Character Creation Ideas
In the Forgotten Gods series, I am the plot-master, and Michael is the character writer. This is not to say that we don't overlap, but that I outline the majority of the plot and he ends up doing the majority of character development. Probably due to his background in theatre, he finds building a character intuitive and easy. I tend to get bogged down. So for all of you who may need some help with character development at one time or another, here are some tips from both of us.
Stat 'em up. Especially if you're prone to creating God Mode Sues, it can be helpful to break out your D20s and a basic character sheet and roll for stats. This will force you to limit the character's awesomeness, and decide which of their skills and personality traits are at the forefront.Cluster diagram. Start with a basic trait, concept or skill set for your character, and place that at the middle of the diagram. Each subsequent bubble should be an explanation for that trait. For example, if your character is a 20-year-old expert plumber, the next bubble could explain that his dad taught him from the time he was a kid. Write a fight. Have the character get into a yelling match, ideally with someone they've known for a long time (family member, childhood friend, spouse, etc). If you get into the flow and let the characters lay into each other, your subconscious will pull out all kinds of goodies about their personality and background. List traits and flaws that work together. Start with a single defining personality feature, and list positive, negative, or context-sensitive traits that would go with that. From your list, pull out a handful of traits to make a coherent character. For example, if you have a loud, gregarious character, she could be witty, vocal about her opinions, and tend to brush off advice.
Stat 'em up. Especially if you're prone to creating God Mode Sues, it can be helpful to break out your D20s and a basic character sheet and roll for stats. This will force you to limit the character's awesomeness, and decide which of their skills and personality traits are at the forefront.Cluster diagram. Start with a basic trait, concept or skill set for your character, and place that at the middle of the diagram. Each subsequent bubble should be an explanation for that trait. For example, if your character is a 20-year-old expert plumber, the next bubble could explain that his dad taught him from the time he was a kid. Write a fight. Have the character get into a yelling match, ideally with someone they've known for a long time (family member, childhood friend, spouse, etc). If you get into the flow and let the characters lay into each other, your subconscious will pull out all kinds of goodies about their personality and background. List traits and flaws that work together. Start with a single defining personality feature, and list positive, negative, or context-sensitive traits that would go with that. From your list, pull out a handful of traits to make a coherent character. For example, if you have a loud, gregarious character, she could be witty, vocal about her opinions, and tend to brush off advice.
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