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Kid Penguin

Kid Penguin

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to run. So, they did.
They jumped onto the slab, running across. A large boulder fell where they had been moments ago, rolling quickly their way. The three ran through the large hallway, eventually coming to a slightly softer patch of ground, at the end of it a large wall of stone. They could go no further forward, when the ground beneath them started to creak. After the first one or two creaks, a small drop of water and rocks could be heard.
Then, around them, there was nothing but air and darkness, which, by chance, was clammy and rather uncomfortable. A bowstring was heard, the twanging sound following a rush of air that sped quite close to Korruck’s head. This happened many more times, until they were quite used to wood flying under their armpit, or trimming their hair, or other odd occurrences you normally wouldn’t expect wood to do. Many minutes later, only one or two after the twanging stopped, Korruck got an idea.
He grabbed onto Liern and Taeln, flapping his large, maroon wings to slow them down. After a few seconds of trying this, they landed on the steeply sloped, smooth floor with a large thudding sound. Then, the water they had heard earlier was now a trickling, first running in a small trickle (Obviously) down the slope, then turning into a blanket of water that covered the slope.
“Ugh. It will take weeks to get the smell out of my fur.” Taeln complained, shaking her wet fur. All three stood up, just in time to be hit by a large cascade falling about them, the symphony of rushing water pushing them off of the slope into the endless darkness below…
To be continued….

*It was not a real vine-growing vegetable, but a metaphor that here means *Stuck in the floor and sinking quite fast’ Top 1% bestselling Dungeons and Dragons game designer
Trouble Brewing Rework || Fashionscape Update || Upgraded Bane Weapons || Hunter Expansion

27-Sep-2008 19:05:10

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Okay Capt, I've finished it.
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~*~ Characters (continued) ~*~
By Fred Zeppeli
So you’re creating characters. A great story has compelling, believable characters, which are complex and interesting. But figuring out the basics of your character, such as name and hair color, isn’t nearly enough. You need to figure out what makes your character tick, what angers him the most, and how they will play a role in your character, in your story.
So, to start, you have to know the types of characters. They are protagonists, antagonists, and supporting characters. They all play different roles, and before you begin, you must understand how they function as a whole.
~*~ Protagonists ~*~
By Fred Zeppeli (With thanks to Scout574)
The protagonist of your story is the main character. The star of your story. The prefix ‘Pro-’ means “for”, and a protagonist is the person who is working toward a goal. In other words, the protagonist wants something – usually something essential. Whatever that something is, it is very important to the character. That one something -- the object of desire -- is critical, because it will determine the focus of the story. Your protagonist will almost always be working against an antagonist, which is something or someone who wants to stop the protagonist from getting what he or she wants.
If your antagonist is a person, figuring out who the protagonist and the antagonist are isn’t as easy as who the good guy is and who the bad guy is. A protagonist isn’t always likeable, and a human antagonist can be very alluring. Protagonists need to, like their opposite rolls the antagonist(s), have some defining feature about them. It can be their race, birthright, inheritance, weapon, anything. But, since you'll be most likely seeing them much more than any other character, you need to be able to portray the desired personality well. Your protagonist could be a murderer who wants to escape the country more than anything.

28-Sep-2008 01:40:26 - Last edited on 28-Sep-2008 01:41:19 by [#O4EM1GWQQ]

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~*~ Antagonists ~*~
By Fred Zeppeli and Scout574
The prefix “ant-” means against, and so an antagonist is a force or a character that works against the protagonist, standing in the way of his or her desires or plans. An antagonist can be anything at all, such as weather, fate, the gods, a murderer, a love interest, or even a personal phobia. If your antagonist is a person, he or she is not simply the “bad guy”.
Say your protagonist is indeed a murderer. A simple antagonist could be a police detective trying to catch the murderer and foil his plans for escape. What’s important is that the antagonist, whatever or whoever it is, is working to keep the protagonist from getting what he or she wants.
A mistake that many first-time Runescape authors make is thinking that an antagonist must be a purely evil, sadistic, Satanic demon. An antagonist shouldn't be the simplistic crazed lunatic if you really plan on using them.
I made this mistake when I first introduced Gro, who ended up becoming one of my most popular characters and won an award for... "Most frightening antagonist", I think? Regardless, the mistake I made was that at first, after developing a... *ahem*... fetish... with Sephiroth, an insanely popular villain from the Final Fantasy series, I created an image of him with little real character development.
He began as a cannibalistic fallen angel who thought of the world as a median for his hatred. After the first story he starred in, Remedy of Amnesia, ended with his being obliterated by another angel, I really started to think on his character.

