Question

I need help from all you great writers. I need help on what I consider the funnest part of writing any story, character creation!

I need 5 characters, and I need each to be fully created. Besides the basics (age, ethnicity, etc.), I need family background, previous jobs, religious affiliation and why, that characters belief system.... Essentially I need to create not just characters for a story but actual people. Yes, I need people. I would like the writers of Open Study to help me create 5 people with stories of their own, down from when they were children up to now.

YOU DON'T NEED TO CREATE ALL FIVE, I just want you to create one character who is fully detailed. Hopefully by the time people answer there will be anough characters made that I have five.

Answer 1

I need diversity, intrigue, and secrets for all 5 people. The ages I would like the people is 27-50 . No older, and no younger.

Answer 2

OOoh! I love character making! That's one of the best parts!!

Answer 3

So lets see...

Robin Cartello: 30 years old, two siblings; one 26 year old sister; one 28 year old brother (she's the oldest), majored in accounting, used to work in a bank, now works for the IRS, She is a buddist (don't know how to spell it...too lazy :P) and believes everyone has inner peace

Answer 4

how's that?

Answer 5

OH YEA and both her parents are dead..

Answer 6

Robin Catello, 30, siblings (2) she is eldest. How is her relationship with each?

Majored in Accounting, where and why?

Used to work in a bank, which? How long?

Now works in IRS, does she like it?

She is buddhist, most likely wants to find inner peace because she can't cope with her dead parents. I like that.

Answer 7

Okey doke, so she(Robin) has a strong relationship with her younger brother, but her sister is a little distance since she cut herself off from her family after their mother and father died since the youngest sister had a strong loving relation ship with the Mom and couldn't cope with it very well. Robin and her brother talk quite frequently and occasionally she talks to her sister over but her sister always says she's too busy.

Answer 8

She majored in accounting in Harvard University because her parents had always struggled with money (if yo uwant you can make up a reason or leave it unknown) and she had always wanted to help them while she was a kid so she's 'helping them' by taking that major and she also likes to count and use math and account :P

Answer 9

Can I make up a name for the bank?

Answer 10

Let's stay with facts for the character. So a real bank would be better. Good, I like the character. She will be the "logic" character. The one who tries to find logical answers to situations, but on the inside truly has some issues.

Answer 11

Mmk, how about Ally Bank? She worked there for about a year until she quit and went to a job with the IRS?

Answer 12

Is there any particular secret, or tramatic event she has had in her previous life which may haunt her or create problems for her in her future besides her dead parents?

Answer 13

Good.

Answer 14

*Not previous life, in her younger years.

Answer 15

She enjoys working in the IRS (don't know much about working in the IRS) so maybe you could use what I said earlier or something, but she does enjoy working with the IRS because she's always busy and doesn't have time to worry about anything while she is working. Idk :P

Answer 16

That's perfect and makes sense!

Answer 17

I'm not sure..umm...haha previous life :D Um, maybe she could've witnessed her parents fighting over what they're going to do with all of their bills? That can be traumatizing hearing your parents fight and you know you can't do anything to help the situation..

Answer 18

and since she's the oldest, she might've had to watch her siblings a lot and might've missed out on hanging with friends or something

Answer 19

and she might be a little afraid to have a relationship considering witnessing her parents fighting and doesn't want that to happen to her

Answer 20

Just spitting out ideas here :P

Answer 21

Perfect I like the character. Problems with relationships, very work oriented. Good. Now does she have any habbits/ nervous ticks. What makes her angry quickly? And how smart is she, I mean TRULY smart. Educationally she is wonderful, she went to harvard, but what about her intelligence level on a more philosophical level.

