Unique Characters

[K5Rakitan]

Maybe I just need to go out and touch grass and talk to people idk.

Yes.

 

[TheEldritchGod]

If you are having problems making a character Here's my cheat sheet

Name
Race
Apparent Age
Actual Age
Sex
Gender
Height
Weight
Eye Color
Hair Color
Parents (How many, Sex, general Relations)
Place of birth

Current mental Age group: (Childhood/teen Age/Young Adult/Older Adult/Elder)
Where PC/NPC spent their (Childhood/teen Age/Young Adult/Older Adult/Elder)
Note Worthy Events of (Childhood/teen Age/Young Adult/Older Adult/Elder)
Current Socio-Economic Standing (Poor/Lower Class/Middle Class/Upper Class/SuperRich)

Stats: 1-5
Physical: Strength/Dexterity/Stamina
Social: Charisma/Manipulation/Appearance
Mental: Intelligence/Wisdom/Perception

Moralty (scale of 1-5)
Good-Evil (Objective Morality)
Right-Wrong (Subjective Morality)
Legal-Crime (Social Morality)
Positive-Negative (Outcome Morality)

I go with the 1-5 scale with occasionally 0 or 5+

Nobody lives in a vacuum. However, everyone rhymes. get in your head the above groups and some stereotypical traits for each.

A guy who's morality is Objective 1, Subjective 1, Social 5, Outcome 1 is a kind of guy who believes in "Good" Outside himself, and seeks to internalize it. he thinks society is corrupt, and willing to commit crimes if the outcome is positive.

ie Batman.

Charisma is personality, Manipulation is how controlling you can be, and appearance is how you look.

So your typical otome Villainess is a Chr 1, Manip 4, App 4.

When you get good at it, you can "short hand" a character with ease

base stats:
4/2/4
2/2/1
1/1/4

So strong, average speed, tough
Average personality, looks like someone used his face as a punching bag
Dumb as a box of rocks, but he can see ninjas trying to sneak past him.

Morality: 3/3/3/3

Does not give a shit and is out for himself. A true neutral.

So this guy is a thug.

Age: 3 So he's in Young Adult Group. He thinks he's immortal and at his physical prime.
Mental age: 2 He's kinda retarded. Won't be making many skill checks.
Where grew up: 1/1/3
So he grew up in a poor place, recently made some money.

Note worthy events.

1: Dad used to Beat him
2: Dad abandoned his family
3: Joined a gang.

SO...

Given the outline, think you could write his dialog different from YOU?

Edit:

Oh forgot

Talent/Skill/Knowledge

Talent being what someone is born with.
Skill being what they learn
Knowledge being what they know

So a 1/1/5 would be a bookworm
3/10/12 would be batman. (yes, it's on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being max human potential.

 

[SomethingStuffHappend]

If you are having problems making a character Here's my cheat sheet

Thanks I actually like this a lot honestly.

 

[Absolution]

Idk how to make other characters talk like they are there own person. Isn't it just me thinking what they would say? It's not actually what a person like that would talk like. Idk wtf I'm doing tbh been stuck awhile just because I feel like its not that person talking but me. How do you guys go about this?

Maybe I just need to go out and touch grass and talk to people idk. But I'm looking for certain kinds of people this is just really confusing and frustrating looking at words on a computer or book is a lot different than actual people talking in the moment.

What I'm trying to say is how do you make your characters feel like they are people.

How to write good characters:

- set out one specific thing the character wants, like a current or life goal, and something they need but dont necessarily know about
- if you're not sure about their personality, pick a character you like from a different story and adapt the most exaggerated version of that person.
- then, sand off the inconsistencies and add a little depth with traits and interests that you'll only know once you know that person.
- give this character this kind of social gravity well in the setting. They should affect the world around them to some extent and be embedded in it. The village guard isn't just standing there like a flag pole 24/7. He's got relationships with every other person in the village, because its a small place. He probably has a side hustle and a family or old parents that smack talk him for not getting married younger. Anyone who appears in the story for more than a chapter should have this depth.
- and finally, make their looks tell their story. This isn't just about hair, scars, being thin or obese, muscular or flabby, etc. It's also about what they wear day to day, what items they have on their person, how they move (mongolian horse archers, sailors and prison hardened criminals have a specific gait to them), what habits they have, and even ethnicity (are they native that part of the setting, and is it relevant?).

To make the characters feel as real as possible, show them acting different in different situations. Like a contrast between a social and private face, or a situation where they ""break character"" because of stress or a sense of anonymity. Listen to interviews to figure out how people talk in casual conversation.

Also, avoid """banter""" type dialogue at all cost, unless its actually funny. I see a lot of these in passable and good amateur novels, and it really brings the stories down, it almost feels like the characters, who are supposed to be friends, colleagues or partners genuinely hate each other and do nothing but argue. Its actually insufferable to read a dialogue where the characters exchange ironic humor quips like they're in a marvel movie or something. In general, dialogue should tell you something about the history between two characters, and shouldn't spell out motivations. Cliche lines people sometimes pull straight out of their favorite manga are best avoided.

