riordan-verse-oc-guide

[riordan-verse-oc-guide]

Blog Is Now Up And Running

Salutations!

Previously I was the admin for the hoo-oc-guide here on Tumblr, but life got in the way so I didn't update as frequently.  However, my schedule is finally lax enough that I can get back to work on doing what I love.

...Unfortunately I was locked out of my own blog.

Never fear, I have returned.  I'm also expanding to the Kane Chronicles verse as well as any future mythology-related projects Riordan has to offer.

This blog will contain:

Guides on creating OCs for the Heroes of Olympus and Kane Chronicles universes

Pairing guides (for those who want to get snugly with a cannon character)

OC evaluations

General writing tips

General references for the cannon universes

A majority of the stuff from the previous blog has been moved over and I hope to start producing new content soon.

Also right now I'm open to welcome more admins to the blog.

--Admin Fish

[riordan-verse-oc-guide]

Your OC's Appearance (Heroes of Olympus Verse)

Remember to take everything with a grain of salt.  These are just tips, not a code of law.  In this guide, I’m going to be going over the different genetic traits demigods and legacies seem to inherit from their godly parent/ancestor, as well as writing and illustrating diversity with different traits.  Keep in mind that your OC doesn’t have to have these traits (these are just some basic ideas), but godly genetics seems to be dominant over mortal genetics.  Then again, the gods are able to alter their mortal form, so your mileage may vary.

Common Demigod Traits:

Zeus/Jupiter:  Zeus is described as being a large man with long dark gray hair and gray eyes.  Most of the children of Zeus have some sort of blue or gray trait, as most of the children of Zeus in the series are shown to have blue eyes.

Poseidon/Neptune:  Poseidon is tan with black hair and green eyes.  The children of Poseidon tend to really vary in features (especially the cyclopes), but it’s possible to have one who is a splitting image of their father (Percy, for example).

Hades/Pluto:  As Hades he’s described as being pale with black eyes and shoulder length black hair.  As Pluto he appears to be a bit more cleaned up (usually shown wearing suits and jewelry) but the same traits still apply.

Dionysus/Bacchus:  Dionysus has a rather chubby face, curly black hair, a bit of a pot belly, and violet eyes.  Most of the children of Dionysus have some violet feature, usually the eyes.

Athena:  Athena’s overall appearance tends to change a lot, but she always has gray eyes—this is a key trait.  It’s not necessary for a child of Athena to have gray eyes, but it’s extremely common.

Hermes/Mercury:  Hermes has a lithe but athletic build, salt-and-pepper hair, and overall rather elfish facial features.  Hair color and eye color tend to vary a lot among the children of Hermes, but almost all of them have similar builds or facial features.

Ares/Mars:  Ares’ features tend to change, since they seem to take the form of someone the onlooker hates.  But some common themes are the color red and overall strength in appearance.  Not every child of Ares has a body builder structure, but they should give off some aura of strength with their appearance.

Apollo:  Usually appears as a young man with blond hair and blue eyes.  His decedents usually have a sense of brightness about them (especially Octavian, the biggest ball of sunshine the world has ever seen.)

Aphrodite/Venus:  Her features seem to change nonstop, and that seems to rub off on her children.  The children of Aphrodite tend to have eye or hair colors which are hard to pin down.  I assume it’s subtly, though.  It’s possible to have eyes that seem to shift between hazel, brown, or even shades of blue depending on the light, but there doesn’t seem to be anything supernatural about it.

Hephaestus/Vulcan:  A large man with rather misshapen features and I would assume he has a lot of burns and scars from over the years.  Most children of Hephaestus tend to have large builds and strong arms, but it depends.  Leo is described as being scrawny, but his chosen craft doesn’t really require beefy arms.

Now, let’s move onto genetics as a whole.

Skin

Before I move on, here’s a little tangent about writing and/or deciding your character’s race.