Answer 22

Hmm, well, she has a extremely bad habit of wanting to fix everything. (That's kinda my habit but not extremely bad :P) Like if she sees unorganized papers she'll have an urge to fix them or maybe a picture that's tilted 90 degrees off the right angle (<--see what I did there? :P (right angle), she'll want to fix it or if two people are fighting she'll want to help them out. She's NOT a busybody or nosy, she just wants to help (which can probably lead to some background of something that happened to her that's related to her parents or something) Umm smart...lesse....I think that she's smart on a philosophical level but not when it comes to herself. She's good at helping other people with problems, but she does not know how to solve her own and refuses to get help (she refuses herself if that makes sense) so she helps other people partially hoping that it'll help her own problems (if that makes sense)

Answer 23

u have some great ideas...

Answer 24

:P I love writing, I hope to be a writer someday :D

Answer 25

ud be great at it :)

Answer 26

Thanks :)

Answer 27

no problem :))

Answer 28

So how's that^ vinnyra?

Answer 29

Perfect chartacter! Thank you @LifeIsADangerousGame, When I am home I will compile the information and post it onto the original post! One character down and five to go.

She is a wonderful character and will suit my story splendidly! Well thought out! If you have any more character Ideas go for it, your quite good at it.

Answer 30

I think she will suit the role as a 'major' character very well.

Answer 31

If you don't mind, I kinda thought of another one. He's a guy this time. I haven't thought him out completely yet since I kinda write as I think it but here goes :P

Carter Witman: Only child, 32 years old, both parents are alive, Major flirt (idk if you want that in there, I'm not trying to show you how to do your story or anything so please don't think that but I'm tihnking maybe Carter can flirt with...goodness forgot her name already....OH ROBIN maybe he could flirt with Robin or something idk!) Umm he majored also in Accounting and works at the IRS with Robin maybe her co-worker or something...

Answer 32

Um, he's atheists but he doesn't believe in evolution either, and he doesn't really care how the world got here, he also has a major ego :P

Answer 33

I need to develop that more true

Answer 34

Um, I know this is kinda jumbled about :P Lesse...he used to work at First Trust Bank and he was there for 2 years

Answer 35

It's a funny thing, writing stories. You gave me Robin, and are giving me Carter. I don't have a choice as to whether I wan't Carter flirting with Robin, that's what Carter does! It is his character to do so. Once a writer startes to realize that once they create characters, they have no real say on how those characters act towards each other, then the writer will be complete. It's truly amazing.

Answer 36

He does enjoy working at the IRS BUT he would rather branch out and make his own company (not an IRS company, but his own company), but he doesn't really think he could do it (which is MAJOR irony since he has a HUGE ego but no self-confidence when it comes to making his own company...) and I totally agree, it's like characters have a mind of their own sometimes -_- :P

Answer 37

Ok we got down his preferences, his style, and what he wants to do. Now what is his major flaw (hamartia)? or an inner secret that will haunt him?

What aggrevates him? What is is nervous tick etc. Let's answer the same questions Robin got asked.

Answer 38

He has a solid relationship with his parents which he loves very much and he makes sure that they want for nothing and he visits them often and helps around the house (replacing light-bulbs, checking gas lines, making sure their porch and roof are in good condition, etc. etc. (he hires people he trusts) Ummmmmmmmmm he's NOT spoiled, even though he's an only child his parents made sure not to spoil him and I am kinda thinking he could be mysterious but not the shady kind the kind that doesn't trust people with his secrets you know? Hmm, major flaw...(I have a bad memory so I keep having to go up to figure out what we asked Robin), I'm thinking low self-esteem really, because I know a lot of people with low self-esteem that act like that have a huge ego to make up for it. Maybe he could've been teased a lot in his childhood years for his looks (you know how people are, one minute they're teasing him, the next they find out that contacts are real, braces come off, and BAM o.o hellooooooo pop. u. larity) I think his pet peeve should also have to do with his childhood since he would know how it feels to be bullied and looked down and so I think that whenever a person acts better than him he is immediately sucked back into his past for a brief moment and he might get mad or something which could happen between him and Robin since Robin is scared of relationships.. (sorry, I write a lot :P)

Answer 39

Thanks for the medal btw

Answer 40

Perfect! Absolutely perfect. Can we say he is a pure hearted gentlemen (based off of his niceness to his parents), who's flaw would be his ego and his inner problem being the fear of others being imposing over him (which he uses his ego to override). If he's a gentleman, it would be exactly what Robin needs in her life as she is afraid of relationships because they can get violent.

