This is a tough one but I will try to help out the best way possible. Here are my suggestions:
- Clueless: the victim is most likely clueless about where he/she is, why they have been kidnapped or why this is happening to them.
- Panic: it is just a normal reaction if your character becomes panicked whenever they come in contact with the kidnapper because they don’t know what they have done to “deserve” what has happened to them.
- Silence: once they find out why they are kidnapped, if it’s for information they might decide to stay silent and not betray anyone else. Also, some victims might suffer in silence because they do not see the point in fighting against their kidnapper, they know that the person who has kidnapped them is most likely stronger and more superior.
- Hope: they are also very likely to hope for someone to save them. The hope might not be expressed out loud but maybe it is the only thing that keeps them alive.
I hope this helps! :)
-Wonder Girl
Why you should avoid flaw-free characters:
Characters with no flaws can take various forms starting from the well-known goody-two-shoes and ending with the character that mysteriously knows everything that is going on around them. Such characters usually do no wrong and are the “good guys”. They will be the innocent ones in any conflict and sometimes will be “poor victims” of normal drama.
You less likely to create a flaw-free character if it is already made by an admin and you simply apply for him/her. However, if you really stray away from their biography you can sometimes ‘turn’ your character to be flaw-free and perfect. Original characters have a bigger possibility of becoming, or being, flaw-free and ideal. Hence, below I provide you with some reasons that would show you why it is a good idea to stay away from perfect characters.
#1: character development
If your character is perfect and has no flaws, they will make no mistakes. Just like people, character grows and changes as they go along and make mistakes. By taking away the possibility of making mistakes, you immediately make the chances of real character development much smaller. In my personal opinion, it is very boring to play a character that doesn’t develop as you play them. If your character has flaws, they will probably be more interesting and diverse.
#2: originality/creativity
There are so many directions you can take your character if they act according to their character. The possibilities are endless. Also, when creating the character you can put many character traits together, avoiding clichés or stereotypes. From the beginning till the end you will simply have more creative freedom with your character and you will not be restricted in any way.
#3: reaction of others
This goes mostly IC. Your character might be perceived negatively by other characters after a while and they might not like him/her because they will start to find them monotonous and boring. I know from personal experience how annoying it can be to have a Mary Sue in your roleplay. After a while you realize that if the character was a real person, they would have had something really bad happen to them (in this case the character was doing work 24/7 for a few weeks and didn’t feel any of the affects. In real life a person would have had several mental breakdowns or worse).
A GUIDE TO: writing characters that are high
There have been a few posts about how to write drunken characters. However, I have not seen one that explains how to write a character that is high. It isn’t uncommon to have a character that smokes weed so I decided to do a post on how to write a character in such a state. Weed (aka. marijuana or cannabis) has a similar effect to one’s brain as alcohol. It slows down the reaction time, perception of the world at the moment it is used and it can change the mood as well. Despite the fact that the effects of weed use are similar to that of alcohol, there are some differences between the two that an author should take into consideration.
Because reaction time is considerably slowed down, your character can take a while to respond. It is also not unusual that they would drift away from a conversation and not pay attention to what is happening around them. They would be in a world of their own, ignoring the real world around them. It is also very unlikely that their speech will be blurred as it is when using alcohol.
Another thing (which is strange but surprisingly true) is that after using weed, appetite increases. Thus your character can be hungry and looking for food while they are high. They might not actually want food but their bodies are tricked into thinking that they are hungry resulting in a search for food.
Last, but not least, is that they can be sleepy. Weed affects the characters brain and combined with slowed down reaction time, it is very likely that they would want to lie down or start sleeping on another person’s shoulder/lap/etc.
I know this post isn’t very long, but it includes the most important points about what you should know (and include) when writing a character that is getting, or is, high.
→ Wonder Girl
writing a good para:
Para is short for paragraphing or writing in paragraphs (so not single lines); it is a great way to give your character more depth. Para or paraing (as it is sometimes called) is writing a full description (paragraphs) about your characters thoughts, actions and where they are. It is like writing a story but only a piece of it, from your character’s point of view. A para is usually written in third person singular point of view and can be written between two or more characters. In my year of being active in roleplays, I have picked up some things that can help you to improve your paraing style or the quality of your para. Below are some tips, tricks and suggestions that can be helpful.
- Don’t pay attention to your grammar. When you are typing away don’t pay attention to your grammar, it will only slow you down and you might lose inspiration in the middle of your reply. I suggest that first you finish your reply (or starter, whichever you are writing) and put in everything that you want to put in there. After that, go over what you have written and edit out the things you feel like shouldn’t be there or correct grammatical errors. You can edit this all out before you post your reply so don’t worry about your grammar at first, it will only stress you out and you won’t be able to write a reply
- Quantity vs. quality. I know that there are some great roleplayers out there who write no less than two or three paragraphs when they write a para. However, the quality of your para is far more important than how much you write. Just don’t forget to include something that the other person can respond to, otherwise they will lose interest in paraing with you. You don’t have to write much but as long as you have expressed everything that your character is feeling and the person has something to go on/respond to, you are good to go. Don’t stress too much about the length of your reply.
