Lasa's Guide to Original Characters

[Lady Lasa]

Based on a discussion we had in the Beginner's Guide to Fanfiction thread, I thought it might be a good idea to write this up. Some of you , who have read my fics, will notice that I use Original Characters heavily. I try to keep their integration as seamless as possible, but there are always challenges when introducing a new character.

To keep this simple, I'll be using the generic pronoun "he" throughout this guide. Once it's finished, I'll post an example of a full character concept and other details. If you have any questions, comments, or ideas, feel free to chime in.

Lady Lasa’s Guide to Orginal Characters

Character Concepts

When creating a character, you need to decide his purpose. Is he going to be an antagonist or a protagonist? Why is there a need for this character? Once you have decided that, you can work on what kind of character you want.

Age, personality, and appearance should be well thought out and generally will influence each other. If your character is a teenager, he should act like it. He would have most of the concerns most teens face and (assuming he is from Earth) would dress like the teenagers he is used to associating with.

If he is an adult, then things get a little more complicated. Is he in his twenties, thirties, sixties, etc? These things all come into play when figuring out how he would react to other characters and situations.

Having a background for the character is just as important as knowing what he looks like. Everything he has experienced in his lifetime will shape his personality. You can’t have someone just show up out of nowhere, act like he has all the answers, and not know why. His background will also shape his dialogue and other interactions. Someone who was just your average bookworm with no extracurricular activities isn’t going to suddenly fight light a black belt.

Mannerisms and Speech

Consistency is key here. If your character is used to speaking with proper grammar and an air of aristocracy, he’s not going to look at someone and say “Hey, what’s up? How’s it hangin’?” If his general manner of speaking changes, there needs to be a reason. Either the formality was just a show or something is going on in his mind that you need to know. As the writer, and the creator of that character, it’s your responsibility to have an explanation for those changes if the reader asks.

A character’s actions should suit his personality. If he’s the kind of person that takes the moral high-road, then he is going to severely disapprove of the idea of killing someone, even in self-defense. This should be expressed in his actions. He would likely protest the incident or even try to stop it.

Future Plans

While it may seem strange to think about this, even if you only plan on using the character once, it does merit some thought. What does the character want out of life? What are his goals and ambitions? How does he plan on accomplishing them? These things will shape your characters actions and add a little more depth to him.

Character Relations

One of the things to keep in mind when working with an original character is how he would interact with established characters and how they would react to him. Very few people will accept something at face value. They are not going to instantly trust or sometimes even like him.

With this in mind, I strongly caution against creating an original character to act as a new love interest. While the cliché of “love at first sight” seems prevalent in stories, it’s rarely the case, and when it is, it’s often one-sided. The readers are also likely to resist a drastic change in emotion like that, especially regarding a stranger. If you bring a character in as a love interest, it needs to be a gradual transition.

Abilities

Given the nature of fiction, especially sci-fi and fantasy, it’s possible that you would want your character to have a special ability; something that makes him unique. This could be something that could benefit the protagonists or something that would make him a challenging antagonist.

One thing to keep in mind is that there has to be an explanation for his abilities. Was he born with them? Is he even human? How well can he use them? Also remember, you can have a very strong character, but no one is invincible. If he’s an antagonist, there has to be a way to defeat him. If he’s helping the protagonists, then he should be helping them, not doing all the work for them.

Along those lines, if he is helping the protagonists, then usually, he shouldn’t be stronger than him. If he is, then there has to be an explanation. As it was pointed out at another time, a Plumber’s kid that’s new to his powers isn’t going to be stronger than Ben, Gwen, or Kevin. It just isn’t going to happen.

Fairness

If you are writing an action-based story, you have to be fair to the characters involved. If there is excessive fighting, people are going to get hurt, including your own characters. Any large-scale battle is going to have casualties. You can’t send the characters into a fight and have everyone get hurt except for your original. I can almost guarantee that your readers will definitely not be happy with that, or with you.


