Roleplay and Character Creation Guide

[bury the year]

I'm a bit sick of seeing the same run-of-the-mill characters in RP after RP, so I've decided to administer some preventative medicine. This guide is here to help guide you to create more original or individualized characters for the RP and fanfic forums, as well as developing better roleplays in of themselves. Remember, making anything of this type takes time, diligence, and an eye for creativity. (Spellcheck helps too.) You are only limited by the amount of effort you want to put into your creation, so make sure to spend a while on it! This guide in in two parts: the first gives some basic ideas on how to flesh out building your roleplay, while the second is broken up by application field to help develop your character. This thread will remain open, so give me any feedback you may have. Now, shall we start?

---
 
[spoiler="Section 1: Plot + Background"]First, you need to know what your roleplay is going to be about. Most roleplays are either based on an existing franchise (animanga, video game, TV show, etc.) or an original concept. It’s best to distinguish which one you want to delve into, as this will radically change the approach you will take to building your RP.
 
Depth of Explanation: Also known as, “how much should be left unsaid?” This mainly depends on what franchise your RP is based off of, if at all. Something like Yugioh or Pokémon is commonly known; thus, you probably don’t have to write up a five-page guide detailing how to duel or have a battle. Something like Golden Sun, however, may require some extra information about alchemy and Psynergy. It’s also not a bad idea to find a link to a wiki (just Google the series name followed by “wiki”) so members can read up on any information you may have missed. However, one thing you do not want to do is overwhelm potential RPers with information. If something isn’t necessary for them to know in creating their application, it’s not a bad idea to leave it out until it crops up in the RP.
 
Of course, if you’re making an original RP, you can’t just leave a lot of stuff to guessing. The more detail, the better. You always can let players fill in the blanks on minor information, such as hometowns or specific spells, but the overarching mechanics you can’t leave up to chance. Otherwise, you’ll get people trying to wiggle around them; and if that happens too much, the RP may likely collapse.
 
A good idea is to think of each major location you plan on visiting in the RP, and either describe it or note how it has changed from its original form. Do the same thing with major entities, either political (kingdoms, nations, etc.) or corporate (businesses, organizations, and the like). Systems of magic or weaponry, if applicable, should be included. (What kinds of spells are there? Are there levels to how strong each one is? Does your magical weapon have an extra form/drive/release? You get the picture). You want to be able to have someone who has no prior knowledge of the canon be able to get a good idea of what the world’s like.
 
Canon Deviation: So, is there anything non-canon you want to introduce into your RP? Maybe have it set in a completely alternate timeline from the main game or story? This can be tricky, however. You need to be able to explain exactly what the sticking point is and what is essential. For example, take a Pokémon RP set in medieval times instead of modern ones. Consider the class system. Would there be one king at the top, with lords and peasants underneath? How would Pokémon factor into that all – would a Dragon-type be limited to nobles only? Think of little things like these and how they would play out, and balancing your world will become easy.
 
Progression: Beginning, middle, end. Those are the three major aspects you should have in any story, and the same goes with roleplays. Most thread-based RPs have a definite plot structure (unlike forum-wide ones which can be more open-ended), so you need to think how you’re going to start and how you’re going to conclude.
 
Beginning: Do characters already know one another, or do they need to get acquainted? Is there any structure of command in play, or will everyone just randomly meet up? What are some challenges you could introduce from the get-go?
 
Middle: Do you plan on having any significant lulls in the action to allow characters to rest and maybe socialize a bit more? What are some potential complications with your protagonists’ quest to achieve their objectives? How much control do you as the GM plan on having over the course of events?
 
End: Is there one central final battle, or is it more a tying up of various loose ends of individual plots? Does the villain (if NPCd) get their comeuppance, or do they escape? And, of course, did you leave a possible sequel hook?[/spoiler]
[spoiler="Section 2: Characters"]Balance: To get a better chance of being accepted into a limited pool, it’s best to see what’s been done already in terms of characters and what gaps still exist. If there’s already three swordsmen accepted, a good balance may be creating a magician.
 
