Angel
The Puppet Master
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Join date : 2010-07-10
Age : 30
Location : in zans belly huhuh
 |  Subject: How to Create a Well Rounded Character (MUST READ)  Tue Jul 31, 2012 8:17 am | |
| Creating characters can be a difficult task. There's all sorts of factors and traits that you need to think about and balance well so that your character isn't too perfect or too flawed. So how exactly do you make a well balanced and well rounded character? We're here to walk you through the steps. Let's start by looking at our character template. We'll work with the Demigod template. - Your Template:
Name: First and Last Name
Age/Birthday:
Gender:
God Parent:
Claimed: Yes or No
Mortal Family: First and Last Name/s
Years in Camp:
Brief History: At least 4 sentences. Be sure to include details!
Physical Appearance: At least 4 sentences. Be sure to include details!
Personality: At least 4 sentences. Be sure to include details!
Fatal Flaw:
Pets:
Talents:
Weapons:
Year-Round or Summer:
Other:
Now, while you are required to fill in all areas of information in this template with the required length, you can break it up differently. Character templates can be changed and tweaked to your liking. Let's use mine as an example: - My Customized Character Template:
Name:Gender:Age:Birthday:Godly Parent:Claimed:Years at Camp:Mortal Family:• PARENT 1 NAME (PARENT TITLE): DESCRIPTION OF FAMILY MEMBER HERE. (Name, personality, appearance, history, etc.) "CHARACTER'S OPINION ON FAMILY MEMBER" • FAMILY 1 (TITLE): DESCRIPTION OF FAMILY MEMBER HERE. (See above) "CHARACTER'S OPINION ON FAMILY MEMBER" Brief History:"CHARACTER'S OPINION ON HISTORY" First Paragraph: EARLY HISTORY Second paragraph: DETAILED FAMILY HISTORY Third paragraph: JOURNEY TO CAMP Fourth paragraph: SINCE ARRIVING AT CAMP (If they are not brand new) Physical Appearance:"CHARACTER'S OPINION ON APPEARANCE" First paragraph: GENERAL APPEARANCE Second paragraph: BODY STRUCTURE (Height, weight, hand size, foot size, shoulder width, bone structure, distinguishing marks.) Third paragraph: FACE STRUCTURE (Skin color, complexion, face shape, cheekbones, chin, lips, nose, ears, size of forehead, distinguishing marks) Fourth paragraph: EYE DESCRIPTION (Eye shape, lash length, lash color, eyebrow shape, eyebrow color, iris color, distinguishing marks.) Fifth paragraph: HAIR DESCRIPTION (Color, length, volume, texture, most common style, etc.) Sixth paragraph: FASHION (Normal attire, disliked attire, usual color palette, opinion on fashion) Personality:"CHARACTER'S OPINION ON PERSONALITY" First paragraph: GENERAL PERSONALITY SUMMARY. Second-Fifth paragraph: DESCRIBES FOUR POSITIVE TRAITS Sixth-Tenth paragraph: DESCRIBES FOUR NEGATIVE TRAITS Fatal Flaw:"CHARACTER'S OPINION ON FATAL FLAW" DESCRIPTION OF FATAL FLAW PLUS POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES. Pets:"IF THEY HAVE A PET, CHARACTER'S OPINION HERE." DESCRIPTION OF PET. (History, special traits, how they met, relationship, etc.) Talents:"CHARACTER'S OPINION ON THEIR TALENT(s)" • TALENT 1: • TALENT 2: • TALENT 3: (Three talents at most. Detailed descriptions of each talent including: Process, drawbacks, unknown aspects, and the character's understanding of the power.) Weapons:"CHARACTER'S OPINION ON THEIR WEAPON/HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT WEAPONS" DESCRIPTION OF THE WEAPON (type, metal, drawbacks, special qualities, etc) DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTER'S TALENT WITH THE WEAPON (Master, novice, moderate, etc) Year-Round or Summer:Other:HIS/HER color is COLOR NAME/CODE. ANY OTHER NOTES HERE.
As you can see, although my customized layout has all of the required fields, I have added different areas and given outlines for myself when writing my character. The largest change I have made to the standard layout was adding my character's opinion on different sections. By doing this, I have shown my character's personality, bettered my own roleplaying of them, and allowed myself and others to further understand the character and their reactions to specific questions. You are able to achieve this in different ways. I chose the opinions from the character. Others conduct "interviews" with their character. They have a series of questions set up, varying in subject, and they reply in character. This not only shows more details about the character, but it allows their personality to shine through more. It is not required to add this to your layout. Nor do you have to change it at all. However, you will find that personalizing your character layout will help you to continually make well rounded characters. Another thing that I did in my layout was make notes of specific points I want to discuss. In the Brief History section I specified the different areas of the character's past that I wanted to mention. I did the same for the personality and the physical appearance. However, we are still a few steps away from tackling those large sections. By the end of this process, together we will have made a well-rounded, detailed character. If anyone is caught using this character, taking information from this character, or copying the personality of this character, it will be counted as plagiarism and will be punished accordingly. This is an example character and is not for use in roleplays.Step 1: Deciding on a NameAt this point, you have most likely decided whether or not your character is male or female. Now, though, you are stuck on what to name your character. I personally like to pick names that either:
1) Fit my character's personality, or...
2) Are the complete opposite of my character's personality and they hate the name and go by something else.
A good example would be my Daughter of Dionysus. She is snide, crude, sarcastic, and pokes fun at almost everyone. However, once you get to know her, she's loving, understanding, and empathetic, while still retaining her sarcastic, dry sense of humor.
Her full name is Mary-Lu Bellinda Maarx. She hates her first name. She thinks it's girly and prissy, so she goes by Bellinda, or Bell.
Thinking of a good name can be difficult. A name defines your character and is an important step to start out with, but is also one of the most difficult.
