The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and Tolkien - The One Ring

by **Leslie-ElfWarrior** » Fri Oct 25, 2002 11:51 pm

Es, Sure, Wow this is nice we like eachothers opinions...<img src="http://www.tolkienonline.com/mb/i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif"border=0> Well if it helps, I first thought about how my character should think feel and react to things. Like my main character (She was the very first part I came up with. ) Leslie. I decided she should be the nicer side of me. Shy, nice, and at times protective. I also threw in kind, considerate, calm, honorable, and loyal. Then I thought since every character in movies or books has an obstacle, then she should too. It took a while, but finally I was watching a t.v show where the character lost her. But to change it a little bit so that I wasn't copying. I decided that Leslie would remember certain things like: Fighting, swords, bows, elvish, and her first name amongst other things. It would not be complete memory loss, but her past: family, friends, home, and memories of her past would be lost. This obstacle would be my character's main problem. Which would answer for her wandering around Middle Earth and her journeys. Then I thought about what I wanted her to look like (And since I'm none of theses things) I wanted her to be beautiful, petite, slender, greaceful, and whole lot smarter...LOL<img src="http://www.tolkienonline.com/mb/i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif"border=0> After that I thought about many things such as: Her weaknesses, her strenghts, her opnion on right and wrong, and how she should react in certain circumstances. After that I thought about how all this should go, like: Her Past: She can remember certain things, but not her past. I decided to pick some place to have her start out...Bree an ally in Bree. From there I decided she'd need a little push from another character (A wizard whom sensed her potential in Magic.) From there I slowly developed her past. Naturally one with no memory would go in search of trying to remember. So healers was the next step Elrond, Galdriel and of course The Wizard's quild which my character is an apprentice of. But to make my character more complex I decided she could not be helped and that this obstacle would remain. So this would give my character a type of stepping stone. She'd meet other people and soon become attached to other people. From there I thought Leslie needed a bit more harder obstacle my secondary character, Declynn; who also playes a big role in Leslie's life. There are other poeple whom play big roles in theses character's lives as well. Such as Drake, Pomporo (Theses are backup character whom just support my two main characters), Elrond, and Galadriel. Declynn of course has her own obstacle which makes her who she is (The dark side of me, whom has an attitude problem, can be quit crabby, and is very idependent). After that I believe you develop the rest of the character through your experiences in RPies and such, of course you can always add to your character whenever you feel you want to add something. Hope this helps...<img src="http://www.tolkienonline.com/mb/i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif"border=0>

by **Esgalgondwen** » Sun Oct 27, 2002 5:08 pm

Thanks Leslie, that was very helpfull, and quiet interesting.... I'll be back soon to type up a little on Es so you can give me some pointers...

by **Esgalgondwen** » Sun Oct 27, 2002 7:07 pm

Well im back, (stupid school computers!!) Anyway i said i would tell you alittle about Es so you could help me develop her a little more...here goes: Es travels the wild places of middle earth because of her history with her father... Es was always adventures and hated having to live in one spot, her father was a mariner of greyhavens and was honored by the people, he expected all of his children to be well behaved and noble... Es was the exception to every rule... Eventually her father grew tired of her lack of respect and adventures spirit and through her off his ship... in secret her older brother taught her to fight in hand to hand combat and sword fighting... her sister had a healers touch and so taught her sister all she could about herbal medicien.... Es eventually grew tired of the sneers and whispers of the residence of greyhavens and so left for Imladris, there she meet her Cousin who is no more then a few years older then her... her cousin taught her all about the wild places of the world. Es is a strong, proud warrior, who regards loyalty and honesty to be the only way to live, her moral code seems strange to most but works well for Es. I put alot of thought into what i wanted Es to be,i wanted her to have Elvish morals and yet be different then most warriors, to have her own code. She seems cold and hard at first, this is because Es has been meet with hatred in many places. She has a calm nature and yet can be irritated and frustrated easily,She has a fun nature and likes to sit and listen to people talk, she has a bad side that she keeps hidden from people because she's afraid she'll hurt some one she loves... she has a weakness for bad boys and rangers but keeps that hidden in the folds of her cloak. She can reads minds but trys to limite her use of her power.... I guess her ability to read minds stems from the fact that my mind doesnt work like alot of other peoples so be able to understand what they are thinking comes from that.... anyway thats all i can think of at the moment.... Es

by **erinhue** » Sun Nov 03, 2002 10:20 am

I wouldn't worry about developing your character any further for now unless of course you simply want to do it. You have enough background to work with and to use to shape her thoughts actions and opinions. What more developing should be done through using the character in RP stories. the things that happen to her in the stories will help point you in directions or perhaps she will lead you. That is what happened with me. Erinhue did not have a harp at the very first. I created Agarak to have something to interact with early on when I knew no one and it was hard to break in. Give a character room to grow and he or she will certainly do it and often in ways you could not have thought of on your own.

