Challenge Fifty Titles in Search of a Story | We have a winner! Congrats to divapilot :)

I forgot to update the thread again -- or rather, I procrastinated, because DRL is very Darth right now. Sorry about that

Week 15: Original Characters

We have an entire (amazing) thread dedicated to this subject, so I don't feel too guilty about making this a topic for a short "week".

Are you an OC writer? If yes, do you use OCs as protagonists, or as secondary/background characters? How do you as a writer decide where to fit them in the plot and how much of a role to give them?

How much do you develop your OCs before inserting them into a story? Do you define their main character traits, do you come up with a physical description, do you have details of their backstory that won't make it into your fic? Or do you just start writing them and let them develop organically?

Do you have a particular type of OC that you like to write? Are your OCs predominantly male or female? Human or alien? Good or evil? Do you tend to make them children of privilege, or to give them a troubled past? Any other characteristics towards which you gravitate? Why?

What are, in your opinion, the positives and negatives of writing OCs? Do you find them easier or more difficult to write than canon characters? Do you find that an OC protagonist gives you more leeway to write original stories? Or do you find that it's an additional constraint to insert them into an established storyline? What about OCs as secondary/minor characters?

OCs are often accused, more than canon characters, of being Mary Sues/Marty Stus. Do you find that this is usually a fair criticism, that OCs tend to be overpowered/over-brilliant compared to canon characters? Or do you think that readers/fellow writers are less willing to give OCs the benefit of the doubt? How do you avoid this pitfall when writing OCs?

For more about OCs, I can't recommend enough the Bring Back the OC Revolution thread. The discussion topics there are a fantastic way to develop aspects of your OC(s) you'd never thought of, and the thread hosts four challenges every year

 

Interesting. This is a discussion that I'll be very interested in, because this challenge will be the first time I've ever written anything focusing on OCs. All my stories up to this point have centered around canon characters, so I'm going into a bit of uncharted territory for me here.

 

Chyn, you got a whole lot going on right now, you are allowed to procrastinate on some of this stuff

Are you an OC writer?

From time to time. I’ve created OCs as main characters, and as secondary and minor characters. If I have an OC as a main character, usually the plot was made for them. If they play a minor role, it’s probably because I needed a character for the plot and no canon character felt right or was available for the role.

How much do you develop your OCs before inserting them into a story?

If they are a main character (like my one BIG OC) much of their characteristics, physical appearance, backstory, etc are developed before the story – even if it all doesn’t make it into the story.

Do you have a particular type of OC that you like to write?

I’ve only really written 2 developed OCs (and a few different variants of them both before I was really happy with them). Well, okay, I guess 4(?). Predominantly female, human – though I had 1 original alien that I’ve always been proud of. Good, but they usually reject authority. Sassy.

What are, in your opinion, the positives and negatives of writing OCs?

They are, in a way easier, in the way that you don’t have to worry about the dreaded OOC (particularly if you have some extreme AU situation).

Positives: the freedom. If I want my OC to cry at the drop of a pin, I can do that. If I want my OC to be the last of her race and a princess, I can.

Negatives: it is ALL up to you to make these characters seem REAL AND BELIVABLE. You have to breathe life into them and make the reader care about (or maybe hate?) them.


OCs are often accused, more than canon characters, of being Mary Sues/Marty Stus.

I think this criticism is thrown around WAAAAAAAAY TOOO MUCH, both in fanfic and in the general fandom (but I won’t subject you all to that “YOU HAVE SEEN ALL OF 60 SECONDS OF ROGUE ONE! HOW CAN THE LEAD POSSIBLY BE CLASSIFIED AS A MARY SUE!!!!!!!! *rage*). Anyways, yes, there are Mary Sues, but there are also just interesting characters. According to Wikipedia, Mary Sue is:

Too often, I think, the fear of the dreaded Mary Sue has stopped people from writing OCs.

A good, interesting character will have weaknesses. So what if they are also Luke’s daughter or granddaughter and have a natural talent and wit? As long as I can get the reader to believe in and care about a character, the Mary Sue worries go out the door.

As long as a character isn’t perfect, they are not a Mary Sue. And if people label them as such, so what? SO many canon characters probably fail the Mary Sue test, that doesn’t mean they are poorly written characters.

I could rant on, but this probably makes no sense.

 

Week 15: Original Characters

Are you an OC writer? If yes, do you use OCs as protagonists, or as secondary/background characters? How do you as a writer decide where to fit them in the plot and how much of a role to give them?

I didn't used to be an OC writer. In fact when I first started writing fanfic, I shied away from OCs. But now I think I write at least 50% OCs and 50% canon. I've put them in front, along side canon, and in the background. It really depends on the story I'm writing.

How much do you develop your OCs before inserting them into a story? Do you define their main character traits, do you come up with a physical description, do you have details of their backstory that won't make it into your fic? Or do you just start writing them and let them develop organically?

I usually have some idea of what I want in terms of the role that OC will play. That in turn dictates the development of the character. As I write them, the details really start to emerge. There are usually a ton of details that don't make it in to the story. For example, for the last OC driven story I wrote, I created childhood backstories for both characters. This was helpful because their childhood experiences helped to shape the kind of adults they became.

Do you have a particular type of OC that you like to write? Are your OCs predominantly male or female? Human or alien? Good or evil? Do you tend to make them children of privilege, or to give them a troubled past? Any other characteristics towards which you gravitate? Why?

I've written male and female, good and evil, children of privilege and those with a troubled past. As for human or alien, I have only written one OC who wasn't at least a near-human. This OC is reptilian, so I try to think lizard when I describe the movements and actions of the character. The thing with the OCs, I think, is that I'm usually trying to use the character to make a bigger point. For example, I often take a social issue and explore it with OCs. I've written about domestic violence, substance abuse, class issues, and racism through OCs. That in turn kind of determines the type of OC I will write.

What are, in your opinion, the positives and negatives of writing OCs? Do you find them easier or more difficult to write than canon characters? Do you find that an OC protagonist gives you more leeway to write original stories? Or do you find that it's an additional constraint to insert them into an established storyline? What about OCs as secondary/minor characters?

Positives: They tend to be far more "talkative" to me than canon characters. I already know what Luke or Obi-Wan or Mara would do in a particular situation, and it's always interesting to find out what my OC would do (based on their background and belief systems). OCs let me do more world-building by extension, too.