So let's think a few steps ahead, shall we? Let's say we want our character to be bubbly, happy, naive and overly trusting. What are some good names to fit this character? Let's list a few
1) Hailee
2) Melody
3) Amelia
4) Becky
5) Sophia Well, Melody, Hailee and Amelia are far too sophisticated for this bubbly character, so let's eliminate those. Now we're deciding between Becky and Sophia.
What do you say we go with Becky.
Now you have a first name, let's go for a middle and last. Often the best names are thought of instantly. When you hear the name Becky, what middle and last name instantly comes to mind. Let's try it together.
Becky Juliana Moscovitz.
You never want to start and end a first name with the same sound. The name is often slurred and hard to pronounce. For example:
Alexis Cecilia Arnold
Do you see how "Alexis Cecilia" seem to run together? You also want to be mindful of what the initials spell. If you name a character "Alan Steven Smith" then he's going to get beat up by the other kids. Step 2: Deciding on an Age/BirthdayThe age of a character is very important. Often if the character is young, they are more likely to have a positive outlook on life. As the character ages, past experiences may change that outlook.
We have our character, Becky Juliana Moscovitz, so let's come up with an age. We already have an idea that our character's personality is going to be, in one word, bubbly.
Remember to pick an age that you are most comfortable with. Often, with first time roleplayers, making your character's age similar to your own is helpful until you have more experience.
With a bubbly character like Becky, a younger age seems more appropriate. Let's make Becky 14 years of age.
Now for a birthday, consider the month. Often the month your character is born in can help describe them as a person. Becky is happy, so a cold month like November or December would be strange. (Not impossible, though.) Let's make Becky born in a summer month, like June.
Becky Juliana Moscovitz, 14 years of age, born on June 17. Step 3: Deciding on a God ParentDeciding on a godly parent can be one of the most difficult tasks. You want to explore all options other than simply the twelve Olympians. (Remember, you can not have a child of Zeus, Poseidon, Hades or a Titan until you reach 500 posts)
I, and some other members, like to use this Wikipedia page to explore different minor deities. There are minor gods and goddesses for just about everything. To search for the deity over a specific thing, hit "Cntrl + F" (Command + F for Macs) and type in an object, element, or season you want to find a god for.
For our purposes, we'll use Demeter for Becky's godly parent. Demeter is one of the twelve Olympians, but you are not restricted to just using those gods and goddesses.
Now is Becky claimed? Yes, I believe that Becky should be claimed. Step 4: Creating a familyWe all know that family can be very influential. We all have families, all of them with good parts...and bad. However, I believe that the family can be the most important part of a character.
While you are not required to list more than one first and last name of a family member, I find that describing the relationship with each member of the family will better your character.
What do you say we focus on the Moscovitz family?
Considering Becky's mother is Demeter, she would have a biological father. We'll need a name for this man. Don't be afraid to have a little fun with the names of family members. Names like John and Bill are boring and overused.
Let's name Becky's father Arnold Moscovitz.
Now, what about a profession? Is Arnold employed? Or does he struggle to provide for the family?
I think that Arnold is recently unemployed. Remember, every aspect of your character comes from your imagination. Arnold could be an astronaut, or he could be manager at the local grocery store. But the way that Becky is raised will affect her personality.
What do you say we write up a quick description of Arnold?
Arnold Moscovitz is a caring father. He wants to provide the best for his family, but being down on your luck can hinder that desire. After the loss of his wife, Becky's step-mother, Yolonda, Arnold fell into depression. After a week of not showing up for his job at a law firm, he was laid off. Arnold, on lonely nights, would turn to drinking to ease his pain. Becky could see her father was suffering, and she did everything in her power to cheer him up. Arnold had money in the bank, but with a single, unemployed father supporting two kids, that money would run out quickly.
It's a quick little paragraph that adds more depth to the family and the history of your character. As mentioned, Becky had a step-mother, Yolonda. What was she like? How did she die? Let's write a small paragraph about her.
Yolonda was a kind woman, though she always loved her own daughter more than she loved Becky. While Yolonda knew who Becky's real mother was, it still made her wary of the child. She'd never heard of anything like a demigod, other than in myths and stories, and the idea of it scared her. Yolonda tried to be understanding when Becky said she saw monsters, but she was never fully able to understand. When she finally accepted the fact that the monsters existed, it was too late. Yolonda was mauled by a chimera. She spent a week in the hospital, but she never made it out. Becky blames herself for Yolonda's death, and so does her step-sister.
Now, let's give a little description and a name to Becky's step-sister, or Yolonda's daughter. Why don't we take one of our possible names from before and name her Sophia? Now let's learn a little bit about Sophia.
Sophia Moscovitz never liked the fact that her parents divorced. Her father was her favorite person, and she hated that she couldn't see him. Just because he didn't technically have a permanent residence didn't mean that she had to live with her mother. Though according to the court system, it did. Sophia didn't like the fact that she had to call Arnold "dad" when her real dad was less than 100 miles away. Sophia also believed Becky was a freak for the things she said she saw. She thought hat the girl was out of her mind. That is, until Sophia found her mother, lying in a pool of her own blood, and Becky crying by her side. Sophia blamed Becky for her mother's death, and she hated that she was now left alone with people that she didn't consider her family.
Well with a family like that, how is it that Becky can be so bubbly? That, my friend, is a part of personality. And we will get there in just two steps.
Now that we have Becky's family planned out and written, let's move on to the next step. Step 5: Character HistoryA character's history shapes them. It defines them. The more tragic, the more it may change their outlook on life and their opinion of the world. Or, in Becky's case, the harder they may work so that it doesn't change them. But remember, keep your character's history realistic.
Creating a character history that is nothing but rainbows and butterflies is not realistic. The likelihood that a character would have rich, kind parents, live in a big house, be the most popular kid in school, and have the perfect baby brother is not a good one. That sort of history makes for a Mary/Gary-Sue. And it's boring.
Now, this does not mean that you can go to the opposite end of the history spectrum and make a horribly tragic history. If your character's history looks like this:
"Sally had to watch her parents die. She was then raised by her evil aunt and uncle who hated her. She was hated in school and bullied. She saw monsters and ghosts and was schizophrenic and self harmed and hated herself"
Then your have a darker, female version of Harry Potter. Don't do this. Having a perfect history is unlikely, but living through hell is not very likely either.
