Based on Part 2~ Your characters , and not in a good way  (Kind of similar to this rant)

Prompt writing challenge had two entries! Yeah, alright guys, way to be proactive!  It's alright, I almost didn't do it either. I still hope people will send me their attempts even in the future. It's not like I'm judging them or anything. It was a writing exercise to try and be creative and think outside the box. 

written by Izzayronii: Painting My Future (Oneshot about Jaejoong of JYJ/DBSK, Prompt used: Paint)

written by star-maknae: Trapped (Ficlet about Minwoo of Boyfriend, Prompt used: Discovering fears)

written by DeviLaugh: Prompt Writing Challenge (Five drabbles about Jiyong and Seungri of Big Bang, uses all five prompts) By the way, mine doesn't make sense. 

Your character is not a name or blank that you can insert traits into to create a person. These characters are people that you have put into a story and are trying to bring to life. Readers connect to a character more when they are realistic. It is rather hard to create realistic fictional people when we already have such difficulties understanding humans in our everyday lives, but we have to try.

I’ve discovered that not only is it important to have commendable characterization but it is also crucial to present the characterization in an appropriate way.

That means you cannot, in your foreword, list characters and their traits. You cannot simply say that the main character is Lee Minho and is incredibly intelligent but ran away from home and now runs an underground drug cartel. You cannot give out generic descriptions like he’s kind of short with a big nose and arrogant but with a soft heart. It is unacceptable.

To build up a character it is better to repeat certain habits or reactions throughout the fic. It’s something that builds up and builds up just so that the readers understand them like a real person. When someone is introducing their self to you they don’t usually start off with their family history, their relationships, how they’re feelings right that second, or their characteristics. We start to understand people by watching and listening and that is the same way in fanfics.

Of course, even if we did that, if the character is bad then it is just unappealing. Let’s begin with the basics of good characterization.

They need to be original. This might seem really obvious, but this is actually a struggle for many. We see certain traits in many different fics and we feel that is something that always is included with the character. For instance, if we talk about Key he is usually seen as a diva and a mother figure. It’s completely overdone and lacks any originality. A lot of authors see these traits and just add it to the character; they don’t make it their own. Okay, you have that Key is a diva, now tell me how he feels when he isn’t shopping or screaming his lungs off at the others because if Key is just a diva I could read any SHINee fic and get that.

This is the same for various other idols- they all have same basic characterization.

It’s also important that we be original with how we describe their bodies because this is where they really will all be the same. I remember when I first started reading fics and I was reading DBSK fics, all the fics had the same body descriptions. For instance, Jaejoong had doe eyes and red pouty lips with really pale skin and broad shoulders with a really thin waist and raven hair. At that time I felt like there was some unspoken rule that Jaejoong would only look this way. These writers should have used their own words instead of reusing common descriptions.

Each person needs to have clear differences from the others. I want to make it a point that every character is not completely different from each other, but that they some distinct traits that make them stand out from other characters. It’s not enough to say they look different or have different roles, the characters need more development. This is the point where habitual actions really solidify them as one and not one of many.

We can say that Lee Minho sharpens all his pencils and aligns them on his desk from longest to shortest. At the same time nameless coworker friend comes into the office and loosens his tie. They can both be very diligent workers and successful with whatever their job is, but they are both uniquely different.

The biggest influence on a character’s individuality is their family, their friends, and the area they live in. For instance, Lee Minho has an American father so he isn’t pressured about school or money as much as his full Asian friend. He lives in a very religious area where abortion is looked down on, but he accepts that his girlfriend doesn’t want their baby and allows her to get one anyway because he understands. And his friends are all free spirits like himself so he gets to make a lot of ual jokes even though he’d never say anything vulgar in front of a normal classmate.

Developed characters need a purpose. It’s incredibly annoying for a fic to be reaching its conclusion, the main couple has settled most of their differences (they are just waiting to get married after their baby is born), when suddenly there is a new character. At first the reaction is, “Oh no, another rival, when will this ever end?” But then it turns out that this new character is just going to be paired off with the best friend that had been forever alone throughout the fic.

It seems unnecessary. The story is about this one couple or about these people involved in some circumstance. Fanfics are not a continual story about someone’s life. What appeals to the reader is what they subscribed to the story for. When I subscribe to a story about Lee Minho I expect a story about Lee Minho and Lee Minho alone. Lee Minho.

