Le Coffee's Guide to Making Good Character Profiles
Definition of Character(s): the key to surviving a roleplay
Good characters are the key to surviving in a roleplay. Without good ones, you'll find yourself struggling to stay afloat in this twisted, confusing world. Although it may seem complicated to bring one to life, the steps are easy and simple as long as you follow them correctly.
The Skeleton
This basic skeleton is very important. Without it, your character will immediately collapse before it can truly breathe. You must memorize this and tuck it away in your mind, but it will be here for you if you happen to forget it. The skeleton consists of the following:
Name: (First and last. Be creative and choose unique names (ex: Mali means "flower"). You could also make up a name.)
Age: (Human years, animal years, etc.)
Gender: (male, female, unknown, or none)
Appearance: (Type in a few sentences briefly describing your character's appearance, from the eye color to their height. However, it is recommended you have a descriptive paragraph so that others have a nearly accurate, good idea of what your character looks like. You could also post a picture and add any additional details.)
Personality: (This will be your character's identity. Other roleplayers will be able to recognize your character because of his/her behavior. Create a few, descriptive sentences, and make sure to mix in a few flaws.)
History: (Although some roleplays make this part optional, it's best to have a brief description of your character's past for a better story. While you don't want to be too detailed, you should avoid being vague as well, unless if nothing much is known about your character.)
However, there are some things you should avoid bringing up in a character:
Marty/Mary Sues
Vague sentences
Marty/Mary Sues
Marty/Mary Sues are one of the most annoying characters, often made by novices. Not only are they flawless, but they do everything perfectly, and there are no imperfections in them. These evil characters attract attention to themselves, and they are poisonous to a roleplay. Here is an example of a Marty/Mary Sue:
Name: Anna Wells
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Appearance: Anna has a silk curtain of golden hair that slips down to her shoulders. It's always styled perfectly, and not a single strand of hair is out of place. Her beautiful, attractive green eyes stare knowingly at you. She has smooth cheekbones and rosy cheeks in a healthy shade, along with a perfectly sculpted nose. She is beautiful in every way and has flawless skin. She looks good in everything she wears. All the boys drool over her. She has perfect curves, and she is always fashionable. No one can resist her.
Personality: Anna does everything perfectly and never makes a mistake. She is the smartest person in the school and the most popular girl. She is always nice to other people and is very sweet. She is also very rich, and she gives money to the poor. Anna always receives a lot of phone calls from everyone since they all love her. No one hates her.Although some Marty/Mary Sues will not be that extreme, some roleplayers do add hints of perfection in their characters. Whether the flawless characters were made on purpose or unintentionally, it's best to avoid them in order to have a thriving roleplay. To avoid bringing a Marty/Mary Sue to life, watch out for the following in the character profile:
Flaws. No one is perfect. Although your character doesn't need to be the most horrible, sinful person in the roleplay, make sure you include one or two (ex: bad temper). While you might want your character to be good, he/she still can have a wonderful personality, despite his/her weaknesses.
Perfect appearances. There is no such thing as a girl with flawless skin, baby blue eyes, golden hair, curves, full lips, etc. or a guy with large muscles, bronze skin, etc. Your character might have a few of those, but he/she can't have it all. However, this doesn't mean your character isn't allowed to be good-looking.
Powers. If you're in a supernatural roleplay where characters are allowed to have powers, limit yourself if there is no maximum amount of powers. Your character can't be the most powerful, awesome person in the entire roleplay. This doesn't allow the others to have fun if they're the ones that always lose, and you're the one who never gets hurt.
Vague Sentences
Your descriptions are what brings your character to life. If you have vague, short sentences that don't tell people much, they're not going to be very interested in your character. Each and every person has a story, including your character. Tell it. Maybe the scars on your character's wrist are the leftover reminders of the time he went through depression. Or perhaps the necklace she never takes off is from her dead mother. These are small, but very powerful details that can influence how people look at your character.
If you suspect a roleplayer's character is a Marty/Mary Sue, don't be afraid to say so. However, be nice about it because no one is perfect. Watch out for signs of perfection in your characters as well!
May the roleplays thrive and be ever in your favor.