Negatives: I am always concerned that the different OCs I create don't all blend together. They need to be distinguishable from each other without becoming stereotypes.

OCs are often accused, more than canon characters, of being Mary Sues/Marty Stus. Do you find that this is usually a fair criticism, that OCs tend to be overpowered/over-brilliant compared to canon characters? Or do you think that readers/fellow writers are less willing to give OCs the benefit of the doubt? How do you avoid this pitfall when writing OCs?

I completely agree with Briannakin. The whole Mary Sue/Marty Stu thing is, imho, wildly overblown. We are writing in a world that essentially runs on magic. There are going to be those people who can do magical things. The danger with writing a Mary Sue/Marty Stu isn't confined to OC. I've read profic that has Jedi doing things that make them look like Superman on steroids.

I agree with Briannakin too, in that the characters shouldn't be perfect people. They should have doubts, fears, secrets they hope to the heavens that no one ever finds out. OC couples should have arguments. OC parents should make mistakes. OC kids should be brats sometimes. I don't think people avoid OC-driven stories because they assume the characters will be Mary Sue/Marty Stus, I think they do it because they have a particular genre or canon character that they like to follow and they aren't really inclined to read outside that area - and that's fine.

 

Chyn- I don't think anyone would blame you if you needed to not do the weekly discussion in this thread for awhile.

Are you an OC writer?
On occasion, I do write OC's, usually as someone to relate to a canon character or as secondary characters. As far as using them as major characters, it usually is because there isn't an equivalent canon character. Example, I love to write Ben Skywalker, who has no spouse, no children, very few canon friends, so if I am writing something about him and I want him to have a spouse/children/friends, I have to make one up.

I have also used them where that is not the case, but it's usually because the plot requires someone else and the canon characters usually end up there in the end anyway.


How much do you develop your OCs before inserting them into a story?
It depends. If they are a secondary character, not all that much. I might have a picture in my mind of them, but I don't really keep track of them. If they are a major part of the story, I usually have general ideas, but mostly I let them tell me who they are. I've found if I try to tell them who I want them to be, they get very upset and really mess things up. But I have come up with things about them that may influence them but don't end up in the story. I try to keep good track of major OC's so they stay consistent.

Do you have a particular type of OC that you like to write?
Probably predominantly female, human and good. I think this comes down to who I'm writing them to play off of, canon characters who tend to be male, human and good (mostly Ben Skywalker). This is not a hard and fast rule by any means, I've written non-humans, and bad guys, but thinking about my OCs they do tend to fall into those categories. I never really realized that until this very moment. Perhaps I should endeavor to fix that.
As for their past, I've certainly done a decent amount of both, but I think they tend to be troubled, probably because I write a lot of angst.

What are, in your opinion, the positives and negatives of writing OCs?

Pretty much the same as canon characters, but going the opposite direction. You don't have to write them in character, but you have to make them realistic and three dimensional. These things can be both positives and negatives. I don't find them easier or harder than canon characters per say, just different.


OCs are often accused, more than canon characters, of being Mary Sues/Marty Stus.
I'll be honest, I hate the term Mary Sue no matter where it's used. I find it tends to be a lazy argument for not liking a character, rather than explaining why someone thinks a character doesn't work and giving constructive criticism, they just call them a Mary Sue. Also, everyone has different tastes, and what might not be a great character to one person might be a beloved one to someone else. Just because you don't like them doesn't make them a bad character.

I think people are more likely to call an OC a Mary Sue because they often don't know much about the character yet. They have all of this inharent backstory for the canon characters and know how they are flawed, but if the OC doesn't have a major flaw from the first chapter, they sometimes get called a Mary Sue. Sure, there are OC's that are perfect and overpowered, but I think they are waaaay fewer and far between than a lot of people claim.

 

What are, in your opinion, the positives and negatives of writing OCs?

Positive: Don't have to worry about adhering to already established character traits and mannerisms.

Negative: Exactly 1% of the fandom actually wants to read about OCs. Which is fair, readers come to see their canon favs getting into wacky shenanigans.

Although, I've noticed this varies from fandom to fandom. Halo and KotOR being off-the-top-of-my-head examples of fandoms where stories featuring OCs are just as numerous, and just as well written, as stories for canon characters.

OCs are often accused, more than canon characters, of being Mary Sues/Marty Stus.

This may have been true in 2009 and beyond. Not so much today.

 

I think things should be more relaxed now. I just wish the EU and Turkey hadn't come up with that stupid refugee deal just when the awards stuff started; my RL work was supposed to be pretty laid back during this time, and then of course it all went to the dogs

 

Are you an OC writer?
Yes
Do you use OCs as protagonists, or as secondary/background characters? How do you as a writer decide where to fit them in the plot and how much of a role to give them?
I use my OC's as protagonists and have used them as secondary/background characters. In my Jinn Kenobi stories I have used my healer's when Obi-Wan or Qui-Gon got injured. Now I am writing my healer's and more as the main characters.

How much do you develop your OCs before inserting them into a story? Do you define their main character traits, do you come up with a physical description, do you have details of their backstory that won't make it into your fic? Or do you just start writing them and let them develop organically?
I have how they look like, birthplace, planet, back-ground, family-trees for my main OC's in an excell spreadsheet and time-line. The knowledge about the character expands during writing.

Do you have a particular type of OC that you like to write?
I like to write rescue stories with healers, police-officers and firefighters.
Are your OCs predominantly male or female?
Male and female have equally important roles
Human or alien?
Aliens mixed with humanoids
Good or evil?
Good ones and very evil, powerful antagonists
Do you tend to make them children of privilege, or to give them a troubled past?
All kinds of background. One of my OC's - Kaagi Adin - is an orphan. His parents were murdered.
Any other characteristics towards which you gravitate? Why?
Serving OC's because I have been a firefighter for over 20 years.

What are, in your opinion, the positives and negatives of writing OCs?
Do you find them easier or more difficult to write than canon characters?
Positive: You can write and invent all for them.
Negative: Canon is sometimes read more. And canon requires more research.

Do you find that an OC protagonist gives you more leeway to write original stories?
Original stories are easy to write making up all the details of the planet, characters and plot.
Or do you find that it's an additional constraint to insert them into an established storyline?
They can interact with canon characters but that will cost research.
What about OCs as secondary/minor characters?
Easy to write if you have done your research on the canon character you want to write about.