I’m sure you have all read at least one if not a million fics where the progression is kind of slow  and it takes new characters to spice up the story. Even just little characters roles will be thrown in and you have to remember this new person and their history and how they’ve suffered. For a reader this is too many people to remember and it is overbearing. I recall in one fic I was reading a few years ago there was a group of transfer students that were introduced in one chapter and it was about fifteen new characters to wrap my head around.

Imagine you are watching a drama and there is the main couple, the two rivals that will eventually fall in love, and a few important supportive friends. Now imagine this drama is an office romance drama and the script writer decided it would be fun to let the audience learn every single worker in the office. Meet Yong Iljong, he works in finances as an intern three floors down from the main couple. One day he brought water to a business meeting they were in. That’s why you know his name.

Use the least number of characters possible and just try to make each action count. Instead of an old lady coming by and patting your crying protagonist on the back, try and have their best friend find them. Build up the different relationships between the already developed characters.

Antagonists can have different levels of purposefulness. There are some plots built around the antagonist and the protagonist battling it out. This is when we say, “Okay antagonist, you are going to be around a lot. You get a name and several chapters to screw around it. You even get a back story to support your ery.” Then there are many fics that have a villain rival in a sense that they are just a bully and they have no redeeming qualities. Instances of this would be the members of Girls Generation being used as plastic snobs to get in the way of the main romance. If they are just added in to be a bully I don’t want to like them so I don’t need a back story. The real purpose of those is to make the reader like the villain anyway.

If you really like those extras so much, just write a sequel about them.

Real people have flaws and characters should too. Real people are not clumsy, witty, smart, cute, beautiful, caring, hardworking, level-headed, innocent, and deep all in one. That is not a real person. What makes you think a reader is going to connect to that. First lie: innocence. There are very few males or females that I have met and thought, “You are too pure to talk about in front of.” Just the combination of all that could be the perfect girl, she doesn’t exist.

Let me just make a statement. .

You know what’s not a good flaw? Being an orphan. I’m fed up with authors thinking they can make the character perfect in all ways then just turn them into an orphan to level out their perfectness. “Well, the all powerful God (me) made you perfect, kills off your parents. There, that’s your bad luck. Oh, a bunch of hot guys want you. Bad luck.”

You know what else is not a flaw? Being a girl. Legitimately, people will exaggerate feminine traits as if it builds their character. Oh she wears high heels and make-up, flaawwwwssss. And she likes to wear dresses! Nobody will like her! She gets defensive about a guy she likes, nobody can relate to that. What a !

No no no no no no!

Real flaws are like jealousy when seeing a lover with someone that seems interested in them, anger when someone has betrayed you or just does something annoying, laziness, bad social skills, inability to do anything, stupidity, bad decision making skills, bad friends, narcissism, etc. There is a whole realm of flaws that a character could have.

To me the most important part of the fic is the character development. It’s more significant when the character overcomes an internal struggle that actually means something as opposed to them overcoming social hierarchy of high school. What really blows my mind is that people think the most important part of high school is getting into a relationship and being liked by everyone else. Shallow authors, shallow  character.

Let’s talk about family dynamics. The family does not have to be flawed to the point where the characters have no parents, in fact, I happen to quite dislike that. Family dynamics affects the development of the character. Asian father, you must have a lot of stress and cry yourself to sleep every night. That’s my reality. Heavy mother, perhaps you are sensitive towards weight issues. Younger sibling better in school, insecurities form.

What’s almost as bad as a perfect character is a character with no redeeming qualities. Like when the character is so messed up that instead of liking them you pity them. There comes a point when too much is too much and that last flaw is really a trigger that has been pulled. They’re dumb, and too skinny, and poor, and have no skills, and got once, and dropped out of school, and kidnapped, and hit by a car, and injured in a fight, and shot, and too weak to fight back, and a coward, and afraid of people.

The more flaws, the more dynamic, the more enjoyable. When it gets to the pity point, it’s too much.

