trickdayz

[trickdayz]

your characterisation is really strong moya. do you have any tips

thank you nonnie! <3 characterisation is hard. here's some stuff i like to keep in mind which may also help you.

first and foremost!!!!!

make the story fit the character, and not the other way around!!

if you can't get a grasp on why a character would do [x] or why they're motivated by [y] it might be a good idea to take a step back from the situation they're in and reassess how they actually got there, outside of 'because the story needs them here' - in this way, they become more realistic because you start thinking of them more as a fully fleshed out person, and as less of an archetype.

for example; when writing the kean finale, i kept asking myself why he's so insistent on ruining reader's future if he supposedly loves them. the 'it's bc he likes them' excuse wasn't rlly hitting, and so i hit a slump even though i was 2k words into the story.

it was only when i gave some real thought to his motivations and deeped the situation that everything sort of clicked into place and i understood why he might do everything he does, which makes a character a lot more fun to write, bc you understand them :)

don't be afraid to write out thousands of words and then later delete them if you feel its not faithful to the character you're exploring!!

it's easy to fall victim to sunk cost fallacies, but it's worth starting over again if it makes you more satisfied/makes more sense w the characters.

some more advice would prolly be to focus on the present as much as the past!! yes, giving characters backstories that account for why they are the way that they are is obviously something a lot of writers do, because it can humanise someone who was, effectively, just words/pixels on a screen before.

however, that doesn't necessarily mean giving all of your characters a sobstory is going to make other people (whether that's other characters, or an irl audience) like/root for/be interested in them. the last thing you want is a character defined by their trauma, because then they don't really exist outside of it. (unless ofc, that is the point)

for example; kean loves playing team sports, bc he enjoys beating both the opposing team as well as outshining his own teammates by winning mvp. this is informed by the fact that he probably didn't get enough attention as a kid LMAO hence everything is a competition to him.

in the same vein, consider what sort of quirks or habits or interests your character has that allow them to exist outside of, or alongside, their past.

[trickdayz]

how to train your curse

[trickdayz]

*plays wonderwall*

[trickdayz]

imagine not liking nanami and this is what he’s up to 🍅 🥖 [old drawing]