.::The Writer's Guild::.

[Genesis]

Hmm, like I don't know how to make his adult side. I'm already done with his kid self.
Also I don't have any stories rn but I'll think of you if I need it voice-acted.

[FedoraChar]

Hahaha, I have many much replies to make! This is what I get for taking off for a few days xD

I love personification too. That's been brewing for a while, so I'm glad I finally got to do one.

Ermergersh, I lurv GIFS! xD That one is way cute :D

OH MY GOD ITS A CUTE LITTLE HEDGEHOG AWWWWWW...

...

*cough* Anyway... I'm glad you liked the first chapter. The cute reploid in question actually wasn't hard to draw at first because she was a pre-existing fan character. My girlfriend and I tend to write random stories about random characters from franchises we like and it all ends up in chaos and someone dying. Usually. Right now she's going under some design modifications and is being a P.I.T.A. AKA, pain in the ass. She wasn't supposed to be cute at first, she just ended up that way. Some of the other characters though... yes, yes they had to be drawn first. EVERYTHING... had to be drawn first.

I also read the first chapter--I have to say for someone who knows next to nothing about Megaman, you definitely drew me into the story, ('specially with the humor at the beginning). At first I didn't understand what Mavericks were or Reploids, but after I read your story I hopped onto a Megaman Wiki and looked it up xD I'm very much intrigued! Think I'll be sticking around and reading more! ^^

I do have to say though that I kinda lost a sense of setting after they were dispatched to the attack site--I wasn't really sure what they were looking through (buildings, I guess, but what kind? What was in them?) But other than that, I really enjoyed it! :D

HAI CAN I JOIN PL0X?

Writing is awesome. Also I love that hedgehog gif and the people clapping. WOW they clap fast.

~SF.

ERMERGERSH, OF COURSE. WE JUST GOT THAT MUCH COOLER, GUYZ. Also, you guys should sign up for Voice Acting. For serious. xD *coughcoughIStillNeedToFindSomethingInOneOfMinecou gh*

Can I also join? I've been writing details for my sci-fi writing project and I'm currently a little stuck.

Our coolness is now over 9000!!! *Shot* Anyway, welcome to the club! :D Glad to have ya! ^^ In a sec I'll see about finding this vlog someone did of characterization--maybe it might help ya? ^^

[Sanctus]

WHAT 9000?!?!?!!!!!?? *scouter breaks*

...I'm on my phone right now, so I'll respond more later, but I was afraid someone might be me to it. XD

[Saraibre Ryu]

I also read the first chapter--I have to say for someone who knows next to nothing about Megaman, you definitely drew me into the story, ('specially with the humor at the beginning). At first I didn't understand what Mavericks were or Reploids, but after I read your story I hopped onto a Megaman Wiki and looked it up xD I'm very much intrigued! Think I'll be sticking around and reading more! ^^

I do have to say though that I kinda lost a sense of setting after they were dispatched to the attack site--I wasn't really sure what they were looking through (buildings, I guess, but what kind? What was in them?) But other than that, I really enjoyed it! :D

The first chapter was written well over a year ago. I have a habit of not explaining environmental detail too well and I -hopefully- learned from that and expanded more on environmental detail. It was basically a more open area with a lot of debris everywhere, like if a bomb went off. I'm glad I drew you into the story though and made you look stuff up. XD I like getting people into a good franchise. I have I think 9 chapters right now and am working on the latest chapter right now. I plan on finishing it and since I update in rather long intervals of time... not by choice, I find it hard to avoid redundancies... ><

I'm glad you like it though, its nice to know I don't write crap. XD


HIIIIIIIIIIIII GRACE.

I think I could voice act, depends on what you need. XD inb4everything

[Suicune's Fire]

Hmm, like I don't know how to make his adult side. I'm already done with his kid self.
Also I don't have any stories rn but I'll think of you if I need it voice-acted.

Have you written down some qualities you think he might pass on into his adult self, perhaps? Maybe he lost some childishness and gained more seriousness, but if he's a fun character, still has a great time and enjoys life? xD I dunno. I sorta need more information. Just go with what you could see him like as an adult.
And lol, no worries!