OCs are often accused, more than canon characters, of being Mary Sues/Marty Stus. Do you find that this is usually a fair criticism, that OCs tend to be overpowered/over-brilliant compared to canon characters? Or do you think that readers/fellow writers are less willing to give OCs the benefit of the doubt? How do you avoid this pitfall when writing OCs?
Pro-writers do have Mary Sues/Marty Stus too.
I don't make them brilliant and powerful and hope someone will like my characters.

 

My OCs are usually supplemental characters, in lieu of the main protagonist. As such, I do not think they would fall prey to the Mary Sue pitfall. OCs have a lot of latitude to develop back stories and personalities, so can be daunting to write, but they are a delight! to read!

 

I basically write OCs exclusively aside from the occasional cameo from a previously-established character. I use them as pretty much everything in a story, really.

I love writing OCs because I feel it gives me narrative freedom to do as I will and shape the character's journeys in new and interesting ways. But I also love when they do things that I didn't expect when I started writing. When a character gets to the point where I feel like I know how they would act and react to situations without having written it yet, then I'm doing it right.

Not particularly. I love to have diverse, varied casts for my works because it makes it more interesting for me to write.

As I mentioned above, I feel like OCs give me a lot more freedom to create a story from front to back. In lieu of doing a whole-cloth AU, using OCs gives me a lot more ability to tell whatever stories I want. I can insert them into existing stories or create entirely new ones. It's a sandbox of infinite possibilities.

I think the problem is that OCs are always, without fail, contrasted against the establishment, and if they are in any way better it makes people cry Sue. All of the "Sue-ish" traits that people complain about already exist in characters that they love. It's the comparison that makes things cry foul.

I am aware that I tend to make my own characters too good at varying things (or everything), it's a really easy trap to fall into. When you play in the sandbox you want to build the biggest castle you can. That's why characters have to have flaws. A perfect character is a boring character 99.9% of the time. When a character has flaws, internal conflicts and other issues, it makes them more interesting and organically provides the opportunity for storytelling.

 

This is a superb, thought-provoking discussion and I'm loving it. Then again, while some of these were clearly intended for people who need some sort of coaching and more interesting to folks who need motivation to get back on track, some others could totally end up as 100-page threads!

Are you an OC writer?
Kriff to the yeah!

If yes, do you use OCs as protagonists, or as secondary/background characters?
Both.

How do you as a writer decide where to fit them in the plot and how much of a role to give them?
This may change in the future, if I get a good idea that requires a different approach, but at this point in time, I choose to either have a remote connection between my OCs and any canon event or character (as in, they won't change a canon character's destiny or influence them to do anything they did), or none at all.

My characters are well-aware of what is going on in the Galaxy, though. Currently, I have a guy describing Order 66 and Republic to Empire transformation in his logs based on the vague information presented to the general public; and it's exciting to imagine how it would feel like to him. This may be going on because I witnessed some historical events myself and perspective of a random nobody is always more interesting. Things like self-censorship may apply, so can complete unawareness of the big picture and oh my, it's exciting!

In four out of seven long and longish things I have right now, protagonists are OCs, one of the remaining three has two major ECs, some minor ECs and OCs, the remaining two are a mix.

How much do you develop your OCs before inserting them into a story? Do you define their main character traits, do you come up with a physical description, do you have details of their backstory that won't make it into your fic? Or do you just start writing them and let them develop organically?
My process is kind of...non-linear. Illogical. Intuitive.

First, I need a faceclaim and basic mannerisms of pretty much anybody who inspires me at the moment, so I can visualise the character. I see somebody and think "alright, that's it, they would make a pretty interesting OC in the GFFA". From that point on, it's an open book: they take me where they want to take me and I don't object. When the time is right for the backstory, I write one. But yes, "letting them develop organically" is closest to my approach, it's just that I would call it an intuitive approach.

I have a good example of how this goes.

This process led me to a scenario where one of my minor OCs became everybody's favourite, where I have people asking me if he's going to be in my other stories. And I still cannot determine if people would like his faceclaim as much. The faceclaim was an "idol" of mine when I was eleven years old and I always, always wanted to base a character on him, ever since my cartooning days.

What I took from the faceclaim was the profession, dabbling in politics (unsuccessfully ), number of children, conflict with another character who's basically bullying him and whom he never lives up to, and a bizarre claim to fame that was a spur of a moment thing. Then I added the faceclaim's affinity to bizarre, socially unacceptable pets or too many pets, crying in public, somewhat hyperactive behaviour and the rest just...developed itself.

I also tend to name my OCs very randomly. E.g. I got the name Soluna from the Swiss singer Soluna Samay Keitel who represented Denmark at the 2012 Eurovision. I got the name Roula, completely unaware of its meaning and origins, from the person who sang on the 20 Fingers' hit "Lick It" some twenty years ago.

Do you have a particular type of OC that you like to write? Are your OCs predominantly male or female? Human or alien? Good or evil?
I have an equal amount of male and female, slightly more Humans than aliens and the rest depends on points of view. The other day, a friend told me that she finds one of my newer OCs unlikeable and I knew I did something right. If everybody likes your character, you didn't develop it well. Characters that divide people are the bestestest.

Do you tend to make them children of privilege, or to give them a troubled past?
I have trouble imagining somebody who always has everything, so I tend to either avoid such types or take it up to eleven and make it bizarre. Moreover, I think that only completely emotionally dead people don't have troubles and doubts; so in terms of that kind of privilege, it won't be happening. If nothing else, somebody will feel lonely in their perfect life.

Any other characteristics towards which you gravitate? Why?
I like misfits, minor losers, social outcasts, substance abusers, people caught up in the middle of huge changes to the world around them. Remarque and Dickens would love me.

What are, in your opinion, the positives and negatives of writing OCs? Do you find them easier or more difficult to write than canon characters? Do you find that an OC protagonist gives you more leeway to write original stories?
Depending on what they're like. In my first fic, I had a problem writing Wicket, who is a canon character, because I never wrote an overachiever who actually is an overachiever and not somebody pretending to be one, before. And then, in my fic that features almost only OCs, I ended up having problem writing a dissident-ish type, because I attributed him a species that's got to be pretty bizarre compared to most. But in general, OCs should be a bit easier to a novice writer and to a seasoned writer (I like fennel and thyme, sometimes rosemary), it's more or less the same.

