I've been giving this writing advice to a lot of my friends lately so I'll do a mumbling post about it here.
You gotta play dolls with your characters.
Slap them in AUs, make silly fanfiction, make "what if?" senarios. You gotta recreate the feeling of taking your toys out as a kid and improv-ing a story on the spot. You'll get a sense of what makes them who they are outside of their main storyline.
Take a piece of yourself, expand and explore upon it. Create characters and storylines that are love letters to those you've cared most about. Take that little ball of hate and/or despair and give yourself a little therapy lesson.
Be bored! Be frustrated! Be unsatisfied! "Someone should make a story about ___" YOU should make that story! If you aren't satisfied with the media you see, make for yourself the story you DO want to see! Don't worry about how others will view it. For right now, for right at the beginning, the only way you're gonna make progress is if you're having a bit of fun.
for the ask culture gaaame!! what's your favorite way to travel? Is there a mode of travel you haven't done that you want to experience?
personally, I LOVE car rides. whether I'm just 'wandering' in the car, going down familiar routes, or on a big ass road trip, I love it. Mind you, I don't love doing this in ALL cars. If the shocks are particularly bad on a car (as in, it bounces hard/a lot), I get sick and usually get a headache, but only one of the cars I have access to does that, so. it works out lol.
as for modes of travel I've never experienced, I've never been on an actual train! I've ridden on subways and other similar modes of transportation, but I REALLY want to try an actual train. I just don't travel enough/far enough to make that particularly feasible (aside from living where I live...where there are no trains...)
feel free to tweak questions + all emojis r listed in text form bc i can't see some of them aAAaaAA! sorry if any of these questions are too similar i tried to avoid that but .. there's a lot lol! categorized by emoji type.
i wanted to make one because i could not find one on tumblr already that had a ton of questions. this was created by combining ones under the #oc ask game tag + my own contributions. hi charmymemes nation i'm back.
people
👁️ EYE - what colour are their eyes? do people notice their eyes? is there anything special about them (shows emotion easily, literally magical...)?
🤥 LYING - are they good liars? do they have tells to show they're lying?
👻 GHOST - do they believe in ghosts? what are their "ghostly experiences", if any?
💥 COLLISON - what emotions do they have trouble dealing with?
😭 CRYING - what makes them cry? do they cry easily?
👊 PUNCH - are they quick to violence?
💢 ANGER - what are some habits they have that will take some getting used to?
👪 FAMILY - what is their family like? what is your ocs relationship to them? does your oc have any siblings?
😨 FEARFUL - when scared, do they go into "flight" or "fight"?
💤 SLEEPING - do they fall asleep easily? what helps them sleep?
food & drinks
🥞 PANCAKE - what is their comfort breakfast?
🎂 BIRTHDAY CAKE - when is their birthday? do they like celebrating it?
🍩 DONUT - favourite sweet treat?
🍟 FRIES - do they order food often? or they prefer to cook their own food?
☕️ HOT BEVERAGE - do they prefer hot or cold drinks? what is their favourite drink?
🍓 STRAWBERRY - do they eat their fruit & veg? what is their favourite fruit or vegetable?
🍰 CAKE SLICE - favourite cake flavour? are they specific about types of cakes?
🍧 SHAVED ICE - do they still have any objects from their childhood? what significance does it have to them? what would their reaction be if they lost it?
plants & nature
💐 BOUQUET - create a bouqet for them! what do those flowers mean? are any of the flowers their particular favourite?
🌙 MOON - what is your oc's greatest wish? how far are they willing to go for it?
🌋 VOLCANO - how bad is their temper? is it a slow boil, or a instant explosion?
🌺 HIBISCUS - do they have any allergies?
🍁 MAPLE LEAF - what is their favourite season? why?
🍃 FALLING LEAF - do they enjoy being in nature? what is their favourite outdoor activity?
☀️ SUN - are they a morning person? what is the first thing they do in the morning?
🕷️ SPIDER - what is their biggest fear? do they have any irrational / mundane fears?
🌹 ROSE - do they like valentines day? have they been confessed to before? have they confessed to anyone before?
🙈 SEE-NO-EVIL - whats a side of your oc that they don't want to show other people?
🙊 SPEAK-NO-EVIL - what is something your oc will refuse to stay quiet about?
🙉 HEAR-NO-EVIL - what is the worse thing your oc could hear from someone?
🌱 SEEDLING - what is their most vivid memory from childhood?
🍀 CLOVER - do they believe in luck? are they lucky?
🌏 EARTH - will they give up the world for someone they love? is this decision easy for them?
🌌 MILKY WAY - what was the inspiration behind your oc? what was the first thing you decided about them?
activity
⚾ BASEBALL - can they play sports? what is their best position if they play a team sport? what's their strong suit (speed, power etc.)?
🏊 SWIMMING - can they swim? or are they afraid of water? how well do they swim? how do they feel about swimming in the ocean?
objects
📣 MEGAPHONE - how loud are they? what do they speak like? got a voice claim?
📖 OPEN BOOK - do they like reading? what's their favourite genre?
🪤 MOUSE TRAP - what will always lure them into certain danger? a loved one in danger? a promise of something they are always searching for?
📸 CAMERA - do they enjoy having their picture taken? what's their go-to pose? do they like taking photos? what do they take photos of?
🎭 MASKS - do they act differently around certain people? what's different between the way they act around friends, family, strangers, etc.?
✂️ SCISSORS - what is the "last straw" for them to cut someone out of their life? how easily do they let go of people?
💡 LIGHTBULB - is your oc a planner? do they write down every small detail or just wing it?
💎 DIAMOND - how rich are they? can they live the lifestyle they want to?
🎁 PRESENT - what types of presents would they be most happy to receive? are they good at gift giving?
🍼 BABY BOTTLE - what are their thoughts on children?
🔪 KNIFE - how do they react to injury / misfortune befalling their loved ones (significant other, family, friends)? do they put themselves at blame?
👑 CROWN - what does your oc want to be remembered as? why?
✏️ PENCIL - is there a particular quote / lyric that you associate with them?
🎵 MUSIC NOTE - what is their playlist like? their favourite artists? do you associate a particular song with them?
🎤 MICROPHONE - are they good at singing? what is their go-to karaoke song?
🎷 SAXOPHONE - do they play any instruments? are they any good at it?
📚 BOOKS - how were they at school? what is their best subject? what is their worst subject? do they have a favourite subject?
👖 JEANS - what is their go-to outfit?
🎨 PALETTE - can they draw? what do they like to draw?
🎡 FERRIS WHEEL - are they someone who wants to kiss at the top of the ferris wheel?
⏳ HOURGLASS - are they usually late or on-time?
🔫 PISTOL - do they trust people easily? how easily will they turn their back to someone? have they been backstabbed before? will they betray someone if given an ultimatum?
🎀 RIBBON - how would they fit into other worlds / aus? what aus would you like to try out? what fictional world would they fit / not fit into?
📎 PAPERCLIP - a random fact.
📦 PACKAGE - what are some "most likely to..." that can apply to them?
🖍️ CRAYON - what advice would you give to them?
⚙️ GEAR - what are your ocs thoughts on science & art? which do they give more importance to? how much value do they place on each?
🔧 WRENCH - are they good at fixing relationships? or do they tend to avoid doing so?
❇️ SPARKLE - what is their most prized possession? what do they value?
📏 RULER - is your oc well educated? where did they get their learning from?
transport
🚆 TRAIN - what is their answer to the trolley problem?
🚲 BICYCLE - can they ride a bike? what do they remember from learning to ride a bicycle?
weather
🌩️ LIGHTNING - are they scared of lightning?
💧 DROPLET - random angst headcanon
❄️ SNOWFLAKE - do people consider them cold? if so, what made them this way?
🌪️ TORNADO - what is the biggest change you've ever made to them? how have they changed from their original version?
🌈 RAINBOW - what advice would they give to their younger self?
🔥 FIRE - do they have any self destructive tendencies? what habits do they have that hinder them from becoming their best self?
☁️ CLOUD - a soft headcanon
🌟 GLOWING STAR - what do they think about when they look at the night sky? is there someone they want to star gaze with?
🌠 SHOOTING STAR - if they could make any wish with no repercussions, what wish would they make?
☄️ COMET - what do people assume about them? are they right?
hearts
💓 BEATING HEART - what gets their heart racing?
💘 HEART W/ ARROW - what traits do they look for in a relationship? do they believe in love at first sight?
💗 GROWING HEART - if they have a crush, is it noticable? what changes when they're in love?
❤️ RED HEART - their love language(s)?
💙 BLUE HEART - do they miss their s/o easily? how do they act when their s/o isn't around?
💚 GREEN HEART - what things make your oc feel comforted? hugs, kisses, food?
💖 SPARKLING HEART - are they a subtle or a showy lover?
💌 LOVE LETTER - do they like love letters? what kind of messages do they leave for their partner?
💔 BROKEN HEART - what could their partner do that would absolutely break their heart?