by **Esgalgondwen** » Mon Nov 04, 2002 4:06 pm

Thanks, i guess i didnt think of that, letting her expand on her own, though she has done that, in a lot of threads. Thanks again.

by **elfetawen** » Mon Nov 04, 2002 7:17 pm

Now why did it take so long for me to find this wonderfull thread? I've been given a few things to think about for future posts and RPs. Good! I've been feeling a need for some growth in that area <img src="http://www.tolkienonline.com/mb/i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif"border=0> Like Hue created Agarak I created Hwesta. My little dragon sister was quite fun to create and she has grown to be as much a character as Lossefalmë has though the two are nearly inseperable. Conciously I created Hwesta simply because I've always wanted a dragon of my own. Subconciously I think it was to have someone to talk to because I was new and didn't know what my reception would be like. She created quite the sensation I'll tell you <img src="http://www.tolkienonline.com/mb/i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif"border=0> I was also very carefull not to make her too powerfull. Dragons can be made to be super beings with no weaknesses but Hwesta at her largest (size-shifting is her original ability so that Lossë can ride but can also bring Hwesta anywhere on her shoulder) is still not a large dragon and having four wings may steady her in the air but it also increases the chances of her wing sails being damaged in a fight and so she tends to distract Lossë's opponents rather than do any real fighting.

by **Esgalgondwen** » Wed Nov 06, 2002 6:34 pm

Cool, i have created a few characters and like you i prefer that they have weakness, its best if characters arent invinsibale, then they seem more real to you, and other Rpers. I like the pic you have, such a cute dragon!! I love dragons too and one of my characters has one, he's an Adulesant and has more in common with my character then say an older dragon. Anyways, looking forward to posting with you!! Es

by **Leslie-ElfWarrior** » Sun Dec 08, 2002 10:09 pm

Hello all, I'm baaaaaaaaacccccccccckkkkkkkkk! Well since this thread is helpful I do believe it is even more helpful at the top of the forum so here goes... *~*~*~BUMITY BUMP!!!~*~*~*

by **Wandering but not lost** » Mon Dec 09, 2002 3:23 am

There is a peaceful nostalgia within every return. College life, to say the most, is waking dream of which of every morning I am drawn deep into and entranced upon the luster of its knowledge. The library on campus, is a temple of wisdom of which I feel I find myself paying homage to daily. I am pleased that little change has happened here though. I am thrilled to see this thread still of use. It was, with all respects, my thesis for this board- the theory of my role playing as I see it. I am sad that time has taken me from here. Perhaps I would like to return again sometime- but that is always a dream that comes and is swept away. I will visit, no doubt, and probably linger as I always have. Yet there are other more pressing causes too that keep me away. It is the lure of a greater wisdom- a greater and more vast reality of learning. Yes, I love college and much that is associated with it. Like always, I wander about here from time to time, but I am never lost. This name, though not intended as such when i chose it, was more fitting to me perhaps than any other I could have imagined.

by **Callë** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 2:33 am

I've been reading through this thread and have found some of the advice to be immensly valuable to me in beginning the creation of a character to begin rp with so here's a *bump* to make it visible and a 'Thanks' to Wandering and the others who have shared their experiences here <img src="http://www.tolkienonline.com/mb/i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif"border=0>

by **Legoslas** » Tue Mar 04, 2003 10:27 am

hey there wandering you may remeber me you may not. its been a long time. but i saw this thread and just thought id say that yours is definetly the best character i've ever seen. sure your not a schitzophrenic cause you describe your character so well its like he's as real as the person in-front of the screen