Conclusion

Original characters can enhance your story or ruin it, depending on how you use them. A well thought-out character can give your work an extra boost, but a transparent one can turn a potentially wonderful story into something that the reader might not enjoy.

I hope this has been helpful and the concept example will follow shortly.

[Lady Lasa]

Alright, here's an example of a full character creation. Keep in mind, this is lengthy due to the character's age, so you don't necessarily need to have yours this long, but just something to use as reference.


Lothan Konistav

Basic Information

Age: Appears to be in his early 20’s, actual age 1,238 years old.

Appearance: 6’3”, muscular build, shoulder length dark brown hair, dark blue eyes, pale complexion. Appears human.

Race: Vampire, formerly human

Background

Early years

Lothan was born in a small village on Myscania, the western continent of Zalyndrya. His mother died when he was an infant and he spent his early childhood with his father, who was a blacksmith. When he was eight, he began working as an assistant in his father’s shop. In his early teens, he lost his father in an accident in the shop. Having no feasible means of self-support, Lothan took to the streets.

Over the course of the next couple of years, he traveled inland to the city, at that time known as Bloedvell. He lived on the streets, stealing what he could from vendors. During that time, he met other orphans in the same situation and they worked together for survival. He met Raena when he was thirteen, an orphaned girl his age, and she helped him to obtain food and care for the younger children in their group.

When Lothan was sixteen, he snuck into Castle Darkflame during a banquet in attempt to steal enough food to sustain them for a few days. He was discovered by a member of the Royal Guard, and during his attempt to escape, the guard was killed. Lothan was arrested and sent to trial, which was held in the castle’s courtyard. The gallows were in place, with the assumption that the event would end in his hanging.

During the trial, Raena forced her way through the crowd with the other orphans and pleaded with Lord and Lady Rimos to spare Lothan’s life. Taking pity on the children, they ruled the guard’s death an accident pending further investigation and ordered Lothan to work for eight years as a servant to the royal blacksmith to atone for the thefts.

Despite the circumstances, he enjoyed the work and grew into a man. The master blacksmith was one of the few people within the castle walls that treated him fairly. Raena had taken a job in the kitchens and most of the children were adopted by families within the city. During the eight years, Lord and Lady Rimos had passed on, leaving their grown son to rule.

The workings of the castle, and Zalyndrya, changed drastically when Zalandor Rimos took power. Open Court was reduced to once a month and then eliminated altogether. He was rarely seen outside of the castle walls and eventually never during the day.

On the final day of his sentence, Lothan was summoned to the castle and offered a chance to stay on as a blacksmith in anticipation of his former master’s retirement. When he refused, citing bad memories of the place and his plans to wed Raena once he was a free man, Zalandor attacked him.

Lothan learned the truth behind the monarch’s erratic behavior and as he was losing consciousness, he realized that Raena had received the same summons. Her scream was the last thing he heard. After the transformation, Lothan was unable to control the need for blood and was forced to kill the woman he planned to marry.

Intermediate

Lothan fled the castle as soon as he was able to think clearly. He became nomadic, traveling across Zalyndrya, and eventually made it his goal to eliminate other vampires. Filled with self-loathing and rage, he thought little of anyone else and became an assassin for hire.

For about two centuries, he existed with no goals or ambitions, except for the next payday from the next person he would kill. He was indiscriminate in his assignments; if the price was right, he would kill anyone. There was no reason for him to learn the details or to get to know anyone.

The exception finally came when he accepted a contract to eliminate a woman who was rumored to be the daughter of the first elf to break the exile. (Note, the Elves had enacted a self-imposed exile immediately after Zalandor took power). He traveled to the town of Lokett-Aranna, on the eastern continent of Dravaca, and began searching for information. As he was observing the activity in the local tavern, he was approached by the tavern mistress, who questioned him on his presence and attitude towards her staff.

