Post by Ampersand on May 31, 2021 0:34:11 GMT
OK! You’ve got your character backstory, and you have an idea of what their archetype is!
So, why are we still lingering on character creation?
Glad you asked!
There’s a few reasons I’m spending a lot of time on character creation. Your character is going to be the most important thing about your writing. No matter what you write, your character is going to be at the center of your piece; they’re the foundation of your roleplaying. If you don’t have a good grasp on them, it’s going to compromise the whole structure you build upon that foundation.
I’m also approaching this from a few different angles because there are many ways of learning, people hold different values when it comes to writing, and I want to open as many points of entry as possible for those who are new to the hobby or want to take a different approach to their stories.
At this point, you likely have a good idea of who your character is in the broad strokes. You’ve got their background and you have an idea of what they want and what they're doing about it. Now come the little tweaks, details, and polish that add some extra life to your wrestler.
These are some miscellaneous suggestions and exercises to help you get into your character’s mindset, better visualize them, and help portray a well-rounded person. I’m going to show you some examples I made using my current e-fed character, Silvio Leon.
Let’s do this!
Character Playlist
This is a pretty common one for folks to do to get in character. Got some songs that remind you of your wrestler? Put them into a playlist! This can help you get into the right mood to do some writing and put you in your character’s headspace. There are a lot of services that can help you with this like Spotify, Amazon Music, or YouTube, just to name a few.
Here’s one I made for Silvio!
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Much like the archetypes discussed in Character Creation 102, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a test that sorts personalities into sixteen different types. This is a test that indicates general tendencies, so if your character doesn't fit cleanly into one type or another, don’t worry - they aren’t really meant to. It can still be helpful to better understand your character as well as how they approach the world and other people.
Try taking the test as your character here and see what kinds of results you get!
When I took the test with Silvio, he received ENFJ; Extroverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging. The strengths of this type are that they tend to be tolerant, reliable, altruistic, and make natural leaders. Their weaknesses are being overly idealistic, too sensitive, too selfless, and having wildly fluctuating self-esteem. This is my boy all over, and knowing that helps me to get a better idea of how he will act in different situations as well as what he values.
Visualization and Sensory Perception
How is your character’s personality conveyed through the way they move? What is their body language like? What kind of clothes do they usually wear? How do they decorate their home? Do they have a favorite perfume or cologne they usually wear?
In his book, ‘About Writing,’ Samuel R. Delany describes storytelling like this:
‘However much, as readers, we lose ourselves in a novel or story, fiction itself is an experience on the order of memory-not on the order of actual occurrence. It looks like the writer is telling you a story. What the writer is actually doing, however, is using words to evoke a series of micromemories from your own experience that inmix, join, and connect in your mind in an order the writer controls, so that, in effect, you have a sustained memory of something that never happened to you. That false memory is what a story is.’
When you’re writing, if you want to make an engaging experience, think of what you’re making in your reader’s head with the words you’re arranging in your piece. Think about the false memory you’re creating together. How do you use this to make the experience more evocative? Your character’s personality and values will have a way of making themselves known even in non-dialogue portions of your work.
Is their home minimalist or maximalist? Do they swagger when they walk, or are their footsteps tentative and nervous? Do they dress casually, or can they not leave the house unless they’re immaculately suited and booted? What if the way they present themselves is completely at odds with their internal conception of who they are? What does that tell the reader? What does it tell you?
There’s so much a character can communicate without saying a word. Let me show you some examples:
Look at how Howl chooses to decorate his bedroom in Howl’s Moving Castle by Studio Ghibli. He has all of these incredible curios, pieces of art, and objects that are clearly from all over the world. This room projects his wealth, power, and experience. But look at what he keeps closest to him - we see his bed has stuffed animals on it, he uses leaves and various bits of paper for bookmarks in his books, and there’s a mobile nearby that is made of simple mushrooms and peppers. This indicates a childishness or immaturity. His bedroom is, in a way, an outward projection of his personality. He’s this powerful, well-traveled wizard, and that’s how the world sees him, but inside he’s also immature and childish with a lot to learn about being human.
Check out this character study from Big Hero Six. Watch and see how the simple act of walking into a room and sitting down in a chair tells us so much about these characters’ personalities.
My e-fed character, Silvio, has a very punk-inspired fashion sense. He’s covered in tattoos and piercings, has a devil-may-care attitude about him, dabbles extensively in the occult, is an occasional drag artist, and has a history of shop-lifting, pick-pocketing, and breaking-and-entering. However, his home is decorated as if it came right out of a wholesome 1990s family sitcom. What does that tell you about him?
Mood Boards
Mood boards are great if you’re a visual thinker! Collect a series of images that remind you of your character and create a collage with them. I made the mood board below for Silvio using a free template from Milanote. See what you can come up with!
Personality Quirks and Preferences
What’s your character’s favorite meal? Do they paint their nails before every match for luck? What kinds of movies do they prefer? Do they have any habits like knuckle cracking? Do they sing in the shower? What’s their Starbucks order?
These may seem like small, inconsequential things, but it’s little details like this that can help add dimension to your character and make them seem more real; more human.
For example, Silvio has a sweet tooth, carries Jolly Ranchers with him just about everywhere, and will typically connect with people by sharing food.
These are all ways you can make your character feel more well-rounded and get into the mood to write them. Polish and attention to detail can be the thing that sets your character apart and give that little extra oomph to your RPs. Let’s see what you come up with!