Now, this is not saying that tragedy is a bad thing. Actually, death, loss and emotion in a history make for a good character. But there must be some sort of silver lining.
With this new found information, let's turn to Becky and see what her history looks like... Make sure to list key things like: Place of birth/hometown, family relationships, what home life was like, and bad events, journey to camp, and after arriving at camp.
Becky was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia. Her family, which when she was born consisted of only her and her father, was small and not very rich. Arnold Moscovitz was a hard working man, and he did his best to provide for Becky. When Becky was five, Arnold remarried. Becky always wondered what her real mother was like, but the mere mention of her seemed to sadden her father. She decided that leaving the subject be would be a better idea. Arnold and Yolonda fell in love quickly, and were soon husband and wife. Yolonda and her daughter Sophia joined the Moscovitz family, much to Sophia's chagrin. Becky could always tell that Sophia wanted to be with her real father, but the young girl tried to welcome her new sister into the family.
When Becky began displaying signs of her abilities, Yolonda began to question Arnold about the girl and if he knew about the strange things she could do to crops and plants. Arnold knew it was about time to tell Yolonda, Sophia, and especially Becky about who her mother really was.
Becky was fascinated with this new information, Yolonda and Sophia, however, were now terrified of Becky. Yolonda believed that her husband had lost his mind, but she never voiced this opinion. Sophia, being the outspoken girl she was, didn't hesitate to tell Arnold just how crazy he sounded. Becky knew it was true, though. It just had to be.
When Becky was eleven, tragedy struck. For years the daughter of Demeter had been dealing with strange looks from Yolonda and rude comments from Sophia, but she tried to shrug those away. Yolonda was still quite skeptical about the idea that the Greek gods still existed. Actually, she just about refused to believe it. She didn't think that Becky was actually seeing monsters, she didn't think her step-daughter was a demigod, she didn't buy any of it. Yolonda was suddenly forced to believe when she was brutally mauled by a chimera. The doctors tried to save her, but Yolonda died a few days later.
Arnold fell into a depression at the loss of his wife. Sophia grew angrier and blamed Becky for taking away her family. Mr. Moscovitz stopped showing up at his job at a local law firm, and he was laid off. On lonely nights, he would turn to drinking to take the pain away. Becky would watch him sometimes and wonder if there was anything she could do.
After Becky started seeing monsters again, she knew that she had to do something. At the age of twelve, Becky was sent away to Camp Half-Blood. She tries to keep in contact with her father to see how he's doing, but he doesn't respond very much. Becky knows better than to try and contact Sophia.
Becky was welcomed into the Demeter cabin, and she now calls that building her home and her half-siblings her family. Becky could not be happier at camp, but she wished that it didn't take the death of her step-mother to get here here.
You see how nicely balanced that history is? She didn't have a tragic life, but she didn't have a perfect one either. Everyone experiences some form of loss. Whether it be a parent, a friend, a relative, or a pet, loss it always felt during a person's life. It helps to keep that in mind when creating a character. It's also good to think about the reactions of other people to the loss. Becky's father fell into depression, Sophia became angry, and Becky just blocked it away and tried to keep everyone else happy. We'll dive deeper into Becky's psyche after the next step. Step 6: The Physical AppearanceSo let's remember some important aspects about physical appearance. No one looks like a perfect little porcelain doll. Keep in mind that these characters are meant to be realistic, not a fairy tale.
Let's talk about weight to height comparison. If a female character is 5'6" it is highly unlikely that she can weight 80lbs. If the character is 15 and they're 5'6", with average muscle, they would most likely weight somewhere between 120-135lbs and be considered "average" weight.
However, not all characters have to be average weight or stick thin. Don't be afraid to explore larger characters. There are lots of beautiful people out there that aren't stick thin with perfect skin.
Having a character like this will make them more realistic and more relatable.
Now let's talk about male characters. Not every male character is going to have a six pack, rock hard pecks, and be 6'3". Then we're not roleplaying at a camp for teens, we're roleplaying at a French Fashion show for male swimwear. Guys can be short. Guys can be gangly. Guys can be chubby. They do not all have to look like David Hasselhoff.
Now why don't we see what Becky looks like? And remember, we do allow FC's (Face Claims) here on CHB. An FC is a celebrity or model that you use as the face for your character. If you want to see our current list of taken FC's or make a claim of your own, see this topic.
We will not be using a FC for Becky. I want to teach you all how to describe a character in a way that people can visualize them properly without the need for a picture. Because then, even if you choose to use an FC or picture, your descriptions skills will be more enhanced. (Which helps in roleplaying)
When describing an appearance, keep the following things in mind as important: Height, weight, build, facial structure, eyes, hair, clothing style.
Becky is an average looking girl. She's still young, so her body has yet to fully develop. The 14 year old stands at about 5'1" in height. She has a petite, boyish figure. Due to her still not reaching the peak of puberty, she lacks any sort of womanly curves. She has a gangly appearance with her long arms and legs. Becky still has a bit of baby fat to her body. Becky as petite hands, but her feet are rather large for a 14 year old girl. She wears a size 9 shoe, and has heard the nickname "Duck Feet" from Sophia more than once. She has thin, bird like bones and, despite the fact that she's been at camp for a year, lacks and sort of muscle.
Becky has a sweet, innocent face. Her cheeks are chubby and her face is round. Her cheek bones are not noticeable, due to the plumpness of her cheeks. However, her face is decorated with lightly colored freckles. They are mostly across her cheeks and nose. People often tell Becky that she has a "baby face". Becky's nose is petite, and almost pixie-like in its shape. Her lips are thin and pink, but they are often pulled back in a smile to reveal her, slightly crooked, teeth. Becky knows she needs braces, but she has yet to get them. Becky's skin is lightly tanned, due to the amount of time she spends in the sun. Becky has a rounded chin and a soft, delicate jaw line.
