As someone who enjoys both role playing and writing, I make a lot of characters. Are they all amazing heroes and villains? No. In fact, there have been many duds. Sometimes I can rework a character and shape them into one that I like better, but most of the time I end up removing them completely.
Whether you are a role player or a writer, you know that your characters are important. Even a little side character should give a preview of their personality. You might need them later on and their interaction with your main character might make a difference.
When I create a character, I take one of two approaches:
- Plan the character in advance. Give them a back story and know everything about them.
- Dive right in and see who they become once they interact with other people.
Both of these have led to characters I like, but I have to admit that the second method generally produces characters I enjoy more. In role play, I can bank on other players affecting my character's behavior. In writing it might just be luck. I have several characters that have written themselves into my stories and grew into incredible people that play a huge role in the tale I'm telling.
No matter what method you choose, you should have a foundation to build on.
"Data! Data! Data!" he cried impatiently. "I can't make bricks without clay."
~Sherlock Holmes
If you want a good brick, I mean character, you need data. Clay to mold. This mostly applies to characters you plan ahead of time, but even spontaneous ones should be built on a rock and not sand.
There are so many sad stories in RP and books.
"My parents were murdered by a demon and now I plan to hunt them! I have honed my skills and slaughtered thousands of bandits with my blade. Yes, I have a rough exterior and drown my sorrows with violence and mead, but I am actually a sensitive man deep inside."
This is okay every now and again. People make it work all the time. Do we want to see it over and over though?
The answer to that is no. It's not rhetorical. Let's all say it together. No!
Motivation is important. Just give them better goals, maybe even simpler ones. Your character doesn't have to be an orphan wanting revenge. Maybe they just want to get a job, start a family. Then they get dragged into an evil plot or drafted into war. Hell, give them a disease that makes them go on a journey to find a cure.
No matter what their goal or motivation (because that is a workshop/post all its own). They still have a background that needs addressed.
Once you have a seed planted, your character will grow based on your plan for them, and their environment.
Questions to ask for establishing your foundation:
-Where are they from?
-What do they do?
-Why do they do it?
Nature and nurture.
In writing, your characters are molded based on your plan and sometimes by a hard turn in the story. In role play, other people will have an impact on them.
This is where your foundation and your seed start to make your character who they are.
If your character is a pampered noble who never left a pristine city, they will be in for culture shock when they walk out those gates into a world war. How they handle that shock is a reflection of their upbringing and personality.
Your character's behavior is directly related to their history and environment.
Example time!
The Miner's Mind
Say your character was forced to work in a mine for the majority of his life. Because of that he prefers to stay inside in confined places as he is accustomed to that environment. Or, for the same reason, he prefers being out in the fresh air because it is still new.
Family Ties
If your character lost their family, they may be eager to start a new one. If they were abandoned or betrayed, however, they won’t be as easily trusting of others.
Same backgrounds, different paths taken by the character. These help you make choices in life and every day circumstances. They determine how your character will handle certain events, big and small.
Bar fights, religion, politics, haunted houses, shopping,
every response your character has to an encounter will be the result of their decisions and history.
Hey there. Come around here often?
~D-bag in a bar.
Now that the boring stuff is over (I tried to keep it short), here are some little handouts! As always, feel free to save and print and share if you'd like. Print off the quiz and fill it out! It can be a real eye-opener about your character.