Name: Make sure you give your character a name appropriate to the setting. For example, if you're making a medieval knight in a Norse fantasy setting, don't just call them Joe Smith. Something like Thor Eriksson would work well. Something like Izanagi Tanaka wouldn't. If you need help, think of possible nicknames that person could be given based on their personality or appearance, and backtrack from there. However, avoid like the plague names that don't sound like names, or that don't fit your character's ethnicity. Think about it. If you had a name like Striker Dragonbane, you'd be laughed straight to the next town. Same thing with a pure Irishman named Ryunosuke.

Gender: Male or female. There’s really not any grey space here, unless you take the rare approach of a biological asexual or intersexual. In that instance, be careful and respectful with how you play this, and don’t make it into a punch line. You can also cover sexuality in this section: although statistically the majority of the population is straight, taking another option can make for interesting character-based drama.

Age: Once again, this should be appropriate to the setting. For example, if you’re at a high school, you should ideally be making either a teenager (for a student) or an adult in their 30s-40s (for a teacher). However, if there aren’t any restrictions, don’t be afraid to play characters on the older end of the spectrum. Their maturity can offer a new perspective. You also shouldn’t make a character who is too young and whose position/occupation demands a lot of experience.

Appearance: First of all, don’t solely rely on pictures. It’s bad form, because you’re using an image that’s not the same as that in your head in order to save time. If you want to use an image, it's a good idea to support it with some written description to differentiate. For help with that, start with stereotypical images. Describe them in one word – would you use preppy, jock, rebel, punk, or maybe even slob? From there, you can start drafting up specifics. If you have a non-human character, such as a Pokémon, take their canon appearance and think of little details, like scars or discolorations, to set them apart. Below are some lists of questions to help you brainstorm, divided by body section.

Frame: How tall are they? Are they skinny, defined, muscular, big-boned, fat, or just average? Do they have good posture, or do they slouch a lot? If they have some fat, is it around their stomach or their hips? Are they tanned, pale, burned, etc? Do they have tattoos or scars? Are they disfigured in some way, like missing a finger?

Head: What would you say people would notice first about your character’s face? If they’re a teenager, do they have the “typical problems,” like pimples and acne? Is their face round or skinny? How do they wear their hair? Do they change the colors of their eyes or hair? What about piercings? Are they always scowling or grinning? Are their eyebrows really noticeable?

Clothing: What kind of shirt do they wear: tank top, short sleeve, long sleeve, armor, none at all? Same go for pants: long, shorts, skirt, plate armor? (Brave enough for a Speedo?) Is their clothing in good constitution, or are there a lot of patches, stains and rips? Belt or no belt? Are their socks and shoes matching or not? Do they go barefoot?

Accessories: What kind of jewelry do they wear? Bracelets, rings, necklaces, earrings? How many do they have, and are they on just one side of the body or equally spread out? If they have a labor-intensive job, do they carry around any tools? How about bags with random items, like pencils and such? Do they have any cultural items, like a rosary?

Personality: This section is the undeniable root of your character, and plays the biggest role in defining how others see them. The biggest thing to keep in mind when thinking up your character is avoiding clichés: not only are they seen too much, but they’re predictable and offer little room for development. An example of this is the “hot-headed protagonist” type: they’re the kind to run into battle without giving a second thought, are usually book-dumb but street-smart, and always sticks up for their friends. That should sound familiar to you, because it’s the template for many shonen characters now. Those qualities alone aren’t bad in characters, but they become trite if used together too many times. If you do feel your character is too typical, try thinking of some random or creative quirks to spice them up. (Can only think while whistling? Loves rare types of chilies? Can play the piano with their feet?)

However, if you’re having difficulty with generating material, a good strategy is to pick a set of personality trait words (such as funny, coarse, optimistic, prejudiced, etc.) and then write for around 3-4 sentences each on how they apply to your character. If you use this strategy, make sure to balance positive and negative traits. An overly perfect and idealized character quickly approaches Mary Sue/Gary Stu territory.