Answer 41

Excellent observation :D And true, they do fit each other, but I feel sorry for Carter already, he's in for a rocky relationship at the start!

Answer 42

I agree. what does Carter want though? In life. Or does he just breeze through? Does he have a certain goal he aims to obtain? And where did he go to school?

Answer 43

What are Robin and Carter's ethnicities?

Answer 44

@halo1996, I know you are just observing this all unfold, but please, if you notice any flaws or have any questions about the characters ask! It helps us tighten our development. What would you want to know of a person when you first met them? (Not trying to spot you out or anything)

Answer 45

Oh yes, sorry :P I think that Carter has certain goals because I think deep down we all want to prove our haters wrong and I think he would be a quiet over-achiever and he went to school at Yale.

Answer 46

He refuses 'Congrats Parties' when he's broken a filing record or something and tries to keep what he does on the down-low

Answer 47

I like the characters already. It's will provide for an interestng love because we all know buisness majors and buisness majors rarely mix well.

Answer 48

so far in my opinion i think this is going great. sorry for just sitting back. i think u guys have got great characters going.

Answer 49

I'm not trying to make any enemies or anything, but I think it would be best if they were white. You can always introduce different races (which reminds me of another character :P) but I think these two should be white, but again, it is your story.

Answer 50

Did I make him mad?

Answer 51

i think thats a good idea... tbh

Answer 52

Thanks, I just don't want to offend him or anything though

Answer 53

@LifeisADangerousGame Good Idea, Caucasian it is.When I imagined them, I imagined them white anyways. I was just wondering if you had a certain ethinicity you wanted them to have, they are your characters.

Answer 54

*ethnicity

Answer 55

Hey there, I kinda sorta thought of another character for you if you haven't got the rest yet...

Catori (I just love this name and even though its origin is from Native Americans I had to use it :P) Tanaka
Age: 35
Ethnicity: Chinese
Religion: Christian
Reason: He strongly doubts that the world just appeared because of an explosion (The Big Bang) and believes that you can only go to Hell or Heaven and to get to Heaven you must let Jesus into your heart. (I don't know if you want to go into that, or just leave it there or what so yea..)
Family Relationship/Situation: Both parents are dead, only child. Was adopted.
Family Background: Father became an abusive alcoholic and Mother closed herself off from him gradually. Catori was usually never hit, but when he was it was occasional. Went through most of life watching his father hit his Mom and feeling the pain of not being able to stand up for his Mom.
#1 Pet Peeve: Seeing people fighting physical or seeing someone drunk (because of family past).
Major Flaw: Continuously trying to prove that he's a 'lover not a fighter' by not fighting back when someone attacks him, to a limit, which sometimes causes him to get injured when someone picks a fight with him.
Relationship: None. Does not like to think about relationships as he does not want to turn into someone like his father even though he doesn't drink or hit people in general.
Major in college: Nurse
Works at: Temple University
Feelings: Enjoys working as a nurse and loves ot cheer up some of the patients by telling jokes and talking to them, especially if they don't get a lot of visitors.
Worked at: Emerald Estates Nursing Home (This nursing home is in Baltimore Maryland so.. http://www.caring.com/local/assisted-living-facilities-in-baltimore-maryland/emerald-estates-alf)

Place in story: I was thinking that he could be Robin's best friend? Maybe they meet at a diner or something...idk...your call as always :P

Did I miss any questions?
@vinnyra

Answer 56

http://www.caring.com/local/assisted-living-facilities-in-baltimore-maryland/emerald-estates-alf The link messed up :/

Answer 57

Hah! Great! I like it, he sounds good as Robin's best friend, I'm not sure what he will do exactly though. Once the other two characters I need come in to the picture I'm sure he'll find his place. @wombat said he'd make a character so that's 4 characters down and 1 to go.