Or do you find that it's an additional constraint to insert them into an established storyline?
I just don't do it, as per my first answer. But I am not throwing away the possibility of doing that, someday. Ideas are exciting!

What about OCs as secondary/minor characters?
No issues.

OCs are often accused, more than canon characters, of being Mary Sues/Marty Stus. Do you find that this is usually a fair criticism, that OCs tend to be overpowered/over-brilliant compared to canon characters? Or do you think that readers/fellow writers are less willing to give OCs the benefit of the doubt?
It depends on how one sees a story. A character I see as one of those may not be seen that way by somebody else.

However, I find that it's EXTREMELY unfair that female characters in general are assumed to be Mary Sues just because they're beautiful, smart and sometimes just because they're protagonists. Canon or OC, it's not fair. If a character is on "god mode", their sex and gender don't.matter.full.stop. I find it somewhat debatable when people refuse to read stories with female protagonists and automatically assume they're going to read about a perfect woman who married, I dunno, Revan, Anakin, Luke and Cade at the same time, redeemed Kylo Ren, was hotter than Deliah Blue and a better politician than Leia. And yeah, she jumped continuities and eras and lived for 30K years, too.

How do you avoid this pitfall when writing OCs?
Well, I do and I don't.

My main Human OC is more or less of an anti-Sue and I was not planning it at all! She is not an underdeveloped character or anything, she's just an awkward person who grew up in a strange society, isn't particularly ambitious, isn't aware of her actual advantages and disadvantages, can be co-dependent and has not developed emotionally to the point where she has friends, not idols and freenemies. I did not make her like this to make a statement, there are young people who are just lost at certain age, at a certain point of their lives.

The character I introduced in 2016, whom I have the pleasure of portraying as a child, teenager and #soon an adult, he's sort of a Gary Stu according to all tests. Why? Does he have laser eyes, is he ten feet tall, can he fix everything? Not at all, he's a complete outcast type who cannot normal no matter how he tries...but he qualifies, because he happens to be extremely attractive to both sexes and more or less any gender (Oh, he looks like Revan, from the Revan and Bastila opera!), he's the best in his field, full stop and he has a traumatic backstory. The funny thing is that I loosely based him on a real person (faceclaim, a less gory version of the traumatic backstory, the amount of talent and significance to history, personality type and obsessions) and that somebody, the way he really is, scores 140+ on the Mary Sue test. So, if the actual man is an über-Stu...

Not really, IMHO. When I got here, despite ten years of not having read any fanfic other than My Immortal, I didn't care who the protagonist is, as long as they're captivating and as long as I like the story.

 

Week 15: Original Characters

Are you an OC writer?​

Mmmm...until this year, I'd never written an OC that wasn't less than like...five sentences long. I was strictly Cannon. But then I started writing an AU and gave my cannon characters a special needs daughter. She's honestly turned into one of my favorite characters. I look forward to writing her almost more than anyone else!

How much do you develop your OCs before inserting them into a story? ​

Uhhh....well, seeing as I've really only written one, this is going to be short and less indicative of a process...oh well. I didn't really develop her at all. I just knew what I wanted her to be, started writing the surrounding story....and then POOF!! She sprung into being!

Do you have a particular type of OC that you like to write? ​

Nope. Because again. Only written one that I'd even bother to call a "character." However, when I've added tiny little OC's into a story (a cab driver, a doctor, a waitress) I usually base them on a singular trait. What I mean is I pick something (they're gruff, motherly, etc.) and go from there. That's their basis and I tend to stick to it, and it informs their actions and mannerisms.

What are, in your opinion, the positives and negatives of writing OCs? ​

Well...They're new. They're original, which means they aren't really everyone's cup of tea. Honestly, I used to sometimes shy away from a story (don't hate me!) because it's OC-centric, or because that particular OC doesn't have anything that really appeals to me. But I'm learning to give them a try...this challenge has really gotten me out of my niche and into the bigger world and I'm really loving it! The positives, though, is some folks have really created some AMAZING people that seriously give profic characters a run for their money, and I LOVE it when that happens!!

OCs are often accused, more than canon characters, of being Mary Sues/Marty Stus. ​

My feeling on this is "meh." There are flat, one-dimensional characters everywhere--cannon and OC. I think that whole thing is just laziness, because the person throwing it doesn't want to give good concrit. Just IMHO.​

 

Responses for Week 15: Original Characters

Are you an OC writer?
Not really. I suppose I have three fairly fleshed out OCs, but they are all directly related to canon characters, so I don’t consider them very “original” Original Characters. And I have about five others that I came up with long ago that likely will never see the light of day. Only one of my OCs has made it to the page to any significant degree. For two of the main three, I would say my OC is one of a few main protagonists in the story. The third is strictly secondary. I’ve also had a few very brief background characters, I think it would be hard (and potentially quite limiting) to never have an OC at all.

How much do you develop your OCs before inserting them into a story?
For the most part they develop with the story— their backstory is part of the story. Though I hadn’t really considered it before now, I suppose I probably have spent more time thinking about what my OCs look like than I do canon characters. I have celebrity-casted my main three.

Do you have a particular type of OC that you like to write?
The three main ones are male, though that is not intentional. The others are pretty evenly split between male and female. All except background characters are human—I’m just not confident in my ability to write aliens and do them justice. They are mostly good characters. Some are fairly privileged, but definitely missing something major in their life. Some have had it rough.

What are, in your opinion, the positives and negatives of writing OCs?
For me, OC v. CC largely comes down to confidence. One reason why I haven’t written much of my OCs, and I’m reluctant to even discuss them, is because I’m afraid people won’t like them, or will think they just aren’t worthwhile characters. And I’m afraid if someone told me my OC is terrible, I would have trouble getting past that and would just want to abandon the character in embarrassment. On the flip side, if someone says I write a canon character out-of-character, I would consider their words, but ultimately I would be confident in my own analysis of whether I was writing the character well.

OCs are often accused, more than canon characters, of being Mary Sues/Marty Stus.
I think Mary Sue is hugely overused. I kinda hate the term, because I think fear of having a character called a Mary Sue discourages some writers from even attempting to write OCs. How to avoid writing a Mary Sue? I’m not sure. A lot of people seem to say “give them flaws,” but that seems a bit simplistic to me, and not necessarily guaranteed to work. I think the best way to avoid having an OC called a Mary Sue is to make them likable. People don’t call characters they like Mary Sues. How do you make a character likable? That’s the real question, I think.

