#and all with different dialects from around Great Britain Scotland Wales and Ireland

[wwheeljack]

[ariesrps]

in honor of a recent rise in roleplays set in the uk, coinciding with the recent global success of the new british netflix show sex education, i was inspired to create this guide to roleplaying british characters. as a british kid myself i love seeing these characters in rps, but have often had friends in the rpc tell me that they struggle to write them due to the differences in popular culture, dialect, slang, media etc.

of course, accuracy isn’t TOO important when it comes to this, since british people generally aren’t a marginalized or oppressed group. however i do think this is a guide a lot of people will find valuable. in a poll with 43 respondents, the highest percentage of roleplayers were from north america (72.1%) compared to only 9.3% coming from the united kingdom (all info correct at time of posting). with the assumption that people mostly write characters that are from the country they’re most familiar with, there aren’t a lot of british characters in tumblr rp. if this guide can provide non-UK-based rpers with the info they’re seeking to pen a british muse, then my job here is done!

DISCLAIMER: if you were looking for a guide written like an essay or report, this ain’t it! this is mostly a collection of external resources you may find useful when writing your characters, as opposed to written instructions.

PLEASE, LIKE OR REBLOG THIS IF YOU FOUND IT USEFUL IN ANY WAY!

GEOGRAPHY — where will your character be from?

as a british person who isn’t exactly the most well-traveled, there are definitely inaccuracies in my knowledge of other countries’ geography. i wouldn’t be surprised if some people struggle with the same issue, but regarding the united kingdom. if your character is from the UK, it’s important to know that their characterization should differ depending on which part they’re from.

map of the british isles

map of england

map of scotland

map of wales

map of northern island

the difference between the UK, great britain, and england: explained

why is the republic of ireland not a part of the united kingdom?

NOTE: this guide will not include info on how to write characters from the republic of ireland, as that identity is one of its own and is not classified as part of the uk!

SOCIAL CLASS — what kind of socio-economic background will your character have?

class is an important issue in the UK, in some ways more-so than the US. the first bullet point of this section is an interesting article which explains why this is, but to summarize: the american dream – though flawed, is a reality to an extent. there is no such concept in the UK, making the class situation and socio-economic divide a little different.

“in the uk, i’m working class, but said goodbye to that title in america” article

the seven social classes of 21st century britain — where do you fit in?

POLITICS — what kind of stance will your character take?

just like in any country, politics is extremely important in the UK. just like in america, the country is extremely divided between left and right. if political views is something your character views as important, or you think that their politics defines their characterization in any way, this section should be helpful!

parliamentary (UK) vs. presidential (US) democracy, explained

the uk’s many political parties, explained ( NOTE: this video is slightly outdated. the prime minister, and leader of the conservative party, is now theresa may, not david cameron. but you probably already knew that. )

uk political spectrum

2017 uk general election map

brexit, explained

to summarize the two main parties: labour = left-wing = good. conservative = right-wing = bad.

ETHNIC DIVERSITY — what kind of ethnic background will your character have?

similarly to the US, the UK (though dominated by caucasian people aka white british) encompasses many different cultures. according to the UK gov “87% of people in the uk are white, and 13% belong to a black, asian, mixed or [from] other ethnic group[s], according to the combined 2011 censuses.” while non-white ethnicities are a definite minority, it’s so important not to erase their existence.

a chart illustrating the uk’s race / ethnicity breakdown

britain’s most racially diverse areas

2011 census reveals most ethnically diverse city

IDENTITY — what kind of cultural identity will your character have?

ask a scotsman for a handful of reasons he’s different from an englishman, and he’ll talk for hours. within england alone, ask a londoner how they’re different from a mancunian and they’ll talk for even longer. different parts of the uk have different identities, and it’s important. something we want to avoid is the “posh”, well-spoken, crumpet-eating stereotype or, on the other end of the spectrum, the modern-day oliver twist. expand your horizons!

stereotypes americans have about british people that aren’t actually true

10 differences between brits and americans

what does it mean to be british?

ENGLAND

how is the south of england different to the north? (spoiler: very)

north-south divide wikipedia

culture of england wikipedia

SCOTLAND

our scottish culture: so much more than kilts and bagpipes

scottish culture and traditions guide

culture of scotland wikipedia

WALES

wales history, language and culture

welsh culture: facts and traditions

culture of wales wikipedia

NORTHERN IRELAND

northern ireland – cultural life

northern ireland history and culture

culture of northern ireland wikipedia

LANGUAGE, DIALECT, ACCENT, SLANG — how will your character speak?

here’s where the fun parts start! there are so many different variations of accents, regional dialects, area-specific slang and colloquialisms throughout the uk. sometimes i see british characters being written with little to no use of any of these, nothing at all differentiating them from american characters and it’s such a waste in my opinion. even if you don’t like writing with a an accent (some people don’t!) the dialect and slang words along can make your character so much more authentic.

how are british english & american english different?

everyday american words we don’t use the same in the UK

america vs british english – 50 differences

NOTE: resources for the north of england are higher in quantity than the midlands and south of england due to wider variations of accents within the region.

