Welcome to the Choices that made us workshop!
Before we begin fleshing out our actual characters, there's a few points I'd like us to discuss, related to character creation in general:
1- if you had to choose just one part of a character profile as the single most important one, which one would you go with and why?
For the Lady profile, I feel the important part would be the story of the nine years. Since I am working with Mcleo1 (who couldn't show up for reasons), the story of how the lady was in the past can really shape how the Lady is in the present. If I had to chose another option, it would be personality since that shapes out the character. At first, you may seem confused and wanting to add different emotions and whatnot but as you continue to mold out your character, you'll find something new in them. -- I agree. However, I've seen many characters who seem really fleshed out in the profiles but then don't end up acting like the same person in the actual story. Why do you think that happens? Is it about people exhausting their imagination before they even start writing, or does it have to do with their thoughts mixing with others' once they see the rest of CPs, or is it that they already have the character grow in their mind between the CP and the posts, rather than starting with them as in CP and /then/ developin them?-- I never thought about it that way o-o. Now that you do mention it, the character can change from point a to point b. It could be since the writer thinks differently then when they made the character. They overthought the beginning plans and their mind went wandering, or something. Perhaps it could be since the creator was like 'idk about this character, I'll change their actions quickly." I think it depends on the person and how they think.
In general, I think I'd chose the "personality" field -- might be 'cause I comsider that more important than appearance and whatnot in people around me too -- although I also like seeing the perosnality shine through in the writing itself, and wouldn't mind having only hints of it mentioned in the profiles. Hmm...
The personality part! That's the crux of the character, and I think it's the most fun to come up with.
Auxii ~ History. I have never kept to the personality section of a character after I've created them. I had main personality points that I kept in my head, but any finer points tend to show themselves after I've written the character for a bit. The history tends to motivate some of the personality points that I hadn't thought about before. Thus I think it's more important to figure out a character's background, and think about how what happened would affect the character, rather than to predefine how the character will be when their personality tends to write itself.
I had never thought about it that way before. I never stick to a personality section either. You make a good point.
2- what is the question that you wish people asked you when talking about your character (or in CP templates for SBs) but that no one ever asks?
I always wish they'd ask more about quirks and thoughts of random things -- like, "if your character could be imortal/magical/dragon owner/pirate/etc. for a price, would they accept it?", or anything of the such that would actually give me a chance to look into the character's mind and see through their eyes. Maybe even something like "watch this video and describe it lik your character would" kind of thing! I wonder if that should be added to character templates instead/along with the illusive "other" (though that one tends to either make people write a lot of imaginative extra details, or next to nothing because they've already said all the important stuff before).
Semi-related, would you say that the "other" field is something necessary/important/interesting, or just waste of space and not something that matters in a CP? I like the other field. Some details don't quite fit anywhere but are nice to have for a character... Or that's what I think.
Perhaps hobbies or likes/dislikes. Much like the personality one's character can have, these can shape a person or thing. It is like meeting somebody for the first time-- you would state your dislikes/likes and go from there. Another thing would perhaps be describe a situation you would be in but from your character's POV. Like, if you were being chased by a dog, how would you character react to it? If you think about it, a character you chose is an artform and you should make the best out of it.
History. I think what happens to a character before the story really impacts them, and I really like working in what happened to make them the way they are when you're
writing. I normally put too much effort into coming up how a character related with the people in their past, so... I always like talking about it. Haha. -> but history is normally a section in a CP, unless that's changed? I guess I understood the question as just what people talk about and pay attention to, not really whether it's in the CP or not... Whoops
Probably how they would react in a completely unpredictable situation, as well as quirks that I'd want to write in. Possibly a sample of what my character would think about the other characters if they had all the information about them.
3- Choose a favourite character from a story, movie or game, and write a very short presentation. What is it that you focused on most, in compare to other people?
My favorite character would have to be Night Song from The Underneath. What I tended to focus on most about in that book were her parts in it and her relationships with the other characters and her background mostly. The background and relationships are my favorite part but usually I tend to start making it up along the way sort of like Fanfiction in my head. XD I love doing that sort of thing.
Hm... I'll go with Jon Snow, even though he isn't really my favourite character xD
A young man who grew up as a protégé of his father, but wasn't given his family name. Although the oldest of the said father's children, he's not the heir either - a fact that the other kids don't care so much about, but that keeps weighing on him and makes him want to be similar to his father and do amazing noble things. There are secrets surronding him, most about his mother and the fact that his father refuses to tell him about her, but although Jon wants to know about his paSt, he is not obssessed with it; he's content enough being who he is and directs his passion at the present and future instead.
