#OC development

[ricesinspo]

how to develop oc

give them random or nonsensical personality trait or opinion

ask yourself why

think about it too much

congratulations! they now have a tragic backstory

— ☆ —

[ocprompts]

which oc shows up with random bruises with no idea where they came from?

[adelar-storytime]

OC questions

60 questions that can be made into an OC ask game, or you can just fill everything out yourself to get to know your character a little better :)

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[1] What first impression do they typically make? Are they likeable from the get go, or take time to grow on people?

[2] How does their social personality differ from how they act when they’re alone?

[3] What emotion is the hardest for them to deal with?

[4] How physically and emotionally affectionate they are?

[5] Are they good at keeping secrets?

[6] How direct are they in conversations, do they speak in hints and riddles or bluntly say what they think?

[7] Are they a good liar, and what would they probably lie about?

[8] How open they are about their true feelings, both positive and negative?

[9] What is their love language?

[10] How quickly do they fall for someone?

[11] What are small things that make them happy?

[12] How high is their self-esteem?

[13] What kind of sense of humor do they have, if any?

[14] What does it take to make them laugh, and what does their laugh sound like?

[15] How do they act around people they don't like?

[16] Do they easily rely on others to help them out, or prefer doing everything themselves?

___

[17] What is their biggest struggle that no one around them is able to understand or believe?

[18] Do they ever have to hide their identity and for what reason?

[19] If they could change one thing about their past, what would they change?

[20] When they’re sad or upset, do they need company or some time alone?

[21] When they’re sick, would they want others to visit and take care of them, or they would rather prefer not to be seen at not their best?

[22] Do they have nightmares, and if yes, when did they start and what are they usually about?

[23] What was the worst, the darkest period of their life that they have been through?

[24] How hard it is for them to not allow their emotions to cloud their judgement?

[25] Do they have fears and phobias, and if they do, do they usually keep it to themselves or talk about it openly?

[26] Do they have any physical or mental ilness, how do they handle it and how open they are about it?

[27] Do they have any scars, how did they get them and how do they feel about them?

[28] What is something that they will never be able to forgive?

[29] How do they deal with loss, stress and anger?

[30] What are their most healthy and most unhealthy coping mechanisms?

[31] How hard it is for them to own up to their mistakes and wrongdoings?

[32] Is there something they've done in the past that they deeply regret till this day?

[33] What are one of their fondest and most treasured memories?

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[34] Do they have vices they don't want others to know about?

[35] Do they like their own appearance, and what do they do, if anything, to alter it in any way?

[36] Do they own items that have sentimental value?

[37] How would they spend a lazy day when they have nothing specific to do?

[38] What do they usually do or where do they go when they need to feel comfortable and safe?

[39] What is their sleeping habits and favorite sleeping position, either alone and with someone?

[40] How picky they are with food, do they have specific dietary requirements based on their health or culture?

[41] What’s their usual morning routine?

[42] What is their idea of a perfect friendly hangout and/or romantic date?

[43] Do they enjoy flirting or being flirted with?

[44] On a party, where would you find them?

[45] For an event, would they dress like they typically do, or go all out?

[46] Would they rather dress to look attractive or to feel comfortable, and what would they never wear?

[47] Do they drink alcohol, and if they do, how much and how often?

[48] Are they, or were they at some point in their life, a part of any subculture?

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[49] Do they possess any unexpected skill or knowledge that surprises others, and otherwise, what is something anyone would assume they know or can do, but in fact they don’t?

[50] What are they really good and really bad at?

[51] How good are they with money?

[52] Do they speak any other languages aside from their own?

[53] Do they like to sing and how confident they are with their singing?

[54] Do they like giving gifts, and how good are they at picking good gifts?

[55] How long does it take for them to make a new place feel like home, and what do they need for it?

[56] How would they react to hearing a dirty joke?

[57] What was the most stupid or dangerous thing they have ever done?

[58] In the situation where they had to choose, would they rather stay loyal to their morals or to people they love?

[59] What would they want to be remembered for?

[60] If they were to commit a crime, what kind of crime would it most likely be?

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some of these question were written myself, some are the courtesy of my friend, and some were brought from my questionnaires in my old fandom. if you use them, please reblog or link back to this post

[animadraw]

Absol Blueshroom has such a cool name I think

Tag the OC who has the name you like the most!

[creation-help]

Torturing your ocs ask game :)

(Delightful, I know. But we all do it sometimes)

1. Which of your ocs do you most often imagine sick? In what ways?

2. Which of them do you most imagine injured in other ways?

3. Who do you put through the most emotional turmoil?

4. Which oc has been tortured? Through what means?

5. Which of them has the worst luck?

6. Who goes through the most relationship conflicts? (applies to any relationships)

7. Who do you put most into stressful situations or other drama?

8. Who ends up in survival situations the most? How do they fair in them?

9. Has any of them had to be saved from the brink of death? Were there any consequences after?

10. Has any of them had to be revived / brought back to life? How did this affect them?

11. Who is afraid the most? How does this effect them?

12. What kind of health repercussions has your oc experienced through intense stress? How do they manage them?

13. Who cries the most often? What are the usual causes?

14. How does your oc cope?

15. To cap off what kind of hurt/comfort scenarios do you put your oc in?

This can be about canon story events or simply rotating scenarios for fun!