There is a public face and a private face, characters should have both. It’s difficult to explain simply, so why bother?  Essentially it is like having two different personas that match but are different. Inside are you deepest most personal feelings that you tend to act on only when you are alone. When you are alone you stare into the mirror and question you beauty, when you are alone you cry into pillows, when you are alone you jump around in joy about your favorite band (then you blog about it on the internet where no one really gives a , just saying). However, when we are amongst peers or just other people, we all tend to settle down a bit and act more cautiously. We weigh our words and analyze actions and react to the situations around us.

We as people can act in most manners quite easily. Inside we can feel one thing but on the outside we can portray completely opposite feelings. That is not always the case, and this isn’t really true for some ever. Every person is different and some can be more in tune with their private emotions than others. It really just depends on the person and their background as well as their environment. I know I am in a “ you” mood right now and I’ll let you guys know it, but if my parents come around I’m a happy kid to them. That’s how it works.

Just imagine that your character is adaptable. They have these initial thoughts because that follows their traits, but based on these situations and based on their family and the people around them, they will act differently.

Let’s say Lee Minho was raised to value money and education so he has never really gone out. He meets some friends he really likes and he wants to spend more time with them, but they are going out to dinner and stuff and he doesn’t feel comfortable spending money on something he thinks is wasteful, however, he wants to keep these precious friends so he goes out anyway.

 His actions go against what he would do based on his traits, but his reasoning is realistic and understandable. It wasn’t crazy like saying that Minho had been sheltered and completely went against his upbringing to get a taste of the wild night life and became a bad boy. That is too opposite.

Really, unless a person has split personality or bi-polar disorder…

Dynamic characters and relationships are interesting. It’s boring to read about someone having the same thoughts and feelings throughout a fic. In the beginning they were shy, in the middle they were shy, and finally they were shy and in love. That’s… nice. I’m not asking that characters grow a pair nor to stop rage quitting every five minutes, but grow up a little. Mature. Have the character learn from the things that happen to and around them.

Realistically speaking, relationships are not set in stone. We lose and gain them all the time. Boyfriends and girlfriends break up all the time. Friends lose contact or stop being friends in general and make new friends.

Let the characters be progressive. In the beginning of a fic we as readers have an initial reaction to a character. We see them in one way and base reactions off of what we perceive the character to be. The more we read the more the character is allowed to change and develop, allowing us to change our opinions. It’s this interaction between the reader and the character that keeps readers coming back. In fact, as readers, we start making connections to the characters as we watch the growth as if we were friends or parents.  

Usually people change gradually; they are affected by the little things around them. Of course there are those shocks that instantly warp them, but I find those are more like abrupt disturbances. When I look back on a character and realize that they have really matured without me even noticing, that is when I know immediately the writer can write.

The main characters should not be based off of the author. Yes, the easiest solution for developing characters is to base them off of real people, but not ourselves. I did that once and the character had so many exaggerated perfections and flaws that I highlighted because that is what I felt was important. It was like, “Let me tell you my life story and fantasy and put someone else’s name on it.” And to be honest, I didn’t even portray myself in the end but someone I wanted to be. I realize I don’t really want to be a good person.

We’re not very good at judging ourselves. We are filled with biases and desires that would corrupt how we portray ourselves. Even if we didn’t say it, knowing that the character is an avatar would change the way we represent our traits.

I see this a lot with the perfect character and extreme flaw thing. Authors don’t really know how to create someone so just use their inner selves that they want people to admire or pity. Sometimes we feel that we are too ordinary and throw dramatic or extreme things in just to feel more special about ourselves. It’s not about the extremes guys, it’s about the development and depiction. 

Instead, look at your friends and family. While you might be biased about their description, it would fit more with a reader coming to terms with another person than with themselves. 

Now guys, characterization is one of the most important parts of the story. Why would I read a story when the main character makes me want to vomit? It might seem difficult to make one good and developed, but it’s actually quite simple. First judge what type of story you have. A romance? Well, that doesn’t need full in-depth psychoanalysis. Most fics don’t need it. There just needs to be enough development in the character that they don’t sound like five year olds. In fact, to most people, as long as there is , they don’t care.

You know why? Because most readers on AFF have no higher expectations to the quality of the literature they read. They are so blinded by their fandoms that they don’t even realize how crappy the fics really are. I understand that none of us are perfect, but seriously? I’m thinking of reading real books instead of crack spawned about my biases. The no more ery level has been reached.