Not all of the demigods are of Greek or Roman decent (i.e. Frank, Hazel, Piper, etc.) and since the gods can alter their mortal form, the traits a demigod inherits can be very flexible.  For reference, I recommend using these guides.  Now going back to god genetics vs. human genetics, it is possible for the most distinctive physical feature of the godly parent to overpower the mortal parent’s genes.  For example, you could have a character who is a person of color, but inherited striking gray eyes from their mother, Athena (although I would like to argue that this isn’t really strange since it happens a lot in real life).  Also remember that when writing for a race that isn’t your own, it’s best to do it as respectfully as possible.  Please try not to fall into the trap of tokenism and be aware that every race (and every subgroup of people, really) has their own issues that they have to deal with.  Don’t let their race define them, but also their upbringing, peers, self-image, and education—these are all things that can shape a person.

Check this site out, there are some good tips and some handy links

Okay, now let’s move onto skin.

Pretty much everyone has some birthmark, mole, or freckle.  Skin isn’t perfect.  Even a child of Aphrodite would have some marking somewhere on their skin (but being a child of Aphrodite, it would probably enhance their appearance).  Don’t be afraid or ashamed of freckles either.  If your character spends some time in the sun, they’re bound to have at least some freckles.  The amount of freckles they have, however, depends on both their skin and how much exposure their skin gets to the sun.

Tattoos hurt and they’re bound to draw attention.  This doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with tattoos of course, they can be very attractive.  But before you think about giving your character a full sleeve, think about your character’s normal tolerance for pain.  Most of the people in Camp Jupiter have the SPQR tattoos on their forearms, but not only is getting one supposed to be a huge honor thing, but you have the warm, comforting gaze of Octavian to bring sunshine into your life while your skin is being burnt.  If it’s not a required thing, giving your character a tattoo could take some more thought.  Children, for example, tend to have a lower tolerance for pain so one getting a full-body tattoo would be rather unlikely.  But usually when people reach their teens, it’s more likely for them to get a tattoo.  I imagine the decedents of Ares would have the most tattoos, and probably the most cliche designs like barbed wire around the bicep or something, while children of Aphrodite would probably have something more artistic in appearance (turning their bodies into art).  Think about your character’s personality and motives, and if they don’t mind getting stared at or answering questions like “what does this mean?” or “did it hurt?”

Scars happen when hurt happens, typically.  Keep track of where your character gets injured and decide whether or not that would leave a scar.  Scars can get ugly, but they don’t have to make your character ugly.  If your character gets into a lot of fights, there’s a chance that they’ll have the scars to show.  Unless if they’re a child of Aphrodite (seriously I’m going to have to have a talk with these people.  They’re contradicting all of my points).  If your character takes a sword to the face and lives, let them keep the scar.  Dude, they survived a sword to the face.  That’s fucking awesome.  Let them rock that scar.  Let them tell stories about it.  Don’t worry about keeping your character pretty.

Skin isn’t so “black” and “white”.  As you can see in the references I posted earlier in this guide, saying your character is “white” or “black” really doesn’t say much about what they look like.  Experiment with skin tone.  Do they tan or do they burn?  What different shades seem to appear in their skin?  There are a lot of possibilities and combinations for skin tones beyond just “pale” and “dark” (not that there’s anything wrong with having a character who is pale or dark).

Hair

Two-toned hair does not happen naturally.  Not that your character can’t have this, however it probably won’t last long.  Now, I’m not talking about hair that changes shades depending on the light or natural highlights, I’m talking about having streaks of blue, green, red, or whatever in your hair.  That’s perfectly fine, but it takes effort to manage.  Redyeing and touching up hair takes a lot of work, so consider whether or not your character is willing to go through the trouble (or they could help out Atlas for a little bit to get free gray streaks in their hair).

Hair takes a lot of work to take care of, especially long hair.  If your character is active, having hair everywhere only gets in the way.  If your character has long hair, have them tie it back when they’re on the go.  Emo fringe is annoying, but sometimes the wearer can get used to it.  Also remember that your character probably won’t have a comb, hair dryer, and hair curler on them at all times.  Really intricate hairstyles only get in the way during combat and having one extremely long braid or ponytail only acts as something to get caught in things or as a rope for the enemy to grab onto.  Think about how much your character moves and their combat style.

