forum Can someone help me flesh out some characters?

Started February 21, 2018 by @ArdenInTheGarden

tune

I've got six characters I'd like to work on fleshing out, if anyone has any questions they think could help :)

What's their favorite color/food/animal/etc?

If they could only eat one food the rest of their life what would it be and why? (By why I mean try to think of a thought process behind the choice, for example, I would choose potatoes because there are lots of different ways to cook potatoes so I won't get tired of eating the same thing all the time).

How would they handle public speaking?

Do they like being around lots of people or keeping to themselves?

Are they early birds or night owls?

What are their clothing preferences? (Stylish vs Comfortable, Formfitting vs Baggy, etc)

How do they change their behavior in casual vs formal settings?

Do they like pineapple on pizza?

Think of scenarios that are emotionally charged (fight with friends/family member, asking someone on a date, apologizing, someone close died, embarrassed in public, etc) and write how your characters would respond. If your story takes place in a historical, fantasy, or otherwise foreign setting, think of situations that would be common place in that setting.

I hope this helps. :)

Calien:
+Green/salads/owls
+Greens, because they're available nearly wherever, and there's a lot of variety to it all
+He's very comfortable with public speaking, and feels like it's a necessary part of leading a revolution
+He prefers being alone, since he doesn't like being seen as a monster
+He's a night owl
+He dresses casually with no remorse
+His behaviour is unapologetically the same regardless of setting
+No

• (In a fight)
  "What the Hell do you want from me!? I'm just a monster, huh? What do you expect from me!?" Calien shouted, fists drawn in a defensive position. He didn't want to fight Aysha, but if she didn't get it, she didn't get it. He couldn't expect someone so privileged to understand what it was like to suffer. The grass under his boots was singed, the surrounding vegetation wilting from the heat he exuded.
  "I want you to stop being so stubborn! I want you to remember for three seconds that you're not the only person in the world who matters! We're ALL part of this! We're ALL in this as criminals together, and you can't just keep doing whatever you feel like because you don't want to consider any of us!" Aysha snapped back, fin raised in a threatening manner. He was just so selfish, it wasn't fair! She gave him one warning shot–just one–a small shot of water that zipped over his shoulder. "I don't want to fight you, but I can't let you get us all killed!"
  "Big talk from the little fish!" He retorted, sparks, small crackles of fire dancing at his fingertips. If she didn't back down, he would have no choice. He was at an elemental disadvantage, but he knew that she was an inexperienced fighter.
  "Back off!" She yelled, taking a step toward him.
  "How about both of you knock it off?" Harley shouted, a jagged wall of earth raising suddenly between the two of them. "You're being children! I don't want to have to be the jerk, but I'm not burying the both of you! Get back to camp, eat some of Petre's breakfast, and shut it!" He snapped, stepping between them and waiting until they finally relented.
  "…fine." Aysha muttered.
  "Yeah, well, she's lucky then. I would've won." Calien muttered as well. He was hit in the face with a small ball of dirt, and a dirty look from Harley as they all made their way back to camp.

Harley:
+Orange/soup/butterflies
+Candies, because he loves sweets too much and is impulsive enough he'd pick that before realising what a terrible choice it would actually be
+He despises public speaking, or anything that draws attention to himself
+He loves being around others, even though people tend to make him nervous
+He's an early bird
+He likes to dress casually, in the traditional garb of earth elementals
+He is very conscious of setting and does his best to mind his manners as well as possible
+Yes

• (discussing his gender)
  "I just don't see why you won't come swimming." Aysha lamented, splashing and gliding through the water gracefully. "You're not a fire, I don't see why it's a big deal. I know plenty of earth elementals who used to come to our village for the water!"
  "I just don't want to get in the water, alright?" He retorted defensively. He wrapped his arms around his chest, looking sharply away from Aysha. She was too nosy.
  "Come ooon, I'm sure you're great! Most guys are great swimmers, right? Come on!" She splashed him with water, thoroughly soaking him.
  "Hey, stop-!" He gasped in horror, his wet top clinging to his chest. He was clearly endowed with female bosom, and though he quickly pulled his loose shirt away from his skin, the damage had already been done.
  "Whoa…you're a lady?" She hauled herself up onto the bank by the river, looking him over with renewed interest.
  "No! I'm not!" He yelled frantically, drawing up a wall of earth to encase himself. He didn't want to be seen. She wasn't allowed to see him.
  "I don't mean like–Merrill give me strength…you get it, right? I don't mean you're a girl, I just mean…you know…underneath and all." She said awkwardly, putting her hands on the side of the rock tomb he had encased himself in. "You're still a guy, you know? I just didn't know you weren't…I don't know, born that way. You're still a guy." She repeated.
  Harley stayed inside his hidey-hole, tears streaming down his face. He didn't know what to do. He didn't want to have to face her again.

