Post by Dragon Song on Aug 23, 2010 19:05:49 GMT
Hey there! Little bit stuck? Not quite sure how to bring that character of yours to life? Are they stuck in your head, perfectly formed but refusing to go down in writing? Well then you've come to the right place!!
Sort of... ^^'
Everyone gets stuck at some point and some people don't know where to start. That's where this comes in. I (DS) know exactly how you feel, trust me. It is not uncommon for me to metaphorically be ripping my hair out in frustration because one won't come together. Before I started RPing in the Pern world they used to be about 2-3 sentences for each section, and short sentences at that. So I've created this to share some of the tips that I've picked up and regularly use.
Every Template requests the same general information: Name, Age, Birth Season, Gender, Sexuality, Rank, Appearance, Personality, and History. I'll go through each of these Apart from Gender which should be obvious
)
Names:
Something that regularly crops up is names. Pernese people tend to combine parts of both parent's names to create a name for their child. A lot of people make the mistake of using english names and spellings. Some names are acceptable, just be careful. In this Thread you will be able to buy the rights to a traditionally spelt name, as well as other various things.
Age:
I know this seems obvious, but please be reasonable when it comes to ages. Candidates must be within a certain age limit that a Weyr itself will set. Here at Skyline the boundaries are 12-22 for males, and 14-25 for females. Again, this thread has options to buy expections to this. Check there for details.
Birth Season:
Merely so we can track their age. I suggest putting down their Turn of Birth as well, so that if you do forget you don;t get confused. (Like I always do)
Sexuality:
Especially important for a candidate as it means that the Mods and Admins can choose a suitable colour dragon for your character. After all, a homosexual rider isn't going to Impress to a Gold or a Bronze! It's also a handy thing for other players to refer to for reference if they're say... plotting possible future relationships etc. (A Spiffy edit here: However, I see sexuality loosely, so just because your guy is hetero doesn't mean he won't Impress green, just so you know ;D)
Rank:
The level someone has achieved in a chosen craft, if they have one. Characters must be 18 to be able to walk the tables and receive Journeyman status, and Masters older still. For riders includes the colour of dragon that they ride, as well as if they hold any extra rank such as a Wingleader, the weyrling or candidate master etc.
Now we get down to the nitty gritty where everyone struggles!
Appearance:
Here at Skyline we require a minimum of 5 sentences for each section. However, the more detail you give the better, especially in the personality section. It's great if you have a play-by for your character, but that doesn't mean you get out of going into detail. It can help though, merely look closely at the picture and describe it in detail.
Personally, I tackle appearances like this:
*Hair
*Face
*Body
*Preferred/common clothing
To break that down:
Hair:
Colour and style. What shade is it? (Please bare in mind that brown hair/eyes are most common on Pern. If there are too many blondes going about we will clamp down on the number allowed, and please don't make loads of them. Redheads need Admin approval and shall be limited in numbers.) Length? Wavy, curly, straight, messy? Is it cared for, neatly cut?
Face:
Face shape (Heart shaped, oval, round? etc.), eyes (Colour, lashes yadda yadda). High cheek bones? Sculpted features? A little plump? Freckles and/or acme? Any scars or marks? Complexion (Pernese generally have quite a tanned complexion and pale skin isn't common)
Body:
Shape. Long and lean? Short and fat? Curvy, broad, muscular, lanky, thin, well covered? For women are they: Hourglass, pear, apple or pole shaped? For men... DS doesn't know any terms but will say triangular (Broad shoulder narrow waist, or other way round) or rectangular? (You get the idea, I hope). Any scars? Are they flabby or toned?
Clothing:
What do they commonly wear style wise. Fashion freaks? Don't give a damn? Favourite colours to wear? They self conscious or do they were revealing stuff? Baggy or tight fitting? Work worn or well kept? What might they wear to special occasions?
When it's a dragon/wher, include a hexcode so that we can see their colour, and so that you can use it to colour their speech
Personality:
Personality is the biggest thing really, not only for the admins/mods but for the other RPers as well. It means we all get a feel for what the character is like even if they're new and we've not met them yet. You can plan out threads and responses, decide who likes/might like who (In both friendship and love ways). For the admins/mods, longer is better. The more detail you can cram in, the better we can choose the perfect dragon for you. =)
I find that the easiest way to do this is to condense their personality down to a few key words. For example, Kiara is: Manipulative, flirty, cunning, vain and selfish where as R'fel is: Shy, quiet, under-confident and loyal. Then, once you have these key words - elaborate on them!
Also, pet peeves? What really gets under their skin? Any fears? What do they really like? What kind of circumstances may make them change how they normally act?