ERMERGERSH, OF COURSE. WE JUST GOT THAT MUCH COOLER, GUYZ. Also, you guys should sign up for Voice Acting. For serious. xD *coughcoughIStillNeedToFindSomethingInOneOfMinecou gh*

Our coolness is now over 9000!!! *Shot* Anyway, welcome to the club! :D Glad to have ya! ^^ In a sec I'll see about finding this vlog someone did of characterization--maybe it might help ya? ^^

WOOOOOOO! THANKS. XDD And well, I meant that if someone wanted something voice acting, I could arrange it, rather than people trying out. I mean, there's nothing to stop anyone from trying out, but yeah. XD

LOOOOOOOOL OVER 9000.

HIIIIIIIIIIIII GRACE.

I think I could voice act, depends on what you need. XD inb4everything

HELLOOOOOOOOOOO!

Lulz, if you want to! I was asking if people had scenes they wanted to get voice acted though. xD Just whenever.

~SF.

[FedoraChar]

Okay, so I found that lecture on characters! :D I hope it’s helpful for you, Vegeta, but if it’s not, if it’s not really what you needed help with, then maybe we could just discuss it as a group . I’m actually curious about how you guys feel about characters and how you would go about molding one, rules you’d follow, all that. And I’d like to hear what you thought about the video. It’s definitely not going to apply to everyone, and definitely isn’t the cover-all for characterization, but I thought that this person had some genuinely good insight on creating characters.

So, here it is!

Er, it’s a way long lecture (it is from a university class) but it’s been split up into several videos. But in case you don’t have time to watch through all of it I’ll post a little summary.

Spoiler:

In the first video, the speaker (Brandon) talks about what makes a character great. Some of the things the class members said was that a good character is relatable, exists beyond the page, has growth and motivation, admirable, but flawed. He notes that sometimes authors put the character’s role before the character’s actual character, and this is something that should be worked on to make characters interesting. His big thing about characters is making them proactive rather than reactionary. They need to actively be doing things of their own will (or pursuing their passions and plans) rather than simply responding to circumstances thrown at them.

Next, he talks about different character types used in literature. There are capable characters, and sympathetic characters. Capable characters excel at what they do, while sympathetic characters are those we can easily empathize with. Sympathetic characters should have similarities with reader (flaws, short-comings, ect) but more importantly they need to show EMOTION. He says this is a problem with new readers—they are more about showing than telling, being more cinematic than in-depth with what their character is feeling. There needs to be a careful balance, however, because you don’t want to overload with drama but at the same time you need to breathe life into the characters and show that they have feelings.

The next set of lectures talk about how to humanize characters, make them seem more dimensional rather than flat and bland. Brandon says this can be accomplished by giving the characters quirks, passions, flaws, and limitations. Quirks in media have often been used as a comedic contrast, like the men in the bar in Disney’s Tangled. You have those big burly men who have silly side hobbies. But quirks don’t have to be comedic like that. He used the example of having a bounty hunter who collects stamps, or the new high school student who likes art. The point is to have something to a character that goes beyond the plot.

There’s some methods to encourage this, and one is the Dossier method, which is kind of like a questionnaire for your characters that lists questions as simple as “what’s their favorite food” and the like. He warns not to go overboard, however. Being an author is like being a stage magician; you show them a little detail, while working things behind the scenes. Skimp on the big, note the small details.

Lastly, he mentions another method for characterizing, which works well for “discovery writers” who just kind of write whatever comes to them. He says you could try casting the wrong person for those roles, and figure out why they can’t work in that role. You feel for how characters belong in your story. He goes on to talk about how the reluctant hero, though not always the best for every story, is interesting to readers because you throw the character out of their comfort zone, and readers are interested in seeing how they cope or develop to deal with their problems.

Some problems can come from this method, as sometimes the MC or character you’re developing can become bland or not well formed. But he just encourages experimenting and practicing.

In the next lecture, he talks about how to make characters sympathetic. He talks about another set of character types: the Everyman and the Superman. The everyman is your average joe forced out unexpectedly on a journey—the Frodos of the universe, if you will. They are more relatable, being prone to flaws. The superman is your capable character, the ones who are good at what they do, and barely have any flaws (he jokes that their flaws are that they are just too good). These would be your Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, ect. Brandon says that a good character has both of each. They can be the everyman with some superman capabilities. Maybe they have one talent they excel at, but are still pretty average joes. Many modern stories show the progression of the everyman to the superman as part of the plot. We love rooting for the underdog and seeing them grow into something more.