"He couldn't expect someone so privileged to understand what it was like to suffer."

That line is character developing gold. I can interpret three things about Calien from this one sentence:
1) He clearly has a prejudice against people he sees as privileged as he assumes they couldn't possibly know what suffering is like.

2) One of his flaws is thinking he knows better than everyone else, and has an excessive sense of superiority.

3) He has clearly suffered in his own life, to a degree that he dismisses the suffering of others as less severe than his own experience. (Story wise I am intrigued to know if Calien's experience is actually significantly worse than what most people in this world experience, but character wise it doesn't matter if he is right in this belief or not, because this belief would inform his actions regardless of it's validity.)

I don't know if I'm picking up what you are going for with this character, but I wanted to point out exactly where his personality is shining through in your writing. You also do an excellent job of making him consistent through out the scene. The way he taunts Aysha (big talk from the little fish) played into his sense of superiority. He also analyzed the advantages and disadvantages he and his opponent had in the fight, which shows that while he may be a bit cocky, he is also an experienced and strategic fighter.

Thank you!! I appreciate that a lot. Cal is kind of a jerk most of the time, but he's a jerk for what he thinks is a good cause. Fire elementals receive the brunt of elemental discrimination (fire is considered immoral and dangerous, with no sort of redeeming factors aside from being able to be used as a fuel source). The other characters all receive unfair treatment (as all Elementals are) but not to the same degree as fire. He believes he knows best because of this–only he could understand what the revolution needs, and only he could know how to do things. Which is, of course, untrue, but he believes this to be the case, and is more than willing to be the leader, even if the others don't want him to be

Petre:

+Blue/cotton candy/birds
+Fruits, because they're good for the body and the mind
+He doesn't mind much of anything, public speaking included
+He prefers being around others, but sometimes has to retreat for a little time on his own to "recharge"
+Early bird
+Loose clothing that can flow in the breeze
+He's a very calm person, and his behaviour is always an odd mix of formal and informal
+He'd eat anything

• (the death of a friend)
  Petre stood in silence, rigid as he looked down. His friend, his companion, someone he had grown to love…they were gone. Slowly, stiffly, he untied the ribbon from around his neck, and tied it around one of the stones that lay at his feet.
  "Petre…" Vasnik started, but faltered. He looked away before turning back. "There was nothing I could have done. He was already gone."
  "No!" Petre turned, suddenly fierce. "You should have done more! There was nothing you could do!? You're a Life elemental! That's your entire job!"
  "There's only so much someone can do! He was already gone! I'm a healer, not a necromancer!" Vasnik shouted, offended by the very notion that he had done his job poorly.
  Petre shouted, not even bothering to form words. Fierce winds whipping around him, he pushed the others back. He didn't want to see them. He didn't want to even be near them.
  "Petre, stop it!" Calien shouted, trying to push through and grab him, but he was pushed further back than he imagined.
  Jasper stopped Petre, restraining him back against the ground. The good thing about being a Mind elemental? No need to get close and use your body.
  The Wind elemental struggled, but there was little he could do. He simply ended up sobbing against the ground, the wind dying down. There was nothing else he could do.

Vasnik:
+Black/stew/bats
+Stew, because there's a million ways you can make it, and it can be hearty or lighter depending on the season and the mood
+He detests public speaking, but knows it's something he will occasionally need to do, and he feels his whole life has been an exercise in doing what you don't want to do, so he knows how to do it
+He hates other people for the most part, and prefers to spend his time alone if he can help it
+Night owl
+Clothing that covers him head to toe, where none of himself can be seen by others
+He's stiff and rude, and tends to not change for the situation or pay attention to it, though he does possess the capabilities of being very civil when the time calls for it
+No

• (having to undress)
  "Sir, we need to see your mark." The guard said simply, staying firmly in front of the door.
  "You don't. I have my summons papers right here." He held out the paper to the man. In crisp ink, complete with a governmental seal, was calling for him to come to the building.
  "We need to see your mark." The guard repeated.
  Seeing as he had no other choice if he wanted to be able to do his job, Vasnik slowly began the process of undressing. First he removed the hat and his mask, the long, bird beak on it providing a handy way to hold it. The daylight burned his eyes, and he blinked against the pain. Under the guard's silent gaze, he set about removing more of his clothes. The thick overcoat was pulled off, and the vest unbuttoned and tossed onto the ground.
  "All the way." He said sharply.
  "Alright, alright. I'm going." He grumbled, pulling off his shirt, and showing the mark on his upper arm. "V.A." was beneath the symbol assigned to his element. Vasnik Artora, of the Vitality Element. "There. Happy?"
  "No, but I have no reason to keep you out." The guard replied gruffly. "Go in then."
  Vasnik grumbled something unintelligible, gathering up his clothing and hastily redressing himself. Damn guards…