Body hair is okay.  This isn’t that important in writing (“And then I ran my hand down my hairy legs”), but it’s just something to think about.  Some people have very visible body hair, some people don’t.  Some people shave only their armpits or their legs, some people shave it all.  You can have a character with stubble under her arms or on her legs without making some sort of feminist movement.  Remember that at core your character is a person.  Not a vessel for some message, not this beautiful and perfect thing, just a person.  Look over what you know about them already and figure out what they would do about their appearance based on that.

Eyes. 

Heterochromia is very overused.    Heterochromia is a mutation in the eyes that can be caused through genetics, injury, or disease and often times, it’s really overdone in OCs.  Just because two parents have different eye colors does not mean their child is going to have one eye of each color (here’s a hint: genetics doesn’t work that way).  However if you are planning on giving your character Heterochromia for reasons other than making them more special, here’s some more information. 

Character’s eyes don’t usually glow when they start using their powers. There are exceptions (like the oracles or people tapping into some seriously crazy stuff), but having your character’s eyes glow red every time they swing their sword will get old after a while.

Questions to consider:

Which parent does your character most resemble?

Which feature are people most likely to notice first?

What does your character do to enhance/diminish their appearance?

Would your character like to change anything about their appearance?

[riordan-verse-oc-guide]

Writing Mental Conditions Realistically and Respectfully

Remember to take everything with a grain of salt.  These are just tips, not a code of law.  Most of the characters in the Percy Jackson or Heroes of Olympus universe have AD(H)D, dyslexia, or some other mental condition.  When I was a child, I was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia so I’m willing to answer any questions about the experience.  But keep in mind that everyone experiences and responds to these conditions differently.  Also I’m not an expert.  I’m only going off of psychology101 courses, online medical journals, and personal experiences.  These are very basic, so I encourage you to do more research on your own if you plan on using any of these.

Firstly, some basics:

Do as much research as you can.  Research both the medical side of the condition as well as reading up on people’s personal experiences.

Do not romanticize the condition.  Not only is it disrespectful, but it’s also kind of cheap.

On the flip-side, don’t turn their condition into a big joke.  Just because your character has ADHD does not mean they will start chasing a butterfly in the middle of a large battle (we’ll get into that).

AD(H)D.  Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder.

AD(H)D is tricky to talk about because, well, some people don’t think it’s a real condition.  Part of this is because it has the word “hyper” in it and most of the people who are diagnosed are children.  “What child isn’t hyper?” people ask, but AD(H)D is a lot more than just being rowdy and easily distracted.  People with AD(H)D often experience racing thoughts.  This can make sleeping and concentrating especially hard.  This can also be a side effect of depression, which a lot of people with AD(H)D experience (having people your entire life tell you that your brain doesn’t behave correctly is not fun).  There are so many myths about AD(H)D and I would cover them all, but the “people with AD(H)D are lazy and need to try harder” stereotype makes me rage, so I’m just going to cover one very important one:

Myth:  People with AD(H)D are always distracted and can’t focus on anything.

One criticism I often see about the Percy Jackson series is that it’s unrealistic for people with AD(H)D to fight because they’re going to be too distracted.  Bullshit.  AD(H)D is very prominent in my dad’s side of the family and my uncle was diagnosed when he was in high school.  He was a class clown and did poorly in school, but now he has a job developing computer software and he’s an absolute genius at it.  So what happened?  Did he somehow “cure” his condition?  No, because a lot of people with AD(H)D have this awesome thing called Hyperfocus.  Hyperfocus is key when diagnosing people with AD(H)D beyond checking to see if they have a hard time concentrating.  I once sat at my computer, typing in lines of code, for twelve hours straight (with no food breaks) when I tapped into the hyperfocus.  When in the hyperfocus, your brain spouting millions of thoughts a second can now be an advantage.  Everything around you becomes a blur except for whatever you’re working on.  People can scream your name, but you won’t hear them.  A lot of people with AD(H)D get into coding because the hyperfocus is perfect for that.

Let’s look at Leo for an example.  Leo has hardcore ADHD, but you don’t see him get up in the middle of a project and say “this is boring now, lolz, ooh shiny thing!”.  Working with machinery takes a lot of work and a lot of dedication.  Everyone has different things that triggers their hyperfocus.  For me it’s coding and running.  For someone else it may be video games and art.  People can also train their mind to go into hyperfocus on command.  Caffeine can also help with that, which is why a lot of people with AD(H)D seem a lot more mellow after they drink coffee.  It’s not because the caffeine took away their AD(H)D, but they’re now able to focus a lot more easily.

