S U R V I V A L

Gotham City Skyline is your premiere site for writers that are fans of Batman and the DC mythos. Working from a basic canon standpoint, we make our own universe tailored to our own needs and desires. Want to know more? Interested in joining? Check the links above & below.

[gothamcityskyline]

BARTHOLOMEW ALLEN II | 15 | EXPERIMENT #12 | IMPULSIVE TEENAGER | COLIN FORD

“No-really! Just watch me, okay? I can totally do it. Just gimme a sec. Or ten. If I could only focus!”

Scientific and Technological Advanced Research Laboratories. S.T.A.R. Labs. Created by Lex Luthor in cooperation with the government, they were tasked with research into the rising trend of so called "metahumans", people with natural or acquired talents, ranging from superhuman strength to lightning fast speed to self sustained flight. While their original intentions were out of safety concerns, they soon branched out into trying to artificially replicate superpowers, which turned into its own facility, Cadmus Labs.

While Cadmus Labs is charged with establishing a controlled offense against metahumans, S.T.A.R. Labs is the Research and Development division. There, they experiment and tinker, using the fearmongering that the government spreads about these "extranormal" citizens as an excuse to treat them like test subjects. 

Bartholomew Allen II is a teenager who thinks he is from the future. He claims to have awoken as an eleven-year-old in the ruins of a shut down Manchester County Library, with a fragmented memory of how he got there, only knowing his name. He exhibited a tenuous connection to what is known as the "Speedforce", which is the power that known vigilante Barry Allen uses as his alter ego, the Flash. A DNA test came up with a distant relation, but no direct connection is evident. It almost seems like Bart, as he prefers to be called, is a descendant of Barry...Of course, that is an impossibility, as time travel is not possible outside of theoretical astrophysics.

His powers are constantly in flux, and the tests that S.T.A.R. ran came up with no evidence to suggest that this will flatten off in time. One possible explanation is maturity; many metahumans have difficulty in puberty dealing with their blossoming abilities. Another is mental capacity. With the trauma of whatever shattered his memory, it is possible that he simply lacks the strength to control his powers. In either regard, further tests are not possible at this time. Director Waller has stated, in light of the recent breakout, that Bart Allen is to be watched from afar. In any regard, Doctor Thawne is working on a fully replicated clone of the boy over at Cadmus labs, in an attempt to have a foil for Bart, should the situation arise.

He was friendly, almost to the point of annoying, to other test subjects. Alienated by the majority of the other test subjects, he finally found kinship in a set of teenage metahumans. In particular, Experiment #13 and Bart became fast friends, even though #13 was supposedly programmed for total obedience. More on that can be found here.

Now that he is on his own, Bart has attempted to normalize himself to society. He lives with #13, who is now going by Conner "Kon-El" Kent. They are both students, attending Gotham High and Gotham University, respectively. Bart has been misdiagnosed with ADHD, which he uses to explain his surges in energy. Despite the PTSD he no doubt has from the tests run on him, he remains, by all accounts, an upbeat and happy kid. Although nearly dependent on #13, Bart manages decent grades and a healthy social life on the side. He is closely tied to Timothy Drake, as well. You may remember Timothy from the investigation into Bruce Wayne; he's the child that the Joker nearly killed after a late night home invasion. More here.

All in all, Bart seems to show no long term damage from the memory loss, although the last power flux he had nearly destroyed a train station. Our official recommendation is detain him for the protection of normal citizens, but Director Waller has made it clear that he is to be left alone. We will continue to keep tabs on him, in case his powers stabilize.

ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE BART ALLEN? Unexplainable.

CONNECTIONS:

KON-EL; Conner "Kon-El" Kent is the best thing that's ever happened to Bart, if you ever ask him. Chances are he'd tell you unsolicited, too. Kon is the strong one, the brave one. The one that Bart looks to for approval before answering questions from strangers. He's the strength that Bart so desperately wants, because when was the last time Kon lost control and destroyed public property? He's a goal, something to mold himself after. A friend before and after it all.

TIM DRAKE;  The last part of the inseparable trio, Tim also seems to fall in the shadow of Kon. However, Tim's the brains. After meeting online, they've conquered social awkwardness and have become friends, through Kon. Bart is fascinated with his first real friend that wasn't a freak too, and together, they pester the crap out of anyone who will tolerate them. (read: Kon.)

WALLY WEST; There's something oddly familiar about Wally, but Bart can't quite place it. Their similar dispositions aren't enough to solidify any theories Bart may have as to why he feels like he already knows Wally, but the older boy seems intent on taking Bart under his wing.

EXPERIMENT 31;  He is the exact genetic code of Bart, without any of the light and humor. Raised in Cadmus labs, he has been bombarded with propaganda against Bart since the day he began cognizant thought. If ever released, he would do nothing but attempt to destroy him.

VIC STONE;  Victor Stone is the most advanced scientist in the prosthetics and cyberkinetics fields; his work with injured metahumans has been revolutionary.He and Bart worked together to develop a material that would not burn at hyperspeed. They maintain a friendly attitude, but few that were part of S.T.A.R. hold onto dreams of truth with the scientists there.

BARRY ALLEN;  Despite the boy's claims that he has never met Barry, the fact remains that they share nearly identical DNA. It is possible that Bart is a genetically modified clone of Barry; or perhaps a lost relative. Regardless, they share a name and a power. Time will only bring them to another, and there will be much to discuss when they meet.

STATUS: TAKEN

[gothamcityskyline]

TIMOTHY “TIM” DRAKE aka SIBYL | 16 | TINY TEEN GENIUS | HERO IN TRAINING | LOGAN LERMAN

"I mean, can you imagine-- Gotham without the Batman?"