 

Wrap-up week 15: Original characters


All of us have written OCs at one point or another, at least as a minor character to fill a gap but some of us also as a protagonist for whom we built a plot. In the latter case we often integrate them in a storyline that is connected to events established in canon, or at the very least we develop OCs that are well-aware of events happening in canon. For protagonist OCs we tend to have more elements of backstory than for minor characters, but we also let their backstory and personality develop as we write rather than rely on extensive notes. Several of us need to visualise our OCs more than canon characters.

Those of us who write lots of OCs tend to gravitate towards a certain type of character/personality, although we also create OCs that enable us to address specific issues that are of concern to us.

Positives of writing OCs are the freedom that comes with the territory, which also has ramifications for plot and world-building. Negatives are the need to breathe life into these characters from scratch and the risk of creating a cast that doesn’t blend together, or where all the characters are repetitive. Also, some of us feel that OC stories tend to attract less readers, which can be discouraging. Another potentially discouraging thought is that readers won’t find the OC we created interesting, but we all agree that the “Mary Sue” accusation is brandished far too often against OCs, and in ways that says more about the reader than about the character him/herself.

 

Week 16: Twenty things about your characters

I had a great idea for a discussion about character types and archetypes for this week, but I didn't have time to prepare my post, so let's skip to the exercise and we'll get back to that hopefully next week.

The exercise:

1) Tell us twenty things about your character/the protagonist of your story. It can be things about his/her appearance, personality, background, psychology, emotions, relationships... just about anything, but tell us at least twenty things.

2) Then tell us another twenty things about a secondary character of your story.

3) Lastly, tell us about the process. What it easy/difficult to find twenty meaningful things to say about your character(s)? Does that mean to you that your characters are already well-rounded, or that you need to flesh them out better? Are these twenty points things that you had formulated to yourself before? Especially with regard to your secondary character, was this a character that you had shaped adequately in your mind? Why or why not?

PS: I wrote up the summary of week 14 (canon characters), still need to catch up on week 15 (OCs).

 

All I can say is that they quasi-exist. (I think I just invented a new word.) I haven't even gotten around to developing them at all. I don't even know their names, species, or genders at this point, and I have to fully design six of them before I actually start writing Chapter 1.

 

FN-2501 (Little):

Spoiler

1. Does not believe in the Force.
2. Her first and favorite possession is a dagger.
3. Prefers her squad-name as opposed to her assigned number.
4. Considers other species to be lesser lifeforms.
5. Knows 22 silent ways to kill.
6. Likes to wrestle.
7. Is ignorant of the galaxy around her.
8. Very practiced at self-deception.
9. Holds maintenance crews in high regard.
10. Does not like being on ships.
11. Is a follower, not a leader.
12. Always reacts frustrated at Sixer's teasing, because it makes him smile.
13. Does not like dolls.
14. Has never cried.
15. Is closest with Nines.
16. Fears being alone.
17. Gets antsy when out of armor.
18. Used to look up to Eight-Seven.
19. Believes the galaxy respects only one thing: power.
20. Has, against regulation, written on the inner lining of her plastoid armor.

FN-2262 (Sixer):

Spoiler

1. Can't keep his mouth shut.
2. Has a nose that is slightly crooked.
3. Disciplined once for fraternization.
4. Insatiably curious.
5. His favorite passtime is setting off Three-Eight's temper.
6. Has always wanted to gamble.
7. Can recall 11 and a half marching cadences.
8. Always takes point when on patrol.
9. Has learned about a dozen religions.
10. Has been wounded 3 times.
11. Knows the Stormtrooper Codex to a T.
12. Is particularly talented with explosives.
13. Likes to trade barbs with Zeroes.
14. Fears loss of identity.
15. Often at odds with El-Tee for taking unnecessary risks.
16. His father was a third generation clone.
17. Holds reconditioned troopers in contempt.
18. Keeps a "borrowed" hydrospanner under his bunk.
19. Hates droids.
20. Is prone to brooding.

Sixer proved a little more difficult to map out than Lil. Most of the things on her list I'd already formulated in notes or through writing out scenes. Sixer is still mostly in his nascent "I have two defining character traits as a basis" stage, but I know who he is and what drives him. I don't usually list out the things that make up my characters. It all sort of floats around in my head, aside from the aforementioned two defining traits.

 

I have yet to write down a single word of a story for Invitation to a Beheading, but I do have, amongst the elements I have been considering for it, at least two characters, so I thought I would give this exercise a go. Since I'm auditing the challenge (yes--writing a story outside the competition feels, for some reason, like auditing a class), I will tuck all this behind a spoiler cut.

------------------------------------

The main character [who has a name, but I shall keep it to myself for now]:

Spoiler

1. She is a girl in her late teens.
2. She is nearing the end of her last year of secondary school.
3. She is an only child.
4. She lives in a small remote mountain village.
5. In an ancient stone cottage.
6. Her mother (professionally dressed in black while her husband is still alive in another town) probably thinks this story is about her.
7. She is from a culture that has no sacred sites.
8. But they live near the ruins of an ancient city that might be one for someone else.
9. She is known for being “quiet”—which means “well-behaved.”
10. She is not snarky. But she isn’t humorless.
11. She was surprised when her secondary school teacher took to her, as he does not like many people.
12. She knows most of what she knows of the world outside her mountain region from books. She knows everything she does about her region from experience.
13. She makes for a good observer.
14. Since she is quiet, most people tend not to notice when she goes her own way.
15. She was taller than her mother by the time she was eleven years old.
16. She gets her looks from her maternal grandmother.
17. Her father gave her his surname and not much else.
18. She knows she has to make the deciding decision soon on her near future.
19. She likes to hike, and to wear pretty black frocks.
20. She wants to have her own life—but she doesn’t actually want to have it in a city.

The secondary character [as yet unnamed]:

Spoiler

1. He is a middle-aged Drall.
2. He is a scholar.
3. A bon vivant.
4. And a teacher.
5. Since the community is so tiny, he teaches all three years at the secondary school.
6. He likes to wear velvet caps with floral, feather, and etc. embellishments.
7. He has studied history to the point where he no longer can say he “likes” it.
8. As he tells his students, he prefers fiction—at least there, you know beforehand it’s all lies.
9. His elder sister recently became a Duchess. She probably thinks this story is about her.
10. His library has made several colleagues literally weep with envy.
11. “He had an awkward moment once—just to see what it was like.”
12. Sadly, he has actually had his share of awkward moments.
13. He tries not to play favorites with his students.
14. But sometimes, he has.
15. He turns to sarcasm to deal with difficult feelings.
16. He doesn’t like a lot of people.
17. But he has learned to tolerate most of them.
18. He is originally from a small, and as yet unnamed, city.
19. He chose the mountains. He did not “settle” for them.
20. Much of his life is a secret only he knows.

