Scribe Boy

Here are my tips about creating a character:

Evil:

1. They always lose in the story.
- Unless you are writing a book for adults, then it is up to you.

2. Discribe their looks. Exaggerate.

3. Give them a bad feeling to them. Are they a murderer, or a maniacal super-villian.

4. Plot their crimes.

5. Sit down in a quiet spot where you feel relaxed, and think up of the story line and plan out scenes. Note them down.



Good:

1. They always are triumphent.
- If an adult story, make the character get either killed off, or kidnapped.

2. Discribe what they are wearing. What do they look like? What are their personality.

3. Give a good feeling to them. Remember- everyone has a back story. Think up of a heroic Back story for them.

4. Note down if they are triumphent on defeating the enemy.

5. The hero/heroine are always smart.

CZ

Some of those tips might work if you're writing a certain kind of story, I guess. Personally, I really enjoy writers like George R.R. Martin who flesh out the villain and make the reader sympathetic towards them. Although some books can carry off the "good versus evil" trend, I think this is overplayed, especially in high fantasy.

Flowers for Algernon.
Forrest Gump.

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blademasterzzz

Yea, 'bit cliche, the whole thing. I personally don't think it's a good idea to use a good/evil approach. Rather, if you want to start with the characters, try this:

) Create a fair amount of realistic characters with realistic backstory and their own pros and cons.

) From their backstories, derive their motives.

) Act out their motives, turning the conflicts between the characters into the actual story.

None will be good or evil, rather acting in accordance with their own experiences.

Bliksem

It's funny you should say that. In a rather popular trend, especially in cartoons, the main protagonist has been seen as a rather happy-go-lucky person that's a little on the slow side.

Anyways, I disagree completely about the villian section. A Villian who's evil for the sake of being evil is very difficult to write for. For example, the antagonist in my story is a powerful psychic/seer who has seen into the future and has interpreted it to mean that he should possess the only current weather-control device on the planet. However, not only does he want it so sate his own need for power, but he doesn't feel like the device, left in its own hands, can function to the benifit of the world. In his own mind, the Villian in the hero, even though he doesn't realize that so much power is corrupting.

And appearance is overrated. I hate when people paragraph appearance as soon as a character is met. I'm the type of person who likes just little bits of information. Let me piece together an image in my head and you tell me if I'm right.

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Nickie

IMHO, I don't think that you should describe your characters as good or bad up front. It's really for the reader to find out about them.

Personally, I think it's much more interesting if a character looks good and turns out bad, or vice versa!


Nickie

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Jaime Lannister

Scribe boy, that is the worst advice I've ever read. Everyone please disgregard and move on.

Good:

1. They always are triumphent.
- If an adult story, make the character get either killed off, or kidnapped

hahaha come on. this is a joke right?

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suzakugaiden

Your advice is either really obvious or bad. I mean, no offense, but pochemu der phi?