Tim Drake grew up in a family that never wanted for money-- though the luxury was not without sacrifice. Tim's parents were absent at best, often leaving him to his own devices so that they could work and continue competing with Wayne Enterprises. What little they did see of their only son was spent trying to sculpt young Tim into the perfect heir. This meant perfect manners, acting much older than his age should have allowed and hiding his anxiety at all times.

To help this, the Drake's enrolled Tim in sports, anything physically distracting and seemingly normal to the public eye. He started taking martial arts lessons twice a week and though he was happy there with Dinah, the woman he considered like a mother, Jack and Janet were not satisfied and so other efforts had to be made. They took their son to countless therapists, simply looking for ways to 'solve the issue' as quickly as possible. Tim went from doctor to doctor until his parents found one willing to prescribe medication to the boy and the Drake's were on their way again.

Tim was always reprimanded for his bouts of anxiety, and ignored when he was behaving his best. He was not to be heard and only to be seen when it was wanted (and was always expected to be seen as nothing but the best when he was wanted). Because of this, Tim grew up not knowing how to speak up. Instead, he let himself stay unnoticed in his room, constantly craving his parents approval and never quite receiving it. The last thing he wanted was to be a burden to them and his anxiety (social and otherwise) grew with the feeling. 

Still, for all their missteps, Jack and Janet Drake had given Tim something irreplaceable. With their social standing in mind, Tim had the finest schooling available in Gotham at his disposal. With education always having played such a large part in Tim's life, the boy quickly became immersed in books, computers, and any other source of information he could attain on his own. At nine, Tim began to delve into the word of computer hacking. He was a natural, a quick learner, and computer code seemed so simple compared to his real life. No one could see him through the screen, he was safe in his room, and he could be whoever he wanted-- he could be brave. Through this outlet, he found people like him, people willing to help, and Tim found a way he could be comfortable in his own skin. Eventually, however, he needed more of a challenge, and that's when he really started his hacking career, digging for information no one else knew how to find.

Tim loved mysteries more than anything. Scooby-Doo transitioning naturally to Sherlock Holmes and then to real life mysteries when words and imagination weren't enough. Batman was his favorite mystery by far and with no one home to stop him, the child spent countless nights following and documenting the caped crusader, determined to solve yet another puzzle no one else could. He deserved to know, he was Batman's biggest fan, after all. But even if he found out, he would never ever tell. And when he did find out-- Tim had never felt so proud of himself.

During the Occupation of Gotham, his mother was murdered-- ripped apart by Bane’s men like an animal. His father was left in a coma, leaving Tim once again to fend for himself. After securing a safe place for his father to be watched over, 12 year old Tim took refuge in the Narrows, under the protection of Red Hood and the Outlaws. There, he mourned for the lost people around him and found help in the other lost children on Gotham's streets. It was there, alongside Dick, that Tim began to develop a deeper fascination with the heroes of the city. After Batman disappeared again, and the city was safe, Tim let his curiosities fade. He had more important things to worry about after all, like getting his father back on his feet.

At the age of 13, Tim hacked into a Wayne Enterprises satellite in his own attempt to make sure no one would be able to hurt Mr. Wayne like Bane had ever again. His actions however, earned him a visit, and subsequent scholarship to Gotham U from the CEO, Lucius Fox provided he first finish high school. Tim finished two years early, and while he didn't completely curb his nervous habits, he found people who were willing to look past them and even help him properly. Not to mention, his show of skill had gotten Bruce Wayne interested in him, which meant Batman (The Batman) was interested in him. It was both the most frightened and the happiest Tim had ever been. 

Now, Tim isn't sure if he's happy. He's lost more people than he wants to think about, while simultaneously having more friends in his life than he ever has before. The good with the bad, as they say. But at the moment, there seems to be much more bad in the world than Tim can handle.

ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE TIM DRAKE? Adorkable.

CONNECTIONS

BRUCE WAYNE; Tim has never quite been sure about where he stands with Bruce. Things always seem to be on edge and rocky with the older man, but the teen knows from enough experience, that that's just the way Bruce does business. Tim knows he's business to the man, a liability, but he also knows he's helpful. Tim respects Bruce and what he does more than anything, so if facing a cold shoulder means he can help his hero and the people of Gotham in some way, Tim is more than willing. He already has the man's trust, he couldn't ask for more.

DICK GRAYSON; When Tim was seven, he watched the famous Flying Graysons perform together as a family for the last time. It was also the first time he met Dick, though it wasn't until five years later, during Bane's occupation of Gotham, that he would see the other again. It was then, facing a year on the streets, that the two forged an inseparable bond, pulling each other through thick and thin. Though they've had rough times between them, the two are trying to rekindle the friendship that was misplaced somewhere along the way.

CONNER KENT; Perhaps the most unforeseen friend that Tim has made thus far, Kon is nothing like Tim except in stubbornness and sheer force of will. Kon is not only a support for Tim, he is a friend and grounding in a way the younger has never known but always needed. Kon is insufferable at times, but Tim is more than willing to put up with that if it means having Conner around to keep him company.

EDWARD NYGMA; Though the pair started off on opposites sides of the law, leading into a more than rocky start, raw curiosity pushed each party forward into further investigating each other and the mind that was present there. Through this, with Tim overcoming his own fear of the man, they have an understanding in each. While their arguments can be petty, the comfort Tim finds in Eddie, in knowing he isn't the sole divergent, is enough to look past those things.

CASSANDRA CAIN; To date, Tim still isn't sure how to describe the relationship between him and Black Bat. Between their rooftop picnics and the pillow forts she builds them inside his room, Cass is most definitely his friend. She's protective and kind and very, very confusing. Tim wonders if Cass knows what kissing your friend, the way she kisses him, means, but he has a feeling she doesn't care either way. Tim isn't yet sure if he cares or not.

