How To Make Amazing OCs

Uniqueness

 u·nique

yo͞oˈnēk/

adjective

1.being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else.

Think about this; everyone has that thing that sets them apart from everyone else. In many cases, it's a lot of things.

Being unique is not a bad thing, and when it comes to your characters, it is something that really brings life to them. These are small details that define who they are, what makes them different. It doesn't always have to be a physical trait; it could be a hobby, habit or a mannerism.

For example, maybe they're always brutally honest. Maybe, your character likes to read upside down or possibly they like to write everything with a feather quill. Or, perhaps none of that is their style and they like to wrap every present in a sparkly blue paper. Maybe, they always say howdy instead of hello or pronounce chai as chee-eye.

Think about yourself. What would separate you in a group of people? What's a trait you have that not too many other people have? What makes you different from any other person?

But, there's a flip side. If you give your oc too many things that are unique they could become a Mary Sue/Marty Stu really fast. Same thing goes with if you choose traits that nobody else has. If your oc lives in the normal world but has the ability to talk to animals ((and it has nothing to do with your plot)) then you better be careful not to make them some kind of superhuman.

Or, let's say your oc is part of an alien species that are all blue colored. Maybe your oc is the only green one. That makes them very standout-ish. There better be a good reason they are the only green person. And when I say good, I don't mean they found a magic horse ((idk, just stay with me...)) that gave them this power. To me, that makes no sense. Why is the horse magical? How does the horse survive on an alien planet? Why is your character the only one that found it?

Personally, I feel like when you add too many magical details that make one thing possible, it looses it's luster. I don't mean that you shouldn't plan out everything in the universe that surrounds your oc ((unless they live on earth)), planning is a vital detail. What I mean by this is that when you add too much that doesn't make sense/ or doesn't work with your story/universe, the story of your character loses life and aliveness.

Take Harry Potter for example. Harry, was the chosen one; he even had a lightning bolt scar to prove it. Though, these could be characteristics that could make him a Marty Stu, JK Rowling did an amazing job to prove that he's not. Everything that happened to Harry was justified by the wizarding world. Had Harry been the only wizard since Voldemort's generation and suddenly rose up out of nowhere to defeat him; this would make him very much so a Marty Stu. Think about it.

Okay, I'm getting a little distracted. My point is that you need details about your oc that set them apart. These are not always big details, often they're small! Just make sure your oc has them (but not too many/too extravagant)! If not, your oc will become very 2d and uninteresting. Sometimes, these details won't even come up in your story or rp. But why create them then? Well, the more you know about your character, the more they become life like. You're basically making a human ((or creature)) with a life as complex as your own. You need details.

When looking for traits or anything to make them unique, you may find that google is your best friend. For example, you could search for mannerisms or unique traits or hobbies. Or, if you wish, you could use the ones from above.

I hope you understand what I just said! Haha.

Up next is fears and beliefs!

________________________________________________

Hey, guys! I hope this helped, and as always, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to comment them and I will try to get to you as soon as possible! 

We're almost at 3k reads! How in the world? Thank you so much for reading and voting on this little guide!

Also, if you like The Walking Dead or Fall Out Boy then read below!

I wrote a TWD short story, it would mean a lot if you checked it out! It's about an alternate ending of episode 608! ((It's sad, just warning.))

If you like Fall Out Boy then check out my fob imagines and preferences! Requests for imagines and preferences are open over there so go check it out and request some stuff! I'd love it if you guys went and read it! Thanks in advance if you do.

Plus, I'm working on some stuff currently, so, if you don't wanna miss that then maybe follow? Thank you all! Hope to update soon!

-ThisisIronic