Post by Kazane on Jul 11, 2012 21:04:16 GMT -5
I've got a couple of request from people for advice like this, being that many of my characters are teens.
Young to Mid Teenagers are a very interesting character age to play. They have a lot of their child hood that they haven't moved past yet, and a lot of those similar impulses that still mark them as 'children'. Showing how they grow and overcome these child-like attitudes for more mature understandings is one of the great accomplishments of playing them.
That said, the worst thing you can do is make it happen to early. A kid acting smart, tactical, and completely in control does not seem like a 'kid' to others. When I write younger characters (Wyatt is the best example of this) my line of thinking was first 'What is the best course of action?' Then I would usually rule that out and go with the more hot blooded and foolish choice. Not all youths are hot blooded, however. Some are cowardly (Hal), some are nervous (Elesia), some are overzealous (Elias) or any other character trait. What makes a younger character so special is that imperfection, and how they grow beyond it. To write that they have a fault, and then to never implement them, creates a sense of 'Writer/Character Dissonance' that makes them unbelievable and boring.
In the same line, growing requires two things in a large quantity. Time and failure. A young character will fail far more times then they will succeed. This doesn't mean that they should just be written in as grievously injured in everything they do, as such can make them seem incompetent or suicidal. Some of the best way to convey this failure without it becoming bland is for a characters lack of foresight to cause a bad result from good intentions. A headstrong character rushes into battle, gets injured, and the distraction caused by him getting injured nearly costs the life of a companion because they were busy helping him. Such opportunities allow for character development, but that is another tripping point.
Character development should never be done solo. Treat your characters as a real person, and in real life we very rarely see all of our flaws and how to correct them. Use supports, use your allies and companions, use those conversations to help your character make their own revelations about how they need to grow and mature.
Do not write yourself into a corner. This is something I support whole heartedly. A detailed background is good, but an overly detailed one leaves no room to expand. Kazane is the best example of this. It's mentioned in her back story that she was looked down on, but the actual details of it were brought up in the RP over the last 250 posts. Keep your backstory descriptive, but also vague enough to dig into and make into character points for them.
Unique personalities. The 'Kid looking to prove themselves' thing is done a lot. Not to say it isn't, but there has to be more to it then that. Why do they care about proving themselves? What do they consider 'proving' themselves? Becoming strong? Becoming famous? Finding friends? Destroying the world?
How has the characters past shaped them in odd ways? Do they have phobias? Do they have any unusual flaws that might not come up in day to day RP? (Wyatt being illiterate) Insecure? Clingy? Even if you don't SAY all of this up front, having these things in your head adds to the believability of these characters when such things come up later.
To that end, do not be afraid to address your character's traits in the RP. The plot is never so busy that we cannot take a second to do something plot wise. Example: Darius is afraid of heights, but manages to climb onto a wyvern due to being in life threatening danger. The rider's next post takes them from where they are, through the air, and down to the ground again. Darius's next post should detail him clinging onto anything, breathing heavily, hallucinating, vertigo, screaming, whatever. ESPECIALLY if nobody around OOG knows he is afraid of heights. It adds depth to the character, and will keep the RP more exciting.
Make sure that you are consistent with such things though. A character can overcome fears temporarily if circumstances are dire enough, but they will still be terrified of it. To do otherwise would seem like a plot device.
I'll add more to this later, I hope some people find use in this.
Young to Mid Teenagers are a very interesting character age to play. They have a lot of their child hood that they haven't moved past yet, and a lot of those similar impulses that still mark them as 'children'. Showing how they grow and overcome these child-like attitudes for more mature understandings is one of the great accomplishments of playing them.
That said, the worst thing you can do is make it happen to early. A kid acting smart, tactical, and completely in control does not seem like a 'kid' to others. When I write younger characters (Wyatt is the best example of this) my line of thinking was first 'What is the best course of action?' Then I would usually rule that out and go with the more hot blooded and foolish choice. Not all youths are hot blooded, however. Some are cowardly (Hal), some are nervous (Elesia), some are overzealous (Elias) or any other character trait. What makes a younger character so special is that imperfection, and how they grow beyond it. To write that they have a fault, and then to never implement them, creates a sense of 'Writer/Character Dissonance' that makes them unbelievable and boring.
In the same line, growing requires two things in a large quantity. Time and failure. A young character will fail far more times then they will succeed. This doesn't mean that they should just be written in as grievously injured in everything they do, as such can make them seem incompetent or suicidal. Some of the best way to convey this failure without it becoming bland is for a characters lack of foresight to cause a bad result from good intentions. A headstrong character rushes into battle, gets injured, and the distraction caused by him getting injured nearly costs the life of a companion because they were busy helping him. Such opportunities allow for character development, but that is another tripping point.
Character development should never be done solo. Treat your characters as a real person, and in real life we very rarely see all of our flaws and how to correct them. Use supports, use your allies and companions, use those conversations to help your character make their own revelations about how they need to grow and mature.
Do not write yourself into a corner. This is something I support whole heartedly. A detailed background is good, but an overly detailed one leaves no room to expand. Kazane is the best example of this. It's mentioned in her back story that she was looked down on, but the actual details of it were brought up in the RP over the last 250 posts. Keep your backstory descriptive, but also vague enough to dig into and make into character points for them.
Unique personalities. The 'Kid looking to prove themselves' thing is done a lot. Not to say it isn't, but there has to be more to it then that. Why do they care about proving themselves? What do they consider 'proving' themselves? Becoming strong? Becoming famous? Finding friends? Destroying the world?
How has the characters past shaped them in odd ways? Do they have phobias? Do they have any unusual flaws that might not come up in day to day RP? (Wyatt being illiterate) Insecure? Clingy? Even if you don't SAY all of this up front, having these things in your head adds to the believability of these characters when such things come up later.
To that end, do not be afraid to address your character's traits in the RP. The plot is never so busy that we cannot take a second to do something plot wise. Example: Darius is afraid of heights, but manages to climb onto a wyvern due to being in life threatening danger. The rider's next post takes them from where they are, through the air, and down to the ground again. Darius's next post should detail him clinging onto anything, breathing heavily, hallucinating, vertigo, screaming, whatever. ESPECIALLY if nobody around OOG knows he is afraid of heights. It adds depth to the character, and will keep the RP more exciting.
Make sure that you are consistent with such things though. A character can overcome fears temporarily if circumstances are dire enough, but they will still be terrified of it. To do otherwise would seem like a plot device.
I'll add more to this later, I hope some people find use in this.