[mimble-sparklepudding]

Ask List of Hypothetical OC Situations.

Your OC has their fortune read and the portents are distinctly ominous...

Your OC slips over on icy ground in front of a crowd - it doesn't hurt much, but it's very public.

Your OC unexpectedly wins a prize in a competition or quiz.

Your OC has a nightmare or bad dream and wakes up others by calling out involuntarily.

Your OC orders food in an inn or restaurant and it arrives cold and (to be honest) not what they actually ordered...

Your OC discovers that an acquaintance - who they view positively, but have no romantic feelings towards - has a massive crush on them.

Your OC must buy (or otherwise obtain) a new and decidedly fancy outfit for a high society event.

Your OC is handed a baby to hold whilst their parent attends to an emergency.

Your OC is out in the wilds and needs to make camp for the night.

Your OC is introduced to someone who they have clearly met before and cannot remember their name in the slightest.

Your OC is alone in a supposedly haunted building or abandoned ruin.

Your OC is teased regarding something that they actually feel very sensitive about.

Your OC receives a mysterious letter accusing a close friend or lover of wrongdoing - or perhaps even something truly heinous.

Your OC is walking along the street and someone runs into them accidentally and apologises.

Your OC is gifted an outfit or costume that is really rather risqué - if not outright brazen.

Your OC has already eaten and is very full, but is offered a generous meal by a hospitable friend they do not wish to offend.

Your OC is called upon to tell a joke or funny story.

Your OC is challenged to contest of strength or skill by someone of surpassing arrogance.

Your OC is approached by a friend or acquaintance in need of advice in matters of romance - or even sexual intimacy.

Your OC loses something important to a partner or close friend - perhaps something of great sentimental value or simply very expensive.

Your OC is doing a silly, and distinctly unflattering impression, of someone they know, when that person walks in on their performance.

Your OC is asked to lead the first dance at a sophisticated society event or party.

Your OC encounters a beggar or panhandler who requests some money to relieve their many hardships - their story seems genuine, but something feels off...

Your OC is asked by a friend or acquaintance if their new outfit (or armour as the case may be) looks good on them. It really really doesn't...

Your OC is bathing naked - perhaps under a waterfall or in a stream - when a stranger interupts them.

Your OC is asked to make a speech or read a poem at a wedding or funeral.

Your OC stubs their toe and it really hurts.

Your OC is travelling by boat or carriage and a stranger falls asleep on their shoulder.

Your OC is getting into bed when there is a sudden (and very insistent) knocking on their door.

Your OC is lost in a gloomy forest and it's starting to get dark.

Your OC wakes up with a thumping headache and no clear memories of what happened the night before.

Your OC is being lectured, or possibly even scolded, by someone in a position of authority.

Your OC has found something funny and cannot, literally cannot, stop laughing.

Your OC discovers that a rather straitlaced and reserved friend or acquaintance has secret and rather shocking habit, interest or kink.

Your OC finds a lost child in the marketplace or commercial district.

Your OC is training or sparring and someone compliments them.

Your OC is mistaken for a servant or domestic by a rather haughty individual of high social standing.

Your OC is forced, due to a series of unforeseen events, to borrow a set of clothes from a friend or acquaintance that is very far from their usual style.

Your OC discovers that they have a fan club - or at least a following of devoted admirers.

Your OC is watching someone attempt to do something at which they are extremely capable. However the person they are watching really isn't...

Your OC is in company when a remark is made about a race or nation of people that is, at best unkind and inaccurate, and at worst downright bigoted.

Your OC is watching a stage performance by a clown or magician and is called up to the stage in the name of audience participation...

Your OC and a close friend are sharing a room, but there is only one bed. A reasonably-sized bed, but definitely only the one.

Your OC is called upon to recount an embarrassing or comic incident in which they have been involved.

Your OC finds a wallet or coinpurse dropped on the street - a very full one with a lot of money in it.

Your OC goes to the baths or spa in a new city and discovers it is very much communal.

Your OC attends a memorial service or funeral and is asked, unexpectedly, to say a few words about the deceased.

Your OC accidentally breaks the law - or perhaps does so in order to achieve some higher aim - and is challenged by the authorities.

Your OC is gifted some rather racy underwear or beachwear by an admirer or partner.

Your OC finds something they though had been lost forever long ago - perhaps a letter from a friend, a picture of a family member or a souvenir of a even many years before.

