Before I begin, I want to make it known that this is OPTIONAL. I’m going to try to throw more of these up, maybe every week or so, and you’re free to do any of these optional ic and ooc challenges at any time. It doesn’t matter how long ago I posted the challenge prompt, go ahead and check the tag on this blog and do any of them at any time. Post your answers to the last one or pics for this one to social media and tag them tga:development and @tgaimportant and I’ll reblog them over there to make sure everyone sees them.
Don’t be afraid to talk to each other about your answers on the last one and the pictures for this one, that’s the whole point. If you’re shy, you can use the anon ask feature.
The new OPTIONAL CHALLENGE is WINTER FASHION.
What does that mean? We, the admin team, are challenging you to put together at least one winter fashion post on social media to share with the class. These can be posts like ootd selfies that show off one full outfit while it’s on, pinterest outfit moodboards of clothes that are laid out, etc. Be creative. Showcase a moodboard theme as a whole, specific favorites in a try on haul, or singular outfits. Feel free to comment on each other’s pictures, and reach out for help putting these posts together. We have plenty of people that are into fashion, makeup, hair, photography, modeling, social media itself, and every aspect of this little task. We do these to help you all get to know each other, so take advantage.
I’ve been talking about putting this out for a while now, and before we get into the sexcapades that are the TGA holiday Mock Claims, I wanted to finally get this dropped so that we can all work on our characterizations. So you’ve come up with a character name, a faceclaim, and you’ve decided whether they’re a sub or a Dom- what next?
It’s easy to assume that the smut is what draws people to TGA and what has kept me in the admin seat for over ten years, but I have to say that isn’t the truth. The reason that I believe TGA has always been so active and enjoyable is the fact that it has been home to some of the most original, fully developed characters that I’ve ever seen and the tense plot allows for people to explore connections and development extensively. We’ve seen characters come in that have developed into completely different people by the time they leave The Academy. We’ve had some of the most entertaining and eventful ships and family bonds.
So how do you get that yourself? What do you do in order to flesh out your character and make them stand out? These are my ideas, based on my own experiences and what I’ve seen as admin. Feel free to answer these questions privately to yourself, semi-privately for just the group in our ooc blog, or publicly on your blog for the world to see. You don’t have to answer all of these— or any of them, this is completely optional. Feel free to read other people’s answers too, in order to get a better idea of how you can plot with that character. You may choose to answer this IC or OOC, just make note of that on your post.
SOME WARM-UP QUESTIONS TO GET IN THE MOOD:
What is their character archetype? Do they have one? Do they fit into any stereotypical label? (If your character has specific thoughts about character archetypes, feel free to add that too.)
What or who would your character dress up as for Halloween?
Who do they look up to? Do they have a hero?
If they could call one person for help, who would it be?
What is their favorite fairytale? What fairytale do they hate? Do they believe in happy endings?
What is their perception of redemption?
If your character could travel through time, where would they go?
What are they good at? Do they like being good at it? Is there anything they wish they were better at?
When did they last lie? What’s their view of lying? When did they last make a promise? Did they keep or break their last promise?
If your character could only save one thing from their burning house, what would it be?
HOW THEY TALK AND PORTRAY THEMSELVES:
*This is going to be the best section to use when it comes to making your characters look, sound, and feel like different people instead of the same person with different faces. Remember that yes, some diction is the same across the board for a lot of people but we’re all individuals and choose to use even the currently trendy vocabulary in our own ways.
The first thing anyone is going to see is how your character talks. What makes them different from everyone else? How do you distinguish one of your characters talking versus another talking?
What words or phrases do they overuse? Do they have a catchphrase? Is there anyone that they quote?
Are they more optimistic or pessimistic? Are they introverted or extroverted?
Do they ever put on airs? Do they ever pretend to be something they are not? This includes pretending to be brave or pretending to be strict. (For example, many people play Sebastian Smythe as a character that is putting on a sex shark, suave, cold façade in order to fit in. Santana Lopez and Quinn Fabray could also be seen as putting on airs, sometimes, depending on where they are in their story arcs.)
How do they want to be seen by others? How do they see themselves? How are they seen by others?
Strongest character trait? Weakest character trait?
How do they react to praise? How do they react to criticism? Are they most likely to fight with their fists or their tongue?
What are their political views? What will they stand up for? What do they consider an overrated virtue?
How do they treat Dominants? How do they treat submissives? Do they have any preconceived notions about poor people or rich people?
What bad habits do they have?
CHARACTER INTERESTS, LIKES, AND DISLIKES:
What is their obsession? (Example: Rachel Berry is obsessed with Broadway, Quinn Fabray is obsessed with successful perfection, etc)
What is their guilty pleasure? (This doesn’t have to be embarrassing, even if by definition this is something they would hide.)
What are their hobbies? (Remember that these can lead to club activities, which can lead to reasons to be active and make connections)
What are their idiosyncrasies?
What makes them laugh out loud?
What are their pet peeves?
Do they make snap judgements or take time to consider?
What is their greatest fear?
Are they indoorsy or outdoorsy?
What is the most offensive thing they’ve ever said?
FAMILY, LOVE, AND OTHER HUMAN CONNECTIONS:
Is their family big or small? Who does it consist of? How do they define family?
Did they grow up rich or poor? Did they grow up nurtured or neglected?
What were they like before their mark, right after they woke up marked, after they got used to their mark, and approaching time to go to the Academy? Did any of these D/s mark related moments change them as a person?
What advice would they give their younger self?
What was their childhood ambition? Has that changed?
How do they display affection?
What quality do they most value in a friend? Describe their ideal best friend a little bit.
Who are their natural allies?
Who are their surprising allies?
What do they think about love? Has your character ever been in love? Have they ever had their heart broken?
DAILY LIFE AND USING IT FOR STARTERS/CONVOS:
*All of these can be used to help you decide what to write as a starter, how to connect with other people, and where you can find more connections. Remember that all Dom/mes have the right to make a submissive help them through their daily life! So if your Dom/me character has an answer down here that they could use help with (i.e. their morning routine, cooking meals, cleaning house, organizing, etc– if your Dom/me character only has condiments in their fridge, for example, a sub could be a big help in getting them to go to the Dalton kitchens to get real food! And all characters are highly encouraged to interact based on clubs, classes, and daily life.)
What are their eating habits? Do they have any allergies?
Describe their dorm/suite. Are they minimalist or a clutter hoarder?
What do they keep in their fridge? Their bedside table? Their purse/bag?
What do they do first thing on a weekday morning?
What do they do with their weekend?
Are they comfortable with technology?
What is their greatest extravagance?
What is their idea of perfect happiness?
What is their view of ‘freedom’?
What clubs and classes are they in? What does their weekly schedule look like? What would they like to start doing? Maybe something they could use a little push to get into?