History: You have no limits here, but you should stick to some guidelines. Generally, stay away from typical dramatized ideas, examples being “my whole family died when I was four,” “I was raped as a kid,” or even “I’m actually a prince(ss) stolen away at birth.” You’d be surprised how common these are, and they don’t make your character special: in fact, quite the opposite. When it comes to length, you need detail, but you shouldn’t as far as to give a day-by-day layout of their routine. As a general rule, include events that had significant effect on their life and how they were affected. If you have other characters (player or NPC) that are significant, make sure to mention them in some form as well. Finally, make sure your history matches up with the timeline: you shouldn’t be making phone calls in the Middle Ages.

Weaponry: This section and the next aren’t applicable if the RP you’re joining doesn’t call for them. However, if you’re in one that requires fighting, make sure you choose weapons that are appropriate for your character. For example, non-Japanese shouldn’t go toting around katana or shuriken (unless they’re otaku), and there shouldn’t be guns or even smithed blades in prehistoric times.
 
Additionally, take into account whether your character really needs something more than their own fists: if you’re making a meek secretary, the most she’ll probably carry around is a bottle of mace. You can also get arrested in most places for carrying around visible or concealed arms without permits. In the end, if you really want something, try straying away from the standard sword idea and look up more original or unseen ideas. They add creativity.

Powers: The important thing to remember here is moderation. Don’t go overboard with your character’s abilities; they should ideally be on about the same levels as everyone else’s unless you hold a special spot in the RP. Powers should also be appropriate to the canon that the RP is in. If the setting is just vampires, you don’t want a werewolf. Finally, stick to some kind of coherent theme with your powers instead of making them into some sort of chop suey. If you have a character themed around the moon, for example, some suggestions include hydrokinesis, gravity manipulation, or umbrakinesis. The choice is yours, but it’s ultimately up to the head of the RP to decide what you can and can’t do. (I also don't think it needs to be stated, but if powers aren't a part of the story, don't add them at all. Period.)

Additional: Use this section to provide any defining details that don’t go into the sections above. This is often not required.

Dynamics: When making your character, it’s important not only to consider your characters, but other people’s as well. Roleplays are more interesting when various character types and roles are filled, rather than everyone acting identically. For example, everyone likes playing the leader. However, try looking at the same scenario from a different perspective. Someone who’s really meek and observant, for example, would more likely than not make a better strategist in a military RP than the aforementioned hotheaded shonen protagonist. You can also consider romantic relationships in here. Do you see your character falling in love over the course of the RP? Do their feelings get reciprocated, or does their heart get broken?

Where to Go? You can easily jump into an RP without having any knowledge of what you want to do with it. However, if you have at least a vague inkling of what you want to accomplish, you can more properly accommodate your character. It’s a give and take kind of thing – what you input will end up coming back to help you. There’s little more that can be said.[/spoiler]
 
 

[Dwarven King]

Wow. This is really good and a great idea! I'll be checking up on it and giving my two cents!

[Kyng's Old Account]

Though I disagree with the idea that there is a right and wrong way to create a character, because there is none, and it is only down to personal opinion, I do respect that you have made a helpful tool to beginners who are rusty in the area and may need some form of guidance in it.

[Dementuo]

*Hails Kyubey*
This is brilliant. I know it's a work in progress, but perhaps a Bio section would be useful?
Perhaps a Personality portion, as well. That's my thought on it, at least. ^^

[bury the year]

[quote name='Dementuo' timestamp='1304817447' post='5194660']
*Hails Kyubey*
This is brilliant. I know it's a work in progress, but perhaps a Bio section would be useful?
Perhaps a Personality portion, as well. That's my thought on it, at least. ^^
[/quote]

Those are next on the list. Thanks for all the support, everyone~

[~Demyx~]

Great idea. Keep working on it. This helped me a lot for future apps.

[Chaos Number: Card Master]

Genius

Now i have more reason to decline horrible apps then ever before

[Otaku-sama]

Requires [s]more cowbell[/s] a list of the clichés to avoid for each section and a list of [s]over 9000[/s] of ways to avoid Mary/Gary Sues. How I hate the self inserters!

