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Original Character Creator

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     The Problem: Have you ever wanted to introduce a great character, someone you've created that you think would greatly add to your story, but been too afraid due to the great taboo that seems to be surrounding the idea of an OC?  Have no fear!  The creator is here!  Just read over some of these small steps, apply them, make a wish upon a star, and start writing--and don't forget to have fun!

     The Solution: What a character needs can be slowly built upon as you get the character itself in your mind.  People start with different things when they begin creating a character.  Most people I have met start making a character when a story itself calls for it.  Some people, already having a vague character in their mind, will work to build the story around them instead.  I usually tend to start with a name--maybe just a first or a surname if not both--before my character starts to form.  It's different for everyone, so don't worry about what step to really start with.  Take different paths until you find one that really makes it easy for you.  Since I normally start with names that is the first step we'll discuss.

     Names--The character's name is always a hugely defining part of that character.  Characters sometimes go by their given names but often some will go by their surname or even a nickname.  Depending on the kind of character yours is affects how they treat their name, too.  I suggest mainly using everyday names over extremely crazy ones because this will give the characters more of a realistic feel.  An example of this is Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter, his true name being Tom Riddle.  Only characters that are obviously different, such as Edward from Cowboy Bebop (fyi: Edward is a girl), should different and distinctive names come into play.  Giving a character a nickname is often in reference to how they look or act, though in the instances of The Matrix movies or the book Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card nicknames are as acceptable as a given name.

     Physical description--All characters are different, whether they're humans or magical/sci-fi creatures they will all be at least a little different.  Original characters become more real to an audience if they can imagine what your character actually looks like.  Make sure you have a clear picture in your head when creating a character so you don't become confused with other characters or confuse your readers by making description mistakes.  Physical description can be fun so be artistic about it.  What is your character's skin, hair and eye colors?  What are their favorite types of clothes to wear?  Are they always a mess or squeaky clean?  Do they wear glasses or something else that adds to their character?  Consider all of these things so that your character will come alive to even the most unimaginative readers.

     A Life--Remember, your character needs to be real so give them something to live for!  Without a life how can anyone truly appreciate your character?  This is a very important point.  Consider the world your character lives in and begin to concoct something unique.  Think about their family (though they don't necessarily have to be characters in your story), their hobbies, their dreams and goals, and their likes and dislikes.  A character is complex, like anyone in the real world, so make your own with many facets too.

     Mood and Relation--By mood I am really asking what kind of person they are.  By relation, how does your character relate to others because of their mood.  There are many character types out there and they are usually very defined in anime and manga culture.  There is the unabashed hero, the clumsy heroine, the loner, the sweet and understanding type, the super-powered evil, the megane (glasses character) also known as the unreadable type, the lolita (cute and childish) type, the shy type, the gentle villain, the happy-go-lucky sidekick, the cool type, the romantic, the aesthetic boy, the know-it-all, the smirking rival and many more!  If you read many books you will see that many characters have a set mood, such as Hermione Granger (Harry Potter) as a know-it-all type and Ash Ketchem (Pokemon anime) as the unabashed hero.  Some characters share more than one mood but there is always a more prominent mood, like Kyouya Ohtori (Ouran High School Host Club) who majorly is the cool and megane types, he also carries varying amounts of the loner, the know-it-all, the smirking rival, the super-powered evil and even sometimes (rarely) the sweet and understanding type.

     Once you have your character's mood then you can begin to work on how your character really relates to others.  If he's the unabashed hero he probably wouldn't be afraid to strike up a conversation with others.  As for the smirking rival there is always an air of "I'm so much greater than you" flowing about them.  Loner types do not talk to others freely and cool types are generally ones to give the cold shoulder to anyone unimportant to them.  Thinking of relating can also affect their speech and how they see things in the world.  Happy-go-luckies often will try their best to see the good in everything, while know-it-alls will look at the world logically.  Mood and relation are just as important to a character as their life because this is how they've gotten through life so far and how your character will continue to be throughout your story.

     The defining characteristic--Last, and sometimes least, is your character's defining characteristic.  What is one thing--one important thing--that sets your character apart from the others?  Is your character a transfer student?  Someone with a shady past, or someone who can't remember their past?  Do they have a cat that they talk to as if it were a real person?  Does your character wear turtlenecks all year long, even on the hottest days in summer?  Come up with something that really gives your character an air of uniqueness.  It does not have to be important but there should always be something.  This will help to combat problems like Mary Sues and keep other authors who may have a character similar to yours from shouting plagiarism--a big no-no in the writing world!  Your characters should be your own.

     Great!  So now you have a character of your very own!  It should be original and unique to you.  Maybe you have never created a character before and are nervous--well, don't be!  Even if your new character isn't great you have indeed taken a step into the real world of writing.  You've done something that many fanfiction writers are afraid of doing--making your own characters, and making good ones!  Like I've said before, practice makes better so continue to work and develop characters as they come to you.  You may not find a use for all the characters you create but it never hurts to stay in shape for when you really need to build one up.  There will still be others who are turned off at the idea of OCs but you will still find other, more open-minded people who would gladly read your fic.  They will definitely appreciate your story more if your character is original and well thought out.  Just keep having confidence in yourself and work to create truly original characters.

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