About Original Characters and how to write them
Well, I’ve thinking lately about original characters, and what works and what doesn’t, and why they can sometimes get so annoying... and decided to put my musings into writing. Since I’m used to being in “teacher mode” (an occupational hazard), I wrote it as if teaching somebody how to handle original characters well, but it’s actually more a way of putting my thoughts in order than anything else.
If you’re interested in the topic/bored enough, would you read it and share your thoughts with me? ^^
Regarding inserting yourself in a story... let's be honest: everybody does it. It's not even a bad thing in theory, since adding characteristics of real people to your characters will make them more believable... the problem is, we tend to pretty ourselves a lot when we do this. We forget that we don't like people because they have no flaws, we love them in spite or because of them. The sad truth is, if your character is too perfect, it will only be annoying.
Think about your favourite character from any series. Let's say, Doumeki. True, he's handsome. And cool. And good at sports, and has spiritual powers, and comes from a very traditional, rich family... but he's also a glutton, has no people skills, has less facial expressions than a fish and is absolutely shameless (at least, according to Watanuki). Now tell me if you don't find those flaws endearing. See?
When creating a character, it's important to think of flaws for them... but not only flattering ones. Ergo: "being too nice" is not a flaw. "Picking your nose while you're thinking" qualifies as one (think Luffy...), as well as "looking like an idiot when in love" (think Sanji or Watanuki), and "having absolutely no sense of direction” (think Ryouga or Zoro). Some common flaws are being selfish, being unable to relate to other people, being lazy, being unmotivated, being a loner/needing to be the centre ot attention all the time, being terrible at sports/studying, being unable to commit in a relationship... in short, the things that make most people struggle in real life. The more human your character is, the more your readers are likely to be able to relate to them. Without going to extremes, flaws are generally proportionate to their good qualities... not enough good wualities and your character will be a bastard, or a jerk... which can also be fun. The better their good qualities, the worst their flaws should be... since the time spent improving those qualities would have left big, gaping voids in other areas of the personality of a real person (think about it: smart, succesful people often have poor health or problems in their love life, healthy, popular people are sometimes not the brigthest crayon in the box or are unable to be faithful. Balance is the key).
This is true in all cases, but particularly when you’re writing an original story and they’re your main characters. Since you’re going to be talking about them all the time, it’s crucial that they’re not annoying, or you will lose your readers, fast.
But what happens when your original character is not the main focus of the story? what happens when they’re supporting characters for an already existing universe you’re writing fanfiction for? Some people go to great lengths to never include an original character in the stories, but to tell you the truth, this often seems forced and deprives the story of realism.
Now, there's something very important to take into account when creating an original character for fanfiction. It's cruel, but not any less true for that. It's that nobody cares about your original character. If somebody is reading an xxxholic fic, they are going to want to read about the characters from xxxholic they already know, not about new characters for it you came up with, no matter how awesome. If your original character takes attention away from the canon characters or deviated from the plot, even for just one paragraph... then you're spending too much effort on it.
As a rule, supporting characters are there to do just that: support the canon characters. Everything they do or say needs to have a purpose in the plot leading or related to the canon characters. This means that, no matter how much you know about a particular original character, there is very little that you will be able to say about them... and, let's be honest, your readers are very likely to skip any lengthy paragraph dedicated to them anyway.
When introducing them, keep the descriptions brief, simple, and easy to remember. These are "disposable" characters that the readers are likely to forget as soon as they finish reading your story (and sometimes before that), so don't try to make them too special. "A pretty girl around fifteen" will work much more effectively for a supporting character than "A tall, slim girl with stunning gold eyes that seemed to shine like the stars on a cloudless night; skin so pale it called to mind the marble statue of a goddess; and long, ebony hair that flowed in waves over her perfect body and accentuated her luscious curves”. Sometimes, you can get away with even less: “a classmate” or “an old lady” can be good enough, depending on the situation. Sometimes, though, you will be writing from the point of view of a particularly fussy or paranoid character, and in that case, a little more description is to be expected, as a larger percentage of that character’s attention would be centred on their surroundings. Take Watanuki, for example. He doesn’t seem to care much about the people around him (depicted as faceless, pale figures in the anime and manga), but he will pay a lot of attention to things that could be a threat to him, like shadows, sounds or smells, or even Yuuko’s clients... and his clean habits will probably make him focus on an untidy place or an ungroomed person out of a sudden desire to remedy that situation.
