Character Stuff - Blog Posts

You know, as I think over all the WIPs I have sitting in organized google doc I'm now realizing something about how I write Shigaraki. No matter the universe, no matter the changes, I always write him as unhinged. It varies depending on the AU (which is the fanfic area I primally exist in) but it's never going to be a question of, "is Shigaraki unhinge" and instead a question of, "is he, at the very least, still attached to the door frame?". Even in the AUs designed with a health arc in mind Shigaraki is still going to be at least a little bit unstable no matter how long they work on it, the best you can do is make him less willing to jump to murder.

📚 FREE: Character Building Guide (30+ pages) 📚

Hello hello, it's me! Today I'm here again to announce another freebie! Please make sure to reblog this so that your writing buddies get to download this, too :D

So, what is this guide? It's an informative e-book to help you develop your fictional characters!

Throughout the 32 pages of this e-book, we will cover eight important topics on character building, such as:

Understanding characters in fiction by defining their role

How to brainstorm ideas and create characters from scratch

Make your characters real and relatable by their flaws and virtues

How to differentiate characters using their voice and personality

How relationships affect the plot

Master character arcs and subplots

Show (don't tell) how the relationships between characters develop

Avoid pitfalls and clichés

I've also included an extra chapter with three important tips to master the skill of character building!

Download it now for free: Character Building Guide

Happy writing,

Rach

characters have to be a little bit awful in ways that you cant defend. its good for the ecosystem. your honor he did do that. He did in fact do that

God I love “We’re enemies, but we’ve been enemies for a long time, which is sort of like being friends.” Great trope.

Call me out like this, why don’t you?

And I can’t even be mad because this post reads like a gentle embrace as fingers ghost over lines we’ve drawn and sunken eyes and tells you it’s all going to be okay

This probably sounds weird but- I really like drawing scars, making them more exaggerated and sharp. It’s cathartic I think, it makes me feel better about my own scars. By realizing the character I’m drawing has also gone through some stuff, but they’ve healed. They made it through it. And so did I. It makes me happy seeing a character with imperfect skin, lumps and discoloration from scars and how the nerves don’t flare up the way they used to, all of that stuff.

PSA

You fought and you made it. I’m glad to see you here on the other side of that dark tunnel.

Whatever it might be that you’ve gone through, I’m proud to see how far you’ve come. It doesn’t matter if it’s just baby steps, anything at all, that’s what matters

Don’t worry to hard about falling back down. It happens. Shit gets tough. These paths aren’t always smooth. Just take your time.

so fond of characters who haunt their stories, who exist without actually existing at all. when a character is long gone, but persists in the actions and words of all the characters they have left behind. when everything to come unfolds because of them. when they are both dead and the beating heart at the very center of the narrative... that’s the stuff 💗__💗

After much deliberation and manic procrastinating I now present my official list of favourite charcter archetypes:

Character who does objectively good things and is on the side of good but is still an objectively terrible person

Gruff loner parent who adopts other characters and care about them deeply in their own way and it's really heartwarmingly obvious but they will never actually say it

Absolutely feral rough and tumble fighter who is misunderstood as a troublemaker, gets mad when their friends are hurt and will sacrifice themselves at the drop of a hat but would never admit it

At some point had big protagonist energy but all their friends are dead or gone and are just trying their hardest after getting in over their head but still wanting to do good in the world

Gods who literally couldn't give two shits about your problems and what humans these days are up to

Someone who has escaped a terrible situation and hated the person they were when they were in said situation and is trying to be better but has terrible self-worth and succumbs to the power of friendship™ and a well written recovery arc

Prick "I know more than you" academics who are snarky and absolute smug little shits especially to the antagonists but have a heart of gold

Antagonist that everyone but the person they "work for" knows is the one who's really in charge

Character who can and will easily kill you in 101 ways with their bare hands but will feel bad about it afterwards (bonus points if PTSD and their personality is absolute baby) That one shapeshifter who's just here to have fun, cause some chaos and prank everyone

That one shapeshifter who can transform into one (1) thing and that one thing is an absolutely fucking terrifying beast of some kind when they go Apeshit

Flirty pretty femme boy or girl who probably doesn't care about gender at all so long as they get to look fabulous and tease people they think are cute

A group of 'orphans' who findfamily in each other (feat. Intimidating but objectively good parent who has unofficially adopted everyone, older sibling child trying to take care of everyone, the chaotic dumbass, the innocent bean, the one who's having none of their bullshit, etc.)

Amnesiacs who are just trying to move on with their lives and turn over a new leaf and are honestly terrified of finding out the truth of who they were in the past