Character 101--How to make really great characters for role-plays

[Lunagrrl]

I don't roleplay much, but when I make characters (rarely), I base their personality after their star sign.

Google 'star sign meanings'. It's rather interesting.

Example- With one of the characters I'm working on now, she is shy, so I made her a Pisces.

[Miafire]

I'm a pisces. XD

[km7dragon]

I think its fun to make character's personality the opposite of their appearance, powers, name, etc.

I like to put more detail then just, "Brown hair, brown eyes, wears green."

[petlover02]

I like to make characters kinda like me but not at the same time.

[KittyKat913]

I like to make characters that we have a lack of. For example, in almost every form in my RP, there's the statement "He/she's not the skinniest person, but they're not fat." So I made an obese character.

I also like to name my characters after objects or things in nature, like Mirror or Oak. I named my latest character Pomegranate. I think if you do this, you will have a really memorable character.

Seriously, who could forget an obese tavern maid named Pomegranate? =)

[Amberluv288]

i have 1 or 2 tips.

*when making up a character for a story or roleplay, do NOT, i repeat NOT throw it together in a few seconds. sometimes it makes your character seem boring, or it make the description messy. really think about it. i ussually think about a character for a few days before i metion him or her. that way i can actually have a picture in my mind's eye of what he or she looks like.

*come up with unique and original names. some ones i have thought up inlude Luna, Stella, Star, Sunny, Ruby, Champ, Aqua, Flame, and Crystle. be yourself, let your mind be free and creative when thinking of names. just make it sound original!


this tread is awsome!!!

[jj8]

Be descriptive when you desribe your charactor.

Instead of:
She has brown hair,blue,eyes and freckles

She has short brown hair about to her shoulders,peircing blue eyes,and freckles setting her apart from her family who has no freckles whatsoever.

People like to picture your charator.

[starwartwilight]

I like to plan out my character's personality and looks before I get the name so that I can maybe center the name around one of their traits.

[CocoaGirl96]

I wouldn't suggest creating dozens of characters at once...I find that my creative energy is drained by the time I get to my fourth or fifth one. I like to create a variety of characters, however, because if you only have one, you can only do one RP. I generally make a male, a female, and a villian.

I also like to make up my own names or use unique ones, such as Shiara, Kerria, Luna, or Kristiali. I also like names that have something to do with the character, like Jaggedclaw for a villian cat, or Candle for a dog with the power of light. I do name my characters slightly generic names as well...I have two "Phantom"s. They are based on the Phantom of the Opera, yet they have totally different personalities. One is a villian, and one is romantic. However, they both reflect different sides of the original Phantom.

And now I'm afraid I'm being too long, so I'll try to post more later.

[meerkat2020]

I try not to make them all the same. like one is over-confident, while another is extremely shy. one goofs off, while the other is very studious. and try not to describe them as, "Beautiful blonde hair to the small of her back and perfect white teeth. She has bright blue eyes and everyone loves her." i doubt there is someone like that on the planet.