#how to develop characters

[idk-im-just-here-now]

So fun tip I came up with for developing your characters. Your OCs literally any character, this can work on.

Give your characters game mechanics. Yes, like in the video games. Even if your characters isn't in or for a video game, try giving them game mechanics!

I'm going to use my Pressure OC, Spectator, as an example for hoe this works!

Spectator, were she to be implemented into Pressure, performs a similar shopkeeper role to Sebastian in the Main Expedition. She spawns in the Endless Expedition at any point past door 150, always in Heavy Containment, and will sell you exclusively rarer items for higher data prices (thing gummy lights, health syringes, the literal Necrobloxicon, the DEMON PLUSHIE if you really want to end your run in the next 20 doors, etc.)

Spectator is cordial towards players, almost friendly with them, to the point where you can give her data to become a bodyguard for the remainder of your run, but can and will display aggressive behaviour if provoked. Hitting her with a flash beacon at any point, or in main game, activating Stick to the Script, will provoke her into hostility, and then the rules of behaviour change

In this hostile state, Spectator is an ambush hunter who will pursue only the player that incited either incident. She will methodically follow a pattern and has her own audio cues for when she's approaching. Between the two options of pissing her off, you will get different hunting methods, one where she mindlessly rushed you and the other where she methodically searches rooms for the player. If another player distracts her, they become a new target, and if caught, she will return to the first player who offended her.

So how does all of that apply to character building?

What the game dev method of character development does is give the character a little set of rules to follow without actually needing to come up with every background reason as to why they might be doing that or getting hyperspecific with morals and personal beliefs, which for me personally is a bonus because I never feel like they'll just tell me stuff like that. It also provides an opportunity to flip their behaviours on its head if something drastic changes, and through that, lead to new behaviours and the rules changing if you need them to!

The main differences are probably going to be what game they're having mechanics based on (sandbox, horror, open-world, metroidvania, visual novel, etc.). It's not going to be the same type of mechanics for every character, thanks to their setting, so you can kinda go a little wild with it!

I thought this was neat, and I figured I'd share this with you guys! Happy character working!

[bullcitypublishing]

If you are interested in becoming a writer, particularly a fiction writer, you should know...

[steak-house]

Learning to develop characters with online creative writing classes and online writing courses

In life, personality is created by presenting development, growth, and or change. The same is true with characters in stories. You, as a human and individual, are three-dimensional, a conglomerate of unique qualities. Therefore, when it comes to writing, characters must be believable, or credible. Make the actions and thoughts of characters included in the story line believable. How do you make your characters believable? Follow this formula, and you will do fine. 1) As your story progress, your readers should be able to recognize change in the main characters as growth and development happens. Be sure to include that. 2) In order for character progression to take place, your audience must know what that character WAS like, in order for your readers to know and understand what that character IS like now. So provide details that illustrate to your readers what things your characters go through, endure, and learn as the plot of your story continues to advance. 3) It should be obvious throughout the story, that certain actions, a certain apperance, thoughts, and what is said, defines a character. Unify characters with the proceeding three important aspects of character development. Characters and their speech, actions, thoughts, and appearance should present themselves as being inseperable. Of course, not every character in a story is important. That is why we have first-person narrative/characters, second-person narrative/characters, and third-person narrative/character. The importance of understanding a characters position in a story is obvious in correlation with the following thought: If a character isn’t as important, you, the writer, can create that character with a two-dimensional personality. To make your life simplier, you could also just generalize or classify that character into a group. Make him/her the peevish shrink or the nagging and over controling girlfriend. The more important that character is and the closer it is to the center of the conflict, much emphasize is to be placed on developing that character’s personality. In short, characters of a story should be interesting enough to carry the story. It doesn’t matter if the characters include animate or inanimate objects. If we’re dealing with animals or actual humans, the same rule apply: Develop the most important characters and shape their actions, thoughts, speech, and appearance with your ideas. Hope this post was helpful. Leave comments and questions if you have any! Thanks xo