How to Make a Moderately Interesting Character

[Syrenrei]

How to Make a
Really Awesome
Moderately Interesting Character
in FIVE AND ONE HALFhorribly convoluted Easy Steps!

So if you are reading this, you are either looking for affirmation that there, in fact, some really basic guidelines to follow in making an interesting character, love me to the point of masochism, or sincerely hope that I have wisdom to impart on you about creating a character.

In the twelve years I've been doing text-based role-playing, I've made A LOT my share of blunders creating characters. I've fallen prey to myths such as "people love overly tragic characters" and "playing a sexy woman will attract boys" MANY TIMES once or twice. I hope that some of this will dispell illusions that you might have, open your eyes a little, or at least give you a good chortle.

I have tried to organize this into five and a half steps. You do not have to follow this order in creating a character. Hell, most of the time I don't and I wrote this damn thing! I just really like steps and breaking down big chunks of information and opinion into manageable pieces.

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THIS IS COMPLETELY SUBJECTIVE AND NOT FACTUAL. Feel free to comment or suggest additions to this guide.

Table of Contents

I. Introduction
II. Concept Creation
III. Visualization
IV. History/Background
V. Personality
VI. Purpose
VII. Finishing Touches

 

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Step 1
Concept Creation

What do you want to play? For some role-plays part of this is already decided: your race, age, gender, or role may be determined according to setting or needed characters.

Start with something simple and generic for your concept. I often use a cliche or established character to jump off of. Examples of concepts might be: the sinful priest, the lusty demoness, the standoffish punk, etc. etc. You want some basic ideas, whether they be personality traits, race, gender, age, powers, or something along those lines. Don't worry about getting too specific- that can come later.

From this step you can go to 2, 3, 4, or 5. I'll dispell popular myths about those specific parts of characters there. Be warned! Your concept may embrace a bad, bad, bad character myth. If it does, worry not- I will offer advice how to change it from horribly overdone/annoying to exciting/fun!

Myth: Cliches are always bad.

Nope! What matters most in a RP is that you have fun. Cliches are just that- fun. This thread is not aimed at making you give them up, but just to put interesting spins on them. Keep making those fallen angels, vampires with a love of humanity, and bad boy rock stars!  

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Step 2
Visualizing

I put this as step two because a lot of people start imagining what their character looks like before they start cementing other things. Lots of people will base characters off pictures that they find particularly inspiring. If you're like me, you probably save just about every picture you think might be a good character picture into a folder on your hard drive for possible future use.

Myth 1: A sexy character gets all the ladies/men.

When everyone in a RP is waltzing around looking like they could be in a softcore porno from their descriptions, being dead sexy won't win you points anymore. The lure of making a horribly attractive character is strong (most of us aren't models), but when you can find a buxom women with never-ending legs around ever corner, it's time to diversify. The same goes for slender, well-muscled men with six-packs to die for. I remember being a chatroom RP and having someone walk in with a 42-year-old woman who was short and a bit rotund. While she might not get a killer romance, she got attention from everyone who wasn't look to cyber.
Advice: Go ahead and make those gorgeous characters, but also make ones who are more mundane in appearance or even maybe scarred/disfigured. Sometimes if your concept looks like she/he just walked out of a steamy romance novel, you'll attract the wrong sort of role-play.

Myth 2: I can be 100lbs., 6', and have a slender musculature.

What is wrong with you?While most RP is quasi-fantastic and there is usually some suspension of reality, if you're 100lbs. and 6' you are not only anorexic to the point of being sickly, you almost certainly have no muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. When you make your character, keep in mind reasonable height/weights correlations; if you don't, some people might shirk your character because how you imagine your character is not how they will.
Advice: Try using some references to correctly guestimate weight. Either consult friends, use yourself, or use tables like this or this.

Myth 3: I can be human and have purple hair and yellow eyes.
In anime, this is rather typical. Although it's set in Japan, people walk around with natural bright green hair and red eyes and no one gives them a second glance. I have to say- I went for my honeymoon and I didn't see that. In fact, most people had black hair and brown eyes. Amazing! While some RPs mimic/mirror anime series or their nature, you've surely seen ones that proclaim to be 'realistic' and then there's a purple-haired prom queen.
Advice: Consider the setting and race you are playing. Elves might have green hair, but a normal person will not. Make sure, if you are playing a human with weird features, you are in an anime-like setting or have some explanation like dye or a mutation to explain it. Also- if you have red eyes, the only natural way to have those is to be albino. Read up on those before you decide to go that route!