Have any other ideas?

(Is Catori rich?)

Answer 58

Hmm, I'm not sure. He could be rich, and I like that idea. I would think that he IS rich but few people know that because he doesn't want to be treated differently. Or become a cocky tyrant you know?

Answer 59

And I'm thinking that Catori would provide some support for Robin. You know, like the real life conscience? Like the person Robin would go to, to ask for advice, help, or a distraction.

Answer 60

@vinnyra

Answer 61

Hmm, so I imagince Catori being that "wise, angelic" character who always provides help. Being a nurse and all. So when he speaks he should have something meaningful to say. Now I know exactly how Catori will fit in :)

Answer 62

Yea, like, he could be someone who doesn't speak a lot, but when he does he speaks wisely. Not like a lame fortune cookie, but like someone who is old (respectfully so) but isn't. He's reserved

Answer 63

I like it. Now looking at all the type of Character's we have.

Buisness Women, Gentleman, Helper, _________?. __________?

Answer 64

What would fit best in those blanks?

Answer 65

Wombat might do one of the blanks...

Answer 66

Well, since wombat made one, his would fill thefourth blank right? I'm thinking the 5th person could be a tough girl. Like the exact opposite of Catori, a person that pushes his buttons and constantly causes him to take deep breaths to calm his anger :D

Answer 67

Maybe even make him hit a wall or something

Answer 68

That's good. But let's push it a bit. I think we need a person who would push the buttons of all of them, but for some reason they are connected to that person and can't leave. The person should be hedonistic, dangerous, somewhat insane, yet intelligent? Im not sure. Lets make this character, this person will be the spice to the story, and cause almost all the problems.

Answer 69

Ohh yea! I like that, the person in the story that pushes everyone's buttons and sometimes the reader's, but makes them laugh :D

Answer 70

I think it'd be best if it was a girl...since a guy wouldn't really affect the other guys, but a girl hehe she can annoy all genders and then some!

Answer 71

That is very true. In fact, I have always wondered why it that women can so easily bother both genders, wheras a male can be so easily ignored. I don't mean to sound sexist but I'm sure most would agree. I'll have to mention the question in my story.

Answer 72

Yea hehe, I think its cuz us girls know what pushes both guys and girl's buttons whereas boys just...well...don't :P they're only bother if someone questions their...manlieness..

Answer 73

That is completely true. A girl it is then!

Answer 74

Before we create her, lets think of what the weaknesses/pet peaves are of the other characters. [Drunks, Fighting, Low Self-Esteem, and being messy]

Answer 75

Carter has low self-Esteem which his ego hides.

Robin cant stand when people fight or things are out of order

Catori wants peace and to help but is intensely religious

Answer 76

Yea, come to think of it. Robin and Catori both don't like fighting..

Answer 77

So, Rhiola (how's that), will love street racing, fighting in hand-to-hand combat, disturbing the peace, and lesse...for Carter.. @vinnyra

Answer 78

OH YEAS! To tick off Carter she 'playfully' demeans him! Like calling him "little man' or insulting his smarts or something

Answer 79

and you can never tell when she's joking or serious

Answer 80

HAHAHA! That will aggrevate Carter so much! "Yeah, whatever little man!" ahahah! Oh! I can already envision it!

Answer 81

Sorry but I will be on later. Write what you'd like but I'm working right now.

Answer 82

Sure :)

Answer 83

I'm not exactly sure what I need to write since I think we have all the characters, but ok :P

Answer 84

I do not know the context of the story plot, so this fictional character is simply an amalgamation of mimetic aspects I have compiled from several other characters that were well developed.