STATUS: TAKEN

[maxkirin]

So, let me guess— you just started a new book, right? And you’re stumped. You have no idea how much an AK47 goes for nowadays. I get ya, cousin. Tough world we live in. A writer’s gotta know, but them NSA hounds are after ya 24/7. I know, cousin, I know. If there was only a way to find out all of this rather edgy information without getting yourself in trouble…

You’re in luck, cousin. I have just the thing for ya.

It’s called Havocscope. It’s got information and prices for all sorts of edgy information. Ever wondered how much cocaine costs by the gram, or how much a kidney sells for, or (worst of all) how much it costs to hire an assassin?

I got your back, cousin. Just head over to Havocscope.

((PS: In case you’re wondering, Havocscope is a database full of information regarding the criminal underworld. The information you will find there has been taken from newspapers and police reports. It’s perfectly legal, no need to worry about the NSA hounds, cousin ;p))

Want more writerly content? Follow maxkirin.tumblr.com!

[eleftherxa-deactivated20140806]

how to get your muse back || a small guide

STEP ONE: Figure out why your muse isn’t cooperating with you.

Perhaps it’s because you’re not in the right mood, or because you have writer’s block in general, because suddenly the muse for another character comes up and replaces that one, if it’s temporarily or for a while. Whatever the reason may be, figure out the root of your problem and solve it. If you find it? Great. If not? Keep trying. You’re bound to get something.

STEP TWO: Look at all the different things your muse enjoys and immerse yourself in them.

You’ve chosen your muse for a reason! If you go through their interactions, their interests, their thoughts, their entire CHARACTER, I believe that you’ll reconnect with them again. Observe how they act around other characters, why they act a certain way, create headcanons for stuff you think would be reasonable for them. It should help make the muse interesting and fun once more.

STEP THREE: Find music which fits the character, look up art or fanfiction ( if your muse is the Canon sort ) and it could spark a muse.

You may have lost the feel of your character because you think you don’t play them well, or because they’re just so far from your own personality that you can’t grasp them well. If so, listen to music that suits their general mood and search for other characters who are similar to them. You’ll almost certainly have a deeper understanding of who that character is and how they would react in certain situations. Again, if your muse is a Canon Character, research about them and their world, how they’ve grown and changed throughout their lives. Add in your own headcanons to give depth, and most importantly…

STEP FOUR: Practice, practice, practice.

If you continue writing for them, you’re sure to get better. And when you do, it will be so much easier for the muse to cooperate with you because you’ve practiced their character! So keep with the muse(s) you’ve chosen to portray, and hopefully they’ll stick with you.

[gothamcityskyline]

ONESHOT CHALLENGE || JUNE 11

THEME: ANGER

Hi everyone! It’s time again for a one shot challenge. Ready? Here we go!

This challenge’s theme is Anger. Pretty straightforward, so we expect to see a lot of these.

All you need to do is write a scenario wherein your character deals with becoming angry about something and then finds a way to let go of their emotions. It is relatively basic concept, so please feel free to expand upon it however you wish. Anything listed here, as always, are suggestions. 

Some things you should ask yourself: Why are they angry? How does their anger manifest? What do they do when the emotion peaks? Do they hurt anyone with their actions or words? How do they calm down? Does anyone help them mellow out? 

Still a little confused? Fair enough. For example, Morgan might write about Jason Todd and his eternal struggle with Gotham's misogyny and unjust treatment of women. Seeing a working girl get slapped around might set him off and from there he could do a number of things: track down the perpetrator, comfort the victim, patrol red-light areas more heavily, etc., etc.

Keep in mind that anger is more than just emotion. Here are a few things to read about it: [x] [x] [x] [x] 

Tag your one shot with GCS Oner: Anger. Make sure it’s exactly that tag, colons and all, so everyone can track it and read your fabulous work. 

You don’t have to write about the same thing as everyone else - don’t be afraid to toy around with the one shot and make it a little different. These are meant to challenge you, but they’re also meant to be part of a creative expansion of your character.  

Remember that these are optional but recommended. It helps you get to know your character better.

If you have any questions, message Kerrie, Morgan, or the main blog about it. We look forward to reading these!

[gothamcityskyline]

ONESHOT CHALLENGE || APRIL 20

THEME: DOUBT

Hi everyone! It’s time again for a one shot challenge. Ready? Here we go!

This challenge’s theme is Doubt. You might be thinking, "Oh, that's awfully easy. Finally, something I don't have to think too much on!" Well, that's not the case this time. Some of these challenges are going to start stretching your writing abilities with literary devices. You've all heard of metaphors, similes, hyperboles, etc., etc., We're going to start introducing some of them that you might not have heard of or that you've forgotten! 

In this challenge, we'd like each of you to conscientiously use an aporia. An aporia is a figure of speech a writer uses to have a character rhetorically express doubt or fear to the audience and then ask the audience how they should proceed. It's a device used to plant a sense of uncertainty in the reader.  Shakespeare used aporia quite frequently and most notably in Hamlet. 

"To be or not to be; that is the question.  Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer  The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,  Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,  And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;  Than fly to others that we know not of?  Thus conscience does make cowards of us all...."

The famous statement, "To be or not to be;" opens the paragraph and instills a theme of precariousness into what follows. If it were not there, you most likely wouldn't feel any sympathy for Hamlet's dilemma. 

All you need to do is write a scenario about your character expressing doubt about a problem they are facing and create a situation that will make your readers sympathize and worry for your character. 