Becky has very innocent looking eyes. They are round and large, much like that of a puppy. Her lashes are long, but fade to blonde at the tips so they appear shorter than they are. Becky doesn't wear any make-up, mostly because she's unsure of how to apply it. Becky's irises are a rich, honey brown with flecks of gold and green. She has a sweet appearance to her. Becky's eyebrows are moderately sized, and unkempt. She doesn't shape them, but they maintain a decent shape of their own.
Becky has long, uncut hair. It's been years since she got it cut, but she prefers her hair to be long. It has a wave and delicate curl to the tips of it that makes many girls around camp envious. Becky's hair is what she prides herself on. Although the color is a bit of a dull, mousy brown, she loves it. Her hair reached the small of her back, and is often twisted into a braid.
Becky has a girly style to her clothing. She likes bright color, frilly shirts, and sundresses. She enjoys floral patterns, in fact that's just about all she wears. Becky really enjoys pastels, but she does love her bright pinks. Pink is Becky's favorite color, and she tries to incorporate it into everything she wears. Becky, because she loves to trek around in the rain, has a pair of pink, flowery rain boots. Sometimes she even wears these when it's not raining.
See? Now that wasn't so hard. It helps to picture the character in your head while you type. Every one of us has a colorful imagination, that's why we love to roleplay. Use that imagination and picture your character. Describe each part of them, from the top of their head, to the tips of their toes.
(Helpful tip: Type your characters in a word document and save frequently.) Step 7: The PersonalityHere we go! Personality, the Big Kahuna. The personality of your character is, in my opinion, the most fun section to write. However, it is also the hardest section to balance. Personality is often where people slip up and create either a Mary/Gary-Sue or a Mary/Gary-Stu. (Sue is a character with not enough flaws, Stu is a character with too many flaws) You want to balance out your positive and negative traits. No one is perfect, but no one is completely imperfect.
You'll find that many main protagonists, as well as many main antagonists, in books will be a Sue or a Stu. However, we want to make balanced characters here, so we avoid these things like the plague. (And remember, if you mess up you won't get into trouble. A mod or admin will simply request that you make certain changes before accepting your character.)
With personality, especially for first time roleplayers, it's important to stick with traits you're most comfortable with. I enjoy a range of different personalities, but there are ones that I'm simply not good at roleplaying. Often, if you're not sure what type of personality you're best at, it's good to take different traits from yourself or from someone you know well. Having these traits in your characters will make them more relatable to you and easy to roleplay.
At this time, you might already have a good idea of your character's general personality. When we were choosing a name for Becky, I mentioned that she was going to be bubbly, but naive. However, there's so much more to her than that.
The human psyche and a person's personality can sometimes be one big contradiction. A person can be shy around people they don't know, but loud and obnoxious around their friends, so then which one are they? Listing all of these different behavioral aspects will humanize your character and will make them more complex. Adding things like fears, pet peeves, and habits will also really help to detail your character. A lot of these things are developed during roleplay, so make sure to update your characters every so often.
Remember to not only include good traits about your character, but to include bad traits as well. And remember, sometimes a good trait can also be a bad trait. Someone who is trusting can make friends easily, but they can also trust the wrong person and get hurt. Remember to think of both the good and the bad parts of each trait.
Why don't we break this personality down into steps? Let's list eight traits for Becky, four good and four bad.
"Becky is friendly.
Becky is a positive thinker.
Becky is imaginative.
Becky is goofy.
Becky is naive.
Becky is overly trusting.
Becky is inquisitive.
Becky is not book smart." Now this list may not seem like much yet, but do you know what we just did? We just made an outline for your character's personality. Much like an outline for a school paper, this outline will help us when we think about our future paragraphs. If we were to write a paragraph on each of these traits, we would have an eight paragraph personality for our character.
Doesn't seem so scary now, does it? Pfft. You can totally describe each of those traits! So let's do just that.
Becky is friendly. With a happy grin and a twinkle in her eye, the daughter of Demeter has no problem simply walking up to people and striking up a conversation. Becky has never been one to worry about someone not liking her. She doesn't sit and fret, wondering if she should go up to someone, she just does it. Some call her pushy or reckless for this. Her father would always scold her for walking up and talking to strangers, but Becky never understood why. She'd never go with that person, she just thought they could use some company.
Becky is a positive thinker. Sometimes her outlook on life can be overly positive. She sees the world through rose-colored glasses. Becky, no matter what the situation, will find a positive spin and a silver lining on it. This often irritated her step-sister, Sophia, to no end. Becky can sometimes drive herself to the brink of insanity trying to think positively. She pushes the bad thoughts and the negativity to the back of her mind, often becoming too happy about everything. Becky, however, has learned that if she's happy, other people are happy too. She wants other people to smile, she wants to cheer them up.
Becky is imaginative. She has a wildly creative mind that can see something magical and extravagant in almost anything. Becky thinks that real life is boring. She hates things that are dull, and gets bored very easily. Becky chooses to see the world in bright colors. She wants to see things for more than what they really are. The girl has learned how to escape into her own imagination. She draws pictures of her adventures, write stories about her wild dreams and daring escapes. Becky can put a creative spin on anything. She can often be seen staring up at clouds and making stories and creatures out of their shapes.
Becky is goofy. She enjoys having a good laugh and making other people laugh. She's learned that sometimes people get annoyed with her giggly, bubbly humor, which she just doesn't understand. She likes to make jokes, have fun, and laugh. Becky often tries to lighten the mood by making a cheesy or goofy joke. This can either go well and people laugh, or this can make everyone around her mad. The daughter of Demeter doesn't like it when people are mad, so she tries to cheer them up. Often that just makes the situation worse and Becky runs away with a crushes spirit. It takes a lot to make Becky run away, since she pushes away all things sad, but being yelled at is what does it. Becky hates being yelled at. She hates disappointing people and not doing her job of making them happy. It's unknown when the young girl took on this "job", but she's determined to make everyone around her smile. Perhaps she saw how unhappy her family was and vowed she'd never let that happen again. Or maybe she's simply always been this way. Either way, Becky takes it upon herself to cheer the downtrodden up.