Very good though, thorough and will hopefully improve the character quality around here.

[Sorrow.]

A great guideline for New Comers for this section..

Nice.

[The Ringmaster]

o.o Fantastic idea. D: I hope you don't mind me adding, but perhaps if you give a couple of examples of unique characters for specific roleplays, that might help? Just a small suggestion, ignore it if you're too busy, or I'm overstepping my boundaries.

[bury the year]

[quote name='The Ringmaster' timestamp='1304973311' post='5199094']
o.o Fantastic idea. D: I hope you don't mind me adding, but perhaps if you give a couple of examples of unique characters for specific roleplays, that might help? Just a small suggestion, ignore it if you're too busy, or I'm overstepping my boundaries.
[/quote]

Unfortunately, it's difficult to make a character for a "specific roleplay" when the context for "specific" isn't given. Do you mean give an example of an RP and an ideal character for it?

[Dwarven King]

[quote name='Kyubey' timestamp='1304978284' post='5199309']
Unfortunately, it's difficult to make a character for a "specific roleplay" when the context for "specific" isn't given. Do you mean give an example of an RP and an ideal character for it?
[/quote]

I don't know if that's what he meant, but I like that idea! If you want, I can try to provide some examples. Just tell me the example RP and I'll see if I can do anything.

DK is always here to try to help! ;D

[Frybread002]

Hmmm...Now this is my opinion, but it is best to not get carry away with this guys, so with that being said, I am only stating my opinion here, so I hope my views do not really affect Rinne's thread:

I will be honest Rinne, it IS a good idea to post SOME sterotypical examples so that people who are applying for them will not have any common Shounen characters. But, the real badside about it, is that it IS a very bold claim to say:

[quote name='Kyubey' timestamp='1304813454' post='5194554']
...This guide is here to help guide you through making a high-quality RP or fanfic character...
[/quote]

I state this because...well, it seems rather cocky to say it. Even though you are a MOD to the role-play forums, it's really our jobs as Role-Play creators to either decline or accept these kinds of characters. Now, like I said earlier, these are only my opinions, so I hope it doesn't have any real affect towards the thread, but if you were to say something like:

"This guide is here to help guide you to create more orginal characters or individualized characters for the RP/fan-fic forums"

Then it wouldn't really make you sound like a butt who knows everything on the thread (of course that is really only in my opinion).

But is it really your fault that I'm saying? No. It is really our fualt that you are making this thread Rinne. Because, it is really our jobs to accept these kinds of characters, as well as to saying something like "Yo man, this character is wack, so could you work on this for a bit?"

To conclude here, it is really our fault as role-play owners for accepting (or declining) these kind of characters. And if it is a newcomer who does submit it, then as a individual, it is your responsibility to have patience.

P.S. In terms of actual feedback, I think my only real complaint here, is that you really sound like a butt Rinne. Like, it is actually insulting us (those who do make character applications), so if you can just ease up on what you are saying, then I'll commit to it.

P.P.S Personally, I don't think a picture in a character applications makes all the difference, so I don't think it really should derserve to be mention. But since your the boss around here, I'm not really going to complain.

[Quiksilver]

I agree with what most of what you said, Frybread, but there is one thing that really stuck in my craw-

[quote name='Frybread002' timestamp='1305000599' post='5200265']
P.P.S Personally, I don't think a picture in a character applications makes all the difference, so I don't think it really should derserve to be mention. But since your the boss around here, I'm not really going to complain.
[/quote]

Pictures are the bane of all character apps, not going to lie. It limits your creativity with a character, as you have to keep to what is in the picture. Sure, you can say it's like this picture except this and this, but that's just sloppy. It also ruins the point of the picture in the first place, as you'll have to imagine a different person than what is shown. Plus, to roleplay on this forum you're going have to do so in text, not pictures, so why use one in the first place? If you're a real good roleplayer, than you're going to be describing your character in-RP (EX: Sarah stepped forward to Mike v. The tall, willowy blond moved hesitantly forward and smiled shyly at the much larger Mike) so what's the point?

