#Character Development

[dyinglikeicarus]

By my players' popular demand, I designed our charismatic pirate npc, Vijaya.

Their design is based on the One Thousand and One Nights, mostly on Simbad and Scheherezade.

#Character design #TTRPG #character concept art #illustration #drawing #pirates #concept art #character development

[deception-united]

How would you write a character slowly going insane from their world going out of their control?

Writing a character slowly descending into madness as their world unravels can be difficult. It's important to weave in details that reflect the character's internal thoughts and emotions, allowing readers to empathise with and understand their descent into madness. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to develop such a character:

Establish Normalcy: Begin by portraying your character in their normal state, with clear goals, motivations, and a sense of control over their life. Show their relationships, routines, and aspirations to establish a baseline for their sanity.

Introduce Stressors: Gradually introduce stressors or challenges that disrupt the character's sense of control. These could be external factors like conflicts with others, unexpected events, or internal struggles such as doubts or fears.

Initial Denial: Initially, have your character respond to these stressors with denial or attempts to regain control. They may try to rationalise the events or attempt to solve problems using familiar methods.

Heightened Anxiety and Paranoia: As the stressors persist and escalate, your character's anxiety and paranoia will likely intensify. They may become hyper-aware of their surroundings, seeing threats where there are none, or interpreting innocent actions as malicious.

Deteriorating Behaviour: Show the character's behaviour becoming increasingly erratic or irrational. They may behave compulsively, exhibit mood swings, or withdraw from social interactions.

Hallucinations or Delusions: Introduce hallucinations or delusions that further blur the line between reality and fantasy. These could be sensory experiences like hearing voices or seeing things that aren't there, reinforcing the character's sense of losing touch with reality.

Breakdown of Relationships: As the character's behaviour becomes more unpredictable, their relationships may suffer. Friends and loved ones may become concerned or distant, further isolating the character and exacerbating their feelings of alienation.

Loss of Self-Control: Eventually, the character's grasp on reality may slip entirely. They may experience a complete breakdown, losing all sense of self-control.

Climactic Moment: Reach a climactic moment where the character's insanity reaches its peak. This could be a dramatic confrontation, a moment of self-realisation, or a final descent into madness.

Increased Conflict and Struggle: As the character's sanity erodes, they will encounter heightened conflict and struggle in their interactions with others and the world around them. Their irrational behaviour may lead to confrontations with friends, family, or authority figures. They may also face obstacles in achieving their goals as their deteriorating mental state impairs them.

Resolution or Consequences: Decide how the story will resolve for the character. Will they find a way to regain some semblance of sanity and control, or will they succumb entirely to their madness? How will this affect the rest of the plot?

Hope this helps!

#ask #writeblr #writing #writing tips #writing advice #writing help #writing resources #creative writing #character development #character writing #writing characters

[oc-dev-prompts]

Tag the OC who's on the ace spectrum, the aro spectrum, or both!

#i recently figured out that I'm aromantic #specifically cupioromantic and aroflux #oc development #oc questions #original character #original character questions #original characters #oc asks #character asks #character development #tag that oc #tag your oc #aromantic #asexual #aro #ace

[ocprompts]

would your oc ever admit to being wrong?

#oc asks #oc development #character development #oc questions #character asks

[nocturnalazure]

All of Erik's other Goddammits

Erik's favorite swearword comes up really often in his speech. It was even one of his first words when he appeared in the story as a young adult! The horse riding scenes in Egypt was particularly loaded in goddammits because he was so frustrated (and scared of horses, but shhh). xD

In addition to the 6 occurrences already listed in this post, here are some more goddammits for your reading pleasure!

Also comes in the "goddamn" variety.

Yeah... Erik does love that word. :D

He also occasionally says "damn" and "damn it", but I have excluded those for being too far from the original. :D

Who had noticed that habit of Erik's? :)

#ts3 #sims 3 #sims 3 story #erik zay #character development

[artist-issues]

What are the best stories you've seen that have a theme of forgiveness? If not strictly about forgiveness, then any themes along the lines of retribution, redemption arcs, or even "seeing through another's eyes" (I may or may not have rewatched Brother Bear recently lol)

Well, we’ve got all my old standbys. Cinderella, of course, is a story that really has forgiveness in it, because Cinderella wholeheartedly forgives her stepfamily for mistreating her. (Actually, she might be “forbearance,” not forgiveness.) But they’re completely off her hook. I think there’s a really great moment of forgiveness between Nick and Judy in Zootopia that gets overlooked. Frozen, with Anna and Elsa. Brother Bear is a really great example, truly! I love that movie.