During the brief conversation, he stated that he would require a room for a few nights. Once their business was concluded, the tavern closed for the night. He watched her head into the woods and followed, half for curiosity’s sake, and half for the thought of a fresh meal. He was careful to remain unseen, but he realized she had picked up on his presence.

She surprised him again when she was able to determine his true nature and he decided to eliminate her to protect his secrecy. However, he found that he was literally unable to touch her. It was then, that he discovered her identity and that she was the one he had been assigned to kill. Lothan devised a plan to gain her trust in order for her to remove her protective magic.

Over the course of the next few months, he worked with her in the tavern, never revealing the reason for his stay. While she warmed up to him and began to treat him as a friend, her protection remained in place. At one point, she had traveled to the port city of Boria for several days. When Lothan awoke one night, he found she had returned, but was drinking heavily.

He questioned her and learned that her magic was dismissed when she slapped him, accusing him of the very deception that he had intended. However, at that moment, the prime opportunity for him to strike, he chose not to kill her. It was at that moment, that he realized that she had treated him as a friend and comrade, despite his condition and that her anger was not at his original intentions, but at his betrayal.

It took time for him to gain her trust again and the next day, he discovered her protection was back in place. Within a week, she had dismissed it again and seemed to be on her way to forgiving him. By the following spring, he had summoned the courage to ask for her hand in marriage and she agreed.

They were married for almost a year, during which they spent preparing to mount an assault on the castle to remove Zalandor Rimos from power. At that time, she asked him to turn her into a vampire and he initially refused. They argued the point for a week before she informed him she would be facing Zalandor in her present state if necessary.

Unable to bear the thought of her losing her life in the upcoming battle, he gave in to her request. After teaching her what she would need to know, they confronted the monarch and his minions, successfully destroying him.

Today

Lothan’s past plays a large role in his actions. While he is generally a good person, he still has lapses from time to time. He maintains relatively good behavior for the sake of his marriage and his wife’s happiness. They have ruled Zalyndrya for many centuries through the use of diplomacy and with the help of a close set of advisors.

From time to time, Lothan and his wife leave their homeland to visit other realms, most commonly Earth. Their most notable visits have ended with the acquiring of new friends and enemies, as well as their adopted daughter deciding to remain in the land of technology.

At over twelve hundred years old, Lothan has reached the point where he takes his amusement whenever, and however, he can. Usually this comes in the form of making humans uncomfortable with is presence, either by his actions or a few tension-inducing comments here and there. While he doesn’t go out of his way to start a fight most of the time, he has no problem in finishing one.

Abilities

Being a vampire gives Lothan certain advantages and disadvantages. He has incredible strength, speed, and enhanced senses. In addition to that, and as with the vampires of his world, he is able to change form into a raven and turn incorporeal to pass through surfaces. He rarely uses those abilities, though, preferring a more direct approach. Lothan is more likely to break down a door than simply pass through it. His body will heal normal wounds very quickly and any foreign projectile will be rejected (i.e. bullets).

However, those strengths do have their counterparts. Sunlight is fatal to him. A stake through the heart, while it won’t destroy him, it will paralyze him until someone else removes it. While most of his limbs would regenerate over a short amount of time, decapitation will kill him.

He also must consume blood to survive. Given his age, he can go several days without, but he prefers to remain well-fed. He prefers to feed fresh, but will sustain himself with bottled blood from their supplier most of the time.

[fierysue]

Lasa, this is exactly what I needed, especially since I have suddenly too many ways to develop my stories. I salute you for a well-thought out guide to OCs.

*gives Lasa a medal*

[Lady Lasa]

Thank you

I'm glad it helps.

And a medal! Ooo... shiny....

[euro215]

I know that I'm kinda late on this... but... WOW. Can't wait to read the book.

[Lady Lasa]

Thanks Euro.

One of the reasons I used Lothan for the example is because, as old as he is, there's a lot of history with him. Just something to keep in mind when considering a character's age.

That and the fact that he's one of my favorite characters to write.