welcome to a guide for 2025 rpc and a throwback to the importance of creating well rounded , developed characters .
a general lovenote and reminder on how to create characters people want to rp with , as discussed by g. please note , these are all my own thoughts and feelings , but i'm not ' married ' to any of this . i'm happy for open conversation , thoughts , feedback etc , but i don't tolerate aggressive messaging .
the first thing i think about when i think about my character , whether for a rp , a book , a short story , or a 1x1 partner is . . . where is my character ? not just physically , but emotionally . what got them there ? what have they already overcome ? what do they have LEFT to overcome ?
whenever i write or create a character , i think about them in the same way i think about any story making . stories ( typically and in some manner ) have beginnings , climaxes and ends . they also have problems that need to be solved ( or not solved ) . there's an arc we follow . we go up the mountain , then back down again .
a beginning is not necessarily ' born in 1982 , to two loving parents ' . it doesn't need to be a beginning of time , but can just be the beginning to your characters story . e.g ' despite having two loving parents , she had a deep focus on soccer . if not soccer , then maths . if not maths , something else . from a young age , she strove for perfection and being the best at something .'
this beginning sets the tone of your character . in a few sentence , we can already see what kind of person she is and know that she has some internal demons she's battling . we don't necessarily need her entire family tree unless it's critical to the story.
from there, we have our climax or problem statement , where things really begin to boil . again , it doesn't necessarily need to be ' everything came to a head when her mother died ' . we can make it more character focused by writing ' in 2012 , her mother died and she threw herself into trying to create the perfect replacement family . she got married to 4 different men in the space of 5 years , and has 5 children shared among them , as well as 2 step children . but she is unable to settle down . she feels restless . she finds it hard to be a mother because everything reminds her of her own mother , and the loss she's endured . ' now , we already know two things about our character :
1 . she wants to be perfect and the best , including at creating families
2 . she is terrified of her role in motherhood due to the loss of her own mother and feeling unmoored without her
this can then take us to the problem solving portion of the character . this is usually where i like to start my character in rps and 1x1 and novel worlds . we have these 2 issues and 2 core beliefs within the character . they're instrumental to her . how are we going to overcome it ? ARE we going to overcome it ?
we can begin to think of the butterfly effect in terms of our character . we can begin to think of the tree and its branches growing within her , extending out to other characters . we can see how she effects other people , including those close to her , not close to her , new friends , old friends , new love interests , past interests . we can create drama and connections because we have a strong foundation .
so . where does it end ? does it need to end happily ? simple answer is no . your character can end in the exact same place as they did at the beginning , but the point is that we've gone on the journey with the character . maybe we've seen her talk to her mother's grave . maybe we've seen her go to grief counselling . maybe she's gotten pregnant or married again . the problem statement doesn't stop her or stick her in one place . in fact , if anything , it can encourage her to keep making the same mistakes . on the coin flip , she can learn . she can grow . she can heal . she can mend the relationships with her kids , her past partners , rekindle love , or find new love . the whole point in the made-up 'ending' for a character , is that we have options . we haven't locked her down . we can continue to plot , connect , develop , etc , as we go along .
QUESTIONS AND THOUGHTS I CONSIDER WHEN CREATING A CHARACTER :
how has your character ended up where they are right in this moment? think about where you’re starting them from, and what that looks like realistically. not just physically : how did they get to this place ? but also mentally : what did they have to do to become the person they are ? was it good or bad ? everything you are and do and become as a human is made up of tiny almost inconsequential decisions or choices you made. you decided to study x. you broke up with y. your parent passed away so you had to come back to your childhood home. your illustrious career came crashing down and you need a place to cool off. you never left here, you’ve been here from the beginning, because you’re searching for something. what is it? what is the thing that has your character right where they are in this exact moment ?
what emotion do they feel the most? regret, anger, longing, nostalgia ? this helps drive your characters motives past and presently. it also helps you understand their goals. what they want to achieve and why. maybe they yearn for longing and friendship and connection because they never got it as a child, whether at home or at school. maybe they regret not keeping in touch with their childhood friends because now they are surrounded by people they can’t trust and work in a shitty environment where you have to climb over others to get on top. everyone has a goal. everyone has an emotion that drives it. what is your characters and why does it matter? how does it present?