For the app itself, I have to say it's a good starting point for all Roleplayers to use and RP-owners to base their own apps off of. Customize it a bit to your own RP, and presto- a good-quality app. Nice job. I also like how you included fanfic in there, so now I won't feel guilty about using it for my fanfic characters.

[bury the year]

@Fry:

Umm... what are you trying to say here? Your post is circuitous in ways, so let me address your complaints as best as I can. From what I can read/tell, you believe my word choice was a bit condescending, in which case I apologize. Having done a lot of my RPing off-site recently, so I've come from places that are comparatively of a much higher quality. (No offense, YCM.) Point gladly taken.

In response to the second PS, the reason I strongly suggest not using pictures is that I always see the same 15 or so rotated around a hundred times or so. It makes it so that the character is more individualized and stands out more.

EDIT:
@Luxray: You hit the nail on the head.

[Admiral_Stalfos19]

I'll be honest here, I don't like the insistence against using pics. I don't use pics to save time, I use pics because they look cool and awesome (at least the ones I usually select are), and I'm pretty sure there are (AT LEAST!!) a few RPer's that use pics for the exact same reason. And even if the pic you select for your character's appearance isn't quite what you had in mind, you can always go on to say that her eyes are blue instead of hazel, or she has a ring on her ring finger, or her fingernails are about a millimetre or two shorter than they appear or she doesn't have a bandanna on her head for example. Surely other people will take those subtle changes into account, especially if they're to imagine a character out of a wall of text. EDIT: Actually, now that I think about, I'd like to advise that you keep it to a minimum, as it ruins the whole point of supplying a pic in the first, like Luxray said.

Just my two cents, so take with a grain of salt. Apart from that, I'd be happy to bandwagon and claim this as a good idea.

EDIT: [quote name='Kyubey' timestamp='1305063693' post='5201590']the reason I strongly suggest not using pictures is that I always see the same 15 or so rotated around a hundred times or so.[/quote]

Ah, but what's stopping them from copying and pasting the same 15 or so appearance texts and rotating [i]them[/i] around a hundred times or so, hmm?

[Frybread002]

No, no...Personally, I really don't see people using pics as a big deal. Since I'm usually drawing my own characters out, so that is my excuss, but in general, I'd just see the "No pic" rule as a minor one. Like, it's frowned upon, but people really won't make a big deal out of them, so I personally don't see a big deal whenever I do my role-play. But Rinne, instead of saying "Do not use pictures" just say say it's frowned upon by you and a lot of members of the role-play fourn (and possibly fan-fic). But if IS against the rules...well, I'm still gonna allow pictures in my role-plays.

[Kōsuke Ueki]

Haven't you all realized about instead of making descriptions, you can just try and draw the character yourself? If one is great in drawing, they can draw their character to the specifications that they want. Apparently, Kyubey, you frown upon ALL images, yet not all of them should be, since someone's own drawing, if actually really good, can be used to replace descriptions, And besides, making your own drawing takes longer than a paragraph-long description, and thus brings forth more creativity and originality to the character and the one who uses the character. Like Frybread, who's drawing experience is enough to understand what I'm seeing, [size="1"]however, I know someone who is of better drawing experience than Frybread who I look up to when he is not busy with college[/size], and can sometimes be a little lazy when it comes to drawing certain things.

So basically, not all images should be frowned upon, so long as you created the character and has possibly posted it on DeviantArt. Most images are frowned upon, so but if it's yours, then it's okay.

[Frybread002]

[quote name='The Swift Assaulter' timestamp='1305124384' post='5202780']
Haven't you all realized about instead of making descriptions, you can just try and draw the character yourself? If one is great in drawing, they can draw their character to the specifications that they want. Apparently, Kyubey, you frown upon ALL images, yet not all of them should be, since someone's own drawing, if actually really good, can be used to replace descriptions, And besides, making your own drawing takes longer than a paragraph-long description, and thus brings forth more creativity and originality to the character and the one who uses the character.[/quote]

That is a good point, but the only problem is if the owner (or somebody volunteering to do so) wants to actually draw the image themself. And talking from experience, is it a lot of work to do. However, I personally don't care what Rinne or anybody else thinks about using images in their role-plays, I'm always allowing imagins. So this part about the pictures doesn't really concern me.