History:
Now you'll soon realise that DS despises histories. As in, she's rather go and aggravate a violent proddy queen than do a history. But unfortunately they've got to be done!
(Spiffy edit: On the other hand, Spiffy loves writing her char' histories, so is more than happy to lend a hand if you're still struggling xD)
First off, MAKE SURE YOU READ THIS: >>THIS<< This is key. Vital. READ IT! Lest I set Dusk on you for not doing so.
Right. So, I take it in stages. Else I want to go jump off a cliff.
*Birth and early childhood
*Childhood
*The move west <-- MUST BE INCLUDED
*Reaction to Dusk's arrival (If they are there at that point) If not, reaction to the basilisk's in general.
Key events slot in wherever necessary.
Birth and Early Childhood:
Where were they born? Difficult birth? Loving parents? Both parents even there, or were they raised by just one? Foster parents? Planned child or the more likely accident? Siblings? Did they get on with their siblings? Were they spoilt or a bit neglected? Did this treatment influence who they are today? (Spiffy: Please please PLEASE REMEMBER that unless your character is younger than two Turns of age they will NOT have been born on the Western Continent! Thankyou)
Childhood:
Happy or lonely, sad, cheerful, difficult, strange? Anything of interest/significance happen to them? Ermmm... yeah, that's all I can prompt you with.
The Move West:
How they'd hear about it? How'd they feel about it? Where were they beforehand (If they'd moved) Why did they want to go? How did they get there? First impressions? Pleased or displeased with the move? When'd they move west?
Reaction:
Remember, these guys killed over half the weyr, including the weyrleaders. Whether or not Ariseth survived was hanging in the balance. And then, one of them comes sauntering in here demanding all sorts of stuff for this injured guy assumed dead?! are they not murderous savages about to kill them in their sleep?! Or are they curious, do they side with the claims that she's not actually that dangerous nor responsible in any way for what happened?
History's are very unique to a person so it's difficult to give you a set plan. I always try to tie it in. If your character has scars explain how they got them in the history. If they have a certain personality trait or fear, explain how they got it in the history.
Hopefully that will get you through any troubles. And makes sense. I really hope it makes sense. Of course, if you think I've missed anything, or want something clarifying just ask away! Someone is bound to be able to answer, so feel free to post questions on the end of this. Or, if you'd rather keep quiet about it feel free to PM me!
Sorry for a monster essay thing, but meh. Remember, have fun and happy posting!
Sort of... ^^'
Everyone gets stuck at some point and some people don't know where to start. That's where this comes in. I (DS) know exactly how you feel, trust me. It is not uncommon for me to metaphorically be ripping my hair out in frustration because one won't come together. Before I started RPing in the Pern world they used to be about 2-3 sentences for each section, and short sentences at that. So I've created this to share some of the tips that I've picked up and regularly use.
Every Template requests the same general information: Name, Age, Birth Season, Gender, Sexuality, Rank, Appearance, Personality, and History. I'll go through each of these Apart from Gender which should be obvious
)Names:
Something that regularly crops up is names. Pernese people tend to combine parts of both parent's names to create a name for their child. A lot of people make the mistake of using english names and spellings. Some names are acceptable, just be careful. In this Thread you will be able to buy the rights to a traditionally spelt name, as well as other various things.
Age:
I know this seems obvious, but please be reasonable when it comes to ages. Candidates must be within a certain age limit that a Weyr itself will set. Here at Skyline the boundaries are 12-22 for males, and 14-25 for females. Again, this thread has options to buy expections to this. Check there for details.
Birth Season:
Merely so we can track their age. I suggest putting down their Turn of Birth as well, so that if you do forget you don;t get confused. (Like I always do)
Sexuality:
Especially important for a candidate as it means that the Mods and Admins can choose a suitable colour dragon for your character. After all, a homosexual rider isn't going to Impress to a Gold or a Bronze! It's also a handy thing for other players to refer to for reference if they're say... plotting possible future relationships etc. (A Spiffy edit here: However, I see sexuality loosely, so just because your guy is hetero doesn't mean he won't Impress green, just so you know ;D)
Rank:
The level someone has achieved in a chosen craft, if they have one. Characters must be 18 to be able to walk the tables and receive Journeyman status, and Masters older still. For riders includes the colour of dragon that they ride, as well as if they hold any extra rank such as a Wingleader, the weyrling or candidate master etc.
Now we get down to the nitty gritty where everyone struggles!
Appearance:
Here at Skyline we require a minimum of 5 sentences for each section. However, the more detail you give the better, especially in the personality section. It's great if you have a play-by for your character, but that doesn't mean you get out of going into detail. It can help though, merely look closely at the picture and describe it in detail.