[adagiorii]

5. How did you choose their name and why? Was it simply based on vibes or is there any specific meaning behind the name? Are the reasons behind their name different in- and out of universe?

For all of the above!

TYSM for sending an ask!! 🥹 asks are from this post!

Alright let's talk about all my children :D

I've mentioned this multiple times before so you may remember that she started out as a MHA OC back in 2020. Back then, her quirk was Slowdown, which was basically just her being able to slow down the speed of whatever she touched, and a while later I changed it to a very broken time control quirk. Either way, when I created her I wanted her to have a name that related somewhat to her quirk - Eiko (永子) means "eternity child", and at the time I was like "eeh eternity, slow down, time, close enough" so that's how she got her name. And then I became to attached to it and I don't think I could change it even if I wanted to.

Her surname went through a bunch of changes because I could not make up my mind, but I eventually settled on Shinome because I like that it has the character for "eye" (目) and overall I just liked the vibes.

Hayato has the same beginnings as Eiko, and he has also had his name since then, but there wasn't as much thought behind my choice tbh - I was looking at names on those name list websites and came across Hayato and chose it purely based on vibes. He had fire powers from the start and I don't think there's a common spelling of the name Hayato that relates to fire, but I liked it.

It typically means "falcon person" if I'm not mistaken, but then I found out it could also mean "brave person" (勇人), which is the spelling I chose because it fits him way better. So all in all not that bad of a choice.

His surname is just- he a fox. That's it

Sanako had a few different names for like the first year of her existing (2020, she was also an MHA OC), but then I changed it to Sanako, which was not a name I saw on any websites. I just came up with it myself lmao

I did then pick the kanji for it on websites online and found out that "na" could mean "apple tree", which was very perfect and so I kept it. I associate her with apples so yeah, and there's a bit of lore relating to that which I shall not get into because minor spoilers

Her surname is the same as Hayato's lmao

Theo was also an MHA OC at the same time as the others blah blah blah and he also had a japanese name at the time, he was originally called Daiki (tbh I barely consider them the same character because they're so different they literally don't even have the same nationality anymore, their personalities are also very different), and I eventually changed it to Theo bc idk. I like the name and I felt like it fit his vibes. Englishman vibes...

His surname is Harlowe which I also chose based on vibes. I think it's a very pretty surname tbh and it just has a nice ring to it

I'm gonna be repeating myself but Amara is in the same exact boat as Theo - started out as an MHA OC with a japanese name and then got changed to have a western name. Her original name was Ai, which means love. So then I changed it to Amara, which can have a bunch of different origins and meanings, including "to love" which I thought was pretty fitting. I honestly just always thought it was a good name for her, she was the easiest to change lmao

Her surname is Lavedolle which I completely made up during the time when she was a deceased girl possessing a ballerina automaton doll for whatever reason- I just thought it sounded nice. Made up bs name go

Last but not least Camilo!!!! He may actually be the one I have the most to talk about lmao

For starters he was not an MHA OC! Yay! He's a Pokémon OC and I created him purely because I thought making a Ghost type specialist musician for the Iberian Peninsula-inspired region and NOT making them a fado singer who also represented academic spirit which is a big thing in Portugal was a missed opportunity. Especially because Portugal got the short end of the stick in Scarlet and Violet when it comes to representation but that's a whole other can of worms, anyway

As such, Camilo is very much inspired by Portuguese culture, so ofc he had to have a portuguese name. I also took inspiration from famous portuguese poets for his design, and then did the same to choose his name. Off the top of my head we have one very well-known writer called Camilo Castelo Branco and a slightly lesser known poet called Camilo Pessanha and probably a bunch more Camilos in literature that I'm not remembering right now. I liked the name the most out of all the other writers so that's the one I chose.

Afterwards I went to look up the meaning of the name and it means "someone who helps in religious and spiritual rituals" which I think is very fitting for a Ghost type specialist, so there you go.

[oc-extraordinaire]

Which OC is small but mighty?

[oc-dev]

tag the oc that is no longer alive

[oc-loving]

share a physical feature of your oc's that you like a lot!

[deception-united]

Get to Know Your Character

Here are some questions to consider for character development:

What parts of their childhood trigger them?

How do they treat themselves when they're feeling sad?

What parts of themselves do they tend to hide?

How do they punish themselves when they make mistakes?

Who are they loyal to? Why?

Who do they avoid? Why?

What emotions or situations do they try to avoid? Why?

What angers them?

What are their insecurities?

What are their emotional triggers?

How do they feel about love?

What are their fears?

What is their relationship with their family like?

What kind of people do they tend to gravitate towards?

What do they like/dislike about themselves?

Happy writing ❤

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[ocprompts]

which oc has signed an NDA?