The golden rule about writing is that everything you include in your story needs to have a purpose. I know this sounds tedious, but irrelevant detail will only add wordiness, and likely confuse and/or bore your readers.
Also, don’t bother telling us about a character’s personality unless it’s a passing comment about how “her reassuring smile put [insert canon character here] at ease” if it’s a nurse comforting the worried main character who is at his beloved’s bed, waiting for them to wake up from a coma, for example. If you absolutely must tell us about their personality because of the plot, do it in an unobtrusive way. Remember: exposition will bore your readers unless it’s absolutely essential to the story... It must be kept to a bare minimum at all times, and doing it for a supporting character is pushing it. Which is the most unobtrusive way of telling us about a supporting character’s personality? Through their actions. It’s much better showing said nurse putting the main character at ease with a smile and a couple of comforting (if clichéd) words than saying that she was a very kind and considerate person. If you want to show that she is a stern person, make her pat the beds a bit more energetically than necessary while pressing her lips firmly together in a disapproving line, or something like that. See where I’m going?
And you know what? You don’t even need to name your original characters. It’s like with pets: if you name them, you get attached to them and don’t want to let them go when it’s time. This isn’t as horrifying as it seems; if you’re telling the story from the point of view of one of your characters, they’re not likely to learn the names of everybody they meet. Some people, like Watanuki, are notorious for not learning the name of people... think about it: What is Zashiki Warashi’s name? and Ame Warashi’s? and the Karasu Tengu? and the oden Kitsune? (in case you didn’t know, those are the names of the “species” they belong to, not their real names) and the twins? and the lady in the park? and the diviner lady? and that old guy Watanuki took the moon birds to (in the manga)? These are all supporting characters. They don’t take up too much of our attention, but they all contribute something to Watanuki’s character. That’s what your original characters have to do.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t name your original characters... Sometimes it would be just weird not to know those names, like in the case of the teacher Watanuki has to ask permission to to go the toilet, or the names of Doumeki’s parents, if he were to meet them. You can get away with not naming them if it’s Doumeki’s point of view, barely anybody calls their parents by name, after all. When you do name them, don’t bother looking for the perfect name. I know they’re your characters, and you will probably feel like they’re your babies, but there’s no need to put as much care to name them as if you had given birth to them. A simple, inoccuous “Sonoda-san” (in the case of a teacher), “Kasumi” (for a classmate) or “Mark” (for a colleague) will do just as well, and will probably hurt much less when your readers invariably forget about them and call them “that guy” in the comment/review (if they bother mentioning them at all).
Occasionally, though, you will need to put a bit more thought into your original characters, depending on the kind of story you’re writing. This happens when the story is told, not from the point of view of a canon character, but from the eyes of an impartial observer... It’s a difficult kind of writing to pull off, and one in which self-insertions are likely to go out of hand, but if done well they’re a joy to read.
One example, off the top of my head, is “ Cold Cases”, from sparklyfanta . She did a wonderful job on her original characters. Right now I don’t remember their names or anything in particular about how they looked or behaved (I barely seem to remember they were a man and a woman), but I do remember that they were very believable, easy to relate to, carried the plot fluidly and in an easy to follow way, and their point of view added a depth to the story that is unlikely to have been attained had she chosen to tell the story from the point of view of one of the main characters (Watanuki and Doumeki, in this case). I highly recommend that you read it; it’s a great, if short, story, and practically a lesson on how supporting characters should be.
Another awesome author that makes great use of original characters is
maldoror_gw ; I think I’ve read everything she’s ever written at least twice... and some of her stories are through the fifth re-read already (incidentally, reading her stories will also probably cure you of any preconception you may have had about seme/uke clichés, since some of her bottoms seriously kick ass, in bed and out). She writes about Naruto, Gundam Wing and One Piece, mostly (check her memories and this site for them), but she’s currently working on an original story with priceless original characters that you could use as an example for how to create well-developed and well-balanced original characters. It’s called “Out” and you can find it here.