I think some of my other favorites include the original A Star is Born, or even the Judy Garland remake. (Those also might be more “forbearance.”) I think one of the best examples I ever saw of forgiveness was in Avatar: the Last Airbender, which everybody knows:

And of course, ‘Til We Have Faces and The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis have some of the best-distilled forgiveness moments in any stories, ever. There are sweet ones in The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald, too, though they’re not as dramatic. In Anne’s House of Dreams, by L.M. Montgomery, Anne’s repeated forgiveness of Leslie’s coldheartedness or rudeness is a really simple but awesome example of day-to-day forgiveness.

I don’t easily think of a lot of good examples of it in stories. Brother Bear definitely has it, because without it, the story doesn’t work—Sitka wouldn’t help Kenai to learn from his wrongs, Kenai would’ve been killed by Denahi, Koda would’ve been left alone—but I don’t think forgiveness is the main focus of the movie. I think it’s a load-bearing component, but not the focus.

You’re making me want to see a movie that really homes in on that!

The thing is, I guess, for forgiveness to be the focus of a movie, there has to be a character that 100% definitely does the complete wrong, inexcusable thing to another character. Something that he deserves to be on the hook for. Then he has to acknowledge that he did the wrong thing and want forgiveness. And then the other character, the one who was wronged, has to willingly acknowledge that wrong and then let the offender off the hook. It’s not just “we’ll pretend this didn’t happen.” It’s both parties acknowledging that wrong was done, and having an exchange that ends in reconciliation. It’s got grace and mercy wrapped up in it.

Not many movies have true moments like this. Usually, one character is super sorry and the other character just seems to brush off whatever they did with like, a callback to an inside joke or something. (I’m thinking if Treasure Planet, to be honest.) Or, the situation necessitates that they put their conflict aside and work together, and then after the day is saved they sort of “get over” all that and swagger off into the sunset together.

As far as “redemption” goes—gee, all the old standbys! All the ones I mentioned above, plus Star Wars, plus East of Eden (the movie, not the book) plus, of course, my all-time favorite movie, Lilo & Stitch.

In Lilo & Stitch, you have the ugly little creature who belongs absolutely nowhere, is by definition a blight on nature and an abomination of existence, who was actively created to ruin everything. And he does it, and he takes delight in it. But there’s this little girl who gets pushed down, gets her doll chewed on, gets rejected when she’s most in need of his companionship—and she just keeps on loving him anyway. Because she’s chosen to, not because he did anything to deserve it. And then that infects him. That idea of family—of someone choosing to love you, no matter how ugly you are inside and out, and by choosing to love you, they create a place where you belong. No matter what. And that changes him. A germ from outside of him changes him from a literal world-destroying, home-shattering selfish monster into something new, something adopted, something loved.

I’d call it a story about committed love and grace, not necessarily redemption—because the focus of the story isn’t really “Stitch does something wrong but then through a process of pain and transformative struggle, redeems that wrong.” That’s not the focus of the story. But it’s still “bad character becomes good.” And I can’t help but talk about Lilo & Stitch once you get me started on it, sorry!

I think the best redemption stories are some of the ones I’ve listed above, plus East of Eden, Beauty & the Beast, and really, truly Sydney Carton from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities.

And I think Kylo Ren was well on his way to being one of the best redemption stories of all time, if TROS hadn’t fumbled the ending so clumsily—but that’s another post for another time! I don’t know if this satisfactorily answered your question, but it was fun to ramble about and I’ll tag you if I make another post as more come to mind.

#thanks Buddy #asked #answered #Kylo Ren #beauty & the beast #forgiveness #redemption arcs #Zuko #the beast #Lilo & stitch #writing #character development

[daily-prompts]

prompt 2427

Think back to a time in your past when you learned something the hard way. Set a timer for 20 minutes and write nonstop about it.

#daily writing prompts #fiction #writing #writing prompts #writing practice #writing inspiration #prompt #creative writing #character development

[treason-and-plot]

I have an extremely serious question to ask you. Last time, you said Roy was in the Top 10 of Crystal's favorite clients ever (and that before he was only in the Top 20, implying that the ranking is subject to change). We know Roy is competitive. What would he need to do to crack the Top 5?

Hi Nonners! Thank you for your thought-provoking question. I will answer from Crystal's perspective because Roy has no idea that he is not Crystal's favourite client. He obviously assumes he is, and would be completely dumbfounded to learn that currently he is not even in her Top 5. (He would be utterly devastated to learn that he used to hover outside her top 10, but let's not go there for the sake of brevity.) To be fair though, Crystal tells all her regulars that they are her favourite client, so perhaps Roy's massive ego isn't entirely to blame for his misconception!

To understand how Roy could crack Crystal's Top 5 it is first necessary to analyze the characteristics shared by the gentlemen on the list. After exhaustive research I have determined that they all meet the following criteria:

They are just as interested in Crystal's pleasure as their own.