Long story short:

AD(H)D is real, not just a sign of lazy parenting.

People with AD(H)D are able to function just like everyone else.

People with AD(H)D are not always geniuses, but they’re not always stupid either.

Hyperfocus kicks ass.

Dyslexia.

Dyslexia is interesting because everyone describes it differently, but I’m going to try to explain my experience.  A lot of times when I read, words and sentences appear out of order.  I can get the general concept, but letters, words, and sometimes entire sentences will be on other parts of the page, and I won’t notice it unless I read it over and over again.  This is not an issue that can be solved with glasses, since the letters are in focus.  People with dyslexia can still read, they just read differently.  Of course a lot of schools emphasize that the quality of a reader is defined by how fast/accurate they can read, which is why a lot of dyslexic people find themselves being turned away from enjoying reading.  Reading outloud is a nightmare, and some teachers view dyslexia as an excuse to get out of reading.  It’s very possible for people with dyslexia to like, or even love reading.  I started using notecards and audiobooks to help aid my dyslexia because I love reading so much.  Dyslexia is also not entirely restricted to reading.  Sometimes I write words or sentences backwards.  Sometimes I jump around the page as more and more words form in my mind.  Dyslexia isn’t a sign of stupidity or not learning to read/write properly, it’s a mental condition like any other.

Long story short:

Dyslexic people can read.

Dyslexia is mental, not an eye thing.

Dyslexia can be treated.

OCD.  Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Okay, so these ones may be a little tricky since I can’t use personal experience, but I thought I’d tackle the conditions that I see people use a lot.  Before I go any further, here’s something I would like to stress:  OCD isn’t the same as being organized or neat.

In case someone out there didn’t catch that, I’ll say it again.

OCD ISN’T THE SAME AS BEING ORGANIZED OR NEAT.

One more time in bold:

OCD ISN’T THE SAME AS BEING ORGANIZED OR NEAT.

OCD is a form of anxiety.  It is not wanting your pencils to be lined up properly.  A lot of people describe OCD as being trapped inside their own mind, or it’s like playing a game you can never win.  You have to do certain things to prevent something from happening.  People can have this to varying degrees.  Like if a teacher erases the whiteboard and there’s a little piece that she missed, I find myself staring at that one section of the board and my brain begins freaking out and going into panic mode (yes this can be a symptom of OCD, but since I was not diagnosed by a medical professional, I don’t want to say that I have it).  Not everyone with OCD is neat and tidy.  A good chunk of people with OCD are hoarders.  It’s about anxiety and ritual, not cleanliness.  Like every condition or disorder, everyone has a different response to it.

Long story short:

Anyone can have traces of compulsive behaviors.

OCD isn’t the same as being organized or neat.

Everyone responds to their conditions differently.

OCD ISN’T THE SAME AS BEING ORGANIZED OR NEAT.

Schizophrenia.

Oh boy, this is another one I’m going to have to scream in bold letters.

SCHIZOPHRENIA IS NOT THE SAME AS MULTIPLE PERSONALITY DISORDER.

Now that that’s out of the way, we can get started.  Schizophrenia is going to be hard to talk about because there are so many symptoms and conditions under the schizophrenia umbrella.  However, people with schizophrenia aren’t dangerous and impossible to control.  People with schizophrenia can live normal, productive lives just like anyone else.  The symptoms of schizophrenia go beyond hallucinations and paranoia.  Schizophrenia is not something that people do to themselves, as are all mental illnesses.

There are five main types of schizophrenia:

Paranoid type:  The most commonly heard type of schizophrenia because this one contains most of the hallucinations and delusions.  Most of the hallucinations are auditory, although this can differ from person to person.  (Listen to this if you want to get a feel for auditory hallucinations.  Listen to it late at night with headphones on if you want nightmares).

Disorganized type:  Disorganized schizophrenia can be identified through disorganized or inappropriate thoughts, speaking patterns, or behavior.

Catatonic type:  Identified through behaviors or movements.  This can include immobility, excessive mobility, peculiar movements, and mimicking other people’s sentences or gestures.