Still a little confused? Fair enough. For example, Morgan might write about a young Jason Todd trying to separate morality into black and white before realizing that there are shades of gray and then coming to terms with the fact that he exists inside the spectrum. 

Tag your one shot with GCS Oner: Doubt. Make sure it’s exactly that tag, colons and all, so everyone can track it and read your fabulous work. 

You don’t have to write about the same thing as everyone else - don’t be afraid to toy around with the oneshot and make it a little different. These are meant to challenge you, but they’re also meant to be part of a creative expansion of your character and personal development. If you want to write about your character trying to decide between an avocado chicken sandwich or a ham and swiss wrap for lunch, go for it! Just be sure to make us want that lunch, too! 

Remember that these are optional but recommended. It helps you get to know your character better and expand your skills as a writer. We highly encourage you to complete these!

If you have any questions, message Kerrie, Morgan, or the main blog about it. We look forward to reading your work!

[gothamcityskyline]

ONESHOT CHALLENGE || MARCH 19

THEME: PAST LIVES

Hi everyone! It’s time again for a one shot challenge. Ready? Here we go!

This challenge’s theme is Past Lives. If you can't tell, I've been stuck in my War in the Ancient Mediterranean class for too long! 

All you need to do is write a scenario about your character living in a past time period. It is relatively basic concept, so please feel free to expand upon it however you wish. Put a creative twist on it! Make sure to research your time period so that any details are historically accurate. 

Still a little confused? Fair enough. For example, Morgan might write about Jason Todd living and working on the streets of Gotham in the '20s, a time where nearly everyone disregarded personal morals in favor of having fun and spending money they didn't have.  

Tag your one shot with GCS Oner: Past Lives. Make sure it’s exactly that tag, colons and all, so everyone can track it and read your fabulous work. 

You don’t have to write about the same thing as everyone else - don’t be afraid to toy around with the oneshot and make it a little different. These are meant to challenge you, but they’re also meant to be part of a creative expansion of your character.

 Also, this challenge is meant to be as much of an environmental challenge as it is a character challenge! We really want to see some of you dig deep to capture the essence of a different time. We know it'll be really fun!

Remember that these are optional but recommended. It helps you get to know your character better.

If you have any questions, message Kerrie, Morgan, or the main blog about it. We look forward to reading these!

[writinghelpers]

Tense Change

I have a tendency to switch between tenses because I write some present-tense stories and I wonder if you have any tips to combat that. - srngdrgn

The first bit of advice I have for you is to focus more on writing now and then worry about your tense use in the revising stage. When re-reading your work, use a highlighter to mark all the places in which you strayed for your desired tense. Then you have visual representation of how much you need to re-work (which isn’t usually that difficult to do) and you may find yourself adding extra plot devices in.

How to Avoid Tense Change in Fiction Writing [there’s advice from Stephen King in here]

How to Avoid Tense Switches

I think the best thing for you to do is be aware while you’re writing. It’s not a huge deal if you mix up tenses so long as you’re prepared to go back and fix it in the editing and revising stages.

[klariza-helps]

Compilation of links on forensics.

'Cause forensics is some cool stuff. Don't use this to kill someone, you hear? For those writing crime, take a look at how to write crime as well.

FYF -  A Great Tumblr Blog. 

Velocities of Blood Splatter.

American Forensic Association.

Arteries/Veins/Capillaries. 

Bullet Information.

True Forensics: Drowning (Mechanical Asphyxia).

Geneticist - Tumblr blog with useful images of cells.

Little Known Facts and Common Misconceptions about Forensics.

Black Powder Processing. 

Myths and Facts of TV.

Forensic Entomology.

Quick Soap Lady Info. 

Crime and Clues: Trace Evidence: Hair.

Splashes, Spatters, and Blots.

Bloody Mess (Infographic).

Forensic Outreach.

Image on Bullets Going In and Out.

Digital Forensics: Defining a Research Agenda.

Will Washing Clothes Really Destroy Blood Stains?

Fishy Forensics.

Forensics, DNA Fingerprinting, and CODIS. 

Super Glue Method to Develop Latent Fingerprints.

Digital Evidence Collection and Use.

Forensic Scientist Interview.

Bite Mark Analysis.

Forensic Science Center.

An Interview with Dr. Henry Lee.

EXTRA: Anatomy of a knife.

EXTRA: Epic forensic portraits.

OTHER: Masterlist of Crime Fiction Writing Research.

[writinghelpers]

Military & PTSD Resources

Anonymous asked: I’m writing a story dealing with a female character that’s a solider or a marine…I haven’t decided which just yet. But I’ve realize that I don’t know where to start my research and I hope that you or maybe one of your followers would know where I can start. I want to know what kind of training they go through, the combat/positions in it, weapons, ranks, speaking in code, PTSD, etc.

[writinghelpers]

I wasn’t sure exactly what branch you meant when you said “soldier,” so I decided to use this as an opportunity to get links for all four branches. I’ll start off with the Marines, since you said she might be a Marine, and I will put information about PTSD at the end of the post.