*

As for my exercise process: I did this partly to challenge myself (I have never done anything like it before), but I don't think I need do it again. Basically, I have some idea of who my characters are when I start out--and usually, I have to have an image of them--but then I prefer to continue figuring out things while I'm writing. Aside from that, I noticed that, while [As Yet Unnamed] is a new character, and [Name Redacted] is a new version of a character I made up when I was around twelve years old, I found it much easier to come up with things about him.

 

Twenty different things about Mara Jade Skywalker, the main character of “Seasons of Migrations to the North”:

Spoiler

1. Former Emperor’s Hand
2. Loves Luke Skywalker
3. Loves Ben Skywalker
4. Values family greatly
5. Prides herself on being physically fit
6. Mastery of various Force skills
7. Brings great focus and precision to whatever she undertakes
8. Considered beautiful by most
9. Highly intelligent
10. Willing to learn; understands that there is always something else to master
11. Considers herself a servant to the Force and is willing to put the needs of others and of the Force in front of her own desires.
12. Earned the rank of Jedi Master
13. Does not know who her parents were. This makes her value her family by marriage and friendship even more.
14. Skilled pilot and mechanic.
15. Can be very verbally playful with those she feels secure around
16. Believes that there is a logical explanation to everything
17. Prides herself on her independence; hates to be dependent on others
18. Values her sisterly relationship with Leia and Han
19. Willing to share her learning with others
20. Knows Luke Skywalker better than anyone else.

Twenty different things about Luke Skywalker, the secondary character of “Seasons of Migrations to the North”:

Spoiler

1. Puts the will of the Force before everything else.
2. Loves his wife very much
3. Loves his son Ben very much
4. Treasures his relationship with his sister. He believed he had no siblings for so long that to find a lost sister made his life much more meaningful.
5. Has a playful and humorous side that often comes out.
6. Very intelligent, sometimes more intelligent than he is given credit for.
7. Excellent pilot and very good mechanic
8. Unparalleled mastery of the Force
9. Is an excellent teacher and has a sincere fondness for children
10. Because he grew up in a desert, he values water and is a bit mesmerized by it.
11. Always looking for new knowledge in the ways of the Force.
12. Feels responsible for being the bridge between the old and the new Jedi order, and puts great pressure on himself because of that.
13. Relies on his wife to help him see all possible perspectives on an issue. He trusts her implicitly.
14. Has a compassionate heart, but is not a fool.
15. Is not adverse to physical labor. He loves to create things with his hands and finds this to be very relaxing.
16. Values his relationship with Han, his best friend, and would be very uncomfortable if he ever had to choose between taking Han’s side or his sister Leia’s side of an issue.
17. Considers Artoo to be his oldest friend.
18. Has a real love of exploration and enjoys learning about new places and cultures.
19. Always does what he considers the honorable thing. He would never deliberately hurt anyone and always offers even his enemies an opportunity to find a nonviolent solution to a problem.
20. Believes that everyone deserves another chance, regardless of their circumstances.

It was tricky to come up with twenty things about these two characters. Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade Skywalker come pretty well-rounded already. The thing that was tricky was to choose twenty facts about them that were relevant to the story without giving away too much of the story in the process. I think the facts I gave are important to the story, yet don’t tell too much about the twists and turns that the story is going to take. Like I said once before, this is a very different kind of story than what I have ever written and I’m not sure exactly how readers will react to it.

 

I’m sorry. I was going to take seriously, but I am procrastinating studying. And well, WHY CANT BABY LUKE AND LEIA BE MY SECONDARY CHARACTERS! If Pandora is the one auditing the class, I’m the idiot in the back who never takes things seriously

Spoiler: Anakin Skywalker

1. Is glad his blonde hair turned brown with puberty
2. But loves Luke’s blonde hair
3. Always wanted to be proficient with a two lightsaber fighting style but never could
4. Has attention span problems (unless he is mad)
5. Didn’t know being a father was what he wanted most
6. Is vain
7. Is conflicted between grieving for Padmé and moving on as she told him to
8. Hates sand
9. Hates philosophy but feels duty-bound to set the universe at peace
10.Always must be moving – even in his sleep
11.Could never figure out how to meditate
12.Plays with model ships
13.Feels most at ease when piloting
14.Won’t admit it, but he loved training Ahsoka
15.Wants to see the galaxy free of slavery
16.The only thing he likes from Tatooine is the food
17.Likes bland food
18.Will not give up his lightsaber
19.Likes to be organizes
20.compartmentalize everything

Spoiler: Obi-Wan Kenobi

1. feels a duty to the galaxy but not necessarily to the Jedi
2. although it was difficult, training Anakin was one of his greatest joys
3. was disappointed when the council opted not to give him another padawan
4. hates Mace Windu’s purple lightsaber
5. disagrees with the council’s decisions, but understands why they are made
6. feels undeserving of his seat on the Jedi Council
7. this is partly because he almost left the Jedi order
8. if he had not promised his master that he would train Anakin, he wonders if he still would be in the Jedi order
9. wants a baby
10.but has no idea how to care for young children
11.feels a need to help people
12.Is glad he never had to see much of Tatooine when he and his master took refuge there
13.Is open-minded
14.As he gets older he is realizing why his master often did not listen to the council
15.Wonders what his life would have been if he had not been found by Jedi
16.Think Luke looks exactly like Anakin did as a baby, even though Obi-Wan never knew Anakin as a young child
17.Sees his younger, reckless self in Anakin and this gives Obi-Wan hope
18.Hates flying
19.Dreams of what the Jedi should be
20.Knows Anakin should have been the death of him