28-Sep-2008 01:40:34 - Last edited on 28-Sep-2008 01:41:45 by [#O4EM1GWQQ]

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For example, now he has a myriad of split personalities: the original Gro is now called "Gro the Elder", and a younger, crazier version of him is "Gro the Reckless". An adult now, he is "Gro the Concise", who is usually unspeaking and tends to end fights as quickly as possible for efficiency. After that is Gro the Disparaged, who is a raging madman bent on killing anything that breathes. Afterward comes Gro the Inexorable, who is merely a "beefed up" version of Gro the Disparaged, Gro the Penance, who is the last form I've really thought on. He is a cunning angel that devises plots for his world (as his power is now large enough that he can do something similar) and loves riddles.
The last three personalities, of which I have no real ideas for yet, are: Gro the Narrator, Gro the Reaper and Gro the Death God.
You see, the schizophrenia explains how much I've worked on his characters and his personality, to the extent where he has nine of them. Even his sword and a special "Anger Mode" type thing is unique. And this is also a good example of how a terribly overpowered, unrealistic character can evolve into a outstanding villain.
Try thinking of aspects of your character you can work upon to make him unique. Creating a decent character as an antagonist isn’t as tauntingly challenging as it may appear to be.
~*~ Supporting Characters ~*~
By Fred Zeppeli
If the main characters dictate the direction of a story, supporting characters help move the story further along that route. Supporting characters are complementary characters that propel a story forward by helping to generate or diffuse conflict. Supporting characters can sometimes give added dimension to the protagonist or antagonist. That doesn’t mean that the supporting characters are always friendly with or even familiar with the main characters; they may hover on the margins of your character’s life.

28-Sep-2008 01:40:35 - Last edited on 28-Sep-2008 01:42:05 by [#O4EM1GWQQ]

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If your protagonist is a beat reporter, for example, your supporting character might be one of his sources, a demanding editor, or even another journalist. They may not be friends, but their circumstances dictate that they work together or that their paths cross.

~*~ The Desires ~*~
By Fred Zeppeli
After your story idea had started to be developed, you decided what the main conflict of your story would be. And if you know your story’s conflict, you *now your protagonist and antagonist. You may not have fully fleshed-out characters yet, but you have a rough sense of what your protagonist is working for and how or why your antagonist is working against him or her. Now it’s time to examine your character’ wants in detail, and figure out who your characters are – what makes them tick, why they’re seeking what they’re seeking, or why they’re fighting what they’re fighting.
-- Why? --
In developing your story idea, you’ve already spent some time thinking about what, exactly, your protagonist and antagonist want. But now*s the time to further explore those wants and needs in greater detail. Ask yourself the basic question, then keep asking: “Why?”
~ What does your protagonist want? ~
-Why does he or she want it?
-Why is it so vital to him or her?
-What will success mean for him or her?
-Why hasn’t he or she sought it until now?
-Why is this particular moment so important?
~ If your antagonist is a person, what does he or she want? ~
-Why does he or she want it?
-Why is it so vital to him or her?
-What will success mean for him or her?
-Why is he or she determined to triumph?
-Why is he or she “against” the protagonist?

28-Sep-2008 01:40:45 - Last edited on 28-Sep-2008 01:42:53 by [#O4EM1GWQQ]

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Since the protagonist is your main character, it’s most important to figure out his or her whys. But having at least some understanding of your antagonist, if it is a person, will make your story richer.
~*~ The Needs ~*~
By Fred Zeppeli
Your protagonist’s desires determine the action of the story. But where do they come from, and what makes them interesting? A woman who works to become wealthy because of greed is much less interesting than a woman who works hard to become wealthy because she needs the approval of her hard-to-please parents. As a writer, you must identify your character’s wants, but you must also connect those wants to your character’s *needs*.
Needs are deeply entrenched motivators that drive people’s behavior. They’re different from wants in one vital way: they are often not consciously acknowledged by the character. Your character may know very well that she yearns to become wealthy – but she may not be consciously aware of her deeper motivation: her need for her parents’ elusive approval. You, as a writer, must figure out needs even if your character isn’t aware of them.
Psychologists have identified general basic needs that drive human behavior. You don’t have to be a psychology major to write a story, but a basic understanding of these might help you better understand where your character’s desires come from.
1.Physical (bodily) needs
2.Safety needs
3.Social needs

28-Sep-2008 01:40:45 - Last edited on 28-Sep-2008 01:43:23 by [#O4EM1GWQQ]

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~ Physical Needs ~
These are needs for oxygen, food, water, sleep, etc. These things are necessary for survival, so these needs are the strongest and most basic. Body needs can control thoughts and behaviors. When they are not met, they can cause people to do things they normally wouldn’t do.
~ Safety Needs ~
When all body needs are satisfied, the needs for safety become more pronounced. These consist of needs for physical safety (shelter), and personal security. Children often have a more acute sense of safety then adults do. When a person feels a sense of immediate danger, safety needs can eclipse body needs. For example, a child playing with a toy in public will stop playing if they notice that their parent is missing. Their attention will be totally focused on locating the parent, before resuming their game.
~ Social Needs ~
These are needs for affection and belonging. They emerge when the needs for safety and for physical well-being are fulfilled. People want to be accepted, whether in clubs, work groups, religious groups, family, or gangs. They need to feel accepted and needed by others. Without acceptance, people become exceedingly susceptible to feeling lonely. Few social needs are as powerful as the need for social acceptance by peers.
Those are the general types of needs that characters and people experience. After establishing your characters’ needs, you must connect them to your characters’ wants. And remember: if a glass of water is what your character wants, it is a lot more interesting if he is stranded on a desert island.

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Done. :'D
I'll have something on bios in a few days.

28-Sep-2008 01:40:54 - Last edited on 28-Sep-2008 01:44:00 by [#O4EM1GWQQ]

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