when’s the last time they cried and why? everybody cries and everybody cries in very different ways. it says a lot about the emotional state of a character and their emotional health. are they in tune with their emotions and cry at appropriate times? do they compartmentalise it? do they only cry when angry? dig into it and think of the why why why. why does my character only cry at this one thing? why does my character only feel safe crying alone? why.
what is your characters biggest regret in life? did they get on a plane when they should have stayed? did they study a subject only because their parents wanted them to? did they not kiss the girl when they wanted to? let’s be honest. our lives are filled with “if only i’d done xyz” . if only . this also provides a great opportunity to MAKE these plots and plot with other people. now we can come up with exes or ex best friends or old flames or whatever whatever , because there’s a good chance your character regrets something that impacts someone else and they regret it BECAUSE of that impact .
ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS AND TIPS I'VE PICKED UP WHILE RPING
honestly the more “whys” you can answer for your character, the more in depth you’re getting. in order for other people to understand your character, you need to understand them yourself. you can’t expect people to write with your character if they don’t really have much of a stable personality and your plots don’t make much sense. remember: plotting should contribute to your character and their development. human relationships don’t just exist because we like them. they exist because they serve an unserved part within ourselves.
genuinely think of their hobbies. it’s all well and good to say “she’s a bookworm and loves puzzles” “he likes music” but like. what does that actually mean? WHY do they like certain things ? do they like reading books or writing? do they like fantasy and escapism because it reminds them of childhood? do they listen to only their dads favourite music because they miss him? do they make playlists for niche and specific moods only applicable to them? why are their hobbies important to them?
consider their connections, not just future but npc and current. how would 5 close friends describe them in one word? how would their ex describe them in one word? what is one thing that others could safely always rely on your character for (eg designated driver on nights out, always having some type of fidgeting device, knowing a phone app to help you meditate or streamline a process etc etc). we all exist in the worlds of our loved ones, past, present and future. we leave marks with them. we are known to them. so what is your character known and loved for?
pick your plot first, not your fc or your character. i know this sounds counterintuitive but when you have a plot for a character and a clear path for development - it helps everything else fall into place. the worst thing are characters that are plotless (specifically for group rping). i’m going to be honest here: your character has to have something to give other characters. whether it’s drama, information, hidden secrets, a connection… your character has to have something of substance. i’d actually prefer they’re a stereotype then they’re just aimless and personality-less. when you have a big overarching plot and path for your character, it will not only help you plot with others, but also help keep your character moving and not JUST reliant on others to pick up the slack
rping has always used the yes and…? rule. that extends to your characters. instead of yes and…? think of So… what? your character loves to bake. ok. so what? what does that mean for a thread, or another character? why do we care? maybe we’d care if your character bakes experimental stuff and loves to test it on other muses. maybe we’d care if your character used to be a professional baker but hasn’t baked lovingly in a while. maybe we’d care if your character is a baker but has lost their charm and schtick and can’t bake the way they used to. this stuff is important. don’t just stick arbitrary things onto your character and expect others to care, especially when you don’t care and have just put it on your character as a random quirk. that’s not how people and humans work. everything means everything.
your character doesn’t have to be likeable but they do have to be memorable. evil nasty girls, manipulative jerks… yeah that’s all ok! but also you kinda have to show, don’t tell. you can’t just SAY your character is the “head bitch in charge” and then she never actually talks or says anything or does anything. sorry, but in order for me to see your character, you actually have to write them or at the very least headcanon them. otherwise, they’re just a blob of musings in the ether.
in order to create a character , you have to write your character . i see this a lot in groups .. people love to create a character pinterest , graphics , aesthetics galore . its amazing ! but they don't actually write the character and it can close off a lot of opportunities to plot because people don't know who your character really is . i hate to say it , and its not true for everyone but : if you're relying on aesthetic , then you could be lacking in the actual creation and writing aspect . plus , people have come here to WRITE with YOU . not just see fan edits of your character . write . write badly . write starters , even if they scare you . write with people you don't know . write with yourself . write with your best friend . but you have to actually do the writing part .