Becky is naive. She doesn't really see the horrors of the world, or she chooses not to. She thinks that there is good in everyone and is determined, almost insanely so, to see the silver lining. Becky has chosen to be positive, and so she's going to be positive about everything. Even during the darkest situations, the little girl tries to be happy. People often tell Becky that she's off her rocker. They say that she's too happy, but Becky doesn't listen. Happiness is something that she clings to to feel safe. She has begun using her smile as a coping mechanism for any sort of pain she's feeling.
Becky is overly trusting. She has no problem with walking up to a stranger and telling them personal things about her if they ask. While she always made friends easily as a child, things have changed as she's gotten older. People sometimes play with her trust, and they even betray it. Becky is not hesitant to give her trust to someone. She'll put her life in the hands of someone she's just met. However, if you betray that trust, you can not expect a smile from Becky. People who lie to her and people who dishonor the trust she's given them are shunned. She will even avoid eye contact with them. Once you betray Becky, there is no going back. Becky can be considered a grudge holder because of this.
Becky is inquisitive. She asks loads and loads of questions. Her favorite question is "Why?". She can often be found asking people question after question. It often irritates them, but Becky just wants to know things. She likes to learn strange facts and read about interesting subjects. Becky had a hard time in school due to her Dyslexia, but because of the Ancient Greek translated books in the library, the girl has taken a liking to reading. Becky also loves to explore new places, whether they be in the forest or in her imagination.
Becky is not book smart. Although she knows a lot on strange subjects, she finds like English, Math and History to be boring. Becky likes to learn about animals, plants and rocks, not about prime numbers and sentence fragments. Because Becky never retained this common knowledge, she can be considered a bit of a ditz. Becky learns because she wants to, not because she is forced to. If you try to force knowledge down her throat, she'll spit it right back to you.
You see how nice and well rounded that personality is? And you see how easy it was to type? Once you break the personality down into eight main traits, or however many you want, it becomes much easier to type each paragraph. Look at that! We just wrote an eight paragraph personality! The biggest sections are completed, and it's easy sailing from here. Step 8: The Fatal FlawEvery hero has a Fatal Flaw. Every single demigod, every single hero is all of history has had a fatal flaw. The flaw can be just about anything. It can be an obviously bad flaw, like holding grudges or vanity, or it could be a flaw that seems good at first, but can be dangerous, like ambition or personal loyalty.
You have to make sure the flaw can actually be fatal. Having something like "Too many people love her and she doesn't know how to handle it" is not a fatal flaw. However, the word "fatal" may be misleading. This may not necessarily mean that your character is sentenced to death by this flaw. It is not an illness, it is not a curse. Let me give you a definition I learned in English class:
Fatal Flaw: "A fatal flaw is a key element in the downfall of a person or plan"
Percy Jackson's fatal flaw is his personal loyalty. Athena, in the books, stated that he would "sacrifice the world to save one he truly cares about". While this makes him a great friend, it also means that he could let a lot of people suffer to save just a few.
Annabeth Chase's fatal flaw has an actual name. It's called "Hubris" and it is defined as "deadly pride". This means that she may go to deadly lengths to prove that she is right or the best at something.
Now, how about we think about Becky's fatal flaw? Let's look at her personality and see if there's anything in there we can use. The fatal flaw can be one of the flaws listed in the personality, or it could be something new.
Let's name a few of Becky's flaws... She's naive, overly trusting, too inquisitive, holds grudges, can be stubborn, lacks some common sense, and not very bright. Any of these could be fatal, but I don't think that these are the right fatal flaws for Becky. No, let's be a little more creative with this one.
Becky's fatal flaw is her overly positive outlook on life. She can drive herself to the point of insanity trying to stay happy and trying to stay positive. She shoves her other emotions away so much that it's as if they don't even exist. Becky doesn't vent to anyone. She keeps the "bad feelings" bottled up in a dark corner of her mind. She stays positive, even if there's nothing to be positive about. At one point, although she'll never share this with anyone, her father almost took her to a psychiatrist because she just wouldn't admin there was anything wrong with her. Although her positive attitude is what makes her who she is, it will one day lead to her downfall.
I took one of Becky's positive traits and turned it into her fatal flaw. Most traits can be both good and bad. They can have up sides and down sides depending on the character and on the situation. Remember to think about each different aspect of these traits.
Someone may be smart, but their smarts often get them into arguments to prove that they're right.
Someone may be creative, but their creativity often makes them see the real world as dull.
Someone may be forgiving, but they may end up getting hurt further by forgiving someone too much.
Think about all of these things when you're making your character's personality, and don't be afraid to make a positive trait a fatal flaw. Step 9: The PetYour character is not required to have a pet, but I wanted to walk you through some things to remember about the pets anyway. I often find that lonely characters or characters that aren't very social benefit a lot from having a pet. It gives them a companion, and it gives them someone to talk to.
Yes that's right, talk to. Here at CHB we allow demigods to have an "empathy link" with an animal. An empathy link, which connects Percy and Grover, is a way to communicate telepathically. For them it's over long distances, but for our campers we allow the pets to communicate with their owners.
Not all pets are able to do this. In theory, the pet must have been blessed by one of the gods, often the god parent, to communicate with the person that is meant to be their owner. And that is the only person that is able to hear them when they speak telepathically.
Now let's go over a few rules that we have here on CHB about pets.
• If you want your pet to have some sort of ability or power (immunity to heat, ice breath, etc) you will have to purchase the "Pet Perk" in the drachma shop.
• If you want a strange animal as a pet (a wolf, a skeleton animal, a gryffin, a small dragon, etc.) you will have to purchase the "Pet Perk" in the drachma shop.
• Animals like: Dogs, cats, birds, rodents, farm animals, and foxes are allowed without purchasing the "Pet Perk". (Please don't be a smart ass and say your character has a capybara as a pet and respond with "It's a rodent!" I know it's a rodent, but capybaras will have to be purchased with other exotic animals.)