Marine Corps

The Official Website of the US Marine Corps

This Marines website has links to the history of the Corps, eligibility requirements, and more

Women Marines Association

Marine Corps Times

Surviving Marine Corps Basic Training

What to Expect at Marine Corps Basic Training

US Marine Military Ranks (also has a pay scale)

Roles in the Corps

US Marine Corps Enlisted Job Descriptions and Qualification Factors

Marine Corps Weapons

Marine Corps Terms, Slang, and Other Sayings

Army

The Official Homepage of the US Army

About the Army

Women in the Army

Benefits

Soldier Life

Surviving Army Basic Training

Army Training: Basic Combat

US Army Ranks

US Army Military Ranks

Careers and Jobs

Army Enlisted Jobs

US Military Weapons of War: Army

Military Terms & Acronyms (this looks like it has generic terms from all branches, but to be fair, I haven’t looked through it thoroughly)

Air Force

US Air Force

The Official Website of the US Air Force

Air Force Women Officers Associated

Air Force: Basic Military Training

Basic Training

Surviving Air Force Basic Training

A Female’s Perspective of Air Force Basic Training

Air Force Civilian Jobs

Careers

Air Force Enlisted Job Descriptions and Qualification Factors

US Air Force Military Ranks

Air Force Rank Structure

Gallery of US Air Force Weapons

US Air Force Weapons School

Unofficial Air Force Language

Air Force Terminology

Navy

The US Navy

America’s Navy

Women in the Navy

Navy Physical Readiness Test

Surviving Navy Boot Camp

Recruit Training Command

Careers & Jobs

Careers & Jobs: Reserves

Navy Enlisted Job Descriptions

Rank Insignia

US Navy Military Ranks

Navy SEALs Weapons

Naval Terminology

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

National Center for PTSD

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

How Survivors Define PTSD

Facing PTSD: A Combat Vet Learns to Live with the Disorder (this is a book, only $9)

Treatment of PTSD

[rphelper]

Basic Roleplayer's Masterlist

Basics

The Cardinal Sins of Roleplaying

Character Blog Navigation

GIF Chats/GIF Paras/GIFs Galore

GIF Conversations; A Guide

How to Be A Successful Roleplayer

How to Roleplay on Tumblr for Beginners

How to: Stay in Character in GIF Chats

The Newbie Guides

On Paras

Roleplayer Tip: Making Everyone Feel Wanted

Roleplaying Etiquette

Starters

A GIF Chat Starters Masterlist

How To: Create an Interesting and Relevant GIF/Dash Starter

How To Write A Good Starter

Making A Good Starter

Para and Conversation Starters

Quick GIF Starters Masterlist

Setting Ideas for Para Starters

Starters: Where Do I Even Start?

Stimulating Conversation

Tips & Tricks for Making Starters “Click”

Tips for Coming Up With GIF Charters

Tips for Writing RP Starters

Paras

Date Ideas

Fun Para Ideas

Guide: How to Start Writing Long Responses

Guide to Improving Paragraph Quality

How to Lengthen Your Paragraphs

Ideas for Open Paras

Para Prompts & Ideas

Para Titles Masterpost

Setting Ideas for Para Starters

Unusual Date Ideas

Character Development

A Guide to Writing Self-Paras

Character Development and Mental/Personality Disorders

Character Development Questionnaires

Getting to Know Your Characters

Making A Character with A Pre-Written Bio Your Own

Resources for Developing Characters

What Is Character Development?

Plots

2000+ Plots

Finding Plots in Roleplays

List of 300 Possible Secrets to Give Your Characters

List of Character “Plots” and Secrets

List of Character “Plots” and Secrets Part II

The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations

Inspiration

5 Tips on Dealing with Writer’s Block on a Specific Character

Get Inspired

How To Get Your Muse Back

On Getting One’s Muse Back

Writer’s Block Resource Masterpost

OOC

How to Balance Many Characters

How to Get Noticed/Build Friendships in an RP

Out of Character Respect

[gothamcityskyline]

Congrats, Sarah! Your application was fantastic! Create the account (on a new email address, please!) and send it in within 24 hours. Make sure your askbox and submit box are open, too. Welcome to Gotham, again!

OOC Name/Pseudonym:  Sarah

Can you handle violence, sex, and all the other shenanigans Gothamites get themselves into?  Yup!

Time Zone and Activity Level:  Pacific Timezone. I’m usually only on Tumblr during the weekdays. Weekends are my run around and do everything time. Realistically my activity is probably 7.

Previous RP experience:  I’ve been writing in RP’s for well over a decade. I have a whole writing blog here if you’d like more writing samples http://giventheform.tumblr.com/

Character Desired:  Barbara Gordon

Why that character? (Why do they interest you? Are they personally inspiring?) Do your best to explain why you wish to play this character.  I’ve loved Barbara since I was a kid and she (along with Jubilee on the Marvel side) were one of the reasons I started writing comics. She was headstrong, smart, a little awkward, empowered. She is a very real, believeable character in a medium where that’s not always desired. Plus as someone that went to library school, I loved that she was a librarian. 

Have you ever written for this character before?  Yes, but it’s been several years.

Writing Sample: (3+ paragraphs, third person, past tense, in character—meaning not from another RP)

(I know this little drabble won’t necessarily fit into the canon of the group, but I am working with Barbara’s comic canon. Hope that is ok.)

She knew she shouldn’t have opened the door.

Barbara never believed in fate. She was a woman of science. A woman of reason. There was no predetermined timeline for her life.

But sometimes it was hard to think that this wasn’t somehow fate. Some cruel twist in her continuum.

As she lay on the ground of her father’s house, blood seeping out of that stupid flowery sundress she hated, Barbara tried to ponder her life. It was supposed to flash before your eyes before you died or something, right? However, all she could feel was bitterness and anger. As her life-force poured from the gunshot wound all she wanted was revenge.

Not justice. Vengeance.

The Joker’s face was burned into her mind as she lost consciousness. Her father’s voice was frantic as it faded into a soothing buzz in her ear.

“Hold on, Barbara. The ambulance is on the way.” Jim choked back sobs as he tried to keep himself calm.

Hold on, Barbara. 

She repeated the words in her head as her vision became dark. 

Hold on…there’s more work left to be done.

Any preferred love interests for this character?  In comic canon, I’m a big Babs/Dick Grayson shipper. However, obviously that doesn’t work here. So I’m pretty much open.