 

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Step 3
History/Background

History/background should take quite a bit of time and inspiration if done correctly. There are lots of things to consider when doing this portion; for your convenience I'll provide a inadequate concise checklist of things you want to figure out:
1. What were the circumstances of your birth? (To whom were you born? When? Where? What are you? Why were you conceived- was it love?)
2. What is/was your family like? (What did/do your parents do for a living? Are they still/were they ever together? Do you have siblings?)
3. What was it like growing up? (How was school/training? Home? Any bad experiences? Good experiences? Growing pains?)
4. Did you have any relationships? (Did you have friends? Did you have a boyfriend/girlfriend/fiancee/wife/husband? Did you have children?)
5. If you are older, what have you done with your life? (Occupation? Current home? Travel?)

Some people (like me) might create a skeleton and fill in gaps as they role-play. Maybe you know when and where you were born, but you aren't sure what your parents did for a living. Depending on the RP, that's something you might be able to decide later when it's more important. A word of caution: don't be too coincidental. No one likes a mysterious character who, once they reveal their past, has had all the same experiences. Sometimes imitation is not flattering at all. >.<

Myth 1: I should always give my full history in my profile.

Some people will require you to fully explain everything that's happened to your character in some sort of bio. Admittedly, it's a good thing for people looking to tie into your character, but then the chance for fun surprises is O%. Maybe you hate the holidays and your birthday and all the unknown gifts people shower you with, but some people like a bit of mystery. It's like seeing a really yummy pie and getting to find out what delicious filling is inside. Cherry? Apple? I HOPE IT'S NOT STRAWBERRY. Blueberry? You might not know, but you have all sorts of wild ideas about how great it will be! Gosh, the anticipation might draw you to the pie! It's the same way with RP. If you don't have a lengthy expose ahead of time, people might want to engage you in RP just to figure you out!
Advice: Keep the basic nuts and bolts of your background in your profile, but omit juicy tidbits that you will later reveal. It makes for a really good story/experience. It will also give everyone something to look forward to. I know I enjoy plotting it out! Just make sure you write it down somewhere and have it figured out so that you don't contradict yourself later >.>

Myth 2: My character should launch into a soliloquy to explain their past.

Nooooooo. Please don't ;_; Unless you are having a serious heart to heart because the world's about to end and you simply must confess all your sins/transgressions, please don't do it! When is the last time anyone you know suddenly went into a long, rambling speech about what it was like growing up and how their parents didn't love them, but they had a really awesome girlfriend in high school? Never? That sounds about right. Dropping little bits of information here and there is expected, but an exposition in the middle of an introduction is a little much. I assure you that most other players aren't going to hanker down and start writing your character's memoir as a sign of gratitude.
Advice: If your character is feeling particularly chatty or it comes up in the course of normal conversation, have them drop little blurbs of information. Maybe they'll share an experience, or maybe a few related ones. If the other person really wants to have you divulge everything at once, they can prompt you for it with probing questions.

**Myth 3: The more tragic my past, the more awesome I am.**

This one gets stars because of how obnoxiously prevalent it is (I have quite a few myself). Everyone has had tragedy in their life; that's realistic. Some characters might have suffered under such circumstances that would have made them suffer more than most. What makes this bad is when you were born to parents who hate you, almost died 16 times before you turned 3, are a damned abomination hated by your race, lost all your family in a tragic fire at 5, got abused by all your relatives, had your friends kill each other, lost your only true love to an incurable disease, and are covered in hideous scars. It's very tempting, and most people have done it a few (if not many) times in their RP history, but don't fall prey! The horribly OVER-tragic character will scare off many literate, reasonable RPers. When it's overdone, people don't pity or empathize with your character- they roll their eyes at it. No matter how terrible your past is, you've had things go right- so should your character. When their life is just a long string of bad experiences, one right after another, it loses its effect quickly.
Advice: Temper yourself. Balance good and bad things that have happened to your character. One of my tragic characters was scorned by her parents and race so she was locked in a room for most of her childhood; however, she formed a tighter bond with her sister and became independent and self-sufficient. Sometimes people will overlook a sob story, too, if your character doesn't act overly traumatized. Maybe he/she doesn't have any friends because they are deformed, but tries to make friends anyway? The less it appears you are looking for pity/sympathy, the more accepting people tend to be. If creating a really tragic past and horribly traumatized character is just too tempting, try to do it just occasionally and slowly reveal the past instead of letting it all out at once. As a full history it could be overwhelming, but in smaller bits it might be more manageable! Tragic pasts are good in moderation!

