w; That's the bit I'd really like to see. xD
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Twee on December 29, 2013, 04:37:36 pm
Ah that's a good point Loumental - would people prefer I used FeralHeart's character creation for ease of access, or drew my own images up for more depth? I would prefer to use one or the other (at least for now), so I'll let you guys choose. <3
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Loumental on December 29, 2013, 04:57:59 pm
I suppose it would be nice to use both O^O Sorry for my foolishness haha.
I love your drawings but if I have to find a reference it'd take me days in my opinion ;-; my choice is character creator
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Twee on December 29, 2013, 05:36:03 pm
Oh I probably will include both in the end! ;v;; I may do the drawing part first, then recreate whatever I draw in FH's creator. I was just curious to see which one people would prefer if either, since I want to get the skeleton of the whole guide done before I go too much in-depth of designing characters. Otherwise I'll be here for months. |DD;;;
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Loumental on December 29, 2013, 05:59:01 pm
Good idea, Tweeeeez ;3 /lmaoithinkijustcalledyouatree/
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Twee on December 29, 2013, 06:32:28 pm
Haha! I'd love to be a tree. |D
Anyway, okay! ;v; In that case I will do both. It may take a lot longer, though I will try and be quick!
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Loumental on December 29, 2013, 08:46:26 pm
A tree? seriously? xD Don't rush it, Twee. Rushing only leads to unfinished and messy work. Take your time.
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Twee on March 21, 2014, 12:53:23 pm
Finally had a chance to update this! Character design post has been completed. Working on personality now.
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: hugrf2 on March 21, 2014, 06:35:49 pm
Gah, since I'm in a hurry I need to read the rest later. ;A; This is certainly a very helpful tutorial and I'm certainly surprised no one has posted here for months, hurr. This can certainly be helpful for some character creatin'! ^^ /WhoaIsaidtheobvioussorrylol. But anyway... ;Q; *Stare of admiration*
Beesh please I'm fabulous in this wonderful post. c: /Not.
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Twee on March 21, 2014, 06:55:10 pm
Thank you Hugrf! I noticed that there are quite a few tutorials on character creation, but I figured I could share a few things I knew anyway. ;v; It's still got a long way to go though! q-q
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Twee on March 22, 2014, 02:49:56 pm
Updated with some images. Designing a Character is almost complete. There's still a bit more I wanted to add, but I can't remember it right now - I'll add more later if anything comes to mind!
You're completely free to use the lineart I used to make the images at your leisure. Just don't erase the signature at the top or claim it as your own! You'll need an image program such as Photoshop, Paint Tool SAI, GIMP or OpenCanvas to use it though. Anything that uses layers should work! If you're having problems or have a question, feel free to ask here or PM me.
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Mxter on May 11, 2015, 05:30:25 am
I'm new to roleplaying, although I've spent a lot of time looking at the roleplay forums on Feralheart, and I think your guide is amazing! It's certainly the most detailed roleplaying guide I've found. I like how you listed all the common character cliches and stereotypes and their flaws. It's very useful for avoiding flat characters. I'll definitely keep them in mind. My favorite part was the character chart. I tried to be as in-depth as I could when creating my character, but now I realize I've never thought about his sleeping patterns! :o The chart really made me think of all the tiny details a character's personality should contain. Thank you very much for creating this guide! I'm not sure whether you're still working on it, but I think that the sections that up are worth reading. If I could, I'd give you a floof.
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Twee on October 21, 2015, 11:24:13 am
Wee update for you all. <3 It's been a while, I apologise!
I added an example to the Types of Characters section. I'll try and add more examples to the other sections and then keep working on the ones still to be done!
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: .BlackCrow. on October 21, 2015, 11:32:35 am
I'm new to roleplaying, although I've spent a lot of time looking at the roleplay forums on Feralheart, and I think your guide is amazing! It's certainly the most detailed roleplaying guide I've found. I like how you listed all the common character cliches and stereotypes and their flaws. It's very useful for avoiding flat characters. I'll definitely keep them in mind. My favorite part was the character chart. I tried to be as in-depth as I could when creating my character, but now I realize I've never thought about his sleeping patterns! :o The chart really made me think of all the tiny details a character's personality should contain. Thank you very much for creating this guide! I'm not sure whether you're still working on it, but I think that the sections that up are worth reading. If I could, I'd give you a floof.
Nove, that piglet is so adorable <3 T-T
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Spottedbears on October 21, 2015, 12:11:07 pm
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Twee on October 21, 2015, 06:02:46 pm
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Backflip on October 21, 2015, 06:32:48 pm
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Thornscars on October 21, 2015, 11:53:47 pm
Ooh, I'm a writer and this'll help a LOT.
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Twee on October 29, 2015, 01:24:14 am
Glad you find it useful! ^^ Hopefully the rest will be updated soon!
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: StarBurst on November 27, 2015, 11:01:49 am
Hey, just wanted to point out that a group of male cheetahs is a coalition, not a single cheetah.
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: lunadawolf on October 23, 2016, 10:04:02 am
This is really helpful so far c: I'll look forward to it when it's finished~
Title: Re: [WIP] Characters: An Art (The Many Types of Characters and How to Roleplay Them)
Post by: Drunken-Royalty on October 23, 2016, 11:19:45 am
Shame, I enjoyed reading this but not one of the pictures' showed up. I don't really need this, it's just interesting to see what other people have to say :)