#dagger was born from severe brainworms over the course of like 4 years now but he just started as:

[wraithsoutlaws]

Hi, hello! I'm trying to figure out a Maelstrom oc but I just am so stuck with creative block. How did you stsrt/begin Dagger? I'm not looking to copy or anything! But I'm so lost on making a backstory and trying to find inspiration 💀💀

Well with Dagger I cheated a little because he was originally a side character and my V's brother, so I already had some kind of idea of who he was/where he fit in the universe. But with making any character I just start really selfishly: what are the tropes/archetypes I personally like? Start broad and fill in the blanks as you go!

For Maelstrom, a good place to start might be "Why/how did they end up in the gang?" From there you can start branching out into smaller details. Using Dagger as an example: I knew I wanted him to be a Wraith, which means at some point he was probably a nomad in some capacity and he was thrown into the Raffen lifestyle via a choice he made. So what was that choice and why did he make it? What does it tell me about who he is as a person? What was his reaction to it? You keep asking little questions until you figure out the bigger picture.

Did your Mealstrommer choose to be in the gang? And if so, why? Was it for protection and if so, from what? Community? Other gangs? Were they just bored? Were they forced into it due to other circumstances? Do they even like it? Look through in-game info and wiki's about Maelstrom and see what information interests you and extrapolate from there.

Sometimes it helps to start with relationships! Who are the close to? Did they side with Brick or Royce or do they even care? Maybe they're best friends with Patricia--what does that inform about them? What kind of person might get along with Patricia and why?

I hope this helps a little bit? It can be kinda a drag to do this if you're not feeling the inspiration so another piece of advice is to really not force it or to think too hard because in my experience that also kills the vibe. Really try to find what little pieces of lore particularly spark some interest and follow those until you can build a little more! Step away and watch some movies or play another game and let it sit in the back of your mind because often times that's when ideas will really start rolling in, at least for me!!

Building oc's for me is just a big game of "Oh what if..!" And sometimes its just a while before it starts taking off. But I really hope you have fun with it and I can't wait to see what you do with your lil strommer :3