[snoopyrpc]

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES FOR WHEN I FEEL STUCK OR BORED. most people, myself included, are prone to writer's block, and while this can be an extremely frustrating process to get to, i try to use this as an opportunity to approach it in a fun way. i thought i'd share some of my favourite activities that might be of use to other people.

create a movie library. if your muse is someone who likes movies, make a list of their favourites on letterboxd or imdb, or even serializd for those that prefer tv. you can make lists for ones they've seen and enjoyed or haven't seen but would like. i use letterboxd for this quite a bit and sometimes even add some notes within my lists detailing my muse's thoughts and reviews of the movies.

make a sideblog. i know that many people do this already, but aesthetic sideblog for your character can be extremely helpful and fun to maintain. you can build these however you like! i like to use mine to post photos that my muse would like, faceclaim content, playlists and songs, ships/dynamics inspo, headcanons, silly text posts, and a variety of other things. if you're unsure where to look for content you can post on your sideblogs, @museinspo has a variety of things for many types of characters and is a really helpful place to start. they have a great detailed tagging system to make it easier to find content best suited to your muse. some tags that you can also look through could be #character inspo, #ship inspo, and #muse inspo.

play a barbie dress up game. most people who know me can attest to how much i love this — building a closet for my characters' style. every muse is different, so this can be a fun exploration activity. pinterest is a frequently used resource, but what i like to do most often is browse resale websites like depop or poshmark because i like the variety of styles and the fact that you can find some things you might not see in every store! i have many muses who like to wear silly graphic t-shirts, handmade, vintage, and eclectic styles, so this tends to be the best place to search. you can also do this with any website that sells styles you like for your muse. i like to think of this as a dress up barbie game since that helps me maintain the fun aspect of it all.

build and decorate a barbie dreamhouse. on the topic of barbies, you can do the same activity with furniture, homewares, trinkets, toys, art and decor. build your muse their barbie dreamhouse, fill it with things they would collect and feel at home with. browse furniture websites. ikea, crate and barrel, pottery barn, anthropologie, and west elm are all great places to look for ideas. if you really want to get into it, architectural design (i particularly like this article listing recommendations for furniture retailers) and dezeen (has the added bonus of being able to search for things based on location, if you're looking for example of interior design specific to your muse's city of residence) have extensive articles on both exterior and interior design. etsy is also a great place to look for antiques, vintage style, and more eclectic items.

feed them. if your muse is a foodie or likes to cook, come up with a menu for them. read food blogs and restaurant menus, think of what they'd like if they went out for dinner or what they'd cook at home. i will sometimes make up an imaginary dinner party for muses when its applicable and plan out what they'd like to serve or be served in that situation. food can be a great way to get to know your muse because it can tell you so much about their personal tastes, their current lifestyle, and their cultural background. while food is something that is prevalent in everyone's life, different people will have different approaches to it. this can be especially fun if you look at the menus for restaurants and shops local to your muse's area! read about what's popular in their neighborhood, take the specifics of that culture into consideration.

consider history. think about the time and place in which your character was born and raised in. how would things like pop culture, trends, media, neighborhood, and society affect them? this will differ with every character's upbringing and background, so take all that into consideration as you explore resources. for example, say that your muse is inspired by something like punk subcultures in the 1990s. what music, movies, and clothing styles would have been prevalent at the time? try looking into the history of the underground scene, you can even look further back than that particular decade to understand its roots and how the subculture go to that present moment. how would current events of the time affect what's being put out there and how would the changes within the world cause your character to evolve in their mindset or interests?

study movement. often times we study physicality in terms of what the character looks like as a static image (their hair colour, face shape, clothing, etc) and less about what it looks like when they look like when they are in movement. consider things like their gait, posture, facial expressions, or even specific tics. how do they move when they're on the go and in a rush, compared to when they're confined to a room? how do they position themselves in a bed or on a couch? what does their face tell you about them when they speak? what does it not tell you? a lot of behavior and emotion is not limited to dialogue, but rather how a person composes themselves through body language. you can learn so much about someone by being observant of them even without dialogue. it can be helpful to watch videos or movies and study an actor's movements with all this in mind. i often find myself watching videos with the sound off, just to pay closer attention to body language and try to understand what they are saying without verbal communication.

feel free to reblog if any of this is helpful to you. i maintain the belief that roleplay should always be fun and the best way for me to do that is to treat it like a barbie game. remember that not all character development revolves solely around written words, but rather the environment and details you put into them.

[moodyskeletonart]

easy way to add variety with simple clothes for characters is just to change the way they style them

like, jeans and t shirt for example

do they tuck in their shirt? half-tucked? it tight fitting? baggy? what type of jeans? baggy? boot-cut? bell bottoms? skinny? do they roll them up? are they ripped? how ripped? patched? do they wear a belt? are they stained? acid wash?

[ocwonderland]

Why did you give your OC their current name? Did their name change at all during development?