However, I can't see Becky being the type of person to have a pet, can you? In this case, we would just put "None". But, for the sake of explaining, we're going to give Becky a rabbit named Nibbles.
Becky has a small, brown rabbit that she bought herself at a pet store. His name is Nibbles. He and Becky do not share an empathy link, but it's almost as if they do. Nibbles follows Becky around without command; he doesn't stray from her side. The two are just about inseparable. Step 10: The TalentsThe talents of your character are another thing you want to make sure aren't too strong. If you have a strong ability, weight it down with some downsides or restraints, make it draining, make the character be vulnerable when using this power, etc. It's hard to say exactly what powers will be denied, because there are so many, but I can give you a list of a few that are not allowed:
• Charmspeak: A talent for Aphrodite children to will other people to do as they wish. This is just asking for power-playing, so we don't allow it.
• Raising the dead: A Hades ability that is too powerful. It can be purchased in the Drachma Shop.
• Mind-Control: Again, just asking for power-play.
Other than those few abilities that will be automatically rejected, the talents section is sort of hit and miss. However, balance is a good rule to live by when dealing with talents. If an ability is particularly powerful, add more downsides to it. Let's work on Becky's talents together. Talents are based off of the godly parents. Demeter would deal with nature-based, agricultural powers. Keep your godly parent in mind when working in the Talent section. I find it helps to give each talent a name and then a brief description.
• Green Thumb: Becky has the ability to breathe life into plants and crops. She has a magic touch when it comes to plants and nature. However, the large the plant, the harder it is to heal. Becky has not learned for to heal a tree yet, but she's steadily working her way up. However, Becky has to give some of her own energy to save plants. She has to be careful how much of nature she heals at a time.
• Plant Control: Sometimes this ability can get a little out of Becky's control. Whenever she's threatened or in trouble, vines can often be seen slithering out of the ground and coming to her aid. Becky does not like to harm the plants, but she is unable to control when these vines come out to protect her. She also can't always control who they attack. The vines have been known to go on a rampage. Trying to control these vines leaves her vulnerable to attacks and also drains her energy rather quickly.
• Healing: Although this is not a godly ability, because of Becky's extensive knowledge of nature and foliage, she is able to heal a lot of injuries with things you simply find in the forest. The remedies are mostly temporary, though.
When making the talents for your character, you must remember their age. Even an 18 year old may have only known about their talents for a few years. It is highly unlikely that they are a master of them. Remember to leave room for growth. Step 11: The WeaponThe first thing you need to know: Mechanical weapons of any kind are not allowed here on CHB. Guns, rifles, canons, etc are strictly prohibited. We stick with older weapons like swords, spears, daggers, and the like.
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's talk about a balanced weapon. While your character is allowed to have more than one weapon, please refrain from having a whole arsenal. Two swords, a spear and a shield is plenty. They can be able to use multiple kinds of weapons, but please pick one or two that they use the most. Also, it is unlikely that your character is a master archer, swordsman, or anything like that. Such things takes years to master. As I said before, it is important to leave room for character growth.
Remember, your weapon can have an "inactive" state, like Percy's sword. Until he uncaps it, it's a simple pen that will always return to his pocket. Your weapon could be a bow that's a hair clip, a dagger that's a charm on a necklace, or it could simply be a weapon. But don't be afraid to get creative.
Now then, let's talk about Becky's weapons, shall we?
Becky is not one for fighting. She's never been very good at close combat, so she sticks to distance. Becky was also never strong enough to pull back an arrow, so she developed her own method of fighting. Becky has ten daggers that she is able to throw. These daggers, once all of them are thrown return safely to her belt. The daggers have no special carvings or engravings. They are simply celestial bronze with brown leather hilts. Although Becky is young, she's always had pretty good aim. The further back she is, however, the shakier her aim. Becky has a real fear of close combat fighting. She is terrified of it, actually. She would rather run away from a fight than try close combat.
And you see? That would be a balanced weapon collection. Although she has a lot of daggers, they are for throwing. In this case, they are viewed like arrows in a bow, and you are allowed to have a larger amount of them. And celestial bronze is suggested, and encouraged, for demigods, since that's what kills monsters. Other:The "Other" section is just what it looks like, other. If you have more information about your character that you don't think fits in any of the categories in the template, post it here! Things like dibs (claiming a character for a relationship), character color, sexuality, favorite color, and a large array of things can commonly be found in this section! But remember, you are welcome to add sections to your character template. Feel free to customize it as you wish, just as long as the required fields of information with the required length are there! Well it looks like we're done! Let's collect all of our information and put it all together! - Spoiler:
Name:
Becky Juliana Moscovitz
Age/Birthday:
14 years of age, June 17
Gender:
Female
God Parent:
Demeter
Claimed:
Yes
Mortal Family:
Arnold Moscovitz: Arnold Moscovitz is a caring father. He wants to provide the best for his family, but being down on your luck can hinder that desire. After the loss of his wife, Becky's step-mother, Yolonda, Arnold fell into depression. After a week of not showing up for his job at a law firm, he was laid off. Arnold, on lonely nights, would turn to drinking to ease his pain. Becky could see her father was suffering, and she did everything in her power to cheer him up. Arnold had money in the bank, but with a single, unemployed father supporting two kids, that money would run out quickly.
Yolonda Moscovitz: Yolonda was a kind woman, though she always loved her own daughter more than she loved Becky. While Yolonda knew who Becky's real mother was, it still made her wary of the child. She'd never heard of anything like a demigod, other than in myths and stories, and the idea of it scared her. Yolonda tried to be understanding when Becky said she saw monsters, but she was never fully able to understand. When she finally accepted the fact that the monsters existed, it was too late. Yolonda was mauled by a chimera. She spent a week in the hospital, but she never made it out. Becky blames herself for Yolonda's death, and so does her step-sister.