Anything you would like to change about the character?  I’d like to change her faceclaim if at all possible to Felicia Day.

Anything else to add?: Deshi Basara 

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DECEMBER 31 ONESHOT CHALLENGE

THEME: ORIGINS

Hi everyone! It’s time again for a one shot challenge. Ready? Here we go!

In honor of the new year, this challenge’s theme is Origins.

All you need to do is write a scenario, preferably one in the past, about your character starting/being in something that would change their life. It is relatively basic concept, so please feel free to expand upon it however you wish. Anything listed here, as always, are suggestions. 

Still a little confused? Fair enough. For example, Morgan might write about Jason Todd's fairly influential first days with Ra's al Ghul and how the man changed little Jason's life. 

Keep in mind that characters are more than just one story. So, while someone who plays Oliver Queen might initially think to write about his time on Starfish Island, they could also write about when Ollie met Dinah Lance for the first time or when Ollie started thinking about taking in Roy Harper. That said, try not to write something you’ve already made clear about your character. We want growth and complexity, not repetition! 

Tag your one shot with GCS Oner: Origins. Make sure it’s exactly that tag, colons and all, so everyone can track it and read your fabulous work. 

You don’t have to write about the same thing as everyone else - don’t be afraid to toy around with the one shot and make it a little different. These are meant to challenge you, but they’re also meant to be part of a creative expansion of your character.  

Remember that these are optional but recommended. It helps you get to know your character better.

If you have any questions, message Kerrie or the main blog about it. We look forward to reading these!

[whataboutwriting-blog]

Motivations, Wants and Goals for your Characters

Do you have any advice on creating the motivations and wants of a character? I’m afraid all of them for my characters are based around the same kinds of things, so how do you get diversity? And what’s the basis of developing a character’s motivations and wants at all?- anonymous

[whataboutwriting-blog]

  Your characters’ motivations, needs and goals are going to be what drives the plot. Kurt Vonnegut once said that every character should want something, even if it’s just a glass of water. This is really wise advice, because your characters’ goals are going to be what actually moves the action forward. Your conflict needs to revolve around the needs and goals of your characters, and they should act accordingly to their motivations to keep the story going.

  Knowing your characters is really important. Before you start thinking about their goals and motivations, ask yourself who they are, what brought them here, what would be their “happy ending”. These questions should help you recognize the essence of your characters’ goals and motivations, but you need more. You need to go in depth with their needs and their wishes in order to be able to let your readers relate to them.

  Write a small biography of your character.  When you’re struggling with something related to your characters, I recommend writing a small biography that helps you getting to know them. It’s important for you to know their back story. Whatever happened in your characters’ past is going to make them want to spark the conflict, so you need to know what that is. Remember that your readers don’t need to know as much as you do, because no one knows your characters as well as you. Allow yourself some time to work on your characters’ lives before your book started, and you should be able to recognize what sparked their will to make something change.

  What is your character’s goal? What do they want to achieve? The interesting thing about this is that your character’s personality will tell you what would be their happy ending. Your Main Character is probably having a bigger goal, such as winning a battle, saving their nation, taking down their enemy… What your Main Character wants to achieve will probably be what your conflict revolves around, but this doesn’t mean the other characters should be neglected. Again, every character needs to want something. If you know your characters well, you’ll know what they can’t help but want. Your shy character might want to become a social butterfly. That character that was sexually abused as a child might want to be able to become physical with someone without letting the memories hurt. It all depends on your character’s personality and back story, hence why it’s crucial that you have a clear idea of who they are and who they were.

  Create a timeline. Biographies are good, but they don’t give you a clear idea of the exact turning points in your character’s lives. So besides writing a quick biography, you should also have a timeline that allows you to understand the whys, whens and whats that strongly influenced your characters’ lives. When you’re able to identify the turning points in their lives, try to understand what changed. What was your character goal before this change, and what are they now? What could happen that would make your characters’ goals more prominent? Invest in that.

  Diversity. Diversity comes naturally when you have rounded characters. Since each character should be their own person, they’ll have unique personality traits and backgrounds that will set them apart. These differences will tell you exactly how their motivations and goals and wants will be different. However, it can also be interesting to explore the concept of people with completely different personalities having the same motivations or goals or wants. It’s okay to have characters that were influenced by the same factors, as long as there is a logical explanation for that fact.

  Your Reader doesn’t need to know everything. You don’t need to make it crystal clear to your reader what the motivations, needs and goals of your characters are. It’s okay to keep them guessing. You have to have a general idea of where your character is trying to go, but the reader doesn’t need to know as much as you do. Don’t worry too much about making these things too prominent, because the readers like to have room to relate to their characters. If your characters have interesting, relatable personality traits, your readers are likely to find a bit of themselves in at least some of your characters and, eventually, develop their own goals for these characters.

 There are some lists around tumblr that might give you ideas about personality traits to give your characters. You can try to use this list for inspiration to create rounder characters that give you a better idea of what they want and where they’ve been.

 Positive Personality Traits

Character Trait Cheat Sheet

Underused Personalities/Traits

List of Personality Traits

All in all, never forget that your character’s personality, upbringing and culture will always influence their motivations, wants and goals. Let them tell you what they’re here for, where they’ve been and what they need. 

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ELIZABETH KANE aka ALICE | 28 | HIGH MADAME OF THE RELIGION OF CRIME | VILLAIN | CHARLIZE THERON

“Stuff and nonsense! The idea of having your sentence first!”

Elizabeth Kane had grown up to be a highly eccentric, malicious, and violent person. Primarily speaking in lines and phrases from Lewis Carrol's Adventures in Wonderland, it was no wonder that she ended up coming back to her Gotham hometown as a costumed villain. 

