Characters The Essential Guide to OC's: The Mini Challenge Revival - Prompt the Fourth!

OC Writing Tip #2
Make a Good First Impression! How did you introduce your character? Was it slow steady, or all at once? The general rule is: show, don't tell. (That was actually an oqidaun tip when I started my first OC story) When you meet someone new, do you spend ten minutes staring at them? No. (Unless of course its Aunt Mole ) If there's something striking about the character at first glance, uncommon eye or hair color, a disfigurement, or outlandish clothes; then write that down. Don't go into detail about everything they're wearing or what their face and build looks like. You can elaborate during the course of the story, otherwise it only serves to slow things down, and if you find your story dragging in places it may be because you've detailed too much in the descriptions.

That's a tip I'll keep in mind. Thanks!

Edit: This is probably the best Index I've seen on these boards. Really, really great job here. Forgot to congratulate you for an amazing job . . .

 

I think these questions already got answered but I think I messed the answers.


We can use OC's we've used before right?

And we don't have to use new ones but we can right?

 

1. I certainly hope so.

2. If you want to, go ahead and make up some new ones.

 

Phew thats good to know thanks leiamoody.

 

Thank-you my friend, and I'm glad you liked the tip as well!

Just as leiamoody already stated, absolutely! Use some of your old favorites, or create some new ones...or mix 'n match; it's all up to you!

 

See, The Chief's so generous with all of us ...

...although that might be due to the fact he knows some of us might hurt him if he were to require a newly created OC all the time.

Random question here...am I the only person who uses specific people as physical models for characters? In my case, I'm using actors/actresses. I see that others do this in certain other venues. But it also seems like more people rely on drawings or other types of artwork.

 

Half-half, here. A few of my OCs are really "based" on actors, like Clive Owen and Jason Momoa. But then, of other OCs I don't have physical models at all, and of others, I like to make artworks and photomanipulations. (what isN't exactly describing real physical traits, with mainly Mandalorians with helmets on)

 

Evil begats evil...

Absolutely...on both. I've seen plenty of artwork done by authors to pair up with their characters (like Corran_Fett), but I think moreso people have specific actors, or other celebrities/characters in mind when creating their OCs.

Myself, I have a droid with Alan Rickman's voice; which alone creates the "whole" personality of the character, (you're not sure if you should trust him).

Another, hyper ex-Jedi, which is based off of Dane Cook (physically and personality-wise), from the ten years previous his movie career when I used to go watch him perform in comedy clubs.

And then thirdly, I have another character, who is kind of a composite of Gimli(from LOTR) for the physical aspect, and the countrymen of William Wallace in Braveheart for the personality.



Pop Quiz: (Don't groan, thank/blame leiamoody for brining it up)

How many other's out there use celebrities/actors as models for their OCs looks?

Do any use people from their daily lives?

How about for their OC personalities; do you pull elements of the character from RL individuals, or from other characters from movies/t.v./books?

Use examples.

 

I can't draw to save my life so if I want to get approximate visions of my OCs I'll have to ask someone else. This, of course, can cause problems, because they could develop a significantly different version of the character.

As for the questions:

How many other's out there use celebrities/actors as models for their OCs looks?

Occasionally, that's happened. My Legacy's Scion OC Maiko ****er is based off the male teenager in War of the Worlds (Tom Cruise version). However, when I do OC children of canonical characters (such as J/J and Ben Skywalker and the universally accepted version of Jysella Horn) I try to make amalgamations of their parents, aunts, grandfathers, etc. Example: Ansel Skywalker has brown eyes and red gold hair, and is around Mara Jade's height. Issac, her younger brother, however, has Leia-brown hair and blue eyes and hasn't gotten much taller than Jaina. Winry had dark blonde hair, brown eyes, and has actually almost caught up to Issac in height despite her three-year age differential between her and Issac. And sometimes, I base an OC off an anime` character (Aster Nightflare is a result of this).

Do any use people from their daily lives?

I generally keep RL out of my characterizations unless it's someone I absolutely despise (or adore). Then I make sure to kill him or her off early and painfully. If I genuinely love (or like depending on the gender ) the RL person, however . . . I think you'll figure out what happens.