Personally, I tackle appearances like this:
*Hair
*Face
*Body
*Preferred/common clothing
To break that down:
Hair:
Colour and style. What shade is it? (Please bare in mind that brown hair/eyes are most common on Pern. If there are too many blondes going about we will clamp down on the number allowed, and please don't make loads of them. Redheads need Admin approval and shall be limited in numbers.) Length? Wavy, curly, straight, messy? Is it cared for, neatly cut?
Face:
Face shape (Heart shaped, oval, round? etc.), eyes (Colour, lashes yadda yadda). High cheek bones? Sculpted features? A little plump? Freckles and/or acme? Any scars or marks? Complexion (Pernese generally have quite a tanned complexion and pale skin isn't common)
Body:
Shape. Long and lean? Short and fat? Curvy, broad, muscular, lanky, thin, well covered? For women are they: Hourglass, pear, apple or pole shaped? For men... DS doesn't know any terms but will say triangular (Broad shoulder narrow waist, or other way round) or rectangular? (You get the idea, I hope). Any scars? Are they flabby or toned?
Clothing:
What do they commonly wear style wise. Fashion freaks? Don't give a damn? Favourite colours to wear? They self conscious or do they were revealing stuff? Baggy or tight fitting? Work worn or well kept? What might they wear to special occasions?
When it's a dragon/wher, include a hexcode so that we can see their colour, and so that you can use it to colour their speech
Personality:
Personality is the biggest thing really, not only for the admins/mods but for the other RPers as well. It means we all get a feel for what the character is like even if they're new and we've not met them yet. You can plan out threads and responses, decide who likes/might like who (In both friendship and love ways). For the admins/mods, longer is better. The more detail you can cram in, the better we can choose the perfect dragon for you. =)
I find that the easiest way to do this is to condense their personality down to a few key words. For example, Kiara is: Manipulative, flirty, cunning, vain and selfish where as R'fel is: Shy, quiet, under-confident and loyal. Then, once you have these key words - elaborate on them!
Also, pet peeves? What really gets under their skin? Any fears? What do they really like? What kind of circumstances may make them change how they normally act?
History:
Now you'll soon realise that DS despises histories. As in, she's rather go and aggravate a violent proddy queen than do a history. But unfortunately they've got to be done!
(Spiffy edit: On the other hand, Spiffy loves writing her char' histories, so is more than happy to lend a hand if you're still struggling xD)
First off, MAKE SURE YOU READ THIS: >>THIS<< This is key. Vital. READ IT! Lest I set Dusk on you for not doing so.
Right. So, I take it in stages. Else I want to go jump off a cliff.
*Birth and early childhood
*Childhood
*The move west <-- MUST BE INCLUDED
*Reaction to Dusk's arrival (If they are there at that point) If not, reaction to the basilisk's in general.
Key events slot in wherever necessary.
Birth and Early Childhood:
Where were they born? Difficult birth? Loving parents? Both parents even there, or were they raised by just one? Foster parents? Planned child or the more likely accident? Siblings? Did they get on with their siblings? Were they spoilt or a bit neglected? Did this treatment influence who they are today? (Spiffy: Please please PLEASE REMEMBER that unless your character is younger than two Turns of age they will NOT have been born on the Western Continent! Thankyou)
Childhood:
Happy or lonely, sad, cheerful, difficult, strange? Anything of interest/significance happen to them? Ermmm... yeah, that's all I can prompt you with.
The Move West:
How they'd hear about it? How'd they feel about it? Where were they beforehand (If they'd moved) Why did they want to go? How did they get there? First impressions? Pleased or displeased with the move? When'd they move west?
Reaction:
Remember, these guys killed over half the weyr, including the weyrleaders. Whether or not Ariseth survived was hanging in the balance. And then, one of them comes sauntering in here demanding all sorts of stuff for this injured guy assumed dead?! are they not murderous savages about to kill them in their sleep?! Or are they curious, do they side with the claims that she's not actually that dangerous nor responsible in any way for what happened?
History's are very unique to a person so it's difficult to give you a set plan. I always try to tie it in. If your character has scars explain how they got them in the history. If they have a certain personality trait or fear, explain how they got it in the history.
Hopefully that will get you through any troubles. And makes sense. I really hope it makes sense. Of course, if you think I've missed anything, or want something clarifying just ask away! Someone is bound to be able to answer, so feel free to post questions on the end of this. Or, if you'd rather keep quiet about it feel free to PM me!
Sorry for a monster essay thing, but meh. Remember, have fun and happy posting!