I've been on wattpad since I was twelve and for almost eight years. In that time I've gathered a lot of experience on writing and reading Harry Potter fan fiction. Now, I want to share all I've learned with you: from plot holes, unfinished work and...
If your story is a 'what if — Snape lived and joined the ballet/Voldemort was prom queen/Ron has a fling with some spiders' you may want to disregard this chapter. Unless of course you are including some OCs.
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If you are including some OCs, buckle up my friend as we're in for a bumpy ride.
In this chapter I will attempt to help shape your OCs into believable people. Whether they're in Gryffindor, Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw — I'm pretty sure that's everyone — or who they're related to; let's make them stand out!
Along the way I will reference my own fan fiction to present different kind of examples: whether good or bad. Although mine is not super extensive and you may not even have read it or like it, it doesn't matter. I will not be using anyone else's work as an example as that is disrespectful. I, however, am at liberty to slaughter my own work as much as I want.
Because, y'know, I wrote it.
Finding Your Muse It's easier than you think
1. Call Me By Your Name Lucy Snape — The Lucy Snape Series/I'm In Love With (Duo) If you feel comfortable enough to write yourself into the story: absolutely do it! No one knows you better than you know yourself — and how exciting is it to have yourself waltzing along with canon characters!
2. Art Imitates...Life? Shona McGuire — The Lucy Snape Series If you have an idea of who you want your OC to be but are not quite sure how to visualise them in your work; base them off of someone you know! This is an excellent way to start creating a character that's believable as you have your very own person to reference from. Study their hand gestures or the way they raise an eyebrow at you, even the way they speak (of course, discretely. I'm not writing a chapter on how to run quicker when you get caught staring). An OC of mine from the Lucy Snape series is actually based off of a real person: Shona McGuire. With her permission I swapped her surname for one she came up with and I had the perfect candidate for a sidekick: outgoing, witty and full of sarcastic remarks.
3. A Famous Face Ben Truman — The Lucy Snape Series This is similar to the previous part but I guess you don't have to ask the celebrities permission. I've seen a few people creating cast lists with images of the celebrities they've used to help the readers see precisely the vision that they want, I've been considering doing this myself for sometime and may just do it. But for now — enjoy my sketchy descriptions. Ben Truman from the Lucy Snape series is based off of/played by Liam Hemsworth but I changed his perceived personality — everyone loves a study buddy.
4. From Your Mind Palace Melissa Riddle — Melissa Riddle Ah yes, Melissa. We meet again. Melissa came straight from my thoughts because I thought it was a cool name and Voldie's surname? Boom. There's an OC. Which leads me onto my next point: Let's not create crappy characters, okay?
A Good OC...BEHAVES! (A Few Tips) So. You either have yourself/someone you know/a celebrity/or your own invention. How do you make them believable?
1. A Relation Having a canonical figure as a relation is the perfect way to ground yourself in the Potter world. Sirius needs a daughter? Sure, the world is your oyster.
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2. Swish, Swish, Bish. Blood status may prove to be quite important in this case. Pure-bloods are obviously going to know more, so they might be quite intelligent in their ways even before they've darkened Hogwarts' doorstep. Half-bloods: may either be very intelligent or may have lived life like a muggle: you decide. Now for muggle borns. Hey; they're not going to know everything straight away. Yeah but Hermione — Learned from textbooks, she studied and put in the effort. If she picked up her wand and became as talented as Dumbledore straight away we wouldn't have a seven book series. Hermione would just slam open the door and bitch slap Voldie into oblivion. You're welcome.
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3. Slot them into canon: carefully. This is the key word here, people, believable. One thing I strived to do in the Lucy Snape series when Snape stumbled upon Lucy was to make Snape realistic. I wanted him to take this poor child in for Hogwarts Duty, not for sentimental reasons. That would come later when he developed a friendship with her.
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Got any tips? Share them in the comments.
Disagree with me? Also let me know in the comments; we're here to learrrrnnn:
