Dj

I make things... sometimes

[callitgoodwriting-deactivated20]

My Personal Character Files: The 6 Box Method

This is for my science fiction WIP, so some things may need to be added/modified depending on your genre. I will also include a screenshot of an example at the bottom so y’all can see how I set it up in my Doc.

1. The Quick Ref

I use this as the first page of my “Character FIles” Doc.

I put all my important characters in a list, then add their height, age, and the page their complete file can be found on. This is helpful when I need to know if a character would have to crane their neck upward to look another character in the eyes. Comes up more than I’d have guessed.

2. The Individual Profile: 6 Box Method

I add and subtract stuff based on how important the character is. Without further ado…

Box One: Reference Photo

This is where I add in any actor, model, drawing, etc that I base the look on. When I don’t need one, sometimes I’ll put in a picture that represents the character’s style.

Box Two: The Introduction

Full Name

Nickname(s) 

Age 

Occupation 

Current home 

Situation How do they enter this story?

Motivation What do they want?

Favorite quote/saying

Biggest strength

Biggest issue 

Strongest trait 

Box Three: Behavior

Personality

Habits

Ambition/Short and Long Term Goals

Greatest fear(s)

Phobias

Biggest secret(s) 

Social skills

Interior talents

Box Four: Background

Home moon/planet Apophis

Important history

Family

Friends, Enemies, Acquaintances, and Colleagues

Finances

Education

Phys. Health/Mental Health

Religion

Romantic/sexual preference

Interests/Hobbies

Box Five: Appearance & Physicality

Height

Body type

Skin tone/Ethnicity/Species

Facial description

Prominent/distinguishing features

Dress 

Mannerisms

Physical talents

Box Six: Speech

Normal tone

Language & accent

Favorite phrases

3. The Example

Rey from The Force Awakens. Made in Google Docs.

Boxes 1 and 2

Boxes 3 and 4

Boxes 5 and 6

Best of luck on your writing journey!

[thewriterswitch]

Quick Tips for Writing Interesting Villains

Give them relationships with other characters. Being a villain doesn’t mean they’re isolated

Give them their own set of morals

Give them something to care about

Consider the reasons why they want to hurt the protagonist

Remember that they are human

Don’t make them evil for the sake of being evil

Keep in mind that a villain doesn’t have to do every horrible thing imaginable

Not every villain was abused. Someone who was spoiled is just as, if not more, likely to lack empathy than someone who was abused

Consider how they rationalize their behavior (blame their victims, make excuses, believe that what they’re doing is right)

Give them a life outside of being a villain. Maybe your protagonist is going shopping and they run into their villain and the villain isn’t interested or up for a fight that day. This really depends on the story, though

Give them a past, present, or future relationship with the protagonist. Again, this depends on the story

Consider making your villain likable

Give the reader a reason to sympathize with them

[brynwrites]

Making your angst hurt: the power of lighthearted scenes. 

I’m incredibly disappointed with the trend in stories (especially ‘edgy’ YA novels) to bombard the reader with traumatic situations, angry characters, and relationship drama without ever first giving them a reason to root for a better future. As a reader…

I might care that the main siblings are fighting if they had first been shown to have at least one happy, healthy conversation. 

I might cry and rage with the protagonist if I knew they actually had the capacity to laugh and smile and be happy.

I might be hit by heavy and dark situations if there was some notion that it was possible for this world to have light and hope and joy to begin with.

Writers seem to forget that their reader’s eyes adjust to the dark. If you want to give your reader a truly bleak situation in a continually dim setting, you have to put them in pitch blackness. But if you just shine a light first, the sudden change makes the contrast appear substantial.

Show your readers what light means to your character before taking it away. Let the reader bond with the characters in their happy moments before (and in between) tearing them apart. Give readers a future to root for by putting sparks of that future into the past and the present. Make your character’s tears and anger mean something.

Not only will this give your dark and emotional scenes more impact, but it says something that we as humans desperately, desperately need to hear. 

Books with light amidst the darkness tell us that while things are hard and hurt, that we’re still allowed to breathe and hope and live and even laugh within the darkness.

We as humans need to hear this more often, because acting it out is the only way we stop from suffocating long enough to make a difference.

So write angst, and darkness, and gritty, painful stories, full of treacherous morally grey characters if you want to. But don’t forget to turn the light on occasionally.

Support Bryn’s ability to provide writing advice by reading their debut novel, an upbeat fantasy about a bloodthirsty siren fighting to return home while avoiding the lure of a suspiciously friendly and eccentric pirate captain!

[midnightdaydreamsfromty]

Thanks Satan

[tagaston-blog]

For any of you who are writing ‘across the pond’-here is a little guide I put together of some common differences between British and American English!

[thehappyfeminist-22]

If you’re having trouble developing a character for one of your stories, here’s an idea that may help you. Create a Pinterest board for that character and pin the following things:

Things they would like

Food they would eat

Clothes they would wear

Places they like to go

Places they dream of going

Elements of their culture

Elements of their religion (if they have one)

Where they live

Color palettes that fit them

Their aesthetic

Quotes that relate to them

Seeing all of these things together in the same board may help you visualize the character more.

[illinicoise]

“But if you forget to reblog Madame Zeroni, you and your family will be cursed for always and eternity.”

[spn-fandom-breathing-heavily]

not even risking that shit

[codyslipring-deactivated2015060]

scrolled past this, re-evaluated my life, then SCROOOLLLED back up and hit the damn reblog button. 

[isamaegreenleaf]

Last comment same thing. Sorry to the next person who sees this. I just can’t risk it. I have things I need to do before my life becomes hell. Lol

[nnfirnid]

man i fucking hate yall who tf put this up knowing damn well we all gonna reblog it im heated im really sick af bout this 

[modelinterrupted]

I don’t play that shit lol sorry

[latenightsugar]

WHyyyy

[badgyal-k-deactivated20190901]

Sorry everyone

[just-jay25]

If only if only the woodpecker sighs the bark on the tree was as soft as the sky why the wolf waits below hungry and lonely he cries to the moon if only if only

[kixgbear]

Shiddd

[angiebkxo-deactivated20180626]

this post followed me to Facebook and im sooo annoyed!

[manynamedshe]

It’s been a MINUTE since I’ve seen Madame Zeroni, fr fr

[glamhoeour-deactivated20251207]

I HATE TUMBLR FKKKK SAKES

LMAOOOO

[venusians]

Not tryna fuck up any of my planetary Returns~

[andro-djinni-of-the-lamp]

I reblogged this yesterday but idc, I ain’t playing games with Madame Zeroni or Mama Kitt

[chocolatefantasy13-deactivated2]

😂😂

[honeybeeluck-deactivated2018101]

Madame Zeroni ain’t for play play

[imjustjason]

Fuck it, hope she bless me

[30thchamber-deactivated20190424]

But what if a nigga don’t reblog this and they great great great grand kid finds a treasure chest?🤔

[writefroot-deactivated20181124]

What year did this start? I’m always feels my like I have to reboot this

[urwarriorangel]

aw come ON

[linaofthemyscira]

i hate this

[dc-hoe-deactivated20200621]

I will always reblog when I see this on my dash. Sorry not sorry.

[fragileflowerinthewind]

I watched the movie, and I’m not having that shit happen to me…. just saying

[midnightdaydreamsfromty]

,,,fuck no

[midnightdaydreamsfromty]

I found out I love you. I love the sound of your extroverted laugh, the way you run like the world is yours, the way you sing like an anonymous nightingale, how our fingers intertwine and the way you smell like an autumn morning. Your embrace fills my entire body with an undescribable feeling, and how you look at me as if there’s something more you always want to know, because people give up so easily. I love every little thing you do, how your eyes crinkle when you laugh, the way you flip your hair when you’re overcome with emotion, how you stick your tounge out of the corner of your mouth when you’re concentrated, how effortlessly your grades climb up and how much you care about every single person who’s lucky enough to wander into your life.

I love everything about you, and you must see something in me, we are best friends after all, but that is it, that will always be it. I’ll never be him to you, I’ll never be able to carry you like he does, I’ll never be able to have dinner with your parents like he does, ill never run around an empty field while the sun sets with you, feel a river bubble at our ankles, as much as our hands embrace, I’ll never feel like him to you, you’ll never feel the butterflies that have become more like angered bats in my chest, because you love him, and I will always, love you.

[midnightdaydreamsfromty]

Help, I’ve McFallen for you

I remember how it started, tired eyes open at 3 in the morning, music that made me feel things playing too loudly in my ears, staring at the night sky and I was alone, but a different kind of alone this time, I was lonely. I’d seen you around before, I would consider us friends, teammates on the hockey team, nothing much else, I could never have imagined that you would make me feel this way.

So I was lonely for a while, I’d gotten used to the feeling before, that unspeakable pulling at your chest, that prick in your eyes and heat in your cheeks when you find yourself alone at lunch, when one day I looked at you. I’d looked at you before but this time it was like something was completely new, I looked at you, and this time you were everything right in the world, your golden hair shined a little bit brighter, your walk got a little more confident, your eyes glowed with an aburn fire and your smile struck me like a bullet, and I thought to myself, “shit, I’m in love with you”