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MJT2-0
May Member 2022

MJT2-0

Posts: 234 Silver Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Characters - An Overview
In the world of literature, Characters are some of the most important aspects. If your characters are dull, stereotypical, overpowered, or a variety of other things, then your story can be an epic failure. It doesn't matter how well you can write, how good your plot is, or if you're perfect at grammar. You also need to have good characters to write well. In this section, we will be teaching you about characters.

One misconception of many newer readers is that their characters have to be incredibly powerful, smart, and attractive for the readers to like them. Actually, that is completely wrong and that is why many newer writers find themselves unable to get sufficient readers to keep writing. However, this also works the opposite way for other authors: they often believe that by making their character an absolute idiot versed in no forms of proper speech and lacking intelligence and common sense, their readers will laugh like a maniac.

Next, many authors have difficulty expressing emotion and thoughts or they completely overlook it. Without emotion and thoughts the characters become dull shells lacking any form of entertainment, or whatever other thought you're trying to instill into your readers. For example, if you're trying to make a likable character, giving him the personality traits of a rock is just as ineffective as making him without emotion or thought.

Lastly, we shall help you craft the perfect antagonist and protagonist. Many authors struggle with this aspect as they are unable to relate the characters to the readers, or they make the character uninteresting. 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.

18-Jun-2015 18:15:02 - Last edited on 18-Jun-2015 19:50:55 by MJT2-0

MJT2-0
May Member 2022

MJT2-0

Posts: 234 Silver Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
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.

Characters – Protagonists
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 likable, 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.

18-Jun-2015 18:15:43 - Last edited on 18-Jun-2015 19:44:01 by MJT2-0

MJT2-0
May Member 2022

MJT2-0

Posts: 234 Silver Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Characters – Antagonists
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.

18-Jun-2015 18:16:24 - Last edited on 18-Jun-2015 19:44:30 by MJT2-0

MJT2-0
May Member 2022

MJT2-0

Posts: 234 Silver Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
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.

Characters – Supporting
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 *hat 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.

18-Jun-2015 18:16:29 - Last edited on 18-Jun-2015 19:45:46 by MJT2-0

MJT2-0
May Member 2022

MJT2-0

Posts: 234 Silver Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
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.

Characters – Desires
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 know 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*** seeking what they’re seeking, or why they*** 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?

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.

18-Jun-2015 18:18:12 - Last edited on 18-Jun-2015 19:45:17 by MJT2-0

MJT2-0
May Member 2022

MJT2-0

Posts: 234 Silver Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Characters – Emotions
Emotions are some of the aspects of writing that people struggle with the most. However, once you have mastered the proper use of them, you will have an invaluable tool whenever you write.
Going along with emotions are thoughts. Thoughts are something I've noticed that are incredibly often overlooked and forgotten. Your characters do not do every action on an impulse, they also think.

The basics - For emotions, the basics are very simple. Cause and effect. If someone hits your character, your character would become angry or sad. Additionally, some forms of thoughts would rush through your characters mind. For example, if someone hit you, you'd probably become suddenly enraged from adrenaline, your mind would be racing, and you'd probably be thinking "hit back" or "did he just hit me!?" The 'cause and effect' rule also applies to thoughts. Another little trick with this is to make your characters expression mimic the emotion. So if they were angry, their face might contort in anger and they might grit their teeth. If they were embarrassed, they might blush and shy away.

Now here comes the easiest way to be able to put emotions and thoughts into your story: Imagine yourself in that situation. You have to pretend you're that character for a moment, and someone just did something. Depending on the character, how would you react? You should know the answer to that, as you created and narrated the character. All that's left after that is to make sure that you put those thoughts and emotions into words.

So, overall, emotions are incredibly simple, but you just have to know how to put them into words and when the emotions would be right. Just remember: Cause and effect, and put yourself in the place of your character.

18-Jun-2015 18:18:17 - Last edited on 18-Jun-2015 19:46:08 by MJT2-0

MJT2-0
May Member 2022

MJT2-0

Posts: 234 Silver Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Characters – Needs
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 *hat 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

18-Jun-2015 18:18:22 - Last edited on 18-Jun-2015 19:46:42 by MJT2-0

MJT2-0
May Member 2022

MJT2-0

Posts: 234 Silver Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
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.

18-Jun-2015 18:18:26 - Last edited on 18-Jun-2015 19:47:14 by MJT2-0

MJT2-0
May Member 2022

MJT2-0

Posts: 234 Silver Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Biographies
A biography is a character analysis answering predestined questions in the form of a short answer. A biography usually serves the purpose of inspiring character ideas to the author of the story.

If you are requesting a biography, it is important you use only some aspects of the submitted biography. If he or she does use every part, no matter how detailed the biography is the characters will appear two-dimensional if followed word-for-word.

That ties in with the next part of this guide. If you are requesting biographies, it is important that you don’t ask for any while your story is in existence. If you do, you will inevitably try and force the character into your story, which will make the character’s entry abrupt, and of course, forced. For example, this is an excerpt from a story that has long ago died.

Original message details are unavailable.
“A dark figure advanced out of the shadows.”

If no foreshadowing to the character’s entrance had been provided, then the character’s entrance will fail to give the thrill of an unknown mystery being revealed. About now, you’ll be wondering “Where can I get a biography?”

The best way to get a biography is to create a thread asking for them! You can choose your own format, but one that is timeless and seems to work well is shown below.

Name:
Age:
Race:
Gender:
Weapon:
Powers/Abilities:
Appearance:
Personality:
Alignment:
History:

The exact specifications of a biography will vary depending on the author and the story, since some questions will be added and removed.

Good luck!

18-Jun-2015 18:19:23 - Last edited on 18-Jun-2015 19:49:31 by MJT2-0

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