Spoiler: Luke and Leia

1. Luke’s favourite colour is green
2. Leia’s favourite colour is purple
3. Luke’s favourite toy is a stuffed X-Wing
4. Leia’s favourite toy is whatever Luke has
5. Luke hates his father’s singing
6. Leia has memories of her mother
7. Luke’s favourite method of being put to sleep is Obi-Wan’s voice
8. Leia always tries waits for Luke to fall asleep first
9. Luke hates it when Leia cries
10.Leia doesn’t mind her father’s cybernetic hand
11.Luke likes being warm
12.Leia likes to be a bit cold
13.Luke hates ALL SINGING
14.Leia just hates her father’s singing
15.Luke loves staring at the stars
16.Leia loves feeling sunshine
17.Luke can’t sleep without Leia in the room
18.Leia hates baths
19.Luke loves it when Cyana Jade talks to him
20.Leia loves it whenever Ahsoka is in the room

Like Divapilot, I found this hard as my characters are already pretty well-rounded from ALL THE PROFIC CANNON. I’m not sure if it is lazy writing, but I haven’t really spent a ton of time developing these characters, because the readers already know them. It would probably be boring if I described how Obi-Wan feels towards Anakin etc, because the readers KNOW they are friends. I’m more focused on where the AU events take them, so I didn’t want to give too much away.

Plus, to be honest, my ‘goal’ for this fic is to hit the 12,000 mark, then go onto other projects I want to do (which possibly includes my Poe Dameron attempt at this title). Developing already pretty well-rounded characters just wasn’t on my agenda if you understand my meaning.

 

Twenty different things about
Mick Kerebuy: Dunai, male, 1.85 m, fair, blonde hair, green eyes, single, living on Moniron, born on Bor Rhimmol, has a brother Jim, travelled with his parents to New Holstice and became an orphan when his parents died fighting a fire, became surgeon and medevac pilot, commanded Hospital squadron flying Eta actis interceptors during the clone wars, escaped during the purge to Lingala, worked in Ingal general hospital, went with brother and friends to Moniron, lives in Noranan, works at Noranan general hospital, is test pilot and medevac pilot, loves to ride a husan, loves to swim, is friends with Kaagi Adin

Secondary character: Kaagi Adin: Dunai elder, male, 1.89 m, fair, raven-black hair, silver grey eyes, married, two children, three grandchildren, living on Moniron, orphan found as a two year old in the wilderness of Moniron by Jedi apprentice Aaqu Maerhin and his master Glinis Ra-Ond, raised in the Jeditemple, apprentice to Glinis Ra-Ond, Jedi healer specializing in orthopedics and anaesthesia, therapist, knighted at 22 years after rescue mission and getting injured during that mission, taking a padawan during his recovery and raising him to knighthood, healer often taking care of Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, escaping during the purge and fleeing to Moniron when urged by Master Fay, working in Noranan generalhospital

My characters are well rounded already. It was therefore hard to find things

 

20 things about,

Spoiler: leia

1. Has a strong sense of duty
2. Feels love for Luke
3. And towards Han and their son
4. Is outspoken and impatient with those whoare corrupt and self-seeking
5. Feels the weight of past losses
6. Is trying to move past the whole Vader paternity thing
7. Wishes to see peace and freedom restored
8. Has a hard time not taking on too many responsibilitiees
9. Wants to be part of the solution not contribute to the problem
10. Finds it easier to hide painful emotions
11. Behind keeping busy
12. Or a cold silence
13. But when others reach out to her, she opens up again
14. Once that bridge is there again, she feels safe enough to express herself.
15. She admires those who keep their word and follow through on their promises
16. She is courageous and also
17. Very compassionate
18. She loves growing things woodland scenes
19. Growing up, she never had wishes for adventure like Luke did.
20. She feels she had memories of her mother, but they were really of Sabe.

20 things about,

Spoiler: Mara

1. She has a talent for cyber-sleuthing
2. She is snarky and blunt-spoken
3. She loves flying and feels freest when out amongst the stars
4. She can work as part of a team but likes working on her own
5. She is beautiful but
6. Finds it hard to accept compliments
7. She confides in others rarely but is
8. A very loyal friend once you gain her trust.
9. She grew up on one of the Core Worlds and was recruited by Imperial Intelligence
10. In the confusion after the battle of Endor, she legally changed her name and disappeared for a while
11. Then she ran into Karrde and his information-brokering and became allied with Ghent
12. Mara has always had Force skills, which she kept hidden but which include
13. A keen danger sense
14. Perceptiveness about others and what makes them tick
15. Lightsaber skills, eventually
16. Because of her own keen sense of self-reliance, she is good at hand-to-hand combat and with a holdout blaster.
17. She has a romantic side, of which she is unaware, but which is awaiting just the right inspiration to unfold.
18. Mara is uncomfortable around kids.
19. She believes strongly that the Jedi Order of the past totally had some philosophical flaws, particularly when it comes to attachments.
20. She believes strongly that one can be a "servant of the Force" without cloistering oneself away and does not feel the Jedi should tie themselves to being an "arm" of the NR.

Thanks to Briannakin & divapilot & their marvelous lists, it helped me flush out my own, which incidentally, helped broaden my character/back story profiles for "Much Ado."

---

Got something up in "Much Ado" -- setting the stage for oomphy happenings. 785 words.

 

Man...so clearly TFA hasn't dampened our love for our favorite Redhead...so I read the previous posts a couple days ago, but haven't re-opened them in the hopes of coming up with something semi-original for my 20 things...

Spoiler: Mara Jade

1. Driven. If I had to pick one word to define her, it would be "drive." Nothing stands in her way.
2. Beautiful and she knows it. Uses it when she needs to, but I'd never use the word "slutty" to describe her.
3. Holds her liquor well.
4. A skilled mechanic (I think we forget that sometimes!)
5. Doesn't have many friends, but is fiercely loyal to those she does call a friend
6. Does well with children...feels vaguely uncomfortable around them, but treats them like equals.
7. A very, very good pilot. I think she knows her ship's capabilities so well, she uses them to their best advantage.
8. Always thinking, planning, looking at possible angles in any situation.
9. Doesn't sit with her back to the door.
10. Has a beautiful laugh...though it isn't heard very often.
11. Usually the smartest person in the room, because she studies and researches.
12. Snarky and is free with distributing the sarcasm, but struggles to sometimes communicate her true feelings.
13. Never misses a shot--excellent aim.
14. A very clean person, in her quarters/ship and personal hygiene.
15. Graceful--dances beautifully, moves smoothly and precisely.
16. Proficient at hand-to-hand combat. Secretly enjoys when people underestimate her for her size and she can take them down.
17. Enjoys the company of the "fringe" world, but is just as comfortable in Coruscant high society, and misses it sometimes.
18. Loves music, secretly. Enjoys attending the opera and performing arts shows.
19. A great conversationalist when she wants to be--but also enjoys and isn't bothered by silence.
20. Values her independence above all. Never wants to be controlled by anyone or anything.