Lastly, don’t feel too bad if one of your characters turns out to be a Mary sue (or close to one) despite your best efforts. It’s happened to all of us, and with practice you will learn to create more balanced original characters. Learn from your mistakes, and move on. I’m sure your stories will be much better for it. :)
If you’re interested in the topic/bored enough, would you read it and share your thoughts with me? ^^
Regarding inserting yourself in a story... let's be honest: everybody does it. It's not even a bad thing in theory, since adding characteristics of real people to your characters will make them more believable... the problem is, we tend to pretty ourselves a lot when we do this. We forget that we don't like people because they have no flaws, we love them in spite or because of them. The sad truth is, if your character is too perfect, it will only be annoying.
Think about your favourite character from any series. Let's say, Doumeki. True, he's handsome. And cool. And good at sports, and has spiritual powers, and comes from a very traditional, rich family... but he's also a glutton, has no people skills, has less facial expressions than a fish and is absolutely shameless (at least, according to Watanuki). Now tell me if you don't find those flaws endearing. See?
When creating a character, it's important to think of flaws for them... but not only flattering ones. Ergo: "being too nice" is not a flaw. "Picking your nose while you're thinking" qualifies as one (think Luffy...), as well as "looking like an idiot when in love" (think Sanji or Watanuki), and "having absolutely no sense of direction” (think Ryouga or Zoro). Some common flaws are being selfish, being unable to relate to other people, being lazy, being unmotivated, being a loner/needing to be the centre ot attention all the time, being terrible at sports/studying, being unable to commit in a relationship... in short, the things that make most people struggle in real life. The more human your character is, the more your readers are likely to be able to relate to them. Without going to extremes, flaws are generally proportionate to their good qualities... not enough good wualities and your character will be a bastard, or a jerk... which can also be fun. The better their good qualities, the worst their flaws should be... since the time spent improving those qualities would have left big, gaping voids in other areas of the personality of a real person (think about it: smart, succesful people often have poor health or problems in their love life, healthy, popular people are sometimes not the brigthest crayon in the box or are unable to be faithful. Balance is the key).
This is true in all cases, but particularly when you’re writing an original story and they’re your main characters. Since you’re going to be talking about them all the time, it’s crucial that they’re not annoying, or you will lose your readers, fast.
But what happens when your original character is not the main focus of the story? what happens when they’re supporting characters for an already existing universe you’re writing fanfiction for? Some people go to great lengths to never include an original character in the stories, but to tell you the truth, this often seems forced and deprives the story of realism.
Now, there's something very important to take into account when creating an original character for fanfiction. It's cruel, but not any less true for that. It's that nobody cares about your original character. If somebody is reading an xxxholic fic, they are going to want to read about the characters from xxxholic they already know, not about new characters for it you came up with, no matter how awesome. If your original character takes attention away from the canon characters or deviated from the plot, even for just one paragraph... then you're spending too much effort on it.
As a rule, supporting characters are there to do just that: support the canon characters. Everything they do or say needs to have a purpose in the plot leading or related to the canon characters. This means that, no matter how much you know about a particular original character, there is very little that you will be able to say about them... and, let's be honest, your readers are very likely to skip any lengthy paragraph dedicated to them anyway.
When introducing them, keep the descriptions brief, simple, and easy to remember. These are "disposable" characters that the readers are likely to forget as soon as they finish reading your story (and sometimes before that), so don't try to make them too special. "A pretty girl around fifteen" will work much more effectively for a supporting character than "A tall, slim girl with stunning gold eyes that seemed to shine like the stars on a cloudless night; skin so pale it called to mind the marble statue of a goddess; and long, ebony hair that flowed in waves over her perfect body and accentuated her luscious curves”. Sometimes, you can get away with even less: “a classmate” or “an old lady” can be good enough, depending on the situation. Sometimes, though, you will be writing from the point of view of a particularly fussy or paranoid character, and in that case, a little more description is to be expected, as a larger percentage of that character’s attention would be centred on their surroundings. Take Watanuki, for example. He doesn’t seem to care much about the people around him (depicted as faceless, pale figures in the anime and manga), but he will pay a lot of attention to things that could be a threat to him, like shadows, sounds or smells, or even Yuuko’s clients... and his clean habits will probably make him focus on an untidy place or an ungroomed person out of a sudden desire to remedy that situation.
