1. Builderbot2000

    Builderbot2000 New Member

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    Help me build a most complex character

    Discussion in 'Character Development' started by Builderbot2000, Feb 24, 2017.

    The title says it all. I will cut straight into the topic.

    General Traits:
    -Name:
    The name is most likely a wordplay on the theme of the character itself, a label that concludes all of its character traits, personality, and is preferably related to a personal motif.

    -Gender: I don't know about this one, depends on the combination of traits.

    -Personality: Most likely not unified, and probably has a bit of Dissociative Personality Disorder, which allows adequate space for contrast. Totally open for development.

    -Physique: A mixture of the physical projection of the stereotypes of the character's personality traits.

    -Type: A balance of dynamic, minor static("determination" factor) and supreme roundness(because of conflicting personalities).

    -Popularity/Sociability: Can be both awkward and extrovert, but preferably towards the more extreme end of the spectrum.

    -Position/Occupation:
    This character is intended to be a government sanctioned inspector(details later) in a potential novel I'm working on. He/She is to be able to find sympathy in vastly differing perspectives and to act a balanced outsider.

    Tell me if there is any category I forgot. All descriptions except Position/Occupation is open for development. This is my first post after desperately searching for a place of discussion suitable for such a purpose.

    [This post will be edited and added upon]
     
  2. Phil Mitchell

    Phil Mitchell Banned Contributor

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    -Name: Heruseusmelodinarileyanamia.

    -Gender: Pangender with infinite gender identities.

    -Personality: Has ten million alternate personalities. Is Otherkin and identfies as every species known to man.

    -Physique: Zie technically has a female body, but is only 4% bodyfat year round with crazy conditioning. Every vein can be seen every striation. Zie takes nautical amounts of steroids, growth hormone, insulin, diretics, and stimulants to maintain this freakiness. Zie does this in order to leave humanity behind.

    -Type: A balance of dynamic, minor static("determination" factor) and supreme roundness(because of conflicting personalities).

    -Popularity/Sociability: Can be both awkward and extrovert, but preferably towards the more extreme end of the spectrum.

    -Position/Occupation: Government sanctioned inspector.

     
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  3. Simpson17866

    Simpson17866 Contributor Contributor

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    @Builderbot2000 Might I ask what this is for?
     
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  4. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    I'm really not sure this is something we can help you with at this point. It feels far too wide open, still.

    If you can do a bit more work yourself and come up with a general character, we might be able to help you figure out a few little details. But right now? I think it's too early.
     
  5. FireWater

    FireWater Senior Member

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    This made me laugh so hard. Really what I needed to brighten up my day.

    Be careful with making a character's name TOO fitting. When a newborn baby is born, their parents have no idea yet what the kid's personality will be like, so if a goth girl is named Raven or a hunter is named Hunter then it just comes across as stupid.

    Instead of asking people to help fill out a random questionnaire, it would be better and more effective for you to come up with those things based on the plot and circumstances of the story, and decide which choices would make for a more interesting read.
     
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  6. Builderbot2000

    Builderbot2000 New Member

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    The setting is a sci-fi world where different ideologies and moral systems are separated into their corresponding and utopiac society away from the influences of each other. This character is to be the protagonist, a government inspector visiting each of these special worlds(aka. planets) and recording the performance of those societies. The reason why I have so many blank spaces of its personality is because I intend to have the character to be able to sympathize with a part of every particular ideology/morality while disagreeing with their other tenets. Its role is to bring balance back to humanity through its actions. If you desire a more clearly-defined template, that's all I have as if now.
     
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  7. Builderbot2000

    Builderbot2000 New Member

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    Also due to the post-technological-singularity setting, the gender and physique can vary.
     
  8. rktho

    rktho Contributor Contributor

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    I object to this for several reasons, but the most pertinent is-- that's WAAAAAAAAAAY too complicated.
     
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  9. rktho

    rktho Contributor Contributor

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    Meaning they can change gender or you haven't decided which one it is yet?
     
  10. rktho

    rktho Contributor Contributor

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    Okay, I can help if you answer one crucial question: How many societies are there? Can you count them or are there hundreds of them? If the former, determine what each society needs and base each personality on that. I would also say, don't go crazy with transgender personalities. Stick to one or two. So if your character is male, give them a female personality because he'll need one, and maybe a fluid one that changes in itself along a spectrum (or whatever the transgender community claims they can do) but don't give him half female personalities and half male ones. JMO.
     
