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 Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 8:39 am
I'm writing a SF novel set on Mars (title: Kakaze, time period: 2157 onwards), and I'm currently having doubts about a few of my characters - today's edition here:
Name: Heksu, short for Helena Velandi
Age: Early twenties
Build: Tall and wiry due to growing up on Mars, not overly feminine-looking
Looks: Blonde, green eyes. Dresses nondesciptly.
Personality: Quick to say her opinion when safe to do so, otherwise keeps quiet. Has strong opinions, doesn't change them easily.
Family: Deaf older sister Teresa, parents dead in the War
History: Child of two EU-sent scientists, sent to a smaller base w/ her sister when the War for Mars started. Never saw her family since. Joined the Resistance after Lachiensia (American Empire) won the war. Managed to find her way to Gloria Ares (neutral Marsbase story is set on) about a year before the novel's first scene. Befriended a college professor (Nikita Fioshin), with whom she managed to get the neutral base's new EU commander (and decoy protagonist) onto the Resistance's page.
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Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 9:09 am
Is "nondesciptly" a word?
This profile is lacking... a lot. The only thing her personality tells me is that she's opinionated and usually quiet. One thing in her history confuses me... You say she was sent to a base with her sister when the War for Mars started then never saw her family again. What happened to them? How old was she when the war started? What else happened in her past?
And what does "EU" mean?
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Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 9:26 am
You know what? I'm just going to start giving the profile sheet I use to people who I think need it... Quote: BASIC INFORMATION_ Name: Nickname: Age: Birthday: Gender: Nationality: Hometown: Current residence: Social class: APPEARANCE_ Height: Weight: Hair color: Eye color: Glasses or contact lenses? Skin tone: Dress style: EMOTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS_ Strengths: Weaknesses: Introvert or extrovert? How does the character deal with anger? With Sadness? With conflict? With change? With lose? What does the character want out of life? What would the character like to change in his/her life? What motivates this character? What makes this character happy? What makes this character mad? Is the character judgmental of others? Is the character generous or stingy? Is the character generally polite or rude? FAMILY/HISTORY_ Mother: Father: Siblings: History: CHARACTER CHEMISTRY Characters role: Relationship with other characters: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. ADDITIONAL NOTES_ • Character's short-term goals in life: • Character's long-term goals in life: • How does Character see himself/herself? • How does Character believe he/she is perceived by others? • How self-confident is the character? • Does the character seem ruled by emotion or logic or some combination thereof? • What would most embarrass this character? I use this profile sheet for original fiction characters, so not all the info will apply to RP characters. Add what you need to and take out whatever's irrelevant. I find myself pretty happy with my characters that have more than half the sheet filled (along with side notes), so hopefully you (or someone) find this useful. X3
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Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 1:22 pm
It's lacking. Fo sho.
I believe she meant "nondescriptly," which is a word.
And if I'm not mistaken, "EU" stands for European Union
Also, Lyvidian, I love that profile sheet. I think I'm going to steal/borrow/take it and use it for my other, more vague characters. (Yes, I find it highly useful--esp. since I almost never remember what color my chars' eyes are.)
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Posted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 6:45 am
Okay, I'll fill in your sheet. As for her parents, they're dead.
BASIC INFORMATION_
Name: Helena Velandi
Nickname: Heksu
Age: early 20s
Birthday: October 1st
Gender: female
Nationality: n/a
Hometown: Gloria Ares
Current residence:
Social class: Lower middle class
APPEARANCE_
Height: 180cm / 6ft
Weight: 70 kg
Hair color: light blonde
Eye color: green
Glasses or contact lenses? no
Skin tone: pale
Dress style: bluish overalls (like most people)
EMOTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS_
Strengths: Doesn't give in, intelligent
Weaknesses: Occasionally acts like a complete jerkass, somewhat insane
Introvert or extrovert? introvert - only speaks when she has something to say
How does the character deal with anger? plans meticulous revenge, gives the cold shoulder
With Sadness? Doesn't show it much - quieter, slightly downhearted
With conflict? Finds people who side with her & joins them or argues her way through if major, if minor, assumes the other person is an idiot who she shouldn't bother with
With change? Either gets pissed, barely notices it, or throws a party
With loss? Gets angry and/or really silent
What does the character want out of life? An independent, non-terraformed Mars. She hasn't thought further than that.