Sophia Moscovitz: Sophia Moscovitz never liked the fact that her parents divorced. Her father was her favorite person, and she hated that she couldn't see him. Just because he didn't technically have a permanent residence didn't mean that she had to live with her mother. Though according to the court system, it did. Sophia didn't like the fact that she had to call Arnold "dad" when her real dad was less than 100 miles away. Sophia also believed Becky was a freak for the things she said she saw. She thought hat the girl was out of her mind. That is, until Sophia found her mother, lying in a pool of her own blood, and Becky crying by her side. Sophia blamed Becky for her mother's death, and she hated that she was now left alone with people that she didn't consider her family.
Years in Camp:
One year
Brief History:
Becky was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia. Her family, which when she was born consisted of only her and her father, was small and not very rich. Arnold Moscovitz was a hard working man, and he did his best to provide for Becky. When Becky was five, Arnold remarried. Becky always wondered what her real mother was like, but the mere mention of her seemed to sadden her father. She decided that leaving the subject be would be a better idea. Arnold and Yolonda fell in love quickly, and were soon husband and wife. Yolonda and her daughter Sophia joined the Moscovitz family, much to Sophia's chagrin. Becky could always tell that Sophia wanted to be with her real father, but the young girl tried to welcome her new sister into the family.
When Becky began displaying signs of her abilities, Yolonda began to question Arnold about the girl and if he knew about the strange things she could do to crops and plants. Arnold knew it was about time to tell Yolonda, Sophia, and especially Becky about who her mother really was.
Becky was fascinated with this new information, Yolonda and Sophia, however, were now terrified of Becky. Yolonda believed that her husband had lost his mind, but she never voiced this opinion. Sophia, being the outspoken girl she was, didn't hesitate to tell Arnold just how crazy he sounded. Becky knew it was true, though. It just had to be.
When Becky was eleven, tragedy struck. For years the daughter of Demeter had been dealing with strange looks from Yolonda and rude comments from Sophia, but she tried to shrug those away. Yolonda was still quite skeptical about the idea that the Greek gods still existed. Actually, she just about refused to believe it. She didn't think that Becky was actually seeing monsters, she didn't think her step-daughter was a demigod, she didn't buy any of it. Yolonda was suddenly forced to believe when she was brutally mauled by a chimera. The doctors tried to save her, but Yolonda died a few days later.
Arnold fell into a depression at the loss of his wife. Sophia grew angrier and blamed Becky for taking away her family. Mr. Moscovitz stopped showing up at his job at a local law firm, and he was laid off. On lonely nights, he would turn to drinking to take the pain away. Becky would watch him sometimes and wonder if there was anything she could do.
After Becky started seeing monsters again, she knew that she had to do something. At the age of twelve, Becky was sent away to Camp Half-Blood. She tries to keep in contact with her father to see how he's doing, but he doesn't respond very much. Becky knows better than to try and contact Sophia.
Becky was welcomed into the Demeter cabin, and she now calls that building her home and her half-siblings her family. Becky could not be happier at camp, but she wished that it didn't take the death of her step-mother to get here here.
Physical Appearance:
Becky is an average looking girl. She's still young, so her body has yet to fully develop. The 14 year old stands at about 5'1" in height. She has a petite, boyish figure. Due to her still not reaching the peak of puberty, she lacks any sort of womanly curves. She has a gangly appearance with her long arms and legs. Becky still has a bit of baby fat to her body. Becky as petite hands, but her feet are rather large for a 14 year old girl. She wears a size 9 shoe, and has head the nickname "Duck Feet" from Sophia more than once. She has thin, bird like bones and, despite the fact that she's been at camp for a year, lacks and sort of muscle.
Becky has a sweet, innocent face. Her cheeks are chubby and her face is round. Her cheek bones are not noticeable, due to the plumpness of her cheeks. However, her face is decorated with lightly colored freckles. They are mostly across her cheeks and nose. People often tell Becky that she has a "baby face". Becky's nose is petite, and almost pixie-like in its shape. Her lips are thin and pink, but they are often pulled back in a smile to reveal her, slightly crooked, teeth. Becky knows she needs braces, but she has yet to get them. Becky's skin is lightly tanned, due to the amount of time she spends in the sun. Becky has a rounded chin and a soft, delicate jaw line.
Becky has very innocent looking eyes. They are round and large, much like that of a puppy. Her lashes are long, but fade to blonde at the tips so they appear shorter than they are. Becky doesn't wear any make-up, mostly because she's unsure of how to apply it. Becky's irises are a rich, honey brown with flecks of gold and green. She has a sweet appearance to her. Becky's eyebrows are moderately sized, and unkempt. She doesn't shape them, but they maintain a decent shape of their own.
Becky has long, uncut hair. It's been years since she got it cut, but she prefers her hair to be long. It has a wave and delicate curl to the tips of it that makes many girls around camp envious. Becky's hair is what she prides herself on. Although the color is a bit of a dull, mousy brown, she loves it. Her hair reached the small of her back, and is often twisted into a braid.
Becky has a girly style to her clothing. She likes bright color, frilly shirts, and sundresses. She enjoys floral patterns, in fact that's just about all she wears. Becky really enjoys pastels, but she does love her bright pinks. Pink is Becky's favorite color, and she tries to incorporate it into everything she wears. Becky, because she loves to trek around in the rain, has a pair of pink, flowery rain boots. Sometimes she even wears these when it's not raining.
Personality:
Becky is friendly. With a happy grin and a twinkle in her eye, the daughter of Demeter has no problem simply walking up to people and striking up a conversation. Becky has never been one to worry about someone not liking her. She doesn't sit and fret, wondering if she should go up to someone, she just does it. Some call her pushy or reckless for this. Her father would always scold her for walking up and talking to strangers, but Becky never understood why. She'd never go with that person, she just thought they could use some company.
Becky is a positive thinker. Sometimes her outlook on life can be overly positive. She sees the world through rose-colored glasses. Becky, no matter what the situation, will find a positive spin and a silver lining on it. This often irritated her step-sister, Sophia, to no end. Becky can sometimes drive herself to the brink of insanity trying to think positively. She pushes the bad thoughts and the negativity to the back of her mind, often becoming too happy about everything. Becky, however, has learned that if she's happy, other people are happy too. She wants other people to smile, she wants to cheer them up.