 

[J_Chemist]

Idk how to make other characters talk like they are there own person. Isn't it just me thinking what they would say? It's not actually what a person like that would talk like. Idk wtf I'm doing tbh been stuck awhile just because I feel like its not that person talking but me. How do you guys go about this?

Maybe I just need to go out and touch grass and talk to people idk. But I'm looking for certain kinds of people this is just really confusing and frustrating looking at words on a computer or book is a lot different than actual people talking in the moment.

What I'm trying to say is how do you make your characters feel like they are people.

Having multiple personalities helps, but I consider that more of a cheat code than anything.

 

[ElliePorter]

Yep...at least in HoneyFeed and Syosetu. With how long my story's been running (I'm currently writing Volume 17), I consider those 'investment' on their side, so I take those complaints seriously.

Let me show you samples...

This is from an avid reader from HoneyFeed.

And this is from a reader in Syosetu...

As for ScribbleHub and RoyalRoad feedbacks? Meh. Most is for my MC's apparent 'beta-ness', because in the early arcs of the story, he has no powers and he has to focus on his survival in a world with magic, conspiracy and arrogant nobility.

A few are for 'I could not take bullying in your story because I was bullied before, so have a low rating for that matter."

And...the most memorable of all...

That Melvin Wong who complained about my story not having sex at all.

View attachment 18935

Nice, incels who love to project themselves as the MC fucking whoever is beta af.

 

[Deleted member 54065]

Nice, incels who love to project themselves as the MC fucking whoever is beta af.

Yeah, poor creatures can't even handle a normal convo with a girl, they immediately interpret the ladies talking to them as 'love' and 'she wanna have it'.

 

[EternalEscape]

The real advice I've cultivated over the last few years of my pointless life is just to not be cringe of yourself, do it over the top, so high above and you'll learn to tone it down to be more normal afterwards. The only reason why I haven't made my character stick to one stereotype and make them so unique and stand out is because I will cringe and I do not like cringing myself.

For example shall be their speech pattern, give them stuff like "Grr..." at every first word then everyone will know they're a bit angry (possibly dwarf amirite). Or make them overact like if there's a high and mighty look-down-at-you noble, make them cover their nose when there's someone get hurt in the area.

The Eternal Escape For One's Soul

 

[Missivist]

Isn't it just me thinking what they would say?

It's easiest to write about characters who are just like you, but it's better to write about characters who are their own person, as you say. So, the goal is to write dialogue that suits different characters who fit in your story, and are not all like you.

It's not actually what a person like that would talk like.

Yes, the author generally writes dialogue to be clear and easy to read, which means reasonable grammar. That might not fit the character, but it generally works. On the other hand, the author may inject some amount of slang, accents, stutters, irregular speech patterns, or whatever fits the character. How much to use is a style choice – almost a fashion choice.

Maybe I just need to go out and touch grass and talk to people idk.

Yes, that's actually the easy way: ff you base a character on people you know, you can give them a better voice. Write what you know! Of course, that gets easier as you get to know more people... Otherwise, your friends may complain that you always base your characters on them.

But I'm looking for certain kinds of people

Looking for people who fit your idea of a heroic protagonist? Or just make a better basis for interesting characters in general? They exist, but the best way to meet more interesting characters is to live a more interesting life. Have adventures? I'm not sure I can recommend it.

 

[LunaSoltaer]

It's easiest to write about characters who are just like you, but it's better to write about characters who are their own person, as you say. So, the goal is to write dialogue that suits different characters who fit in your story, and are not all like you.

Alternately, if you are aware of your own cognitive dissonances, you can draw upon those to create characters and conflict.

Somehow I think your method of actually talking to people is the saner approach.

 

[ArrogantYoungMaster]

Alternately, if you are aware of your own cognitive dissonances, you can draw upon those to create characters and conflict.

Somehow I think your method of actually talking to people is the saner approach.

That's because to be aware of your own cognitive dissonances, it implies you have those cognitive dissonances.

 

[S.nuffles]

I honestly do have a lot of characters talk like I do, at least my main ones. They speak really casually and talk exactly how I'd envision myself talking. If that can't be the case, I often think back to a movie that I've watched with similar characters.

Evil dude? Make him speak like Darth Vader.

Happy guy? idk Pennywise looked pretty chuffed.

Authors are good at dialogue, but script writers and actors are even better. Learn from the best and watch some movies or read some scripts.

Yep...at least in HoneyFeed and Syosetu. With how long my story's been running (I'm currently writing Volume 17), I consider those 'investment' on their side, so I take those complaints seriously.

Let me show you samples...

This is from an avid reader from HoneyFeed.

And this is from a reader in Syosetu...

As for ScribbleHub and RoyalRoad feedbacks? Meh. Most is for my MC's apparent 'beta-ness', because in the early arcs of the story, he has no powers and he has to focus on his survival in a world with magic, conspiracy and arrogant nobility.

A few are for 'I could not take bullying in your story because I was bullied before, so have a low rating for that matter."

And...the most memorable of all...

That Melvin Wong who complained about my story not having sex at all.

View attachment 18935

I'm so sorry, but that is the funniest thing I've read all week. I had no idea there was that side to RR...