What would the character like to change in his/her life?
What motivates this character? Mars.
What makes this character happy? A goal of hers coming true
What makes this character mad? Terraforming, oppression,
Is the character judgemental of others? Mainly not. Considers herself above having to judge petty people.
Is the character generous or stingy? Stingy - always speaks her mind, doesn't sugar-coat anything
Is the character generally polite or rude? Depends alot on the situation, mostly rude, tho, due to being, well, a stubborn jerk. Doesn't do small talk.
FAMILY/HISTORY_
Mother: a scientist, dead
Father: a scientist, dead (neither of them come up at all)
Siblings: Deaf older sister Teresa
History: EU sent her parents up to study Mars, she & her sister were born there, when Heksu was eight the War for Mars erupted & she was sent to a smaller base with her sister - hasn't heard from her parents since. Raised mostly by nomads & underground members. When the neutral base (ie Gloria Ares) was built, she managed to get her way there and into a low-level administrative job.
CHARACTER CHEMISTRY
Character's role: (co-)protagonist
Relationships with other characters:
1. Aslak Lazhar (Gloria Ares EU section commander) - interface to the Resistance. Secretly hates his guts.
2. Aleksandr Trotsky (Resistance tactician) - liaison to the outside world, something of a friend. Thinks he's a bit nutty.
3. Kira Chetska (local Resistance head) - professional friendship, informant. Thinks she's a reasonably good head of ops.
4. Nikita Fioshin (college professor, Resistance member) - good friends, occ. partners in crime. Thinks he's OK,
5.
ADDITIONAL NOTES_
• Character's short-term goals in life: Survival, non-discovery
• Character's long-term goals in life: Freeing Mars
• How does Character see himself/herself? The only intelligent person in a world of bigots, dimwits and extremists.
• How does Character believe he/she is perceived by others? Thinks others don't see the world properly and thus view her as merely another normal.
• How self-confident is the character? Very.
• Does the character seem ruled by emotion or logic or some combination thereof? Logic.
• What would most embarrass this character? Failing at something major. Heksu's one of those that would probably just become extremely angry at someone/-thing else than embarassed, tho.
I just realized that all my main characters are vaguely defined extremists. evil
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Posted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 1:09 pm
It doesn't seem very real (to me) with them only having 1 reaction to an emotion, and only 1 strength and weakness. I suggest trying to add more ways for them to deal with their feelings. If you can't think of anything, grab a piece of paper and jot down ways people deal with their emotions. Here are some if you can't think of any:
· swearing
· arguing
· verbally abusive toward others
· isolation
· cold shoulder (won't talk to anyone)
· talking about the problem
· ignoring the problem
· fighting
· being destructive
· self-mutilation
· sex
· alcohol/drug use
· revenge
· murder
and that's just the tip of the iceberg. I'm sure if you google it you'll find more ways people deal with emotions.
For the "is the character _____ or _____" questions, try to be more descriptive with those answers. Explain how she's stingy, how she's rude, so on and so forth. If you can explain how she's those things, it'll be easier to know her reaction to certain situations, thus making her a way easier character to write about.
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Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 7:40 am
Updated the Emotional characteristics section.
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Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 2:16 pm
I just wonder what she thinks of living on Mars?
And does she have to take care of her sister?
And does she miss her parents?
And is there a story behind her name?
sweatdrop
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Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2010 7:34 am
Spellbound Blasphemy I just wonder what she thinks of living on Mars? And does she have to take care of her sister? And does she miss her parents? And is there a story behind her name? sweatdrop Well, she can't go to Earth (too high a gravity) so she has made herself hold the opinion that Earth and its denizens are, well, weighed-down dumb people who can't understand Mars. Her sister's perfectly capable of taking care of herself - they do stick together though. As for the parents, she doesn't really remember them. Her sister remembers some minor details. And no. She's just Heksu, no story behind that one.
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