So, why are we still lingering on character creation?
Glad you asked!
There’s a few reasons I’m spending a lot of time on character creation. Your character is going to be the most important thing about your writing. No matter what you write, your character is going to be at the center of your piece; they’re the foundation of your roleplaying. If you don’t have a good grasp on them, it’s going to compromise the whole structure you build upon that foundation.
I’m also approaching this from a few different angles because there are many ways of learning, people hold different values when it comes to writing, and I want to open as many points of entry as possible for those who are new to the hobby or want to take a different approach to their stories.
At this point, you likely have a good idea of who your character is in the broad strokes. You’ve got their background and you have an idea of what they want and what they're doing about it. Now come the little tweaks, details, and polish that add some extra life to your wrestler.
These are some miscellaneous suggestions and exercises to help you get into your character’s mindset, better visualize them, and help portray a well-rounded person. I’m going to show you some examples I made using my current e-fed character, Silvio Leon.
Let’s do this!
Character Playlist
This is a pretty common one for folks to do to get in character. Got some songs that remind you of your wrestler? Put them into a playlist! This can help you get into the right mood to do some writing and put you in your character’s headspace. There are a lot of services that can help you with this like Spotify, Amazon Music, or YouTube, just to name a few.
Here’s one I made for Silvio!
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Much like the archetypes discussed in Character Creation 102, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a test that sorts personalities into sixteen different types. This is a test that indicates general tendencies, so if your character doesn't fit cleanly into one type or another, don’t worry - they aren’t really meant to. It can still be helpful to better understand your character as well as how they approach the world and other people.
Try taking the test as your character here and see what kinds of results you get!
When I took the test with Silvio, he received ENFJ; Extroverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging. The strengths of this type are that they tend to be tolerant, reliable, altruistic, and make natural leaders. Their weaknesses are being overly idealistic, too sensitive, too selfless, and having wildly fluctuating self-esteem. This is my boy all over, and knowing that helps me to get a better idea of how he will act in different situations as well as what he values.
Visualization and Sensory Perception
How is your character’s personality conveyed through the way they move? What is their body language like? What kind of clothes do they usually wear? How do they decorate their home? Do they have a favorite perfume or cologne they usually wear?
In his book, ‘About Writing,’ Samuel R. Delany describes storytelling like this:
‘However much, as readers, we lose ourselves in a novel or story, fiction itself is an experience on the order of memory-not on the order of actual occurrence. It looks like the writer is telling you a story. What the writer is actually doing, however, is using words to evoke a series of micromemories from your own experience that inmix, join, and connect in your mind in an order the writer controls, so that, in effect, you have a sustained memory of something that never happened to you. That false memory is what a story is.’
When you’re writing, if you want to make an engaging experience, think of what you’re making in your reader’s head with the words you’re arranging in your piece. Think about the false memory you’re creating together. How do you use this to make the experience more evocative? Your character’s personality and values will have a way of making themselves known even in non-dialogue portions of your work.
Is their home minimalist or maximalist? Do they swagger when they walk, or are their footsteps tentative and nervous? Do they dress casually, or can they not leave the house unless they’re immaculately suited and booted? What if the way they present themselves is completely at odds with their internal conception of who they are? What does that tell the reader? What does it tell you?
There’s so much a character can communicate without saying a word. Let me show you some examples:
Look at how Howl chooses to decorate his bedroom in Howl’s Moving Castle by Studio Ghibli. He has all of these incredible curios, pieces of art, and objects that are clearly from all over the world. This room projects his wealth, power, and experience. But look at what he keeps closest to him - we see his bed has stuffed animals on it, he uses leaves and various bits of paper for bookmarks in his books, and there’s a mobile nearby that is made of simple mushrooms and peppers. This indicates a childishness or immaturity. His bedroom is, in a way, an outward projection of his personality. He’s this powerful, well-traveled wizard, and that’s how the world sees him, but inside he’s also immature and childish with a lot to learn about being human.
Check out this character study from Big Hero Six. Watch and see how the simple act of walking into a room and sitting down in a chair tells us so much about these characters’ personalities.
My e-fed character, Silvio, has a very punk-inspired fashion sense. He’s covered in tattoos and piercings, has a devil-may-care attitude about him, dabbles extensively in the occult, is an occasional drag artist, and has a history of shop-lifting, pick-pocketing, and breaking-and-entering. However, his home is decorated as if it came right out of a wholesome 1990s family sitcom. What does that tell you about him?
Mood Boards
Mood boards are great if you’re a visual thinker! Collect a series of images that remind you of your character and create a collage with them. I made the mood board below for Silvio using a free template from Milanote. See what you can come up with!
Personality Quirks and Preferences
What’s your character’s favorite meal? Do they paint their nails before every match for luck? What kinds of movies do they prefer? Do they have any habits like knuckle cracking? Do they sing in the shower? What’s their Starbucks order?
These may seem like small, inconsequential things, but it’s little details like this that can help add dimension to your character and make them seem more real; more human.
For example, Silvio has a sweet tooth, carries Jolly Ranchers with him just about everywhere, and will typically connect with people by sharing food.
These are all ways you can make your character feel more well-rounded and get into the mood to write them. Polish and attention to detail can be the thing that sets your character apart and give that little extra oomph to your RPs. Let’s see what you come up with!