They are generous tippers.

They stimulate Crystal intellectually.

They are clean and well-groomed.

They have respect for Crystal and her profession.

They have no weird kinks or fetishes.

While Roy meets 4 of the the 6 criteria, he is definitely not invested in Crystal's pleasure and why should he be- he is the one paying her, after all! But her Top 5 are of the opinion that it's just as important that she enjoy herself as much as they do, which Crystal very much appreciates. Roy doesn't stimulate her brain particularly either...his conversations tend to be firmly centred on himself, and he grows bored if they discuss anything else for any length of time!

So there you have it, Nonners...I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

#roy #Crystal #character development

[shychick-52]

I love that Cedric's arc was nice and gradual! I love that it was messy and that he seemed to keep 'resetting' in so many episodes after every bit of progress he previously made/the closer he got to Sofia.

Progress (including moral progress) is rarely linear. It's messy and chaotic- because that's what trauma does to a person, and that's all the more reason every single bit of progress Cedric went through during the series felt earned! His 'resetting' never quite felt like it was undermining his gradual character development, because of how realistic his journey was and how complex of a character Cedric was (again, especially when you take into account how much his trauma affected him... and I do NOT mean to excuse his actions, mind you).

And for a Disney Junior show, I think their handling of Cedric was all the more impressive!

#cedric the sorcerer #cedric the great #cedric the sensational #sofia the first #sofia the fandom #character development #character analysis

[develop-your-villain]

Which OC looks like a villain but isn't one? Do they get mistaken for a villain in-universe as well as out of it?

#oc #character development #oc tag #original character #tag your oc #villain oc #villain #antihero #story #characters #deceptive appearance

[night-market-if]

Spoiler

Spoiler for Book 2 Chapter 4 (available now on Patreon)

I'm not going to lie, I had no concept of it until I wrote it out. I actually sat there trying to wrack who Milo could have gone to and trusted. I even had a line in there about MC suggesting that maybe Milo should have gone to the authorities and my beta's all came in and said that they didn't even think that would have been an option for Milo at the time, given what we know about the Guard.

It became heartbreaking that Feebus was it and Milo didn't like that option because it would put the kids at risk.

#the night market #milo next #interactive fiction #book 2 #character development #angst

[saraswritingtipps]

Good Traits Gone Bad

Exploring good traits gone bad in a novel can add depth and complexity to your characters. Here are a few examples of good traits that can take a negative turn:

1. Empathy turning into manipulation: A character with a strong sense of empathy may use it to manipulate others' emotions and gain an advantage.

2. Confidence becoming arrogance: Excessive confidence can lead to arrogance, where a character belittles others and dismisses their opinions.

3. Ambition turning into obsession: A character's ambition can transform into an unhealthy obsession, causing them to prioritize success at any cost, including sacrificing relationships and moral values.

4. Loyalty becoming blind devotion: Initially loyal, a character may become blindly devoted to a cause or person, disregarding their own well-being and critical thinking.

5. Courage turning into recklessness: A character's courage can morph into reckless behavior, endangering themselves and others due to an overestimation of their abilities.

6. Determination becoming stubbornness: Excessive determination can lead to stubbornness, where a character refuses to consider alternative perspectives or change their course of action, even when it's detrimental.

7. Optimism becoming naivety: Unwavering optimism can transform into naivety, causing a character to overlook dangers or be easily deceived.

8. Protectiveness turning into possessiveness: A character's protective nature can evolve into possessiveness, where they become overly controlling and jealous in relationships.

9. Altruism becoming self-neglect: A character's selflessness may lead to neglecting their own needs and well-being, to the point of self-sacrifice and burnout.

10. Honesty becoming brutal bluntness: A character's commitment to honesty can turn into brutal bluntness, hurting others with harsh and tactless remarks.

These examples demonstrate how even admirable traits can have negative consequences when taken to extremes or used improperly. By exploring the complexities of these traits, you can create compelling and multi-dimensional characters in your novel.

Happy writing!