Born to a military family, Beth was the twin sister of Kate, daughter to Gabi and Jacob Kane. The family was always moving to different cities, usually around the time the girls had finally begun to acclimate to their new home. Both parents worked in intelligence units, but their mother tried her best to be around whenever she could. During a stint with NATO, for which they moved to Belgium, Gabi and the girls were abducted by terrorists on their birthday. MIlitary intelligence worked quickly to locate and rescue them, but they ended up being too late. Both Gabi and Elizabeth had been executed before the unit were on scene. 

Unbeknownst to the unit, Elizabeth had not been killed. A lookalike had been sacrificed and maimed in her place. A cult called the Religion of Crime had been the ones to plan this attack, operating under the belief that one twice named daughter of Kane would be able to lead them to glory while the other should be put to death. Once they had figured out the prophecies meant one of the twins of the Kane family, they jumped at the opportunity to acquire one of the daughters. 

Elizabeth was then groomed into becoming their leader. Brainwashed for years, Elizabeth became very unstable, learning to use various weapons for any and all of her violent urges. She styled herself after Alice and rose to power within the Religion. The cult named her high priestess and they moved their operations back into Gotham City shortly after Bane attacked Gotham, feeling led to infest the city with their particular brand of darkness. 

Besides the interference of the Gotham police department, Alice went without much opposition until the arrival of Batwoman. The two faced off for the first time and soon after discovered their relation to one another. Batwoman was working closely with the DEO to rid Gotham of the Religion and so Alice declared that Batwoman was to die. 

After clashing with Kate and then falling into a river, Alice was believed to be dead, but death had never quite stuck to Elizabeth. Without the Bats on her back, she returned to her shadows to raise up the members of the Religion. Soon, she would inflict her wrath upon all who lived in Gotham City.

ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE ELIZABETH KANE? Peculiar.

CONNECTIONS: 

THE RELIGION OF CRIME; Also known as the Dark Faith, the Religion is an old, secret organization that lives and breathes the words of the Crime Bible, a sacred text speaking prophecies of Deceit, Greed, Lust, and gruesome Murder. The Crime Bible aims for mass-manipulation and features Cain as its central character, speaking of him as The First to commit murder and regarding him as their savior. There are thirteen covens in Gotham altogether and differing leaders of each. Alice, however, is the leader of them all, being the High Madame. 

INTERGANG; The Metropolis based crime syndicate has connections in Gotham and ties to a few of the city’s rogues. Led by gangster, Bruno “Ugly” Mannheim, the organization has become more of a cult with each member gained. They also abide the Crime Bible and have close ties to their sister syndicate, The Religion of Crime. They are in fearsome rivalry with Black Mask in efforts to take over the city’s underworld. Alice keeps heavy watch on Intergang's movements.

THE WONDERLAND GANG; Though the idea of Alice is from the Wonderland series, she denies all affiliation with The Wonderland Gang. Their leader who calls himself the Mad Hatter, Jervis Tetch, will not stop bothering her about joining. Alice simply does not have time for their antics and so the Religion and the Wonderland Gang often find themselves at explosive odds. 

KATE KANE; Alice does not care that Batwoman is her sister and will deny all claims of blood relation. Elizabeth, after all, is a part of her past and unimportant to the matters at hand in the present. Her most fiercesome opponent, Kate will not give up on Alice, but all the villainess wants to do is crush Batwoman under her boot.

BRUNO MANNHEIM; The man is scared of her, as he rightfully should be, and Alice delights in his fear. Leader of Intergang, Bruno lacks Alice's spontaneity and thus lacks the conviction to rid himself of his weaker members. Alice has Bruno under her thumb.

STATUS: OPEN

[gothamcityskyline]

ROY HARPER ACCEPTED!

Congrats, Domi! Your application was awesome! Create the account (on a new email address, please!) and send it in within 24 hours. Make sure your askbox and submit box are open, too. Welcome to Gotham, again!

Character You Currently Play: Timmy bby

On a scale of 1-10, how active is this character in the RP (e.g. how many paras or plots do they have going, etc.)? A bunch I guess??? But replies have been slow from others as of late so. Oh wait you wanted a number, um 9??? I think I'm pretty active.

On a scale of 1-10, how committed can you be to this character AND your main character, in terms of activity? I don't like number scales guys, like a bunch? Honestly, I probably will be more committed to Tim because, duh, but I will love Roy plenty.

Character Desired: Roy Harper

Why this character? I like stealing all the babies Morgo abandons. No but, uh, he's really different than Tim and I am kind of up for the challenge? Just to see if I can do it. And I love Roy.

Writing Sample:

It was hard not to laugh. No matter what he did, Roy always seemed to find himself in the same situation; near dying, worn out and alone. There must have been a neon sign flashing high above the red head welcoming any and all misfortune, because there was no other conceivable explanation for the kind of luck Roy had been handed. Unless of course, there was someone else having a good laugh at his expense. God, if there was one, must have been in stitches.

Everything was a trick. People cared about other people for selfish reasons, and Amanda had saved him just so he could die again, but this time, for her cause. Waller didn't care about his well being, not so long as she could still put his skills to use and continue to send him into the line of fire. His success rate was high, and that always looked good on her record as his commanding officer. But what use was a soldier if he couldn't see straight? Roy was one of the best marksmen in the world, but high off his ass, depressed and feeling sorry for himself, he was no use to Amanda or the government, let alone the people he used to help. So, Waller got him back on his feet, and he supposed he should be grateful, and he was, but, he also felt like he had repaid his debt. It was clear, with the latest mission he'd only barely survived, he was meant to succeed or die trying. He was a tool sent on suicide mission after suicide mission until his time finally expired. They wouldn't mourn him, wouldn't try to save him, they'd simply replace him with the next best and move on.

