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reaches up my ass and digs out my old characters

just kidding i was just looking at my old oc storage because i don't know who tf i'm gonna rp here! lol
magni is a no he's been dead too long and also he sucked. i still love autopilot and jericho with my entire heart but i'm gonna wait if i bring them here at all. idk it feels weird
ummm i also have dante and faust and william but they were both a little gimmicky yknow? not a fan anymore.
i might bring in cassiel! idk. good russian boy. extremely valid
i've been itching to make a dishonored character (probably... corvo. i love my dad) but i don't really like playing media-based characters. maybe tho. stores that one back up in my ass for another day
might try to design a blade runner based char? i know i just said i don't like media based characters but i don't mean like based on a character from the movies just the vibe. very gritty neon aesthetic. idk i'm just really into blade runner right now i don't know if you could tell
edit: oooooooooooooohhhhhhhhh on that note maybe more of drive (2011) based character. i'm really into ryan gosling right now i don't know if you could tell

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Creating a character doesn't involve a whole heck of a lot if you want to go the simple route: at its core, all you really need to jump in is a name, gender, appearance, and personality. In fact, some people don't even include the personality aspect! You can generate a random name and take a picture of any ol' cat you find on google images and there you have it, your very own original character! ...But if the simple route isn't for you and you'd like to make a character with a lot of time and thought put into them, a character who seems to live and breathe all on their own, that's what this guide will cover.

This section will be an in-depth look at appearance and personality and how to use those in roleplay. Of course, more than just that goes into a character: name, gender, sexuality, clan, and etc., but those are fairly simple and don't require lengthy explanation. Then there are things like character arcs and history, and while they won't be covered in this section, they will be in another.

APPEARANCE
Appearance can tell a story or it can alter it, especially when looking at the details beyond fur and eye color. Think: how has the character’s past impacted the way they look? Are they battle-scarred and well-muscled or chubby and well-groomed thanks to a life as a kittypet? The narrator also likely has an opinion about how they look - perhaps this bias makes them more confident and more likely to use their large stature to appear imposing. On the other hand, maybe they feel inferior because they are short or weak.

UTILIZING APPEARANCE That all said, when it comes to roleplaying appearance isn’t actually terribly important —  you should never, ever write two paragraphs wholly dedicated to describing your character’s fur or how they walk. Slipping it in now and then as a descriptor is alright ('Fluffypelt shook out his white fur’ or ‘the large tomcat'), especially if you need to remind the reader of what Fluffypelt looks like. The reader isn’t stupid —  simply describing a character when they arrive on the scene is incredibly heavy-handed. Instead, sprinkle them throughout the writing as little clues, but even these should be used sparingly. If the appearance is especially interesting or relevant to the plot or subject matter then yes, dwelling on it is fine! If Fluffypelt lost a leg, you can describe his awkward gait and how it would make them stand out. Maybe someone else says they think orange tabbies are the coolest — you can describe Fluffypelt reflecting on his own appearance and how he’s always hated his boring white fur. What you shouldn’t do, however, is write a lengthy description of appearance just for the purpose of writing a lengthy description of appearance, because it typically does not further the plot or character in any way. This is considered fluff, which will be touched on later.

Though the details can be important, it isn’t always necessary to be specific. Ambiguity is a powerful tool in writing — you usually won't need to include how your character has beautiful, amber-and-green-speckled eyes for them to get a good mental image of them. What is more important is typically the more abstract: using less definite descriptions such as eye color give more voice and personality to a character when just looking at appearance. Instead, focus on the nature of these physical aspects and what expression the character gives them. To demonstrate what I mean by this, here’s an example: "She stared at me with eyes like two brilliant suns, so bright and full of warmth that I was forced to look away." The color of the subject’s eyes are never mentioned, but the tone and figurative language used gives the feeling that they are intense and yet kind.

PERSONALITY
There is no truly right or wrong way to go about making a personality, but to begin you need an idea; a set of traits or perhaps a mental image of how the character will act or interact with others. If you’re really dry on ideas, there’s a generator here and a list of traits here. That said, these alone are not enough to make a personality, or at least not one that is fully fleshed out.

You’ll also want to avoid tropes or one-dimensional personalities, although even tropes can be implemented into good characters if they are expanded upon enough. Such is the process that this guide will largely attempt to cover, but what exactly is a one-dimensional character? Below is a pretty good explanation by Reddit user kamuimaru:


So we know what to avoid now — so how do we go about making a multi-dimensional character? It’s best to start off with a list of traits, but try to make sure they are balanced. A character should be neither made of entirely positive or negative traits, for it is a mix of the two that makes them human. People are complex, not one-sided, and traits can conflict with one another — in fact, a paradox may often make a character more interesting (e.g. an arrogant coward, a shy attention-seeker). Traits themselves are neither entirely positive or negative, as some are simply neutral and others can occasionally manifest themselves in ways that may be the opposite of their expected connotation (optimism being naive, or pessimism being rational).

Now look at these traits both individually and as a whole and ask yourself a few questions. Why do they possess these traits/how has their past shaped them? How do these traits manifest themselves and affect how the character acts? Are there exceptions to these traits? It’s also likely that they do not display the same side of their personality to everyone — their interactions with friends, family, enemies, acquaintances, and significant others will likely all be different. What attributes are highlighted depending on who they are with?