How about for their OC personalities; do you pull elements of the character from RL individuals, or from other characters from movies/t.v./books?

Not from RL (except for the absolute adoration/despise factor), but yeah, occasionally from movies/tv/books, you'll see a trait or two. Anime` is a major influence, but I actually enjoy crafting personalities without drawing on too many outside influences. I'm a character writer and I do pride myself on forming dozens of complete personalities without relying on outside influences (except with SW canon characters of course).

 

That all depends...is it the Alan Rickman from Die Hard, or the Alan Rickman from Sense and Sensibility?

Oh sure, blame the torture on the innocent party.

I only use actors/actresses as physical models for my OC's, major and minor. I never consciously set out to do this. But I need a three-dimensional person to visualize in order to write a character effectively. I see characters and scenes as movies in my head, so I guess over time it just made sense to use certain actors and actresses as the models.

So it came to pass that I wound up with Ioan Gruffudd, Kate Winslet, Jamie Bamber, and Natalie Portman as the physical models for my four main OC's. Natalie was literally a last-minute kind of indirect choice, though. I really didn't want to use anyone who's already been in the Star Wars movies. But her part in Closer fit perfectly the vision I had in mind for Nalieza, which I call "a space flapper". Short kind of bob hair cut like Louise Brooks... This might seem odd, considering she played Padme, but I can split the two roles in half. And I'm not going to turn down an influence that works for me just because the actress happened to be in the movies before. (Besides, I wasn't even going to use Padme in my AU for the longest time. As it stands now, she'll show up later on, but she'll be middle-aged).

When it comes to developing the OC personalities, I'm drawing a lot on different aspects of myself, but also utilizing certain characteristics of the actors/actresses I'm drawing inspiration from on the physical level. (I draw on certain things mentioned in interviews. Nothing personally damaging, just certain vague little incidents or quirks). But in the case of Civriel, I'm actually taking quite a bit of inspiration from the role that inspired me to use Ioan Gruffudd as his physical model. There's this little series A&E put out a few years ago called Horatio Hornblower...well, let's just say due to having seen these, Civ has got some of Horatio's personality traits, and I also managed to get an entire planet out of the deal, too (combined with elements of the Greek islands).

It was through Hornblower that I was introduced to Jamie Bamber (in the guise of the character Archie Kennedy). Eventually, he became the model for Josym. Specifically, Jos has the appearance of Jamie Bamber as Archie Kennedy...but with the American accent Jamie uses when he's playing Lee Adama on Battlestar Galactica. (Confusing, non?)

As for Kate Winslet...she came to influence Meaithe's character after I saw two of Kate's films where she was playing a spiritually messed up sort poking about in alternative religions. Combine that with my interest in the afterlife, and you have Mea.

I don't use any influences from people I've known. That would just be opening me up to a whole slew of lawsuits.

These aren't the only influences I use, obviously. There are others in there that I can't always pinpoint precisely. I throw in Jungian archetypes and Arthurian characters if they seem appropriate. I might read about something in a news article and decide that might be perfect for one of my characters. It's a constantly evolving process. (As you can tell by how many times I've edited this post).

 

Sounds spooky.

Or from Harry Potter....?^^

Well, there's my OC Gladus Tite who's a personality that could be compared to Richard B. Riddick, but for my other OCs, not really - maybe mixes of numerous influences, but not so much. I do, however, use names from books, films and games for my OCs. (like Altair from Assassin's Creed, or Macus Fenix from Markus Fenix in Gears of War).

 

How many other's out there use celebrities/actors as models for their OCs looks?

I don't. I usually come up with the textual description first, doodle a bit on my own next. If I were asked to cast my stories like a movie, then I might look up suitable actors. I want to avoid any baggage carried by a celebrity/actor that might color the perception of my OC.

Do any use people from their daily lives?

I don't, in general. With close friends and family, it's a snakepit to include them in your fiction, in case they ever recognize themselves and think it's less than flattering. I don't consciously avoid it, either, but most people from my real life just don't seem to fit what I write.

How about for their OC personalities; do you pull elements of the character from RL individuals, or from other characters from movies/t.v./books?