Name: Hank Scater Jr.
Age: 50
Status/Occupation: Retired veteran; college professor in mechanics/physics
Emotional Inclinations: subject to bouts of depression, drinking, suicidal tendencies

Ok here goes..
Hank Scater Jr. is the younger brother of Christopher Scater. Chris and Hank were twins at birth, born on July 4th of year ____ (this year will depend on when your story takes place). Both were raised in the Californian urban area of Los Angelas. After completing high school, Chris went on to become a software technician and Hank became an electrical engineer. When ____ started (WWI, WWII, WWIII depending on time frame), both were drafted into the special forces to be part of a team that would infiltrate the secret base of CHAOS, a terrorist organization (Condemnation and Hate Against Other Societies), located in the urban center of Rio di Janeiro. After training for 10 years, both were proficient in close combat, weapons assembly, martial arts, ballistics, sniper training, parachuting training, and could speak 5 different languages (English, Spanish, German, Russian, Chinese). The two were to be part of a tactical team of 7 men, each with similar training. Upon the mission's initiation, the team arrived at the destination on July 3rd. Their mission: eliminate CHAOS leader Timothy de Bragda and destroy the CHAOS military training center. 5 Men were sent to destroy the center and 2 to assassinate the terrorist leader. Hank and Chris were nominated as the 2, since both were the highest rank of special forces. The other 5 men were successful in destroying the barracks, labs, and training centers with only one man suffering a shot grazing the torso. Hank and Chris infiltrated the headquarters, eliminated the guards and stalked into Timothy's private quarters. Chris had one specialty: knives. Hank had a different specialty: pressure point martial arts. While Hank performed recon and monitored the hallway to prevent more guards, Chris went to do the job. After 15 minutes, Hank began to feel uneasy...Chris should have been done by then. Placing a C-4 charge in the hallway that was activated by a remote in his watch, Hank went to the quarters again. Chris was in the middle of fighting with Timothy. Both had African long knives jetting out of gloved, swiping hands. Each had several cuts to the arms, legs and torso. Chris was just about to make the final, fatal stroke, when hank walked in. What Hank did not know was that Timothy had activated the pressure plates just in front of the door where Hank was about to step. Chris turned, eyes flashing at the approaching footsteps shouting "Watch out!", pointing to the metal plates. In that moment, Timothy slashed Chris across the jugular with a large pop and the spurt of blood from a fountain of gory ritual. Hank could only watch as Chris clutched wildly at his neck and fell...he felt numb...nothing was real or defined. He remembered his vision clouding, his hand squeezing, his German assault rifle bucking in his hand, punching 50 holes into Timothy's body, his mouth screaming in a bloodcurdling cry of fury and anguish. Timothy was thrown back against the wall and slowly slid to the ground, stone dead. The 6 men surviving successfully made it home, with Chris' body.

Since then Hank always blamed himself for his brother's death. As a result, Hank is subject to periodic bouts of depression when he sees younger men in military uniform. After a long week of college lectures, he goes to his favorite bar, drinks into a drunken oblivion, and barely makes it home alive. When ever he sees a knife, his mind flashes back to the moment, that frozen image in time, where the blade of Timothy de Bagda slid into the soft tissue of his twin's neck.

This is a character that I have wanted to create for some time...I don't have much time for creative writing but I hope that he is sufficient for your story. :)

Some suggestions: since Hank has such a bad self esteem from his brother's death, it might be good, in your story, to incorporate a point towards the end in which one of the younger characters consoles him and explains how it is not his fault. Maybe Hank meets one of his most successful students in the bar and over a couple of drinks tells the story that has gnawed at him for his entire life. The student could then talk about family, self-sacrifice and the love that his brother must have had for him. Hank could then leave, whole again, dedicated towards supporting those who have lost loved ones in armed conflict. :D I realllllllly like this character so I hope you use him! I would love to read the final story :)

Answer 85

Wonderful! The character is splendid! I'm unsure as to what role he will play in the story. As a writer though, I know the characters will create a world of there own, and all I can do is write. Thank you for helping, and I will be making a story out of this main characters. When I've made the first chapter I will post it and tag the both of you.

