V's Notes on Character Creation

If you've looked at all of the characters, you might see some trends here and there. There's an easy explanation for that... I'm a creature of habit.

No, really... it doesn't go much deeper than that. There are a few character types with which I'm comfortable, so I tend to stick to them. Here's a breakdown, along with an explanation. Really, this could make me lose points with any GM whose nitpicking a character I've submitted... but hey, I tend to be open and honest when it comes to my lovely little creations. So, here goes nothing.

Most of my characters are Scorpio females.

Why? Well... I'm one. Scorpio sun, Virgo moon, Aquarius rising, to be exact. It's easy to write a character personality when you can take a little piece of yourself and then multiply that aspect to the extreme. If they're not Scorpio females, then there's a good chance that they're Virgo females whose moons are in Scorpio. Yes, I get a kick out of astrology. Yes, I use it when I create a character. And yes, that means that most of those characters are a little piece of me in one way or another. So, if you take Dawn, Elena, Mitsukai, A'mael, and Tifi, and roll them all up into one... you'll wind up with me. Scary, isn't it?

I prefer power spheres that deal with light/truth/justice and derivatives of such things.

They're difficult, but at the same time, they offer a lot of chances for interpretation in different games and settings.

I create intentionally weak characters.

I feel that making a character dependent upon teammates increases his/her need for interaction, which ultimately makes for better gameplay. Even if a character is physically or magically powerful, there's a good chance that he/she lacks something emotionally that requires the assistance of other characters. Few of my characters could go through their lives alone, even if they claim to dislike people.

I base my characters on people I know and use places that I know well.

Characters are based upon family and friends (all of my sisters have served as inspiration in one way or another) and settings are places from my childhood or current place of existence. If they're not, then it's a good chance that I'm living vicariously. I will openly admit that Dawn, Tifi, and Elena are based upon myself. Mitsukai, A'mael, and Meli are close, but not quite. The furthest from me? Um... Cenzo, probably.

I research, research, research.

I will go to the library, Google, old textbooks, other character profiles, and countless other sources to put together a character. If you're in a game that I'm apping, I've probably scoured your character's profile for little nuances and quirks. I love to make people fit together, or at least give them opportunities to get together. I don't write much by accident... well, not too much. Everyone has their moments.

Above all, I try to make my characters as real as possible.

I use real places, real streetnames, real schools, and real places of employment to give a sense of placement. Being able to convince someone that a character of mine is a real person is a sign that I've done my job as a writer in making someone as three-dimensional as possible.

And there you have it. I don't like super-angsty characters, so I try to give my characters as few problems as possible. They can generally get into enough trouble once they're in game. ^_^