#character traits #writing #writing tips #character development #writer on tumblr #writerscommunity #writer tumblr #writblr #writing advice #oc character #writing help #creative writing

[cityandking]

oc asks: not-so-nice edition

alone: How does your OC deal with loneliness? Have they ever been completely alone before? How do they act when there's no one around to see them?

betrayal: Has your OC ever been betrayed by someone they thought they could trust? Has your OC ever betrayed someone who trusted them?

bound: Has your OC ever been imprisoned or captured? What happened? How did they get out? Did the experience leave any scars?

break: What would cause your OC to break down completely? What do they look like when that happens? Has anyone ever seen them at their lowest?

desire: What's one thing your OC wants more than anything in the world? Are they open with that desire? Why or why not? What would they do to fulfill it?

failure: What's your OC's greatest failure? Have they been able to move past it? Does anyone else know about it?

fear: What is your OC's greatest fear? What do they do when confronted with it? Are they open with their fear, or do they hide it away?

future: What's the worst possible future for your OC? Are they taking steps to avoid that outcome? Are they even aware it's a possibility?

ghost: Who or what haunts your OC? What happened? How do they live with their ghosts?

guilt: What is your OC guilty about? How do they handle their guilt? Do they try to avoid guilt, or do they accept it?

hate: What does your OC hate? Why? How do they act towards the object of their hatred?

heartbreak: Have they ever had a relationship that ended badly? Experienced some other kind of heartbreak? What happened?

hide: What does your OC hide? Why do they hide it?

hunt: Who or what is your OC hunted by? A person, a feeling, a past mistake? Is your OC able to let their guard down, or are they constantly alert?

mask: Does your OC wear a mask, literally or figuratively? What goes on beneath it? Is there anyone in their life who gets to see who they are under the mask?

midnight: What keeps your OC up at night? Do they have nightmares? Fears? Anxieties? What do they do in the small hours of the morning when they should be sleeping?

mistake: What's the worst mistake your OC ever made? What led to them making it? Have they been able to fix it? How have they moved on?

monster: Is your OC monstrous in any way? Is there something that makes them monstrous? Are they aware of their own monstrosity? Do they accept it or reject it?

nightmare: What does your OC have nightmares about? How do they deal with their nightmares? Do they tell people, or keep it to themself?

pain: What's the worst pain your OC has ever felt? Do they have a high pain tolerance?

secret: What's one secret your OC never wants anyone to know about them?

skin: How comfortable is your OC in their skin? Do they grapple with anything that lives inside them—a beast, a curse, a failure, a monster? How do they face the smallest, weakest, most horrible version of themself? Are they able to acknowledge it at all?

torture: Has your OC ever been tortured? Would your OC ever torture someone else?

wound: How does your OC handle being wounded? Are their wounds mostly physical? Mental? Emotional? What's the worst wound your OC has ever experienced?

#whump #whump ask #oc asks #oc ask game #oc ask prompts #oc ask meme #ask meme #ask game #character asks #character development #mine; ask meme #meme resource #please feel free and encouraged to reblog! or to send asks but I probably won’t get to them til next week #now with minor edits for clarity!

[tanaor]

Want quick tips to add instant chemistry to the relationships of your characters??

(🥳With examples🥳)

First of all, I want to say that you can also use most of them for platonic/ non-romantic relationships, so feel free to use this tips however you think they might work better in your story. So, without further adue, let's get to the tips!!!

Make your characters LISTEN to each other. Like, if A tells B they're not a morning person, B could make some coffee for A or lower the volume of their alarm.

This might sound quite obvious, but show that you characters care for each other. It might be as simple as one of them giving the other a glass of water when they feel a little dizzy, but it works wonders!

Make your characters physically close. When you are emotionally close to someone, you tend to be physically close too. But here is the thing. Make your characters react like it's second nature: "how would I not hug B when I haven't seen them in days?" or "Of course I'm gonna take A's hand when I feel insecure".

They don't have to be constantly thinking about each other, but when they do, MAKE IT MATTER!! For example, character A is out shopping, and they see B's favorite cookies. B didn't have a good day, and A knows that. But A also knows B is gonna fucking love the cookies, so they buy some.

Let them believe and trust each other. Also applies if one of them is a little distrustful: let your characters rely on one another, even if at the start they aren't as comfortable doing it. For a distrustful character, letting the other one help with chores might be a HUGE thing.

Other tips for writers: previous | next

#writeblr #writing #writer #writers #writers of tumblr #writers on tumblr #writerscommunity #original character #character development #character dynamics #main character #chemistry between your characters #writing tips #tips for writers #character tips #tips #creative writing

[ocprompts]

how much money does your oc spend on fast-food?

#oc asks #oc development #character development #oc questions #character asks

[deception-united]

Get to Know Your Character

Here are some questions to consider for character development:

What parts of their childhood trigger them?

How do they treat themselves when they're feeling sad?

What parts of themselves do they tend to hide?

How do they punish themselves when they make mistakes?

Who are they loyal to? Why?

Who do they avoid? Why?

What emotions or situations do they try to avoid? Why?

What angers them?

What are their insecurities?

What are their emotional triggers?

How do they feel about love?

What are their fears?

What is their relationship with their family like?

What kind of people do they tend to gravitate towards?

What do they like/dislike about themselves?

Happy writing ❤

#writeblr #writing #writing tips #writing help #writing resources #creative writing #character development #oc development #ask game