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Young Writers Society


need help on creating a (good) RP character.



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Tue May 15, 2012 5:17 am
Gringoamericano says...



(I don't know if this is the right place to post this, so correct me if I'm wrong)

On the last SB I did, both my characters seemed very out of place. They were pretty much random office drones in a world where they were meant to be shapeshifting heroes. I guess my problems are that:

A)I don't like writing about heroes, I very much prefer writing about somewhat self centered office workers, ambulance drivers, and all around everymen, not the heroes who have troubled pasts and are willing to put their lives on the line and save people because it's the right thing to do;

B)I can't write serious stories. Whenever I write, I usually try to be the comedy relief (however, I may not be very good at that when it comes to SBs). The one time I tried doing writing a serious story, the dialogue was very cliched and unrealistic, and it still had an underlying tone of humor. Heck, even when I try writing about serious subjects (such as a convenience store clerk finding a corpse in an ice chest), they end up as comedies. That being said, when I try too hard at being funny (which I was attempting to do in the last SB), it ends up looking very awkward and humorless, so I need to find balance between those two.

C) I don't really want (nor can I ever think of a way) to have any impact on the plot of the story. Mostly my characters just stick to themselves for the pure fact that I don't want to interfere with anybody else's storyline. That, and when it comes to writing plots, I can't think of any that will match with the theme of the SB, so my characters do nothing but sit there and react whenever it's their turn to speak.

So does anybody have any tips on how to overcome these obstacles?
"Can't break an omelette without making a few eggs"

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Tue May 15, 2012 5:27 am
Caesar says...



Hey Gringo. Been a while. This should have been moved to Writing Tips or whatever it's called.
But I've joined all your SB's (I think) and understand what you mean. If you like SB'ing, then.... well, comedy relief can be a good thing, withing moderation. All you need to do is maybe read a little more about heroes, or just try to imitate another SB'er. And as for the plot... heh, try discussing with other members, come up with ideas, even those that might seem stupid, and discuss in the DT or via PM.
If you don't like this sort of theme, then heck man, why bother? Be (and write) following your own 'calling'.
Hope this helped, and if you ever need tips on being a successful villain, then give me a ring. Lol.
vulgus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur







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Sun May 27, 2012 10:21 am
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DarknecrosisX says...



It's not a question of having a good character, every member of a storybook has a place in the plotline (aside from God-mods and 'runofthemill's, which are just boring). Even in a dark storybook there needs to be at least one character that can mitigate a situation with a bit of humour, it's all about timing with comic relief.

As for interrupting people's storylines, that shouldn't be a worry, if you can get inside your characters mind (which you should be able to do before the SB actually starts) then you should find it easy enough for you to make your character react to something happening in the book, either complicating matters further or just making somebody laugh a bit. I agree with Italian aswell, if it really gets that hard to think, don't be afraid to consult fellow storybookers in the DT or over PM.
Laments of passion
Obstructed by fear.
Under guises of jovial chatter;
Incredulous hopes
Steadily feasting away-
Eating away at my heart.





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Wed Jun 06, 2012 6:39 am
Threnody says...



Hey, I've seen you around! Let me see if I can give you a few tips.

A) I have definitely been here before. But, keep in mind, no matter what the Storybook calls for, almost every character description can be interpreted in a different way. There's really no need to get bored with creating characters because part of the fun is finding ways to keep the "16-21 year old Government Experiment/Superhero/Wizard/Magical Scholar who has to Save humanity/Survive high school/Find their destiny/Any variation of above" fresh. The more interesting you make your character, the more interesting the resulting story will most likely be. And personally, I feel like a naive officeworker would be quite a refreshing change of pace as they are quite rare in these parts.

B) Part of what you need to do is stop looking too deeply into your supposed place in the storybook. Seriously, nothing good can come from over-thinking your posts. I suggest taking some real time to read what others have written before you and seeing where and when your style can be best utilized.

C) I view storybooks as sort of a conversations in some sense of the word. People get bored if you focus too much on your character's emotions without relating it back to the action in the story. Try not to have your character wander around by themselves in a bland attempt of characterization. People always appreciate it if you include their character and allow them to expand upon their ideas for the story. If you're stuck and find yourself typing out a 100 word post chronicling your character's adventure from a food court to Superman's Batcave or whatever as they describe their shape-shifting power or affinity for Boolean Logic then clearly you are your own issue. The best way to develop a storybook and, if you don't want to actually initiate pot twists, inspire plot twists, is to interact with other characters. As much as you can. This allows you to express your character as you want them to be seen by others, and allow other writers to do so. This effortless communication and mild prodding really helps to define the direction of the storybook for someone who is unsure of which direction they want to go. In a collaborative project like this, let the plot develop itself through a series of contributions from multiple writers, not simply a spur of the moment one liner plot twist like, "As I drew my wand and concentrated my telepathic skills on the dark wizard, everyone around me suddenly lost their powers and I fainted." This not only pisses people off and spurs impulsive retaliation posts where they decide that your character gets to be kidnapped by the dark wizard for 3 pages, but it really does not reflect the ideas and interests of your fellow writers.

Hope this was helpful and not too long-winded. Much of this is personal opinion and experience-based wisdom so I understand if there's some contradiction to what I've said.

Threnody
“One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes”
~ The Little Prince~





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Sat Jul 28, 2012 4:14 pm
Pencil2paper says...



Hey. I have a few tips for StoryBook character creating. I mean, as far as humor goes, its okay to be funny, you can make that part of your character description, but try to write at least a few serious scenes. Also, as far as not futhering the plot, you're supposed to do it. I think that participating in StoryBooks is a great writing excersize, because you have to adapt your storyline to others' actions. Also, you can still write about the ambulance driver, office worker, ect., but you still have to make the character full, with his/her own wants and needs. Like maybe the office worker wants to kill his boss, or the abulance driver wants to be a cab driver in New York.
"Look out! He's got a daisy!"
- Making Money by Terry Pratchett

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[as a roleplayer is feeling sad about torturing her characters] GrandWild: "You're a writer, dear. Embrace it."
— GrandWild