The golden rule about writing is that everything you include in your story needs to have a purpose. I know this sounds tedious, but irrelevant detail will only add wordiness, and likely confuse and/or bore your readers.
Also, don’t bother telling us about a character’s personality unless it’s a passing comment about how “her reassuring smile put [insert canon character here] at ease” if it’s a nurse comforting the worried main character who is at his beloved’s bed, waiting for them to wake up from a coma, for example. If you absolutely must tell us about their personality because of the plot, do it in an unobtrusive way. Remember: exposition will bore your readers unless it’s absolutely essential to the story... It must be kept to a bare minimum at all times, and doing it for a supporting character is pushing it. Which is the most unobtrusive way of telling us about a supporting character’s personality? Through their actions. It’s much better showing said nurse putting the main character at ease with a smile and a couple of comforting (if clichéd) words than saying that she was a very kind and considerate person. If you want to show that she is a stern person, make her pat the beds a bit more energetically than necessary while pressing her lips firmly together in a disapproving line, or something like that. See where I’m going?
And you know what? You don’t even need to name your original characters. It’s like with pets: if you name them, you get attached to them and don’t want to let them go when it’s time. This isn’t as horrifying as it seems; if you’re telling the story from the point of view of one of your characters, they’re not likely to learn the names of everybody they meet. Some people, like Watanuki, are notorious for not learning the name of people... think about it: What is Zashiki Warashi’s name? and Ame Warashi’s? and the Karasu Tengu? and the oden Kitsune? (in case you didn’t know, those are the names of the “species” they belong to, not their real names) and the twins? and the lady in the park? and the diviner lady? and that old guy Watanuki took the moon birds to (in the manga)? These are all supporting characters. They don’t take up too much of our attention, but they all contribute something to Watanuki’s character. That’s what your original characters have to do.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t name your original characters... Sometimes it would be just weird not to know those names, like in the case of the teacher Watanuki has to ask permission to to go the toilet, or the names of Doumeki’s parents, if he were to meet them. You can get away with not naming them if it’s Doumeki’s point of view, barely anybody calls their parents by name, after all. When you do name them, don’t bother looking for the perfect name. I know they’re your characters, and you will probably feel like they’re your babies, but there’s no need to put as much care to name them as if you had given birth to them. A simple, inoccuous “Sonoda-san” (in the case of a teacher), “Kasumi” (for a classmate) or “Mark” (for a colleague) will do just as well, and will probably hurt much less when your readers invariably forget about them and call them “that guy” in the comment/review (if they bother mentioning them at all).
Occasionally, though, you will need to put a bit more thought into your original characters, depending on the kind of story you’re writing. This happens when the story is told, not from the point of view of a canon character, but from the eyes of an impartial observer... It’s a difficult kind of writing to pull off, and one in which self-insertions are likely to go out of hand, but if done well they’re a joy to read.
One example, off the top of my head, is “ Cold Cases”, from sparklyfanta . She did a wonderful job on her original characters. Right now I don’t remember their names or anything in particular about how they looked or behaved (I barely seem to remember they were a man and a woman), but I do remember that they were very believable, easy to relate to, carried the plot fluidly and in an easy to follow way, and their point of view added a depth to the story that is unlikely to have been attained had she chosen to tell the story from the point of view of one of the main characters (Watanuki and Doumeki, in this case). I highly recommend that you read it; it’s a great, if short, story, and practically a lesson on how supporting characters should be.
Another awesome author that makes great use of original characters is
maldoror_gw ; I think I’ve read everything she’s ever written at least twice... and some of her stories are through the fifth re-read already (incidentally, reading her stories will also probably cure you of any preconception you may have had about seme/uke clichés, since some of her bottoms seriously kick ass, in bed and out). She writes about Naruto, Gundam Wing and One Piece, mostly (check her memories and this site for them), but she’s currently working on an original story with priceless original characters that you could use as an example for how to create well-developed and well-balanced original characters. It’s called “Out” and you can find it here.
Lastly, don’t feel too bad if one of your characters turns out to be a Mary sue (or close to one) despite your best efforts. It’s happened to all of us, and with practice you will learn to create more balanced original characters. Learn from your mistakes, and move on. I’m sure your stories will be much better for it. :)