Myth 4: Amnesia is awesome.

Okay, I admit it. My first character, as well as some subsequent ones, have had amnesia. Amnesia can be an awesome plot device; it's just not awesome for every plot device. Wandering around lesser RPs you might be borderline amazed at how many people don't know who they are or where they come from (maybe because they all have such tragic pasts they refuse to remember)! This tends to lead to horribly dramatic moments when the person remembers relevant, startling pieces of information.
Advice: Amnesiacs are fun (and I continue to play some). Just try to give a realistic reason for the amnesia and not use it as a crutch for explaining your character or making them interesting. They can be interesting in other ways!

Myth 5: If I did really awesome things in the past, people will respect my power.

While it can be super boring to play a character who is completely inept, don't waver to the side of the SUPER-POWERED. It's a far cry from god-moding, but it can be just as frustrating for other people. Maybe your character is responsible for wiping out an entire race, maybe they are legendary in their ability to eat more hot dogs than any man alive, or perhaps they have gone toe to toe with a dragon and won! Remember that fantastic acts won't make your character loved and respected if they aren't tempered with flaws and defeat. Batman and Superman would be a lot less amazing if they didn't get kicked around every once in a while. Heck, if Batman can't do it, maybe you should really backtrack because he's friggin' awesome.
Advice: Make sure not to overload your history with recounts of wonderous acts. If you need/want your character to be strong, make sure you know the acceptable limits for the RP/setting. A good rule of thumb: If the creator of the thread wouldn't let you do it now, leave it out. >.<

Myth 6: Child prodigies are unique and interesting.

Everyone likes to play someone that is more interesting and cool than they are. A way that people like to work in making an awesomely talented character is to make them a child prodigy (I put this in history since most people don't RP kids). I have seen everything from murdering, dexterous, highly intelligent toddlers to teenagers appointed to the highest posts in the military. Sure, it's used in several animes (like Tessa in Full Metal Panic!), but it can be just as irritating to read about or watch, bordering on ridiculousness. Seriously? You composed a symphony at five?
Advice: Everyone gets the urge to make the child prodigy; just remember that because someone is really smart and talented in one area does mean that they have matured as quickly. A lot of genuises have complexes, are insane, socially awkward, or have run of the mill phobias and bad subjects. Also note: a setting with several child prodigies also loses its impact: a setting with one teenager in the military surrounded by adults will seem more realistic than one full of teenagers and one adult.  

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Step 4
Personality

In my vastly overrated opinion, this is the most important and most fun part of making a character. While I often base characters off concepts that are based off pictures or races, I much more often think up an interesting personality (stereotypes, cliches, or based off an anime/real person) and go from there. There are lots of personality traits: arrogant, honest, cold, congenial, thoughtful, absent-minded, callous, vapid, etc. I usually start off with a trait or two and branch off, picking up things that relate and make something interesting. For example, for my character Jenna I started with "compassionate" and "fun-loving" and branched out to "unable to reconcile her past/stress" and "impulsive."

Don't be afraid to create a hypocrite, but be careful doing so. Jenna, who is impulsive, is also deliberate. This may seem contradictory, but just like a real person, she deals with different issues in different ways. With relaxed social situations she might deal with them on an emotional (and thus impulsive) level, but with her professional life she might deal with it on an objective (and deliberate) level. Just make sure that you carefully consider any hypocritical behavior and can rationalize it. Is your character self-loathing, conflicted, or tempermental?

Myth 1: Everyone can appreciate a shy/antisocial personality.

Ooooooh how untrue this is. There is nothing like a wallflower to stall a good RP. These personality traits in an of themselves are not bad. In fact, there are many people in the world today that are shy and antisocial and will shun contact with other people like the plague. All sorts of personal history can compel this behavior. The problem isn't believability, but rather functionality. It can be really frustrating to create a character who no one interacts with, but it can be even more agitating to have to chase after every other character in the RP because of their social issues. There should be some give/take between players; equal effort should be made to draw them together.
Advice: Create these characters with caution. Set contingencies in place that will make them interact with others if you can. Maybe they have a problem that they require help from others for? Maybe the plot requires they work together? If you plan on playing a shy/antisocial character in an 'open' setting (little to no plot), be prepared to wait for characters who are outgoing and patient enough to give chase. Also consider that the illustrious, sexy RPer whose paragraphs make your heart melt might not interact with you if you can't take an initiative because his/her character could be shy/antisocial too.