Roy didn't want that. He'd have to die eventually, sure, and he'd come close a few times (most of which he had Amanda to thank for too) but if he was going to die, he was going to do it his way. If he could pick a way to go, he wanted it to be for something he believed in, not just a government blinded by their own selfish whims. Of course, they had been a family to him for a long time, and he was more than thankful for that too, but Roy found he could never really hold down one family for too long either. He never had, and he figured it was about time he said good bye to this one too.

So he did.

Being alone had its merits, not being tied down had even more, but for Roy, it got old fast.

Where was he supposed to go from here, he wondered. Should he find a new family? No. Roy knew one family, one he'd left behind, but was sure he hadn't over stayed his welcome with just yet. They'd be mad-- with reason. He'd been gone for over two years without a word, declared dead and leaving the trio without an archer. But he was lost, like he'd been lost so many times before, and they'd understand that eventually. He hoped they would, at least. Besides, they were used to being alone, his friends, they knew losing people was part of the job. So, what was one more hot head like him out of their lives? A little part of him hoped he meant more to them than that-- that Jason and Kori, and even lil' Dickie, saw him as more than a temporary asset to the team. He hoped that they grieved him the way he would have them, and a larger part of him hoped they did what any good 'outlaw' would do and beat the life out of the guy who did this to him.

Roy grinned at the thought of Jason, guns blazing and Kori, glowing with rage, all over him. It was nice to feel appreciated, or even missed and it reinforced the red head's decision to find his way back to Gotham. He was tired of being told who to help and how to do it. He was ready to do things his way, for his own reasons. Roy didn't need to be saved by other people anymore, he was ready to be the one doing the saving, and he knew just the people to do it with. The man just kept his fingers crossed that they would have him back.

Any preferred ships?

Joyfire, Joy, Kori/Roy, Jade/Roy, uuhhh PEople and Roy?? I like Roy with people I am open to anything  

[gothamcityskyline]

ARTHUR BROWN aka THE CLUEMASTER | 44 | FAILURE | VILLAIN | JOSH HOLLOWAY

"Go ahead. Fire a hot round into this plastic and let's all go vapor. I'm having the worst night of my life anyway." 

A young man with a mediocre childhood, Arthur Brown skipped out on college to become a game show host. His television slot was cancelled and Arthur was left with nothing. He had no job, no home, no income, and no friends. Unwilling to return to his disappointed parents, he turned to a life of crime. Calling himself the Cluemaster, Arthur started out small.

New to the life, he thought he would go far, become one of the most prominent and revered villains in all of history, so he left a calling card at each of the crime scenes, a clue that revealed where was going to go next. Eventually he was captured and sent to prison. Because he had no bodycount, he was released within five years with the promise 'to stop dressing up and making a fool of himself.'

Fresh out of the jailhouse, Arthur met and fell in love with a woman named Crystal. The two were soon married and had a child a year later. They named her Stephanie. To support his new family, Arthur turned to crime once more and started going out as Cluemaster. Her husband's frequent "visitations" to Blackgate Penitentiary drove Crystal to start abusing pain medication, popping pills whenever she was stressed. Stephanie grew up without much adult supervision. 

Arthur spent most of Stephanie's childhood behind bars. Whenever he was released by the government claiming that they needed more room for other, more dangerous criminals or when her mother paid bail for him, Arthur tried to be around for his wife and daughter, but he wasn't exactly Father-of-the-Year material. He often brought home his bar friends and neglected any sort of responsibility he had to his family. Many creepy crooks passed through the Brown house during Stephanie's childhood.

Once, when Arthur had decided he had to be away for awhile, he had one of his friends babysit Stephanie. Later when he returned to an empty house, he discovered that Stephanie had run away because his mate had tried to rape her. The man was coincidentally found in a gutter days later, dead from an apparent overdose. Arthur's protective instincts were possibly his only good personality trait, even if he was a bit skewed and intense about it. 

Though he was obviously smart, Cluemaster was among Gotham's worst, unknown criminals. His gimmicks were terrible and his heists even more so. He was in and out of prison all the time. He was labeled as a C-List villain by the Gotham Gazette and surrounded by others of his type such as Condiment King and Signalman. His days always seemed to be bad and Arthur's mood reflected that. He became a very angry and resentful man.

During one of his heists, a new vigilante named Spoiler led the Batman and the police right to him. Cluemaster was caught and sent to Blackgate without prospect of bail. The only silver on his horizon was the knowledge that he finally had an enemy, someone specifically designed to foil his plans and ruin his day. Then, through his extensive information networks he'd formed, he learned that The Spoiler was his daughter. The knowledge burned under his skin. He wanted to take her down.

During The Occupation of Gotham, Bane released all of the criminals in Blackgate Penitentiary and Arkham Asylum so that they could help with the riots around the city. When Cluemaster tried to help Bane, he was laughed at and refused. Once Bane was dead, the police managed to apprehend him again, claiming that it was typical for him to be the first they got cuffs around. These incidents made Arthur finally realize he needed to up his game and he would, just as soon as he could get out of prison again.

ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE ARTHUR BROWN? Obscure.

CONNECTIONS: 

 STEPHANIE BROWN; Stephanie will do everything she can to stop her no-good father from hurting more people. Arthur is the entire reason she became Spoiler, but he’s not the reason she’s continuing! She’s thankful to him for giving her at least one good thing—her new life. Arthur will do anything to keep her safe, but he's angry at her for becoming a hero.

STATUS: OPEN