[quote name='The Swift Assaulter' timestamp='1305124384' post='5202780']
Like Frybread, who's drawing experience is enough to understand what I'm seeing, [size="1"]however, I know someone who is of better drawing experience than Frybread who I look up to when he is not busy with college[/size], and can sometimes be a little lazy when it comes to drawing certain things.
[/quote]
Why thank you TSA for acknowledging such an expert, wiseman, and sage at drawin-...You wanna die...?

[quote name='The Swift Assaulter' timestamp='1305124384' post='5202780']
So basically, not all images should be frowned upon, so long as you created the character and has possibly posted it on DeviantArt. Most images are frowned upon, so but if it's yours, then it's okay.
[/quote]
Again, I'm a neutral at this part of the agrument, but it does make a lot of sense, so long as the individual does draw them. But again, I see "No Picture" thing, not much of a big deal. Like, I know quite a few role-plays where I couldn't use a picture, but was still able to get past it because I did the drawing myself. So if anything, the only real problem with your statement TSA, is there is a invidividual(s) who is willing to do so, and if one person doesn volunteer, I don't think people should have the right to chatise that person becuase they done the drawing themself.

But that's just me though.

P.S. Again, these are just my opinions, so I hope they do not have any significant impact on your thread Rinne.

P.P.S Just a footnote though, I would really appreciated if you guys don't really use my name in a discussion. Like, I have no problem being mentioned, it's jus that I really don't want my name to be the center of the discussion. But that's just me though, so you don't have too, if you don't want to.

[bury the year]

...please don't tell me this is going to turn into the next Basic vs. Advanced war. My [i]opinion[/i] stands. That is all.

[Dwarven King]

[quote name='Kyubey' timestamp='1305151047' post='5203533']
...please don't tell me this is going to turn into the next Basic vs. Advanced war. My [i]opinion[/i] stands. That is all.
[/quote]

He has a point. This thread isn't a "Do it this way or die!" thing. It's a "I suggest you do it this way for better results." thread. Please remember that guys.

Also, Kyubey, I'm still willing to provide examples if you would just tell me what you want the examples of.

[FacelessHero]

[quote name='The Swift Assaulter' timestamp='1305124384' post='5202780']
Haven't you all realized about instead of making descriptions, you can just try and draw the character yourself? If one is great in drawing, they can draw their character to the specifications that they want. Apparently, Kyubey, you frown upon ALL images, yet not all of them should be, since someone's own drawing, if actually really good, can be used to replace descriptions, And besides, making your own drawing takes longer than a paragraph-long description, and thus brings forth more creativity and originality to the character and the one who uses the character. Like Frybread, who's drawing experience is enough to understand what I'm seeing, [size="1"]however, I know someone who is of better drawing experience than Frybread who I look up to when he is not busy with college[/size], and can sometimes be a little lazy when it comes to drawing certain things.

So basically, not all images should be frowned upon, so long as you created the character and has possibly posted it on DeviantArt. Most images are frowned upon, so but if it's yours, then it's okay.
[/quote]

I for one don't use images in character descriptions unless I have drawn the image myself (which I have done), so I agree with your statement. If the person creating the app drew the picture it can be just as good, if not better, then a paragraph of text (though I usually do both XD ) Also using a pic you did not draw also works as long as you are willing to add a paragraph to show how your character is different then the pic (different hair color, scars, minor changes and whatnot)

Anyways thats just my opinion, just like how the original post is just Kyubey's opinion and he's entitled to put however he feels in it. As far as the rest of the post goes I agree completely.

[Frybread002]

Personally, I think these are only are prefences, and so I don't think we should be putting in what we do regarding role-plays. You know, just so we won't spam it or anything like that.