  11. Builderbot2000

    Builderbot2000 New Member

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    The palette as if now is:

    -An ultra-libertarian free state with no collective enforcement besides the enforcement of contract.(a touch away from anarchy)
    -An conservative haven functioning on a strict set of moral codes
    -A theocracy(I won't go into detail on this one)
    -A science center without any ethical hinderance
    -An ecological utopia where primitiveness dominates
    -A nihilist ??? that is beyond reality

    There are going to be breaches of isolation and conflicts between those worlds, which is supposed to mirror the inner conflicts going on within the protagonist's mind.
     
  12. rktho

    rktho Contributor Contributor

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    Interesting... This goes deep. I don't know if I'm smart enough to write something like this.
     
  13. FireWater

    FireWater Senior Member

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    You realize those responses were satire, right?
     
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  14. Builderbot2000

    Builderbot2000 New Member

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    You do realize that the response may be another layer of irony?
     
  15. Builderbot2000

    Builderbot2000 New Member

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    bump
     
  16. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    We don't really do bumping here, especially when the question is as unanswerable as yours seems to be.
     
  17. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    I don't understand the question. You're asking us to create your character for you? Why?
     
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  18. Lifeline

    Lifeline South. Supporter Contributor

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    Thread bumping is not allowed. It's in our https://www.writingforums.org/rules/ - Rules. When you joined you got a message from Wreybies, our mod, with this link. If you didn't read through the rules then, here's your chance ;)

    You are the one writing this specific story, it's not a WF joined effort. If you fancy yourself a writer don't let us do all the work. Have fun doing it yourself :)
     
  19. Builderbot2000

    Builderbot2000 New Member

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    I apologize for not reading the forum rules, I assumed that the character development subforum intro thread specifies all the rules. Is there a chance that I can turn the thread into a general discussion type thread not related to my specific project and have a mod move it somewhere else? (I only mentioned the project in later posts, it wasn't the intention of the original post anyways) If such a request is not applicable, consider the thread locked.

    The original purpose of this thread is not to ask the community for a free character, but to start a discussion where each post gives random traits that I may take inspiration from. I do not fancy myself a writer and my writing is not going to be monetized in any way. It may have been somewhat misunderstood.

    This is not a thread bump, but a final response to close the issue.
    (Extra Question: Is there no way to edit a made thread?)
     
  20. 123456789

    123456789 Contributor Contributor

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    How does nautical make any sense in this sentence?
     
  21. Simpson17866

    Simpson17866 Contributor Contributor

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    It makes about as much sense as anything else that's been brought up so far :rolleyes:

    Have you ever looked at "character traits" lists and generators online?
     
  22. Builderbot2000

    Builderbot2000 New Member

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    Yes I have, am I not allowed to utilize an active source such as this forum? Why are things getting pedantic here? Why the excessive sarcasm?
     
  23. Spencer1990

    Spencer1990 Contributor Contributor

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    I don't think @Simpson17866 meant sarcasm. I think he was genuinely asking if you'd given lists and generators a shot...
     
  24. Simpson17866

    Simpson17866 Contributor Contributor

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    I'm just thinking – as somebody who does a lot of brute-force and trial-and-error myself – that if what you're looking for is random bits and pieces to jog the brainstorming process, then a list of dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of character traits that are already set up might be more useful than asking people to start a new list one at a time.

    Like when I had decided "The Doctor Who universe – 'the Whoniverse,' if you will – has two characters that the writers tried to make as superficially similar as possible, omnisexual former Time Agent going by the alias of Captain Jack Harkness and his psychotic ex-husband the omnisexual former Time Agent going by the alias of Captain John Hart. I think I should make a character in my fanfiction an omnisexual former Time Agent going by the alias of Captain JH for exactly that reason." I spent days scouring the internet for women's names starting with J and surnames starting with H – and hours ruling out false starts like Captain Jane Hendricks, Captain Jill Harwood, and Captain Jules Hardy – before finally settling on the alias of Captain June Harper.

    In his defense, the statistics were actually on his side for that one :cool:
     
  25. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    I still don't understand the question.
     
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