Of course, traits aren’t the only thing that matter! Character motivation is a big deal — it’s the driving force behind most of what the character does. What do they want in life: to be loved, to be respected, to be leader? What are they driven by: fear, jealousy, loyalty? In theory, everything they do should be because of this and then influenced by their personality. At the very least their motivation should be to stay alive, or else they… well, wouldn’t be. Having multiple motivations (especially conflicting ones) can be a fantastic source of internal conflict — try looking here for ideas! Fear in itself, while not always the primary motivation (depending on the character), should be a driving force. No matter how big and brave or cold and uncaring, even Superman has his Kryptonite. So what’s their biggest fear? I’m not talking about spiders or the dark (although both are very spooky!), but something a little bit deeper that may very well go hand-in-hand with their primary motivation. Do they fear being evil, unloved, incompetent, insignificant, controlled, or something else?

Everyone also has their own unique moral code, even big baddies. What values do they believe in? What things will they never ever do? Why? What might they consider going in order to reach their goal? And would they break their code if pushed far enough? Moral codes can be influenced or twisted as well — maybe a character who kills does it because they think they're freeing people from a hellish existence on earth due to their own painful past. From the standpoint someone with different morals like my own this character would be considered evil for sure, but to they likely consider themself to be a hero — it's all about point of view. Some of the best characters are neither good nor evil, hero nor villain, but possess traits of both. These are often called gray morals, and a great guide on them can be found here.


UTILIZING PERSONALITY This is entirely different from appearance because everything that is written should be done so with personality in mind. It doesn't matter how absolutely wonderful your character's personality is on paper if it never translates into the writing itself. The number one thing to remember for this, as well as writing in general, is to show and not tell. Spot the issue with the following: The white tomcat padded over to the group and seated himself. "Hello," said Fluffypelt shyly. He has a tendency to get nervous around more than one person. The problem should be obvious; it simply tells the reader that he said it 'shyly', but nothing else gives off any sense of personality. We know that Fluffypelt is supposed to be a shy tom, and yet nothing in the passage suggests this despite the author claiming that he is. This character, regardless of whatever the author may have written out about his multi-faceted personality in his bio, comes off as flat.

Unlike appearance, personality is not something you can simply state; rather, it must be conveyed.  The phrase show, don’t tell is frequently thrown around in reference to writing in general, and it’s readily applicable to writing personality by extension.  In this case, the showing part is extended to everything the character does, and this means dialogue, thoughts/feelings, and actions.

Even style and tone can convey a great deal about a character’s personality or emotional state — these are the things that are only implied, but leave a strong effect on the reader.  Short, choppy sentences often add drama or a sense of finality (be it positive or negative).  Long, stream-of-consciousness sentences could suggest jumbled thoughts or daydreaming/aimlessness.  Repetition of words or sentence/phrase structures can add emphasis.  Sometimes intentionally breaking grammar rules can add a great deal of individuality to writing.  All of these different techniques can be used to convey varying emotions, but you should be able to see that there is a very clear connection between particular stylistic choices and what they can get across about a personality.  And, since most write from a character’s perspective, this is very poignant. 

TRAITS What kind of characteristics define how this character behaves, both internally and externally? Try not to think in terms of positive or negative and instead consider how each trait interacts with and impacts others to create a whole personality.

Just some notes for now until I type out something proper.  Hothead attack dog.  Incredibly cynical.  Not evil or anything, just kind of a dick.  Not loyal to places, loyal to people - and fiercely loyal, at that.  No self-discipline.  Erratic, impulsive, and explosive.  Aggressive and easily-provoked.  Low empathy but feels his own emotions very intensely.  Tends to flip-flop between being totally willing and ready to die and being convinced he can’t be killed.  Frequent episodes of mania.  Poor judgement skills.  He’s an extrovert but doesn’t exactly make friends easily just because of his not-so-friendly nature.  Opens up a lot to close friends and loved ones; has a relatively good sense of humor and loves very deeply.  Actually recognizes a lot of his flaws, but doesn’t show it.

MOTIVE What is the character's overarching goal? Why do they do what they do? What is the driving force behind their actions?

RELATIONSHIPS How to they act towards those from enemy clans? People they don't like? Acquaintances? Friends? Best friends? Family members? Lovers? These should all be different.  What are the limitations for their loyalty for all of the above as well (i.e. how far they could go for them)? At the same time, what does it take for the character to consider someone a friend, best friend, family member, etc? How easily do they develop relationships, and which ones do they value the most?

MORALS What is their moral code and how does it impact their worldview? What things do they consider the worst offenses possible — what sort of things would they never even consider doing to reach their goals? What things do they think they would never do, but just might with the right push? Would they ever break their moral code? What things would lead them to this?

WEAKNESSES In the emotional sense, of course. What is their greatest fear? How does this impact them? What sort of things make them vulnerable emotionally? What do they do in that sort of situation: who do they lean on, how does it affect them, how do they move past it, and etc. Roleplaying this out can be incredibly revealing for a character's personality.

SELF-VIEW How do they view themself? What do they view as their best and worst traits, their strengths and weaknesses, their relationships with others, and how does this depart from actuality? Where do they place themself in their relationship hierarchy? Are they top priority or do they care more for certain others (in more extreme situations, everyone)? Who/what do they consider below/above them? How do they compare themself to others? Exercise: write a traditional biography from the character's point of view. How do they describe their appearance and personality? What things do they leave out, downplay, exaggerate, or even make up?

WORLDVIEW This is their perception of everything — the lens the character always peers through. A character’s world view is how the character believes the world works, his or her perceived role in the world, the character’s philosophy of life and love and a definition of what constitutes a personal goal worth pursuing. One might see the world as a ladder to climb where another may see it as a canvas to leave their mark or a playground full of opportunities. What do they consider their role and how do they believe the world words? Religion plays a big role in this. What do they think of (the meaning of) life, death, afterlife, a greater purpose, and etc?