Having a traumatic childhood means you cannot talk even objectively about your basic foundational experiences without it being "venting", even if you're not actually venting. You just straight up have a huge chunk of your life you can't talk about, full stop, without it being trauma dumping.
And it not being socially acceptable to talk about your own childhood is super alienating. Sometimes people want to know why, and any answer you can give them is going to be off putting.
It's to the point I get irritated when something I said is framed as venting when I'm literally just talking about my life experiences, doing my best to keep emotion out of it.
when I was in high school, I overheard two older students talking about a friend of theirs.
One of them said something like, "it doesn't bother me that [Friend] was in residential mental health treatment, I just wish they wouldn't talk about it ALL the time".
The other replied, "Well, that was all of last year for them. So when they say 'when I was in treatment,' it's like when you say 'last year'."
I try to remember that any time someone says something that sounds Shocking to me. sometimes one person's scary special crisis is another person's last year.
Reminds me a bit of a comment on complaints about coming out:
"When straight people do it, it's called 'talking'."
Ultimately, because normativity is such a tiny box, if anything about your life is "abnormal" or "awful" or "messed up," discussing it becomes stigmatized and framed as itself abnormal/awful/messed up/etc.
It's why I say "acting classes" instead of "social skills training to 'fix' my autism."
I love you but we don't love the same. I can't be near you when you want me to be. Your love is smothering and your need to keep me safe is trapping me. I'm my own person but I don't know how to show you that. I lash out and hurt you even though I don't mean to. I need you to move slowly around me or I'll bolt. I love you, even though I don't say it. If you stay still I'll sit next to you, and even though we don't understand each other we can be together like that.
cat love as in I am small and scared and all of my instincts and my experience and your vast power say you're a threat but I am choosing to trust in your kindness despite my fear. you could kill me with one hand but I know you won't.
cat love as in I can tell you are upset and I don't understand why so I will sit stiffly beside you and awkwardly provide the only reassurance I know how to give. I am uncomfortable with every single moment of this but it is what you would do for me.
cat love as in I am small and powerless but I will curl up back to back with you and stand guard while you sleep and I will mean it with every fiber of my being.
my cat Nepenthe was a former stray behavior case at risk of euthanasia because she kept mauling potential adopters. on her second week in my apartment--having already attacked me multiple times without provocation, I will add, I wasn't special, she needed genuine help--she slinked out of the bedroom yowling at me. when I went to check on her she kept walking back and forth until I followed her, where she insistently paced between my feet and her hidey-hole in the back of my dresser, increasingly distressed. about three seconds after she gave up and hid, an absolutely torrential rain front hit. she didn't understand yet that we couldn't get wet inside. she'd been trying to warn me.
she didn't know me yet, but she knew I hadn't yelled at her when she hurt me. she knew I hadn't tried to hurt her back. she didn't understand why she was attacking me; those episodes probably scared her more than me. she knew I "shared" food with her, and that I asked before touching her. and she went out of her way to bring me into her safe space, to protect her friend.
cat love as stiff hesitant uncertain acts of service that are devastating in their sincerity, as well.
a secret santa piece i made last year for @kingxxlink and also two portraits i did for him for christmas, of his reaper oc's jay, joshua, and garrett.
in the jay piece there's even a little rise of the guardians: jack frost if you squint~ :P
(i really wanted to draw the scene from link's story where jay sees jack for the first time)
I always find it's fun to think about what my kindred does in their downtime, so I made a collection of asks about the "boring" parts of being a kindred. ^^ Have fun, y'all!
How neat/messy is your kindred's home? Why?
If they're old: what's a modern convenience they enjoy? If they're young: what's something from the past they wish they got to do?
What's an everyday thing your kindred uses powers for?
What's an everyday thing your kindred COULD use powers for but they don't?
What's their usual mode of transit?
Do they have any mortal habits or quirks they haven't dropped?
What food/drink do they miss the most?
What's something modern they just don't get? If they're young, then something old they don't get.
Favorite book/show? Why?
Favorite genre of music? Why?
What kind of (video)games do they like? Are they any good at them?
Do they like vampire media and jokes?
What's a small fact about being a kindred that they dislike?
Do they prefer mortal or kindred company when it comes to everynight existence?
Has your kindred adapted to modern fashion, or stuck with things from their time?
Hero derisively refers to the villain's henchperson as their "lapdog"; villain immediately gets annoyed at the lack of precision, starts lecturing the hero about different working dog roles and constructing complex parallels for what specific kind of working dog the henchperson would be in the analogy the hero has introduced.