forum Help with writing a stoic, brooding character

Started May 23, 2019 by @NotSoBeautifulDiseaster group

tune

I wondering how to write a stoic, cynical and pessimistic character without him coming off as a killjoy or boring

I think one of the most important things to making a stoic and pessimistic character interesting is the reason why they are that way. Why does your character look at the world in such a negative way? Was it childhood trauma? Maybe just insecurity?
A personal suggestion is to add some sort of strange quirk your character has. Maybe they're really fond of playing the bagpipes. Or maybe they are undeniably attracted to lasagna. Something to make them more rounded, and more of a person than a mere character.
Even stoic and pessimistic characters have different sides to them, although they tend to hide it more. Remember that your characters are people too(or whatever species they are), and that "stoic" and "cynical" shouldn't be the only words that define them.

I really hope this helped!

To answer the questions Jax (Jaxon "Jax" Shuǐguǒ)
He doesn't trust anyone and finds happiness as an illusion due to losing both of his siblings.
I guess some a quirk would be his love for apples, liver and fried tofu(it's a kitsune thing)

I think you have a good start on Jax! Him being "kitsune-blooded" adds an interesting twist to the cliche "stoic" type, as well as how he's a much more passive and timid character as opposed to being the easily annoyed and "tsundere" cliche. His backstory does give plausible reason as to why his outlook is so negative, which is good!
The only real problem that I see with this character is how severely bad and tragic his backstory is. Don't get me wrong, that can be a perfectly plausible thing: but only if it adds to the plot, develops the character themself, or the relationships within the story. I do advise you to be careful with such touchy topics like abuse, and I do heavily recommend doing research on the deeper psychological effects physical and emotional abuse can have on its victims, and incorporate those effects into Jax, whether it's small-scale or large scale.
These words are just suggestions, however, so do with them how you see fit! Again, I think you have a really good start on Jax, but a little more development, no matter how small, can make a huge difference!

I think you have a good start on Jax! Him being "kitsune-blooded" adds an interesting twist to the cliche "stoic" type, as well as how he's a much more passive and timid character as opposed to being the easily annoyed and "tsundere" cliche. His backstory does give plausible reason as to why his outlook is so negative, which is good!
The only real problem that I see with this character is how severely bad and tragic his backstory is. Don't get me wrong, that can be a perfectly plausible thing: but only if it adds to the plot, develops the character themself, or the relationships within the story. I do advise you to be careful with such touchy topics like abuse, and I do heavily recommend doing research on the deeper psychological effects physical and emotional abuse can have on its victims, and incorporate those effects into Jax, whether it's small-scale or large scale.
These words are just suggestions, however, so do with them how you see fit! Again, I think you have a really good start on Jax, but a little more development, no matter how small, can make a huge difference!

Okay Thanks :)