Next video talks more about developing flaws and handicaps. He distinguishes the two by defining flaws as characteristics that are the character’s fault. These are internal problems that define the character at the beginning of the story, but do not have to define them at the end. These can be overcome and changed, and worked into the whole progression thing we love so much. Examples: shyness, rashness, rudeness, ect. In contrast, handicaps are something that is not the character’s fault, something that is external that they really can’t do anything about. And really, you don’t want them to. It’s like the one-armed man who wants to play football, or something along those lines.

In the next video, Brandon answers a student’s question and goes more into detail about making characters proactive. He says that looking into their hobbies (quirks) and passions (goals) and continuing them even after the plot monster interrupts them can help build that. There’s the Try/fail cycle, where the characters make attempts to fix their problems but end up failing at first. His example of a proactive character is Han Solo—particularly in the scene where Darth Vader interrupts their dinner by walking in the door. Rather than standing and saying “Oh no!” What does he do? He takes out his gun and shoots the sucker! It fails, but at least Han tried doing something rather than taking in the problem and debating his choices.

His last video wraps everything up by saying that limitations are more interesting. It’s geared more towards making sure magic systems/technologies aren’t overpowered, but he goes over how it’s important to think out the ramifications of your limitations. How the world would be different and all that. But yeah, overall, a very informative lecture!

Um… sorry this was so long xD But if you didn’t tl;dr, please let me know what you thought ^^

[Genesis]

Thanks for taking the time to type all of this Charmander! It helped me a lot, I think I have some infos on how he will develop in my story. Thanks a lot! You're a life saver :3

[Sanctus]

I do have to say though that I kinda lost a sense of setting after they were dispatched to the attack site--I wasn't really sure what they were looking through (buildings, I guess, but what kind? What was in them?)

Ah, I didn't think about that. Probably because when I hear about buildings and explosions and clean-up duty in Megaman, I instantly get a mental image based on the games. Good point though.

I've looked over some of it again. Sabi wrote:

"Axl immediately went into hover mode and started checking the roof's and higher levels of any buildings he came across, as X went to the ground and middle floors while Zero took any basements."

Maybe what's missing is some detail on how numerous these left-over structures are? Also, how tall are they? Are there any dome buildings and skyscrapers? What do they see in the distance? Sabi also wrote that X had to turn his head from maverick bodies. How many were there, and what kinds?

Char, I'll probably watch the lecture in full tonight and tell you what I think. I've watched some of it already and found it helpful. Thanks for sharing. :]

[Saraibre Ryu]

Ah, I didn't think about that. Probably because when I hear about buildings and explosions and clean-up duty in Megaman, I instantly get a mental image based on the games. Good point though.

I've looked over some of it again. Sabi wrote:

"Axl immediately went into hover mode and started checking the roof's and higher levels of any buildings he came across, as X went to the ground and middle floors while Zero took any basements."

Maybe what's missing is some detail on how numerous these left-over structures are? Also, how tall are they? Are there any dome buildings and skyscrapers? What do they see in the distance? Sabi also wrote that X had to turn his head from maverick bodies. How many were there, and what kinds?

*flails* y u people copy paste part of my fan fic aaaaahhhh *hides*

Anyway, I hope that my descriptiveness got a bit better as time went on. It was written over a looong period of time. I shall try to improve upon my descriptive skills.

In other news, I got past a character design bump and have official artwork of something now. YAY.

[Suicune's Fire]

"Checking the roof's" is incorrect. O: Should be "checking the roofs." NO APOSTROPHE, GOSH!

Hey Sabi, if you want, I could try to help you with description. Sometimes I go overboard with it. XDD I dunno, if you feel like you need help or something.

~SF.

EDIT: LOL, has anyone ever thought that "roof" and "roofs" were funny words? XD The fact that they have Two Os...ahaha... ROOFS! It's like a nickname for "Rufus." XD ROOFS!