ENGLAND (NORTH)

a tour of northern english accents

a - z of northern slang (GENERAL NORTHERN)

northern slang with blossoms (GENERAL NORTHERN)

a - z of mancunian slang (MANCHESTER)

mancunian: english like a native (MANCHESTER)

scouse: english like a native (LIVERPOOL)

scouse slang (LIVERPOOL)

geordie slang (NEWCASTLE)

mackem slang (SUNDERLAND)

yorkshire slang (YORKSHIRE)

the yorkshire accent (YORKSHIRE)

sheffield slang (SHEFFIELD)

arctic monkeys slang lessons (SHEFFIELD / YORKSHIRE / GEN. NORTHERN)

ENGLAND (MIDLANDS)

how to speak birmingham (BIRMINGHAM)

a brummie accent (BIRMINGHAM)

7 things said in nottingham (NOTTINGHAM)

black country dialect (BLACK COUNTRY)

ENGLAND (SOUTH)

10 common british/english slang expressions & phrases (NON-SPECIFIC)

cockney (LONDON)

cockney rhyming slang: english like a native (LONDON)

roadman slang vs cockney slang (LONDON)

london street slang, translated (LONDON)

west country: english like a native (WEST COUNTRY / SOUTH WEST)

essex slang (ESSEX)

mark watson on bristol slang (BRISTOL)

slang of the south - portsmouth (PORTSMOUTH)

WALES

welsh people on welsh slang (GENERAL WELSH)

taron egerton talks welsh slang (GENERAL WELSH)

common welsh sayings (GENERAL WELSH)

luke evans on welsh slang (GENERAL WELSH)

25 words and phrases you’ll always hear in cardiff (CARDIFF)

swansea slang (SWANSEA)

20 welsh colloquialisms (GENERAL WELSH)

29 words that have a totally different meaning in wales (GENERAL WELSH)

welsh language wikipedia

SCOTLAND

how to speak & understand glaswegian (GLASGOW)

gerard butler teachers you scottish slang (GENERAL SCOTTISH)

glasgow slang words (GLASGOW)

most used scottish slang words & phrases (GENERAL SCOTTISH)

doric from around aberdeen (ABERDEEN) note: definitions in description

edinburgh dialect words (EDINBURGH)

trainspotting slang explained (GLASGOW / GENERAL SCOTTISH)

scottish words glossary (GENERAL SCOTTISH)

glossary of scottish slang & jargon wikipedia (GENERAL SCOTTISH)

handy scottish words to know (EDINBURGH / GENERAL SCOTTISH)

28 great scottish sayings and slang phrases (GENERAL SCOTTISH)

use of gaelic in scotland wikipedia

NORTHERN IRELAND

jamie dornan teaches you northern irish slang – vanity fair (GENERAL N. IRISH)

jamie dornan does northern irish slang – bbc (GENERAL N. IRISH)

28 sayings from northern ireland (GENERAL N. IRISH)

northern irish words (GENERAL N. IRISH)

16 slang phrases you’ll need to know in northern ireland (GENERAL N. IRISH)

17 words and phrases you’ll always get in belfast (BELFAST)

a list of belfast sayings (BELFAST)

derry slang words 1 (DERRY)

derry slang words 2 (DERRY)

use of gaelic in northern ireland wikipedia

SURROUNDINGS — what’s it like where your character grew up, or where they live now?

whether your character comes from one of these places OR lives there now (or both!) it might be interesting to incorporate some of their surroundings into their characterization. this section isn’t classified by country/region, because if i were to start going into that much detail here, this guide would go on forever!

10 incredible historical towns in the uk

where are the largest cities in britain?

a guide to the english countryside

the 15 most stunning places in the uk outside of london

top 50 areas for quality of life in the uk

10 best party cities in the uk

10 best student cities in the uk

10 of the uk’s most creative towns & cities to live, work & play

cities with the youngest vs oldest age population

map of stereotypes in the uk

google autocomplete map of the uk “why is [city]...”

POP CULTURE / MEDIA — what does your character like? what are they consuming?

us brits are very proud of our own british-made media. our television, our music, our cinema, etc. if you’re somebody who is interested in including the things a character likes in their characterization, it would be unrealistic not to give a british character some favourites from the place they’re from.

uk map showing where tv shows are set and filmed

uk map showing the origins of famous bands/musicians

the uk’s most popular tv shows according to IMBD

10 best british rock bands of the 21st century

the ultimate reference guide to british pop culture

LASTLY, HERE ARE SOME RESOURCES ON WRITING BRITISH CHARACTERS:

making british characters realistic as an american writer

tips from a brit for writing british fictional characters

another ‘writing british characters’ guide by @thewritershelpers​

another ‘writing british characters’ guide by @writeworld​

another ‘writing british characters’ guide by @rphelper

how to write dialogue for british characters

writing black british characters by talkthepoc on wattpad

of course, this is overkill. there’s no way on earth you’ll ever need all of these resources, but they’re here and i hope you find some use out of this guide! please forgive any inaccuracies or mistakes, this is my first time writing a guide. you’re welcome to leave me feedback on this here. last but not least, HAPPY WRITING!