I actually start with a mythic archetype, and then flesh it out into a full character with twists, flaws, and unique traits. I'm generally not consciously employing elements of people real or fictional.

As for examples... well, I think that'd be telling more than I want to about my current story cycle, I think.

 

How many other's out there use celebrities/actors as models for their OCs looks?


I haven't done that at all, probably, cause I don't watch tv or movies all that much.


Do any use people from their daily lives?

Yes I do that alot, Friends, family and just people I know.

Even someone online friends. I think its something nice to do and alot of the the people use like it.

How about for their OC personalities; do you pull elements of the character from RL individuals, or from other characters from movies/t.v./books?

I tend to pull from everything, just being around alot of different people helps with it.

 

Random question here...am I the only person who uses specific people as physical models for characters? In my case, I'm using actors/actresses. I see that others do this in certain other venues. But it also seems like more people rely on drawings or other types of artwork.

I don?t really do ether most of the time. Sometimes though I use RL people who I might have based the OC on as the guide for the physical appearance. I like to ?cast? ? meaning that after I have created an OC I?ll go out and look for pics on the internet that look like him/her.


How many other's out there use celebrities/actors as models for their OCs looks?

I don?t. I usually make the OC first and then go out and ?cast?

Do any use people from their daily lives?

Yes, a lot of my OC have what I call ?character bases? Lottos from The Ways Of The Force is based loosely on my dad ? both personality and looks wise. Usually if I base a character on an RL person that person?s looks are a guide for the OCs appearance as well (with alterations here and there of course).

How about for their OC personalities; do you pull elements of the character from RL individuals, or from other characters from movies/t.v./books?

The first part I answered above (Yes I do base OCs on RL ppl). I also do sometimes base OCs on other character, I must admit. Keithbert from The Keithbert Files is loosely based on Cuthbert Allgood from the Dark Tower series by Stephen King.

 

How many other's out there use celebrities/actors as models for their OCs looks?
I don't see the point, not like i'm casting them for a fanfilm anytime soon.

Do any use people from their daily lives?
I use myself as quelsas looks

How about for their OC personalities; do you pull elements of the character from RL individuals, or from other characters from movies/t.v./books?

Quelsa is a mix of many video game, movie,and book personalities.

 

*blinks in awe* This is the coolest thread ever!!! *bookmarks page happily*

Ooh, a pop quiz...

How many other's out there use celebrities/actors as models for their OC's looks?

Actually, not really. I'm an artist as well as a writer, and my sketchbooks are completely packed with sketches of characters and scenes from my stories. However, random people in magazines and such are entirely different stories. If someone in a pic looks like my OC, I'll cut 'em out and stick 'em in my Writing Binder of Doom.

Do any use people from their daily lives?

I'll occasionally steal someone's name, if I like it. Sometimes, if I notice a particular quirk about somebody that would be interesting in an OC, I'll use that too. I'm a bit of a magpie in that way.

How about for their OC personalities; do you pull elements of the character from RL individuals, or from other characters from movies/t.v./books?

From time to time, yes. I can't think of any off the top of my head, though... I do, however, use an interesting resource for creating original characters and worlds...music. Sometimes I'll hear a song and be like "Ohmygosh! That's just like (insert name here)!" And it'll sorta become their theme song. My character Coda has two: Hero, by Frou-Frou, and Stars, by Switchfoot.
Occasionally a song will create a character around itself. Peter Gabriel's song Mercy Street did that. Now I've got a character named Anne Sixton drifting around my head, and her entire story is based off that song.

Oh, and count me in for a challenge, too!

 

Okay. After much internal debate, I've worked up the courage to come and talk with all you. Your all such amazing writers, and I'm so, well, not, I kind felt intimidated. But I am here. And I am an OC writer! And I always will be! Viva la Revolucion! (Insert the first upside down ! in your mind, por favor.)

Okay, pop quiz. Here we go! *Gulps*

1.) No, I don't usually use celebrities/actors, for the most part. I may imagine them looking that good, but I also want to try and keep them real. So I try and avoid it as much as possible.

2.) A bit, certainly. Not a huge deal, but yes. Hair color, eye shape, stuff like that I take sometimes. But for the most part they come off the top of my head.