Undifferentiated type:  Undifferentiated is a type of schizophrenia where the person seems to switch consistently through different types of schizophrenia, to the point where it is hard to narrow down.

Residual type:  A person with residual schizophrenia no longer actively displays symptoms of schizophrenia.  They may still experience hallucinations or delusions, but often not as frequently.

Long story short:

Schizophrenia is not the same as multiple personalities.

Schizophrenia can not be narrowed down by only a few symptoms.

People with schizophrenia are not dangerous and are still able to properly function.

Questions to consider:

At what age where they diagnosed?  How long did they show symptoms before then?

Does your character have anyone they can talk to?

Does your character take medication?

If they do take medication, does it seem to work?  Do they mind taking medication?

If they don’t take medication, why don’t they take medication?  Would they like to?

What are the extra measures your character has to take to get through daily life like through work or school?

How does your character feel about their condition?  Would they like to get treated?

Resources:

AD(H)D:

Information on AD(H)D

Common myths about AD(H)D

People sharing their experiences with AD(H)D

Dyslexia:

Dyslexia information

Dyslexia myths

People sharing their experiences with dyslexia

OCD:

Basic information about OCD

Myths about OCD

People sharing their experiences with OCD

Schizophrenia:

Basic information about schizophrenia

Schizophrenia myths

Five types of schizophrenia

People sharing their experiences with schizophrenia

Writing Mental Conditions:

Using mental illnesses in writing

Writing characters with mental illnesses pt. 1

Writing characters with mental illnesses pt. 2

[riordan-verse-oc-guide]

Remember to take everything with a grain of salt.  These are just tips, not a code of law.  I listed out some things to consider when naming characters and while these were specifically written for the Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus universe, feel free to use these for other fandoms.

When choosing a name, ask yourself it the name makes sense considering the character’s place of birth, upbringing, and time-frame.  A character who grew up in Prohibition-era USA is not going to have the same type of name as a French aristocrat in the 1700s.  Consider the character’s parents (or whoever named them).  Generally speaking, a pair of highly conservative parents wouldn’t name their daughter “Raven” or “Bloody Mary” or something else of that nature.

If your character does have a name that may be unusual for their place of birth, upbringing, or time-frame, it helps to have a good explanation for this.  For an example, plenty of people when immigrating to America would change their name to something more “western”, and the flip-side also exists.  There’s nothing really “wrong” about a white girl being named Sakura.  Maybe her parents lived and worked in Japan for a while so she was raised with a heavy Japanese influence.  Maybe her parents named her after a friend.  Maybe they’re big Clamp fans, who knows?  Even the explanation of “her parents just really liked the name” is good enough.  However if your character has a name that doesn’t fit with their environment, they should expect to get a lot of comments like “wow you have a really cool name!” to “is that your real name?”

Your character’s name can be based off of something from Greek/Roman culture, but it doesn’t have to be.  Percy was named after Perseus, one of the few Greek heroes to actually have a happy ending. Annabeth is an anagram for Athena (with a few extra letters thrown in) and while it technically isn’t a real name (or at least a common one) it does fit.  Octavian was named after Caesar Augustus, whose birth-name was Caesar Octavian.  These are just some examples of Greek and Roman culture being used to name characters, but your options aren’t limited to this.  Having every child of Aphrodite being named “Venus” or “Love” or “Captain Love Doctor” would get very old.  Just know that you have the option, but you aren’t restricted by such.

Ridiculously hard to pronounce names should be avoided.  I’m not talking about names like Leah which have multiple pronunciations, or names like Chibuzo which is an actual African name, I mean things like naming your character Flsig’azzjouy De L’amiananana.  Not only is it going to be a pain to write over and over, but characters with these types of names are often viewed as Mary Sues. 

Keep in mind the names that already exist in the story’s universe.  The Heroes of Olympus universe has characters with names like Percy, Luke, Frank, Jason, etc.  Having a character named Lyrisqraslamadomadingdong in the midst of all that would be extremely jarring and out of place.  Of course there are exceptions.  Characters who have more exposure to mythology tend to have stranger names than others.  Octavian, for example, was raised under heavy Roman influences in an environment where he didn’t have to worry about hiding his relation with the mythology.  Also he’s kind of weird, so that works too.