[ohnohetaliasues]

Hello! This is my Yorkshire OC, and it would make me really happy if you’d review her! She’s my first British Isles OC so I hope I did an okay job XD

Of course! I’d be happy to look at her for you. I’ll be gentle, don’t worry. I’m in love with her hair.

Country/City/State Information-

Name: Yorkshire Age: Romans arrived in 71 AD, so about 2088 years old

Good. I like how you were right to the point.

Capital City (if country): N/A, but centered around York

Good, I like how you looked into that. 

Biggest City: Leeds

Boss (Mayor/President): Theresa May Flag (Coat of Arms): Blue flag with a White Rose of York

This is all looking very nice.

Biggest Ethnic Group: White Language(s) spoken: English, but with a Yorkshire dialect

Makes me think of Hagrid.

Population: About 5 million people Religion: Christian Climate: Generally cool and fair. It doesn’t get very hot here. It does snow quite a bit in winter, however.

Good. You knowing this makes me wonder if you’re from Yorkshire.

Human Information- Name: Lucy Kirkland Nickname(s): Luce Age: 21

Good, she’s younger than England. That’s also a good age considering how long Yorkshire has been around.

Gender: Female Birthday: August 1

It was a good idea to put her birthday on Yorkshire day. I give you a big thumbs up.

Current Residence: England’s house Language(s) spoken: English, Scottish Gaelic Bad Habit(s): Stubborn, selfish, egotistical, harsh, looks before she leaps Like(s): Cheese, pie, Yorkshire pudding, Yorkshire tea, meat, plaid, Terrier puppies, her brother England, her relative Scotland, football, cricket, flat caps, money after hard work, the arts, alcohol

Your OC makes me very happy.

Dislike(s): Being told what to do, loads of influence from other cultures, spending lots of money, expensive things, having to control her language Hobbies: Playing cricket and football, cooking, reading and writing Personality: Friendly, prideful, free-spirited, immature, energetic, does what she feels is right, stubborn, hardworking, scrimping, pretty forgiving

Appearance- Height: 5'8" Weight: 167 lbs Hair: Brown Eyes: Green Skin: Pale white Accent: Yorkshire accent Anything on your body that represents your country?: Not really, but she has bushy eyebrows as a Kirkland. 

You’re actually kind of right. The only things I found were the Yorkshire dales, which are a famous wildlife preserve, so maybe make her a nature lover.

Outfit(s): Typically wears plaid a lot and flat caps. Leisure outfits and comfortable pants, nothing too fancy.

NOTE: Since Yorkshire is a county and therefore wouldn’t have independent relations to other countries, I simply chose countries that Britain as a whole likes and dislikes for friends and enemies.

I have seen way too many OCs who are a part of a country, but they still have relations with random countries. Someone once asked me if it was a good idea to ship their Mexico OC with Russia and I was like ‘What gave you that idea?’ Or the Statue of Liberty having a friendship with Japan.

Relationships-

Ancestor: Britannia, but was mostly raised as a small child by Rome Family: England (brother), Scotland (brother)

I’m thinking Ireland and Wales should be included, correct me if I’m wrong.

Friends: France to an extent, America, Japan Rivals: Denmark, Sweden

Understandable, considering the history between the Vikings and the Saxons.

To sum it up, not good history. So good job there.

Enemies: Not any huge enemies, really Potential Love Interest: N/A Foreign Relationships: England- Lucy’s big brother. The two disagree with different personalities to mismatching opinions throughout history, but they still love each other greatly and are happy to have each other as siblings. America- Lucy sees Alfred as a little sibling or a nephew figure. During the American Revolution, some societies in Lucy’s county were having a bit of influence in the war to America’s benefit. They were abolished by Arthur, however. But to this day the two get along rather well and they enjoy each other’s company. 

I like the representations here.

Japan- Arthur had ties with Kiku and therefore Lucy did too. While the Japanese man was more present in her life for her brother, they did find time to talk with one another. They don’t have an incredibly close-knit friendship due to Lucy’s loud nature, but they do go back awhile and respect one another. Scotland- Allistor is Lucy’s older brother. Incredibly close to one another, they have similar personalities and culture. Lucy’s enjoyed supporting Allistor when it wasn’t a threat to her in the past. 

True in a sense, so this is okay.

France- Francis and Lucy have a shaky relationship. They’re not the best of friends due to tensions in the past and clashing personalities, but they do trust each other as allies in the present and Lucy can appreciate the French arts. 

Nice.

Denmark- An incredibly shaky relationship, Mathias and Lucy don’t have a great past together. Danish occupation of Britain didn’t fly too well with Lucy or her family and put a sour taste in her mouth for Mathias and the rest of the Nordics.

While she has (for the most part) forgiven Mathias in modern times, she still can’t help but roll her eyes when he speaks.

Perfect.

Hey, so this looks really really nice. I’m in love with her personality, and would love to see more! Maybe my London OC Audrey and her can be friends! I like the representation she has going on, and it all looks nice and polished, and I can tell you put a good amount of research into her. Keep up the good work!

~Kat