I just really love Boromir from Lord of the Rings. I always focus on his redemption though at the veeeery end of his life rather than all of the fun stuff in between. I really like characters that sucked and then don't suck... I also like characters that do sucky things but you find you have to like them anyways either because of their intentions or because they're so freaking charming or funny or whatever... I'm trying to think of an example... Like Javert from Les Mis. I love that guy, but he's so obsessed with what is and isn't sin that even though he's trying to act for God, he's being an awful person... That kind of obsession is fascinating.
Mm... This was really informal... Sorry about that.
I think I'll put down Celeana / Aelin from the Throne of Glass series for this. She's a young woman who is in fact a princess, but because of her family being slaughtered when she was a young child and her country being taken over, she is sort of forced to become an assassin working under the assassin who saved her life. After a series of frankly traumatic events, she ends up as the lands greatest assassin, and in forced labout salt mines. A lot of things happen and stuff is good. In particular I like her "flip of switch" assassin mode, and the darker side of her personality.
4- similar to the last one; taking the character of Alice from Alice in Wonderland, choose one aspect of her profile and introduce her through it. Try to choose different ones -- but I reckon it will be interesting even if you all go from the same angle.
Personality-wise, she is a bit... bland? Other than being bored and disliking her normal everyday life, she's kind of just there. I mean, she does do some things and aask some questions, but mostly she's just sucked into this amazing world that she's pretty much just the observer of.
(I'm going to admit I've never read Alice in Wonderland, so... I'm going off the animated Disney movie... Apologies if this is inaccurate) A sheltered girl is sucked into a world she's unfamiliar with. Her innocence is fairly striking as she's arguing with flowers, having weird tea parties and what not. However, it doesn't seem to be a tool that helps or hinders her. It simply is. Perhaps she has to be so innocent so she can actually accept what's happening to her?
(I haven't read the book either so, animated movie it is!) Alice is normal, to begin with. I mean, she wants to escape her life of just sitting in a tree, listening to her sister ramble on and on about books and whatnot. She's completely unaware of what is happening around her and wants an adventure. Thus, coming to the point where she's chasing a rabbit down the hole and coming across such characters as the Mad Hatter and the March Hare.
5- More related to this SB particularly; how much would you say a person changes in nine years? What are the things that stay the same no matter what, if any such exist, and what do the changes depend on?
I'm thinking through the lens of the pirate who was a child before the nine years took place, so there's going to be a big jump in maturity. I'm wondering... since they basically ran into a way to get... a lot of what they want if their maturity actually changes a lot... I dunno. That's something to think about... I mean, I feel like a lot changes from kid to adult. Like, she's going to get smart, less innocent, less miave, more cunning. What stays the same? I think the same domineering personality, the same desire for things to go her own way
From the viewpoint of the Lady, a lot of things have changed. In the beginning, she is like Alice; innocent and whatnot. Kind to those that were around her and liked to go outside for walks. However, as the years soon staretd to drag on her like a mark on the chalkboard, the once full of life person she was known for seemed to disappear. Now, thankfully to her past self, absorbs herself in books. However, the present can keep changing and the past can continue moving. If you think about the past for too long, that will soon become your weight or something.
The djinni, in the beginning, is free and powerful, able to change shapes and fulfill wishes and whatnot. However, it's something [he] takes for granted, and doesn't know a different life, so maybe [his] obly true personality comes out during the nine years. Getting bound to a human and taken away from home, therefore being striped off of most his powers... Would it make [him] more human, or would [he] despise it more every day?
Okay! Now that that's done... Please take a colour, say who you are if you haven't yet, and c/p the profile template below under your character's name.
Color of Stegs
Megs is Green
Mcleo1's Redness
This be
Auxii doesn't like this colour
Name and title/role:
Age:
Allegiance:
Appearance:
Personality:
{Story of the nine years in between: (Only for those of you who play the older versions of shared characters.The rest of you, just delete this whole point, please)}
Powers/abilities:
Other:
The Lady - Past/Present (Character Template) - Steggy and mcleo1
Name and title/role: Reina Elowen (possibly second name? Lastname maybe even if the King had one and could be the same depending on which parent is related to the King.- The Lady
Age: [b]Past[/b] - 20
[b]Present [/b] - 29
Allegiance: Her Country? None? As it stated, it was optional. However, her allegiane could come from someplace idk where. Perhaps from the map Child provided.
Appearance: The Lady is a beauty for just somebody staying inside a reading all day long. Long strands of blonde hair fall over her shoulders, creating a yellow waterfall over her pastel dress. Mocha brown eyes move across the pages of the books she reads, sometimes moving a hand to push back a bang out from her eyes. Her skin is paler than compared to anyone else's; light freckles dance across her nose; and her lips are always covered with honey (she has a major problem with chapped lips, the lady needs something to lick when she is reading something and doesn't enjoy the feeling of rough lips against her tongue).
