App Writing Tips and Tricks
Some people have told me that I'm good at writing apps, and while I'm not sure I agree with that, I do think I know what goes into making a great app. So here are some tips I have for both creating characters and writing their apps.
Keep in mind that this isn't a "how to get accepted into [insert group here]" guide. You could very well take everything I say here into consideration and still not get into a group. Or you could ignore everything I say here and still get into a group.
Character Creating/Adjusting Tips:
Pick a Realistic Talent - Now, the importance of this will vary from group to group, but it's still something to keep in mind. First of all, you don't want any physically impossible talents, like a Sorcerer who can legitimately perform actual magic, although that should be obvious. But something that might not be as obvious is talent that would be unrealistic for a teenager to have. Like for example, a SHSL Doctor isn't very realistic, considering regardless of how talented the student is, they're not already going to have gone all the way through med school if they're still in high school. In these cases, try going with a similar talent that a high school student could realistically have.
Break the Mold - Something that really makes a character stand out is making them different than one would expect. This one is a little hard to explain, but with more common talents like "Artist" and "Musician", you will see that a lot of them tend to have pretty similar personalities and quirks. If you can try and do something to make your character completely stand out from all others like this, that will definitely give your OC an interesting flare.
Be Creative - i'm going to be using my AC1 character, Akuma, for this example. So my character is a Demonologist and he claims to be able to let demons possess him, each with their own unique personalities and ways of speaking. This was my way of playing off of the trend of characters with DID, which have become increasingly common in the DR OC community, and turning it into something a little more fresh and unique. If you can find something like this, whether it's completely unique or playing off of a more common trend, it can really make an OC stand out.
Make Sure Everything Matters - Please just never tack on something like a disorder, disability, or tragic event for the sake of being 'edgy'. Make sure that there are proper repercussions for the things they have done in the past and any condition they may have. Do your research, and don't just go off of what you see on TV as a reliable resource on how to handle certain events or conditions. For example, one that really gets to me is when people tack on "Bipolar Disorder" to explain a character who moodswings all over the place. As someone with bipolar I can tell you that isn't what bipolar is, and it can have an affect on way more than just your mood. Just do your research, otherwise you're liable to offend people who might have actually gone through things your character has.
Be Passionate - It really shows when a lot of effort has been put into an OC. Even an OC that in concept might not be all that special can still shine if you show your enthusiasm for the character. If you know your stuff and you really have a good grasp on what your character is like, it doesn't matter how 'bland' they may be.
Application Writing Tips:
Pay Attention to the Instructions - This might seem obvious, but every group gets these kind of apps. If a section isn't optional, you have to fill it in. If a section gives you a minimum or maximum amount of words, follow that guideline as close as you can. If you're restricted to certain talents for whatever reason, don't use any banned talents.
Read Over Your App - After you finish your app, it is so important that you read over it again. I know that once you "finish" an app the last thing you probably will want to do is work on it even more, but trust me on this. Look at your app through the eyes of a stranger. Is there anything that isn't explained very well? Are there any inconsistencies? Are there spelling and/or grammar mistakes? if there are (which more likely than not there probably will be), make sure you go through and iron out any wrinkles that your app might have before you send it in. It sucks, but this is really just how writing goes.
Show That You know What You're Talking About - Never should you write things like "I think they would..." or anything like that. Don't think, know. It is your character after all, and nobody knows them better than you do. If you can't even show that you know your own character, that can be a bad sign to the mods reading your app. Not only that, but if you have done research for your character, show it. I don't necessarily mean you need works cited page or something like that, but just show that you know a lot about your character's talent and anything else you might need to research.
Leave Nothing to the Imagination - If you can, be as thorough as possible. Show the mods exactly what your character is like, how they behave, what gets to them the most, etc. A lot of apps can have problems where it's not exactly clear what the character is like, and you really want to avoid falling into this problem as much as possible.
Don't Focus on Length - Some people just write a lot, while others might be very concise. If you've said everything you need to say and your app is still only around 1K - 2K, that is fine. For example in AC1 the app template was rather short, and I know both a person who got in with an app that was just over 1K and someone who got in with an app that was nearly 6K. So really, don't stress over the length of your app.