Please consider the certain patterns that names have.  Not all cultures fall under the First Middle Surname pattern.  Arabic names, for example, typically have five parts (the ism, the kunyah, the nasab, the laqab, and the nisbah).  The structure of a typical Korean name is the family name followed by another name which usually has two parts.  If you have a character who is from a culture you are not the most familiar with, it helps to do some research beforehand.

Questions to consider:

What was the reason behind your character’s name?

Do they like their name?

Are there other variations of their name they prefer?

Are there any variations of their name that they can’t stand?

How do they introduce themselves or sign their name?

Do they prefer to be addressed by their first name (or preferred name), surname, full name, or title?

How do they usually address others?

Random Name Generator

Baby Names

Greek Mythology Names

Ancient Roman Names

Naming Your Heroes of Olympus OC

[riordan-verse-oc-guide]

Remember to take everything with a grain of salt.  These are just tips, not a code of law.  Before I begin submitting more extensive guides to this blog, I thought I’d outline some basics first.

It’s helpful to have a basic understanding of Greek/Roman/Egyptian mythology.  No, you don’t have to be an expert; the information from the original series should be enough.  I’m not sure how much the movies can help you, but I remember they had Persephone chilling in the underworld when it was summer, so probably not much.

Ask yourself if the character works and makes sense in the universe.  This can include obvious physical features, like giving your OC cat ears that shoot lasers or something, but this can also to relate to how your character behaves and interacts with the environment.  Remember the rules put in place by the universe.

Do not make a character just for the sake of pairing them with a cannon character.  Not only does this mean that the character’s existence depends on this relationship (thus making them less of a person), but often times these particular characters are just clones of whoever they’re paired with.  Attraction doesn’t work that way.  Annabeth isn’t a female version of Percy, and in some ways that’s why they work together.  Develop your character as a person.  Give them a chance to breathe, interact with the world and characters, and if they end up in a relationship, let it form naturally.  Making an OC for the sake of romance with a cannon character also reeks of a self-insert.

Typically (mostly in the Greek/Roman verses), a character has a fatal flaw.  Use it.  Fatal flaws are real drawbacks based on the character’s personality.  They are not quirks and they will not just go away when it’s convenient.  “They can’t sing” is not a fatal flaw, even if they are a siren.  These are weaknesses that can cause the character’s downfall.  Even “good” traits can be considered fatal flaws if they are pushed enough.  If your character is “independent”, how independent are they?  Are they unable to connect with people?  Would they betray a loved one?  Fatal flaws are meant to either bring about the character’s downfall, or for the character to overcome through effort.

A Mary Sue is not the same as a character who is pretty and/or talented.  If that was the case, where would that put the Aphrodite cabin?  A common misunderstanding is that a Mary Sue is a character who has neon rainbow hair that sparkles in the sunlight, purple and green eyes that change color with their moods, and the ability to do everything perfectly.  However, it is possible to have a character who is very plain-looking, and still have them be a Mary Sue.  It’s all about framing.  This is why Mary Sue tests are often unreliable, because really it’s about how the character is presented to the audience.  Often times, a Mary Sue character never grows or evolves as the story goes on.  They have no real flaws to speak of, they seem to be perfect at everything, and the audience is told how to feel about them.  It’s hard to describe what makes a character a Mary Sue without seeing them in action.  Just let your character breathe.  Let them screw up, let them make mistakes, let them grow as people.  I can guarantee that the audience will find that a lot more interesting than a character being the best at everything.

Don’t get offended if someone critiques your character.  A proper critique is structured so the creator can gain something from it, and not all of them will be pretty.  A good critique will outline what works, what doesn’t work, stuff that’s missing, stuff that isn’t needed.  A critique is not needlessly flaming, nor is it mindless worshiping.  Just because someone says they’re confused about your character’s backstory does not mean that you’re being personally attacked.  That being said, people are jerks and it isn’t uncommon to get comments full of personal attacks.  This isn’t the same as a critique, though.  Remember a critique is designed to help you.

General Tips for Making Heroes of Olympus/Kane Chronicles OCs