Spoiler: Luke Skywalker

1. Actually fun to be around! Takes teasing and can give it back, has a great sense of humor, though he holds it in sometimes.
2. Obviously a great pilot...but flies by feel and instinct and guts.
3. Truly believes there is goodness in everyone.
4. Always helpful--holds doors, picks things up that a harried mother dropped, etc.
5. Has masterful control over his emotions and the Force...but it's hard-fought.
6. LOVES children--wants nothing more than to just crawl into their world and play.
7. Finds it very easy to encourage and bolster people, and sees their hurts/faults/shortcomings easily.
8. Love good comfort food. Really loves to eat and stuff his face!!
9. Enjoys practicing with his lightsaber. Finds it calming and helps center him.
10. Loves water, and swimming especially
11. A heavy sleeper, and can fall asleep anywhere.
12. Holds his hurts deep--maybe seems like things roll off him, but he's really tucking them deep in his heart.
13. Feels his "orphaning" keenly, and so he values his family (Leia, Han, etc.) greatly.
14. Knows how to party when to occasion calls for it (he was in Rogue Squadron after all!).
15. Loves doing things with his hands--mechanical pursuits, tinkering, etc.
16. An early riser--loves mornings and sunrises.
17. Loves exploring new places, trying new things, collecting new experiences.
18. Has many friends, and cares almost as much about his acquaintances. Makes friends easily.
19. Needs to connect with a lover in all ways--emotionally, romantically, sexually, and in their interests...and he hasn't found that yet.
20. Believes in fate, and luck, and true love.

Man, that seriously took me an hour to come up with....but it really helped me shape who I want them to be. Because (I promise I won't be up on this soapbox for long) but I feel like we all (as writers) give our own spin to these characters we love so much. My Mara is different than Bri's Mara, who will be different than Diva's Mara. We each bring something to them that I think is a bit of ourselves. We also have our own spin on how they react to different situations, and we each pull out pieces of their character that fit that way we see them. THAT's what I love about Fanfic writing, especially here on TFN. <gets off box>

 

Srsly, Irish_Jedi_Jade - I love your Mara and Luke. For themselves and with one another.

 

Okay, I'm playing catch-up here, because I neglected this thread so much over the past few weeks. I'll do the 20 things exercise only for one character, because I want to answer the questions of weeks 14 and 15 about canon and original characters.

So, canon characters... Well, as much as I love reading about canon characters, I'm not very much of a canon character writer. I can count the major canon characters I've written for more than a cameo or a short appearance on the fingers of one hand -- that would be Vader, Palpatine and Thrawn, which are the only major canon characters for which I have a "feel" and that I'm comfortable writing. I've also written Mara Jade and Quinlan Vos, but for shorter appearances and only in very specific periods of their lives (e.g. I wrote Mara as the Emperor's Hand, but I'd never write her in the Beyond era). I was asked to write Luke for the fic-gift exchange and [heresy] I HATED it [/heresy]. I just don't like writing a well-formed character that I didn't create. Which is also why I don't like writing AUs -- I've written only one of those (still for the fic-gift exchange) and if I hadn't been able to centre it on Vader, I would have hated it too.

On the other hand, I love writing secondary and minor canon characters (e.g. Admiral Piett, LaRone, Zaarin, Dex, etc) because I have just enough info to guide me, but little enough that I can do my own thing. Plus, it allows me to "fit" my story into canon, for those stories at least where I'm working within the parameters of the established storyline (that's not the case for If This Is a Man, since there's no established storyline for the distant past in the New Canon).

Conversely, I absolutely adore writing original characters -- and what I love even more is to take a minor OC that I made up for a single scene of one story and write a bigger story where s/he is the protagonist. I feel that with OCs the possibilities are endless, and I must have written every possible sort: heroes, villains, scoundrels, Mother Teresas, men, women, children, elderly, human, alien, droid... I write OCs both to insert them in the official storyline and to create stories that happen on the sidelines of official lore, and both are great fun. I guess that what I like with OCs is that they give me space to do what I want and to explore the themes I'm interested in. One quirk I have with OCs is to put a little bit of me in every one of them -- they'll be a chain smoker, or they'll wear glasses, or they'll have a very tiny little toe... Okay, that last bit was a piece of info about me you didn't need to know, but never mind

Like others said last week, I find that the term "Mary Sue" is bandied about far too often, both for canon characters and for OCs. It's basically used as shorthand for "I don't like this character because s/he disrupts my vision of this universe" and I find that argument beyond annoying. I for one haven't read a character that I'd describe as a Mary Sue in a loooong time, and I'm very sad that the fear of the Mary Sue has become such a concern for writers that it sometimes prevents them from developing their character in a credible way (because yeah, there's a limit to how many anti-heroes you can have in the same story without it becoming pointless).

That was today's dissertation, now here are the twenty things about Doctor Protyp.

Spoiler

1. She's a medical genius, well ahead of her times, but
2. She's also insecure and is desperate for recognition.
3. She hides her insecurity under a veneer of ambition.
4. There are few things (if any) that she's not prepared to do to get recognition.
5. She likes to dominate people.
6. She likes expensive things.
7. She smokes aromatic cigarras with a very long cigarette holder.
8. Her favourite place for drinks is the bar of the Hotel Meurix on Coruscant, and her favourite restaurant is The Silver Tower, also on Coruscant (both are luxury establishments).
9. She only ever left the Core Worlds to find test subjects for her experiments.
10. She thinks that people living outside the Core are barbarians.
11. She thinks that people who migrate from the Core to faraway areas of the Galaxy are fools.
12. She doesn't have friends, only lackeys.
13. She has a lot of enemies.
14. She was pretty when she was young, but she never cared about it.
15. She speaks with a very sophisticated accent...
16. ... but that's not the accent she grew up with.
17. She had an identical twin who died shortly after birth.
18. She never speaks of her family.
19. She's the least compassionate person you'll meet.
20. In the end, she might be a medical genius, but she's just not a good doctor.

Off to cook some dinner, and I'll try not to fall asleep before I post the new discussion topic