As for the [i]Basic vs. Advanced War[/i]...Yeah I wasn't even here when that happened, so I'm not really gonna care about it, but if it's about avoiding an fight, it really just depends on how well Rinne here is willing to enforce his power in his thread. Like, what I'm about to say applies to all of us here, but if someone is causing a nusance on a thread we started as individuals, then it is up to us to enforce a smaller, government-like rule in our threads. If we don't then people will start to forget about things like "what not to do." If we can simply enforce our rules and act according to each offense, then an entire, full-scale ware can be avoided. With that being said, if Rinne has the guts to express his concerns about us staying on topic or not, it is his choice. Of course I'm using Rinne as an example, of him running an invdividual thread. Not him as the MOD.

Not only that, what I just said also reflects on this character creation guide. I personally just turn a blind-eye to this thread, because most of us know how to make characters without really annoying somebody. But obvisouly somebody will make a mistake when doing their character application, which I'm guessing is why this thread is created in the first place. So when I first seen the title, I just checked on it because I wanted to see what it was about. But when I seen how Rinne was being a butt, it really felt like he was talking down to me (as a individual of course).

When doing a guide, it's rather obvius to be straight forward and blunt. Which Rinne has accomplished already, but what made me turn my head in annoyance, was how he was just talking donw to us. I have no personal feelings towards Rinne and his thread, but if you guys hadn't look at this topic from this side of the coin, then it should serve as a..."Rude Awakening."

A guide is meant to help someone get something like. It has to be straightforward and blunt as much as possible. However, you cannot insult your reader when writting it. How this applies to what I'm saying, is somewhat hard to explain, but everything that Rinne has listed, is literally the same questions that you would be asked by Pikaperson or somebody else when posting your ideas on the planning threads of the fan-fic and role-play forums. Not just that, but these are literally the same questions you would want to ask yourself when writting a novel!!

Like, when doing guide of this topic, it would really, really help for the writter to know his audience, and try to get perspective of the subjects he's listing. Example! Faceless Hero, you'd just said you try to draw your characters right? That's what I do! Of course, how we DO our character applications is the only thing that separates us! So to conclude here, it's a better idea to look at things at both sides of the coin, then just at one side.

[bury the year]

Hey. I'm here to give advice to improve your applications. It should no way come off as a personal affront - I didn't intend for that, and if I did, I would have been much more direct about it. Your believing that I'm insulting you isn't my fault.

Now, since it's becoming increasingly obvious that you guys can't take a gift horse without kicking it in the mouth, I'm locking this until it's updated again. Giving feedback is one thing: going "BAWWW RINNE'S SO MEAN" is another entirely.

[Catterjune]

[quote name='Kyubey' timestamp='1304813454' post='5194554']
[b]Appearance:[/b] First of all, [u]don’t use pictures![/u]
[/quote]
I disagree.

That is to say, don't use JUST a picture. Description + image works best IMO.

[spoiler=A]Appearance: A charming, aristocratic young lady of fine breeding. Her rather box-like frame is typically hidden behind the latest and most contemporary in Florentine fashion. The light bags under her eyes are typically unseen due to her charming and enigmatic smile.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=B][img]http://www.artchive.com/artchive/l/leonardo/monalisa.jpg[/img][/spoiler]

Of the above, I choose A over B, though that doesn't mean A+B wouldn't work.

[quote]You’re using an image that’s not the same as that in your head in order to save time.[/quote]

I violently disagree. If you drew it yourself, or took a random anime guy or girl and had decent photoshop skills to modify it, there is no way you wouldn't be able to put the image in your mind onto the screen.

[quote]People will interpret the image in ways you didn’t intend.[/quote]
Two things:
1: As I said before, this is why I believe description + image is the best way to go. The image is to solidify the thing in someone's mind. The description is to iron out wrinkles.
2: Can you give an example of a time when you interpreted an image the way it wasn't intended?


Edit: Oh, some other people also agree pics are decent and worthwhile. =\