{
"post": {
"title": "Character Building?",
"selftext": "i've started a new project and i'm trying to build my characters\n\ni have pictures of them, their names, pronouns, and some more basic stuff, and i do have a template i normally fill out, but i'm getting a bit stuck. \ni normally take a few days to just daydream about the characters, run through what they'll be like then write it down when i get the chance, but i also want to find other ways to do it!\n\ndoes anyone have any tips on how to figure stuff out about my characters such as their education, backstories, relationships, personalities? if you guys have other character building prompts as well, i'd love to hear them, i love answering random questions about my characters lol",
"url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/writing/comments/17ou7nf/character_building/"
},
"comments": [
{
"body": "Back in my D&D (etc.) days I developed an aversion to character sheets, which increasingly struck me as a barrier to role-playing. In one Champions campaign a genial Game Master managed my character sheet for me: I never saw my stats or skill levels or anything like that. We just talked about what the character was like until he was satisfied that he had the stats in the right ballpark. That worked great.\n\nSince then I've been reluctant to do anything with the characters in my stories except to put them in the actual draft. No notes, no nothin'. They tend to firm up nicely within their very first scene, with backstory revealing itself as a side effect of other things. That is, when I see my characters talk and do and think certain things, they must have been pretty much the same yesterday and somewhat the same last year, so their history fills itself in backwards pretty easily."
},
{
"body": "I like to journal as my characters. It really helps me get into their headspace and learn things about them that might not come up in templates. And it also can reveal their tone and how they'll sound in the book. \nAnother thing I like to do is what I call the wardrobe test. I describe what they'd wear in different settings and why (first date, job interview, holiday with the family, etc.) And that can also tell you a lot about them."
},
{
"body": "It just comes down to what roles you want them to fill in your story. What backgrounds and skills do you think might position them best to succeed at the challenges you place before them, in an interesting way?\n\nI personally advise not getting TOO carried away with the building aspect. The most important bits to storytelling are their personalities. Everything else is fluff only needed to justify unconventional aspects. Spend too much time with the extraneous stuff, and you get attached, and you have a high tendency to shoehorn it into the story where it's unnecessary, and just bog it down. Not everybody needs a complex, drama-filled history and unique origin story.\n\nWhat you really need to do is start writing, so you can start understanding their chemistry, how they play off each other."
},
{
"body": "I write about them in a scene. See what they do.\n\nStats like you're looking for are only really useful if they impact the story. And most stats people recommend or put in their worldbuilding docs *do not* impact the story at all. They just don't matter.\n\nSo like, come up with those if you want to. But if they don't naturally come to you, and you know they don't matter, don't worry about them. Just spend more time on things that *will* come into the story."
},
{
"body": "I (when driving alone) pretend I'm a radio host interviewing my character/s about events of the story, or daily life. It only works for me if I do it out loud (thus driving alone)."
},
{
"body": "Listen up, buddy, 'cause I'm about to drop some character-building wisdom that'll make your writing game stronger than ever. You see, I've got this thing I love to do when I'm crafting characters, and I think you, being the dreamer you are, might just dig it too.\r \n\r \nImagine this: You've got this slick invisible camera, right? It's like a time-traveling spy gadget, but instead of peeping on unsuspecting folks, you're using it to cook up some characters for your next epic project.\r \n\r \nHere's how it goes down, mate. First, you wind back the clock and zoom in on a classmate from way back when. Picture it – there's this epic showdown they had, a legendary schoolyard brawl. Watch it unfold like a blockbuster movie, and jot down every juicy detail. Did they throw punches or make a tactical retreat? That moment's a goldmine for understanding their personality.\r \n\r \nBut guess what? This camera doesn't stop there. It's like that nosy neighbor with a knack for secrets. It sneaks into their lives and follows them home. Bam! You're uncovering hidden gems about your character – maybe they secretly crochet ugly sweaters or binge-watch cat videos. These quirks? They're the spice that'll make your characters pop.\r \n\r \nNow, hold onto your hat, 'cause there's more. This cam goes undercover as a fly on the wall in their daily life. What's their morning ritual? Do they dance to ABBA in their undies when they think no one's watching? The mundane stuff reveals a lot about who they are when the world's not looking.\r \n\r \nSocial interactions? Yep, this cam's got 'em covered too. Watch your character charm the pants off people or irritate them to no end. Spot any frenemies, long-lost cousins, or that annoying neighbor they pretend to like? These relationships? They're the spice that'll make your story sizzle.\r \n\r \nNow, here's where it gets juicy. Dreams and ambitions – you're spying on those too. Do they dream of winning a pie-eating contest or sailing the high seas? These goals? They're like rocket fuel for your plot, my friend.\r \n\r \nAnd for the grand finale, eavesdrop on their inner thoughts. What's the mental chatter when they're all alone? Fears, fantasies, and maybe even weird cravings for pineapple pizza? These intimate details reveal their true essence.\r \n\r \nSo, you see what I'm getting at? With this invisible cam, you're not just creating characters – you're peeling back the layers of their quirks, secrets, and dreams. It's like peeling an onion, minus the tears. And since you're the dreamer, mate, I reckon you should give it a whirl. You'll be cooking up characters that jump off the page in no time!"
},
{
"body": "I usually make a character profile for my fictional characters, you know grab random piece of paper and write them down and everything I want him or her to actually be."
}
]
}