Please don't judge me, I am not a very good writer, I just know how to and enjoy doing so. I thought character creation would be better if I had ideas from others. Let's see how the story unfolds.

Thank you a whole bunch @LifeIsADangerousGame @wombat !

Answer 86

I like your idea Wombat! I think we'd tell his whole story by have mildly frequent flashbacks (in the correct order) until the reader knows everything that happened you know? I'm not sure if its Vinny's goal to make them all have a problem, but then again everyone has a problem don't they? I sincerely hope that Vinny uses Hank because I love his character and even though he's been through a tough time you didn't make the background story too tough for people to read.
Couple of questions:
What's his religion and why?
What's his #1 pet peeve?
What family does he have (besides his brother) and if any, what is his relationship with them?

Answer 87

Whoops! Didn't see your comment there Vinny! :P ANd I'm excited to see how you're going to create your story :D It sounds intriguing!

Answer 88

Oh yes, I think that Hank would serve as a seemingly gruff and anti-social person until someone explains to him about his choices liek wombat said. You could make his size and appearance intimidating but he needs to be younger like you asked in your question.

Answer 89

@LifeIsADangerousGame Good questions for @wombat , We need to know those things. I like the idea of flashbacks in story. I wonder though, how can I do this.

There is so much potential with these characters, I can feel the pressure on me! I have to make the story good, I don't want to let you all down!

Answer 90

Thanks XD i had fun making him :D umm well...If you wanted a profound religious experience, you could make him an atheist first, then acceptance of Christianity when a student meets him at the bar. That would make a nice touch if you want :) His pet peeve...well it would probably be small children since he's such an isolated person. And his family could be deceased (like a Disney movie XD) with a distantly connected younger sister living in a different country.

Answer 91

Oh no! There's no pressure, pressure can ruin a story very easily. For the fladshback problem Vinny, I think you could do something like this:

Without my consent I was sucked back in to my shameful past. Watching as (forgot the evil guys name :P)'s dug into my twin brothers flesh in a fatal movement. I remembered how I was overcome with blind rage as I saw my brother fall to the ground in slow-motion. I was reminded of how I didn't hesistate to fill "his name :P" with 6 bullets flinging him back into the wall. After all, how could I forget the murder of my own brother--my (italiacs)/twin/ brother--his death is all my falt.

OR

Immediately, a flashback was brought into my head from my horrible past.
*Tell the same thing but from his point of view, make sure you put lots of feelings in it, as yif you were him or watching it unfold*

Answer 92

"evil guy's name"s knife dug*

Answer 93

fault*

Answer 94

if*

Answer 95

I need to go soon, but I'll be back or tomorrow, what time you will guys be on?

Answer 96

Timothy :P and it was 50 bullets :P

I like your flashback idea a lot! It would definitely be a more mimetic development than a biographical description. I envision a slightly more emotional flashback though... perhaps it could be connected to seeing a certain object or hearing something. Maybe at a lonely dinner, the waiter hands him a long knife for steak and that jumps back to the past:

As the waiter passed the napkin and utensils to Hank, his heart fluttered at the sight of the long, serrated knife and suddenly he was in a different place. The glint of steel rushed to meet the soft skin of his brother's neck...it plunged deeply, creating a fountain of blood. He gasped uncontrollably, unable to believe what he saw... His vision fogged, his hand squeezed... POP POP POP! rang the automatic German rifle in his hand. His brother was dead; his killer dead; and it was all his fault.

OMG i'm in love with what I just wrote ^ XD

Another version could be when he's in the car driving drunkenly with the windows down and he almost hits a pedestrian, who yells WATCH OUT!.:

Watch out! yelled the man. Somehow, the man was no longer a pedestrian; he was Chris, engaged in a deadly battle with a terrorist boss screaming at him not to approach. He remembered the cold shiver as the terrorist ruthlessly slit his brother's throat, creating a gushing stream of life essence on the floor. It was all his fault...

Answer 97

@LifeIsADangerousGame I'll be on for the next hour at least