Becky is imaginative. She has a wildly creative mind that can see something magical and extravagant in almost anything. Becky thinks that real life is boring. She hates things that are dull, and gets bored very easily. Becky chooses to see the world in bright colors. She wants to see things for more than what they really are. The girl has learned how to escape into her own imagination. She draws pictures of her adventures, write stories about her wild dreams and daring escapes. Becky can put a creative spin on anything. She can often be seen staring up at clouds and making stories and creatures out of their shapes.
Becky is goofy. She enjoys having a good laugh and making other people laugh. She's learned that sometimes people get annoyed with her giggly, bubbly humor, which she just doesn't understand. She likes to make jokes, have fun, and laugh. Becky often tries to lighten the mood by making a cheesy or goofy joke. This can either go well and people laugh, or this can make everyone around her mad. The daughter of Demeter doesn't like it when people are mad, so she tries to cheer them up. Often that just makes the situation worse and Becky runs away with a crushes spirit. It takes a lot to make Becky run away, since she pushes away all things sad, but being yelled at is what does it. Becky hates being yelled at. She hates disappointing people and not doing her job of making them happy. It's unknown when the young girl took on this "job", but she's determined to make everyone around her smile. Perhaps she saw how unhappy her family was and vowed she'd never let that happen again. Or maybe she's simply always been this way. Either way, Becky takes it upon herself to cheer the downtrodden up.
Becky is naive. She doesn't really see the horrors of the world, or she chooses not to. She thinks that there is good in everyone and is determined, almost insanely so, to see the silver lining. Becky has chosen to be positive, and so she's going to be positive about everything. Even during the darkest situations, the little girl tries to be happy. People often tell Becky that she's off her rocker. They say that she's too happy, but Becky doesn't listen. Happiness is something that she clings to to feel safe. She has begun using her smile as a coping mechanism for any sort of pain she's feeling.
Becky is overly trusting. She has no problem with walking up to a stranger and telling them personal things about her if they ask. While she always made friends easily as a child, things have changed as she's gotten older. People sometimes play with her trust, and they even betray it. Becky is not hesitant to give her trust to someone. She'll put her life in the hands of someone she's just met. However, if you betray that trust, you can not expect a smile from Becky. People who lie to her and people who dishonor the trust she's given them are shunned. She will even avoid eye contact with them. Once you betray Becky, there is no going back. Becky can be considered a grudge holder because of this.
Becky is inquisitive. She asks loads and loads of questions. Her favorite question is "Why?". She can often be found asking people question after question. It often irritates them, but Becky just wants to know things. She likes to learn strange facts and read about interesting subjects. Becky had a hard time in school due to her Dyslexia, but because of the Ancient Greek translated books in the library, the girl has taken a liking to reading. Becky also loves to explore new places, whether they be in the forest or in her imagination.
Becky is not book smart. Although she knows a lot on strange subjects, she finds like English, Math and History to be boring. Becky likes to learn about animals, plants and rocks, not about prime numbers and sentence fragments. Because Becky never retained this common knowledge, she can be considered a bit of a ditz. Becky learns because she wants to, not because she is forced to. If you try to force knowledge down her throat, she'll spit it right back to you.
Fatal Flaw:
Becky's fatal flaw is her overly positive outlook on life. She can drive herself to the point of insanity trying to stay happy and trying to stay positive. She shoves her other emotions away so much that it's as if they don't even exist. Becky doesn't vent to anyone. She keeps the "bad feelings" bottled up in a dark corner of her mind. She stays positive, even if there's nothing to be positive about. At one point, although she'll never share this with anyone, her father almost took her to a psychiatrist because she just wouldn't admin there was anything wrong with her. Although her positive attitude is what makes her who she is, it will one day lead to her downfall.
Pets:
Becky has a small, brown rabbit that she bought herself at a pet store. His name is Nibbles. He and Becky do not share an empathy link, but it's almost as if they do. Nibbles follows Becky around without command; he doesn't stray from her side. The two are just about inseparable.
Talents:
• Green Thumb: Becky has the ability to breathe life into plants and crops. She has a magic touch when it comes to plants and nature. However, the large the plant, the harder it is to heal. Becky has not learned for to heal a tree yet, but she's steadily working her way up. However, Becky has to give some of her own energy to save plants. She has to be careful how much of nature she heals at a time.
• Plant Control: Sometimes this ability can get a little out of Becky's control. Whenever she's threatened or in trouble, vines can often be seen slithering out of the ground and coming to her aid. Becky does not like to harm the plants, but she is unable to control when these vines come out to protect her. She also can't always control who they attack. The vines have been known to go on a rampage. Trying to control these vines leaves her vulnerable to attacks and also drains her energy rather quickly.
• Healing: Although this is not a godly ability, because of Becky's extensive knowledge of nature and foliage, she is able to heal a lot of injuries with things you simply find in the forest. The remedies are mostly temporary, though.
Weapons:
Becky is not one for fighting. She's never been very good at close combat, so she sticks to distance. Becky was also never strong enough to pull back an arrow, so she developed her own method of fighting. Becky has ten daggers that she is able to throw. These daggers, once all of them are thrown return safely to her belt. The daggers have no special carvings or engravings. They are simply celestial bronze with brown leather hilts. Although Becky is young, she's always had pretty good aim. The further back she is, however, the shakier her aim. Becky has a real fear of close combat fighting. She is terrified of it, actually. She would rather run away from a fight than try close combat.
Year-Round or Summer:
Year-Round
Other:
This character and guide was written by Angel with assistance from the CHB staff.
Wow! What a great character we put together! Now please remember, including as much information as I did is not required. Don't be afraid to put that extra effort in there to make your descriptions longer, but also remember, it's about quality, not quantity! Thanks so much for reading this guide, and I hope it helped you in the process of making your character! Sincerely, Becky and the CHB Staff | |
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