forum How Do You Guys Find Inspiration For Characters?
Started by @Wishy-Washy_Kinda_Squashy
tune

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@Anemone eco

Generally, I draw inspiration from real people such as those I have observed, myself, friends, and family. I also pull some inspirations from songs that I feel have a story behind them and think about who's telling it. I ask myself what kind of person they appear to be, how they react to certain things, and make up a story for them semi-based on the song.

In addition to that, I tend to look at the character's of others and how they're done, act, look, etc. and use them as inspiration and kind of weave some of the character concepts into my own. Of course not too similar, in fact, not very similar at all, though if I point out inspiration in some, you might be able to see it. We wouldn't wish for a carbon-copy of someone else's character though. :)

@jantz

To help describe/put into perspective how my character acts, I like to pull inspiration from other sources of media, such as books, movies, tv shows, etc. For my character Cameron, for his personality, I pulled a lot of traits from people like Leo Valdez, Eijiro Kirishima, and Ned Leeds. For his looks, however, I went to Pinterest and looked around and pulled out characteristics from different face claims that I thought fit him.

@Mellowsauc3! group

I'm not that professional, but I like to draw inspiration from concepts or themes that I like! Generally I tend to let myself wander, and follow a few tips. I like to have more freedom when I create, yknow? Generally I like to give them a certain vibe, or have them pertain to a certain sort of theme, as I mentioned before. For example, I am greatly inspired by the theme of ghosts and the underworld, so I like to utilize that idea in various ways. Maybe there's a good spirit, or someone followed by spirits. Maybe someone who uses spirits to their advantage! It's really about creativity, and having fun.

@Relsey-TheElder

When I create a character I pick a trait I know I want them to have. I then write with them in a stressful situation and see what happens. For example, I knew I wanted a character that was strong, that's what I had to work with, Strong. I picked a name from my way to long list which happened to be Azizia (A modified vertion of the name Aziz). So I had Strong as my base character trait and her name meaning, To be powerful, To be cherished.
Now I put her into a high stress situation. An argument, trying to help someone on the brink of death, dealing with someones death, Betrayal . By doing this I flesh out the character and fill in the blanks with a personality that makes sense, and mannerisms that worked together. I find that when I do this, I'm already familiar with the character when I begin the actual story, and there are less inconsistencies in the way the character behaves. Azizia went from being Strong, Powerful and cherished, To a leader who has been loved by her people and in turn loves them. She's strong willed and calm under pressure, because she has to be. She is a voice of reason, and is slow to give trust, she know's that trust falsely given ends in disaster. She's protective, she cry's when those under her care are hurt, she longs for closeness. I got that character, from one word and a name. Don't underestimate the power of a test run.

@jantz

Your character is set to private and we can't see it. To change it to public, go to your character sheet and find the three dots close to the banner. Click on it and you should be able to see it's privacy options from there.

@jantz

You definitely have a good start to Salem. Try working on his background tho, and maybe try going a little more in-depth with his flaws when you can. But overall, very nice and interesting.

Deleted user

Usually I wait for an idea to pop up in my head, or I watch tv or listen to music, and i hear something that inspires me, and I write down the idea that pops into my head.

@ninj-is-by

Ooooh ok

So I usually do something along these lines.

I either make a character like me, then expand on them how I like (idk but I have like the worlds most active imagination but the world's worst memory lmao)

Or I make a character that is the opposite of my, and throw some of my personality into him.

If neither of those work, or you have an imagination block, then I normally watch a crap ton of anime, start making oc's, then see if I can fit them into any of my universes.

if that doesn't work, start with a name, an age, and one small fun thing about them then just work from there.

Deleted user

Little late to respond and idk if anyone else has said it, but making new character based off of old ones is great for new writers! Just make sure they are unique enough that they are interesting and not cliche. After that I have something to work with, so i can switch up motivations, morals, appearance, or whatever based on what i want them to be and what they need to be in order to advance the plot!

Remy

Although I just make cartoons, they do be hittin hard doe
I draw inspiration from music, but, a word of advice; if a character has a mind of its own and "speaks" or has a noticeable presence in your conscious, its probably a good indicator its a strong character.

Take advantage of this, and hone in on that characters feelings and how they differ from yours, or, stand out.

Inspiration starts with you.

@ccb group

usually i create characters out of necessity to the story i want to tell, or because they have the type of personality i want to explore. my current main character and her gf came from a doodle i did in class last year and i worked the rest of the world around them. i think if you're making an ensemble cast, or even just interested in character dynamics and types at all, TV Tropes is an amazing resource (my advice is to start here). if you're struggling with your characters' appearances or General Vibe, it can be fun to go on picrew, doll divine, meiker, etc, and just randomize the doll on one of their more detailed games, then try to build a character around that.

@The-Magician group

For me, creating characters is usually something that’s based around my dreams. I have very vivid dreams and all of my characters have stemmed from people within them, this being the case for my main character’s best friend.

My main character is based around my insecurities. A lot of people do this, it’s nothing special. However that’s exactly why my main character is unique. She’s mute in her natural form, and as a human she constantly worries to the point where it makes her physically sick. Little things like that make for a really interesting character if done correctly.

Another thing I use is music. I’ve lost count of the number of characters I’ve created from music——my main character’s twin brother being a prime example. The songs that inspire my characters are ones that connect with me. For example, with the twin brother, it was the song ‘I Found’ by Amber Run that connected with my lack of emotional strength and gave birth to the paranoid mess that is this character.