The Lady's body is slim but not to slim that you may seem some bones sticking through. From what she can remember (which is a watered down image in a clock she found in her bedside table) was her father had dark brown hair and seemed to have brown eyes whereas her mother had lighter hair and lighter eyes. Yet, as stated before, the image didn't provide much info on her parents since she is an orphane. Nine years ago, her body was perfectly tanned and no signs of blemish yet as the years continued to wear and tear at her, blemishs could be seen on her wrist and cheek areas. Though these blemishs are thought to be the cause of 'fading beauty', the Lady tries hard enough to make sure this doesn't happen (even though most of the time she spends inside all the time).
Nine years beforehand, her hair was smooth and glimmering with yellow. Her mocha brown eyes would glimmer with some form of happiness; time skip to the present and you see the lady with fading blonde hair and mocha brown eyes showing forced happiness. As said before, her lips are chapped and completely ruined (due to the long periods of time just licking her lips while reading, a bad habit she picked up one evening).
Personality: The Lady is a very studious person, spending the majority of her time reading books all around the castle, but mostly in quiet places. She grew up right alongside her cousin The Princess and was raised by her uncle The King. She wasn't always noticed by many others, always being quiet and just behind her cousin who seemed to always draw attention to herself. But even though she is quiet, it doesn't mean she doesn't pay attention, she is always aware of her surroundings, making notes of what goes on and knowing things exactly.
She pressues herself to be try and be perfect in the eyes of everyone watching her. She doesn't want to step out of line even an inch because to her, it feels as if she does't, then she will be abandoned again just like she was by her parent's so long ago when she was just only a babe.
The Lady also with her distant silence, listening ears, and daritng eyes makes calculated moves. She is like a chess player, waiting for the right moment to make her moves. As a child, she waited for her cousin to go outside and do something unladlylike and just as she was in the middle of it, The Lady would whisper into someone's ear so that The Princess would be caught in the act. While she didn't do this out of spite really, it was partly due to the fact that she wished that she could be somewhat like her cousin. Not afraid of what others might think or even facing something dangerous.
The Lady also has her own way of shelling herself off from the world, by reading she can escape the world and igoring. She sometimes seems as if she doesn't have a care in a world, when really she does.
{Story of the nine years in between:} In the past, the lady was kinder and enjoyed looking outside. Her thoughts towards people were calmer and more open. Her fondest memory would be watching the children from next door, play in the front year. They would throw the ball around and laugh. It brought a swelling feeling in her heart and often daydreamed about having kids. But of course, she would be too 'absorbed' by books to even care about those little monsters. You can even say, she cared a little about herself. A certain spring in her step. A smile that could make any swoon. She felt happier about herself, and even went outside once in awhile. The children would bring her flowers and smile. It was a peaceful time back then. That cliche feeling you might get when you see somebody you like, it spreads over your heart and down to your toes. Tears well in your eyes.
However, like all good things, they must come to an end.
9 years after the Great Beyond, things that she had seen had changed The Lady and many people could see it. While before she interested in reading books that inspired her, that touched her heart, now she read books with only facts. She wanted to know more of the Great Beyond and know more about protecting herself and war strategies. The Great Beyond was... something she could never seem to describe to anyone, and because of what happened there she put her guard up. She never let anyone out of her sight or surprise her, she was always to afraid that someone would come up behind her to murder her. Her nightmares after the Great Beyond had gotten so bad even that she permanently kept different candles burning and which she had someone relight or replace every few hours.
She acted calmer then before, more precise and grown up some might say. She was like this before per say, but now it had seemed she had an era of fearlessness that she carried with her. The children she used to see outside playing anymore didn't lighten her heart like it used to anymore, she felt a distinct coldness, something that made her want to protect children like them from what she had seen by stopping her bloodline. }
Powers/abilities: The Lady has only one power (and it is a weak one) - enhanced hearing. In fact, she wouldn't even count it as a power. Even since Reina could remember, her hearing was far more better than anyone else's. She could hear the scratching of an ant on a nearby wall to the sound of footstops a miles away. This 'advanced hearing' does come in handy when capturing info and then writing it down before she forgets (the one things she lacks is remembance luckily enough she makes it up with her hearing).
Other: Reina had a pet snowy owl named Wrinn, however, now she has a yellow serpent named Octave (which she found in the Beyond). She is an ambassador for her country and for the past 4 years has been in the Empress's court as another random individual is in her place.
