Post by Angelique St. Clare on Jul 9, 2009 18:06:26 GMT -5
Topic One: The Application
Consider your character application like a job interview. It is your first impression on the admins (us!) and is what will get you accepted or denied. You want it to be good! Here are a few tips to help make a great application for your character.
1. Read the rules. If the rules say no Slytherins between 4th and 6th year, and you apply for a 5th year Slytherin, you've already shown that you don't care enough about the site to do a little research first.
2. Use your resources. Look at applications of accepted characters.
3. Ask for help if you need it!
4. Use good grammar and spelling. No one's perfect here, but the glaring mistakes will lose points. Use spell check, or use a grammar check if you know you struggle in one of these areas.
Creating the personality of your character:
This is where your character is really born. This is the first place you really get to dig inside their head and tell us what makes them tick. Remember, no one is perfect. Many authors and screenwriters will take a character flaw or quirk and exaggerate it at the basis for their character.
Think of the traits you want your character to have. Loyalty, sarcasm, straight A student... come up with a fairly good list, and write around those.
Questions to help:
-Shy or Introverted?
-What makes them happy? Sad? Angry?
-What makes them laugh? Cry? Yell?
-How do they react to a stressful situation?
-What are they good at? What are they bad at? (Consider things other then classes (Potions, Charms) or skills (dancing, singing). How do they handle social situations? Are they sore losers? Etc, etc.
-What skills do they posses?
-How do they interact with other personality types?
-What are their dreams and goals?
-Are they spontaneous and looking for an adventure, or do they hold back and stick to a routine?
-What are they passionate about?
-What secrets are they keeping?
You are creating a person, wonderful and beautiful and complicated. Really get inside their head.
Creating the history:
I personally hate writing the histories. But histories are what shape your character, and are important to know how they would react in certain situations. A good history will touch upon these three points: Where did they come from? Where are they now? And where are they going?
Here are some things to consider upon when writing the history.
-Where were they born? Obviously your character will be different if they were born in Ireland than if they were born in France.
-Family. How many family members do they have and how do they interact with them?
-What did your student do before school? What do they do on holidays? If you're playing an adult, what did they do after they graduated?
-What major event or events happened in your character's life? Everyone has some event that helped shaped them in their past, good or bad.
The RP Sample:
-Try and make it the first post you plan to put up. This will make it easier and more fun for you to write.
-Make it something someone can respond to. Better yet, make it something someone would want to respond to. It's like reading the synopsis of a book. Intrigue us, make us want to read more.
-Do not, under any circumstances, use another character besides the one the application is for in your RP sample. This does not show us that you can RP with other people. We want to see that you won't godmod, and that you can make substantial posts that can be easily replied to while just including your character.
Consider your character application like a job interview. It is your first impression on the admins (us!) and is what will get you accepted or denied. You want it to be good! Here are a few tips to help make a great application for your character.
1. Read the rules. If the rules say no Slytherins between 4th and 6th year, and you apply for a 5th year Slytherin, you've already shown that you don't care enough about the site to do a little research first.
2. Use your resources. Look at applications of accepted characters.
3. Ask for help if you need it!
4. Use good grammar and spelling. No one's perfect here, but the glaring mistakes will lose points. Use spell check, or use a grammar check if you know you struggle in one of these areas.
Creating the personality of your character:
This is where your character is really born. This is the first place you really get to dig inside their head and tell us what makes them tick. Remember, no one is perfect. Many authors and screenwriters will take a character flaw or quirk and exaggerate it at the basis for their character.
Think of the traits you want your character to have. Loyalty, sarcasm, straight A student... come up with a fairly good list, and write around those.
Questions to help:
-Shy or Introverted?
-What makes them happy? Sad? Angry?
-What makes them laugh? Cry? Yell?
-How do they react to a stressful situation?
-What are they good at? What are they bad at? (Consider things other then classes (Potions, Charms) or skills (dancing, singing). How do they handle social situations? Are they sore losers? Etc, etc.
-What skills do they posses?
-How do they interact with other personality types?
-What are their dreams and goals?
-Are they spontaneous and looking for an adventure, or do they hold back and stick to a routine?
-What are they passionate about?
-What secrets are they keeping?
You are creating a person, wonderful and beautiful and complicated. Really get inside their head.
Creating the history:
I personally hate writing the histories. But histories are what shape your character, and are important to know how they would react in certain situations. A good history will touch upon these three points: Where did they come from? Where are they now? And where are they going?
Here are some things to consider upon when writing the history.
-Where were they born? Obviously your character will be different if they were born in Ireland than if they were born in France.
-Family. How many family members do they have and how do they interact with them?
-What did your student do before school? What do they do on holidays? If you're playing an adult, what did they do after they graduated?
-What major event or events happened in your character's life? Everyone has some event that helped shaped them in their past, good or bad.
The RP Sample:
-Try and make it the first post you plan to put up. This will make it easier and more fun for you to write.
-Make it something someone can respond to. Better yet, make it something someone would want to respond to. It's like reading the synopsis of a book. Intrigue us, make us want to read more.
-Do not, under any circumstances, use another character besides the one the application is for in your RP sample. This does not show us that you can RP with other people. We want to see that you won't godmod, and that you can make substantial posts that can be easily replied to while just including your character.
Thanks to Ted!