3.) Yes! I do this a lot. Probably so much I would be sued if I was a real writer. Well, no, not that much, but they are definetly some familar elements floating around in my OC's personality. Unfortunetly, I tend to steal from myself, which of course, is not really a good thing. But I like to think the odd things I put in make them more real. Hopefully.

I think I may try the Challenge as well, though I don't have much time, do I? Can I do OCs I haven't written about before, or just ones I have? I have some people I plan on writing about but haven't yet, can I do them?

 

Welcome DanceWithSabers (don't feel intimidated, we've finished hazing over a week ago) and to all the other new faces!

I guess I should stand, and answer my own questions...

How many other's out there use celebrities/actors as models for their OCs looks?

I do, simply as a point of reference; I'm not very visually artistic, and there's usually enough difference for them not to be seen as a character "written" for a particular actor.

Do any use people from their daily lives?

I have two characters that are like brothers, both of which are based off of a dear friend who is also like a brother to me. They're similar, but he has two very distinct sides to him, so each character excells in the opposite parts of my friend personality. Other than them not really. Not that I can think of.

How about for their OC personalities; do you pull elements of the character from RL individuals, or from other characters from movies/t.v./books?

Mostly gestures, or other elements. Sometimes a movie character's line, or demeanor will spawn a whole new OC for me, while the rest of that characters presence is meaningless as far as influence goes.

That seems to be a common question, and I say whatever is in your favor. If using a current OC is a great way to develop his/her character; or if you'd like to try someone new, I say go for it!

Remember Due 12/14! Please, PM me your entries, and remember: there's four to choose from, so no one should feel at a loss for ideas.

 

How many other's out there use celebrities/actors as models for their OCs looks?

Unless the character is Hapan, I try not to in order to avoid Mary Suism.

Do any use people from their daily lives?

Yes.

How about for their OC personalities; do you pull elements of the character from RL individuals, or from other characters from movies/t.v./books?

Both.

 

When we post our story, do have to have it done right then or can do it in pieces and then PM it?

 

Kilik, you can PM me with the first post if you'd like, but I won't post the entry list until the due date of the 14th.

If you prefer, you can just PM me the link on the 14th, that way you'll have had a chance to updat between now and then.

EDIT: Folks, don't forget to include "Essential OC Challenge" in the Title bar for the indexers, including myself for all your entries. Thanks.

 

This thread's too awesome to wallow in Page 2. UP!

 

Thanks! But there's no need to UP it for me. I update at least every Friday - I'm like a pebble in your shoe, a constant irritant that you can't forget...

This Weeks Updates:

I have added a couple of characters to the Database, including your own cheesey! (Keep those coming folks!) Also added some more links for some of Corran_Fett's OCs as well.

Only one story this week: Recovery by Jedi Trace

Just one?!? That's because I know you're all busy on your challenge submission, right?
Remeber folks, due December 14th! Only 6 more shopping days left!


Some of you may notice the indexes on page one aren't in the same order they were before. I just did a bit of rearanging so things were more sensible in my eyes. The story indexes are all the same, but several of the other sections have been re-mixed.
See the Table of Contents in the first post if you have trouble finding where on the page a particular feature is.

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[b][u]OC Writing Tip #3[/u][/b]

[u]Your OC will be lucky to get out of life alive![/u] Half the solution to making readers care about your OC lies within the beginning. You have perhaps a paragraph to capture the reader's attention. Since not much character development can be done in one paragraph, you must fall back on situation. This means you must arrange a situation where your OC faces a dire problem such as facing a terminal illness, or their mother has abandoned them - something compelling like that. Readers will immediatly feel interested in the character because they can imagine how they would feel in his/her situation (even if it's Darth Vader chasing them down). As this process continues, with one life-challenge after another being presented, the character is developed through these experiences by their actions and reactions. The situations you place your character in is also a great way to reveal a bit about your OC's past. [face_wink]

 

Awesome writing tip!

Thank you for sharing it.

 

Great tip!

Hmm, Ale...I sent you a couple of my OCs along with one of my fics for the index. You put my fic up but the OCs never got indexed. Is that just a mistake or did I do something wrong?