The Djinni - Past, for now - Aria & Auxii
Name and title/role:
Age:
Allegiance:
Appearance:
Personality:
{Story of the nine years in between: (Only for those of you who play the older versions of shared characters.The rest of you, just delete this whole point, please)}
Powers/abilities:
Other:
The Pirate - Past - Megs
Name and title/role: ...Malva but she says her name's Iona/Pirate
Age: Past - 8; born in February
Allegiance: Past - Absolutely no one. She’s independent. Leave her alone. Go.
Appearance: Just the cutest, most innocent looking, cherub faced child you’ve ever seen. With white blonde hair that naturally falls into curls, big blue eyes, and a face you can read like a book, Iona is what every parent dreams their child will be. She’s short for her age and has had maybe one too many treats because she’s on the hefty side. Her mother forces her to wear frilly dresses with petticoats. It’s all rather disgusting if you ask her. And itchy.
Personality: Despite her appearance, Iona is not innocent. Spoiled with wealthy, mainly absentee parents, a maturity far beyond others her age, and an ability to learn very quickly, she’s easily bored and the absolute terror of her tutors. Rather than learn what she considers to be useless etiquette and foreign language, Iona daydreams. Her reoccurring fantasy is escaping the prim, useless life of a noblewoman to the deck of a pirate ship where she terrorizes any who sail the seas.
She’s a sassy know-it-all who has no time for anyone who she thinks is stupider than her… which is everyone else. She is not afraid to let anyone know her opinion.
While Iona’s youth makes her naïve, she has a natural talent for reading people. The downside is, she doesn’t really consider the fact that she could have read someone wrong, so she can be easy to mislead.
Iona is entirely aware of the assumptions people make based on her appearance and plays it up to the utmost extent. She is not about to let people know she’s far smarter than they would assume. If she can manipulate someone into doing work for her, she will. She’s easy to manipulate if you can make her believe that she’s in control.
Powers/abilities: Well, Iona is only eight, so she hasn’t mastered anything, but then again, she isn’t willing to put the effort into mastering much. She’s an avaricious reader with an eidetic memory.
Other: While she pretends she’s an adult, she has a stuffed narwhal she cannot be parted with. It goes with her everywhere. He’s necessary for her to sleep. His name is Nodew. Don’t ask her where she got the name. She’ll make up a story because she can’t really remember, but it will be long and detailed.
She got the name Iona from a book she read about pirates. Iona was the main character.
The Pirate - Now
Name and title/role: Iona/pirate
Age: 17; born in February
Allegiance: The djinni is of the utmost importance. After that, she doesn't care.
Appearance: She would be beautiful if she got a nice hair cut and washed her face. As it is, her hair is cut short and uneven since she cuts it herself with a dagger. She's grown out of all of her baby fat and is muscled. She's taller than average. Her clothes are easy to move in and completely for comfort and useful only. Solely pants and a loose shirt she tucks in with calf-high boots. Her single accessory are small opal stud earrings.
Personality: Iona has grown into her brain. She's really smart and has spent a lot of time learning about how people work through books and subtle, (usually) harmless social experiments. She still enjoys being the smartest in a situation and while her arrogance is still annoying it's not quite as bad as it was nine years ago. She's outspoken and pushy, used to being in control, but she's not too quick to act. She uses her eidetic memory not only to remember facts from books but conversations and interactions with people. However, for someone with a flawless memory, she can constantly turn events so that she's shown in a better light than perhaps reality makes her.
Though she's seen a lot as a pirate, she's still influenced by the books she read. Really, she wants to be the perfect protagonist to her own story. Dashing, fearless, and honorable... but still not having to sacrifice anything she wants, of course.
She's still impatient with those who she considers dumb (which is still everyone), but now she's more likely to use them than just dismiss them.
Her weaknesses are also similar to what they were. She's so sure of herself, she can be easily manipulated if someone isn't really obvious.
Iona's people skills actually aren't that great. She never really had a chance to be with people her age and has been a pirate captain for just over half of her life, so she hasn't been socialized all that much. She comes off as more than a bit odd.
Story of the nine years in between: Iona has created quite a name for herself or... the djinni has, but that's basically her. To a certain extent she's more legend than reality: the child pirate who has created a monopoly on pirating, going after any looting ship that isn't paying her a portion of their booty.
Powers/abilities: Eidetic memory, proficient with a sword, superb navigation skills on land or water as long as she can see the sky (this may not be true for the Beyond depending on whether or not that sky is the same or not)
...Oh and anything she wants is granted by the djinni to the extent of his abilities
Other: Nodew the narwhal is still around but a wish from when she was young has made him real. He follows the ship, and she feeds him fish by hand. She's very attached