To Suck or Not To Suck? [Writing Tips]

|24| OCs (Original Characters)

Requested by: @Slayomi

Thanks for requesting!

I have no idea why I haven't done this one earlier, because with the atrocious ones I've seen, a lot needs to be said.

There's a lot to be taken into consideration when creating an OC.

What do they look like, how's their personality, their mannerisms?

What I'm going to do in this chapter is break down steps in creating an OC from the ground up, talk about ones that shouldn't show their faces in books, and let you know how each OC I've created is different from the last.

Step 1: Name

The first thing you obviously need is a name.

As I've mentioned before, all of my female original characters have boyish names, and that makes me original.

You can name your character whatever you want, but let's stray away from the typical peppy cheerleader names like Brittany and Jessica. Try to be original and unique when coming up with a name, that way when people think of the name, they think of your story.

Here are some names to consider, with nicknames if they have it:

-Genevieve (Gen)
-Katherine (Kat)
-Penelope (Penny)
-Christina (Chrissy/Chris)
-Angelica (Angie)
-Anastasia (Ana/Stacy)
-Daphne (Daph)
-Sydney (Syd)
-Blaze
-Margaret (Maggie)

Step 2: Basics

Where are they from? Are they northerners or southerners?

How old are they? Are they a young adult, or almost 30?

What's their wrestling background? Did they come from the indies, or are they a model turned wrestler?

You have to know these things, because if you don't, how will your reader know them? It's not that hard to find answers to those questions and the others people might ask.

You can pick any city, state, or country for your OC to be from, but you have to do your research. Learn the culture of the place they're from, and basic things like sports teams and trademark foods. Having them be from a certain city, and show their love for the team through shirts or a bracelet gives them a touch of reality, and I love that. I need that.

You don't have to be a sports fan to show hometown pride, though, and can show it in any way you can think of.

Learn your landmarks. Don't have them go home for a visit in Alabama, and talk about how they visited the Eiffel Tower when they were there.

Get your ages straightened out in the beginning, because it will really mess up your story when it gets towards birthdays and stuff.

Throw a birthday party, attend a birthday party, or any party for that matter. Not everything in stories has to be all serious all the time, and it doesn't hurt to have a little fun.

But if you're gonna turn that party into some type of crime scene, just have your character stay home and watch a rom-com. I recommend the independent ones, because they're legit.

Although, I don't recommend The Last Five Years. It sucks.

Define their wrestling background, but only to the extent that you're aware of.

If you have no knowledge of other promotions, but try to write about them, I will fight you.

Okay, I won't fight you, but I sure as heck won't read your story.