- There is no time limit in which you must respond to a para. Don’t write in haste because it is not likely that your production level will be the best. Take all the time you need because there isn’t a set time frame in which you need to reply. Writing in a hurry will only make your writing all over the place and it will be messy. Better take your time than write up something just for the purpose of replying quickly.
- Have a purpose to your para, it helps character development. Paras, just like one-shots (or self-paras) are a great way to figure out character dynamics and develop your characters. There is a really good roleplayer I know, who never writes a para without a purpose, there is always a meaning and the para doesn’t go on for forever. Having a day out with friends is fine, but maybe something happens while the characters are out? Use paraing as a tool of character development.
→ Wonder Girl
When You’re at a Loss for Words: How to Extend Paragraphs
A common problem when writing is having trouble reaching the minimum requirement for a paragraph. Most roleplays require at least 5 lines for it to be considered ‘acceptable’ in their eyes, and sometimes it’s a struggle to get there! The purpose of this writing tutorial is to stretch out those lines when you think you’ve run out of things to say.
A GUIDE TO: playing bitchy characters
I find that bitchy characters aren’t the easiest to play, though they can be the most fun at times. Here are some tips I hope will help everyone.
EXPLORE → Find out why your character is bitch. Maybe they act this way towards a particular group of people or someone they don’t like. What if they grew up in such a family that it is their defense mechanism towards the rest of the world? Try to understand why, and in what ways your character acts as bitch.
DISLIKED → Realize that not everyone will be ecstatic about your character or interacting with him/her. Sometimes handlers take things very personally and may be offended by how your character acts. This isn’t your fault and don’t be afraid to play a bitchy character just out of fear that no one will like him/her; bitchy characters aren’t supposed to be very well liked. You should also remember that interaction isn’t roleplayer-to-roleplayer but character-to-character. Thus everything that is said/done should only affect your character.
ENEMIES → Don’t be scared that your character will make a few enemies, it’s only normal. A bitch with no enemies is highly unlikely. Even if the character is the most popular person at school doesn’t mean everyone will like them.
NO FEAR → Don’t be afraid to have your character talk low of others or put other characters down. Remember – this is the character, not you that is acting in such a way. Don’t be scared to have them act out and act as if they are better than everyone else, because chances are your character thinks exactly that. Also don’t be afraid to have plots that involve your character destroying others. Of course you should discuss and plan this with the other handler but bitches are the ones that usually mess up things in real life – they can be a great tool in roleplaying too (especially character development).
IRRATIONAL → Your character doesn’t have to be rational with thinking up insults or saying mean things to others. The remarks have to be snide and sharp. If your character doesn’t know the other one so well, your best shot is to have it about something that can be observed from the outside (so not knowing the person).
→ Wonder Girl
TO ADD ON ABOUT PLAYING MALES:
I completely agree with what Kid Flash said - males aren’t about emotions. It’s the one thing I always keep in mind when I play a guy. Unless the male you’re playing is very honest, he won’t show much emotions; and even then he shouldn’t be too enthusiastic etc.
I do think that apart from that, female and males characters aren’t all that different from each other. You should figure out what your character is like, is he a nerd, a popular guy or shy. His behavior will be very similar to a female with the same qualities. The only difference will be how the character communicates with others. I believe that unless the guy is a chatterbox, he won’t talk a lot in one go and have rather short responses to everything (not so short though that your partner has nothing to reply to).
Another thing is the male-male and male-female dynamics that are important to understand if you roleplay (especially since most of it is based on character interaction). Males won’t be as open with their mates as a female would be to a female. If they do talk about what is happening in each other’s lives, it will be concise and without involving their emotions (unless it’s something that your character is passionate about). If you play a male character who is interacting with a female, just stick to their character traits and remember that a guy is unlikely to spill their secrets, gossip a lot or discuss boys.
I do hope this helps and makes sense even a little bit.
→ Wonder Girl
This is actually a really tough question! I’m a girl too and I actually roleplay male characters a majority of the time; however, I almost always run into the dilemma of whether or not I’m portraying them accurately. I’d say check this (✰) out. It’s concerning believable male friendships and there are some helpful tips in there about roleplaying males as well.
- ACTIONS ARE KEY → Even if they dramatize it on television and sitcoms, guys don’t necessarily express their feelings as often as girls. Maybe not even at all at times! Actions are really the key here. More often than not, guys will do things versus saying them. Also, I hate to generalize the male population, but they aren’t really the type to have long winded conversations (at least, from experience). A male character would more than likely have short responses and answers to things. Which brings me to my next point!
- THOUGHTS VERSUS SPOKEN WORD → When para-ing a male character, it is more likely that they will think rather than say out loud. You’ll be spending a lot of time typing out their thoughts versus your character getting the chance to say them. Understandable that your character is outspoken and will voice his opinions but, remember, guys aren’t really the chatty type. If your male character falls under that category, keep responses short and simple. They can be honest, yes, but not necessarily explain word for word on how he’s feeling. It runs a lot deeper than that for everyone, really.
- READ BOOKS OR EXCELLENT FANFICTION WITH A MALE POV → They say that great readers make great writers and that’s very much true! I think that one of the best things you can do is see how published writers (with good books) and fanfictioners (with good fanfiction) portray their male characters. It’ll give you a better sense of what you should be doing when roleplaying a male character.
I hope this helped you out! If you need more advice, let me know!
→ Kid Flash
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