Myth 2: Split personalities are unique, interesting, and add a lot of depth to a character.

Sometimes a split personality is a good thing. If you've ever played Xenogears, you've seen an AWESOME game with split personalities in my really unimportant opinion. A bad split personality is the sort of thing you see and cringe inwardly. Here is this heinous demon who is incapable of doing anything nice and oozes evil... and wow, suddenly you knock him upside the head and he's a perky, innocent, loving guy who really just wants to rescue the world with hugs. What? Huh? Oh yes, it happens! Split personalities are often paired with a tragic past (and not necessarily an ill-conceived or over the top one!) or a magical mishap. In and of themselves they aren't horrible (like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde), but they can be over-played and unrealistic. Many times they are unneeded, because a person can act different ways around different people and in different situations without having a completely different self.
Advice: Use split personalities sparingly. Try to make sure you have a reason that the person created a split personality. In fact, research dissociative identity disorder if you want to be super realistic. Try to stay away from the classic "good side/bad side," using it as a way to play two different characters rolled into one, or to distance your character from a bad interaction earlier in the RP.

Myth 3: My character should be nice, outgoing, social, and loving and everyone will like him/her.

Let me introduce you to Mary Sue. Hi Mary Sue! (Here is a Wikipedia link to the concept: Link!) Mary Sues are often confused as to why they aren't well-liked. It's not because they are anti-social, ugly, mean, vulgar, or violent. In fact, that's really the reason Mary Sues are disliked. No one in the world is perfect, and so characters that seem to not have any outward flaws are shunned as being unrealistic and annoying. If the RP world was full of Mary Sues with their sparkling personalities, it would be pretty boring. A lot of the time when I you create a Mary Sue, it's an attempt to create an ideal me you.
Advice: Make sure you have flaws to go with all those positive traits. Maybe your character can't keep their mouth shut, has a temper, is vulgar beyond measure, is afraid of the dark, is dumb, worries too much, and/or is a coward. Make sure to pepper a few on before calling it a day.  

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Step 5
Purpose

Just like (most) people, characters should have a purpose. These can be as simple or as complicated as you want or need. Maybe you're in a war story and your character is just focused on eradicating the enemy. Just make sure, though, that your purpose is integrated into your character. Like real people, your creation should be motivated by their past experiences and personality.

Examples: Your elf has had her village attacked by dwarves since she was little and believes that because of these attacks they are evil and she should avenge her friends at all costs. Your boy was raised by his father who was always working, so he has always felt alone. As a consequence, he seeks out attention any way he can get it and desperately wants a girlfriend.

Myth 1: To fall in love is a bad purpose for my character.

I don't know about you, but I have a bunch of friends of both genders who want, more than anything else, to fall in love with someone. Some of them have even become a bit desperate in their search. >.> This doesn't mean, though, they ignore all their friends and family and job searches in their attempt to find a special someone!
Advice: If you want a character who's goal is to get hitched or find a significant other, make them realistic in other ways too. Your friends who are dating won't stop trying to find a job or talking to/making friends. Don't neglect everyone in the RP that isn't a romantic interest!

Myth 2: Apathetic characters should have no purpose/motivation.

There are quite a few things more annoying than that apathetic, antisocial, unmotivated, emo boy from Hell, but that's not to say he's pleasant. Sometimes they are done right and everyone loves the dark brooding wallflower that stares unenthusiastically at everything that crosses his sight. Maybe he's drifting through life looking for something or someone to care about- still, that is SOME purpose. If he didn't care about ANYTHING, truly and sincerely had no hope, then he'd just lay in bed all day until he was emanciated enough to pass off into the dark afterlife. Woooo!
Advice: For the apathetic, sometimes just getting out of their life can be a motivation. Maybe they are sick and tired of being sick and tired and want some excitement, maybe they want to dump that lame girlfriend, maybe they are actively seeking something to believe in. Not many people just sit around all day without an interesting hobby to look forward to continuing.  

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Step 5 1/2
Finishing Touches

This is where some helpful hints and suggestions will go when I have them <3