by **Wandering but not lost** » Fri Mar 07, 2003 8:37 pm

Indeed I do remember you. I thank you kindly and sincerely for your wonderful compliments and kind words. Sadly one thing that had lately wieghed heavily on my heart is my inability to join a Role Playing thread lately. I have not had the time it seems to do so and none of the current threads have really interested me as of late. I am waiting for a new thread to start that really catches me. Anyway, I thank you for your kind words. It is great to see you btw. <img src="http://www.tolkienonline.com/mb/i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif"border=0>

by Molpadia* » Fri Mar 07, 2003 9:37 pm

Hello, I am Molpadia and i am greatly interested in this kind of thread, one were torcers can bounce ideas off each other and help each other to create great characters. I would greatly appreciate any help or tips you can give me as to what i could do to improve both my charavter and my writing. Molpadia, The Deathsong.

by **Istariquendi** » Fri Mar 07, 2003 10:37 pm

Wandering, you may or may not remember me, but I replied to an RP you started. I find your writing intriguing and your style very interesting. Perhaps, if you wish, you and I could start a thread of our own? It seems most of the ones I am interested in currently are not taking off very well. I'd be more than happy to RP with you if you'll have me. BTW- Great advice! Are you a professional writer?

by **Wandering but not lost** » Sat Mar 08, 2003 1:19 am

How to improve your writing more? Well Erinhue and I are working on a FAQ on role playing skills. It is going slow though. I would recommend reading Erinhue's Role Play 101 and 102 classes for info on improving skills. I would also be glad to answer any more questions you may have. If you have any good questions I will even write a brief article to answer it as I did with some of the other questions. I am always glad to help. Maybe even a sample of a character background or a thread you are in would be helpful for tips to improve. BTW, I do remember you Istariquendi. I remember you replied to that thread. If its the thread I remember from recently, what happened was I made a reply but it did not post. It took me about an hour to make the reply and I got really mad and never was able to sit down for another hour to retype it. I forgot about the rule I have- copy and paste always... Anyway, I really do want to start another thread. However, I do not know if I have the consistency as a poster anymore to really be involved in one yet. I am still to sporadic with my posting. I really do want to start one. I am in fact longing desperatly to be in one. But I have not joined one because of fear of leaving it and suddenly dissapointing or damaging the plot line of the posters in the thread. Keep poking me with the idea and I will probably not be able to resist starting one. lol. I dont have much will power sometimes...

by Molpadia* » Sun Mar 09, 2003 1:46 am

Here is a brief character bio: Age: 25 Gender: Female Race: Human, not born in middle earth. Heritage: Both parents were Sorcerers. Marital status: Single and not looking. Children: None Title: The Death song, Lady of Gijakgoi. Occupation: Warrior and servant of the Dark Queen Tygarya, Sorceress and keeper of the Dark magic’s of Methirel. Skills: Hunter, Tracker, Linguist, Metal work and sewing. Also has great magical abilities. Weapon: Molpadia carries a sword and dagger, along with a bow and quiver of arrows. She carries the usuall assortment of weapons but finds using magic a more efficient way of getting her point across. Means of travel: On foot or by her horse. Usually by horse, sometimes by magic. Height: 5 foot 10’’ Build: Slim and attractive. Still built enough to hold a sword and swing a nasty right hook. Distinguishing Marks: Dark blue tiger stripe Tattoos on her face, shoulders back and lower back. Hair colour: Black, with a dark blue tinge. Eye colour: Dark green, so dark they look black. Appearance: Pale skinned and elfish type features, though by blood she is not related to any. Outfit: Usually something in back. Tight black pants and a long sleeved black shirt. Enjoys: Making people beg for mercy. Taking over a new city for her queen. Learning a new magic and hanging people above her gates. She loves to see fear in people’s eyes… Personality: Loyal, trust worthy, hard working, ruthless, persistent, cunning, intelligent, stealthy, proud, cruel and fearless. Molpadia, unlike some characters, is pure evil, she has no good side, nor does she have remorse. If you like i could give you a brief history? Molpadia, the deathsong. P.s: If you do start an RP Wandering, i would be honored to be in it.

by **Wandering but not lost** » Sun Mar 09, 2003 2:49 am

One tip, with a villain, give them some aspect of good. Something small. I know it sounds odd but the reason being is that it adds an entire new level for the character. I think a great example of a dual sided villain is Darth Vader. He seems pure evil but still has a small touch of goodness in him which is evident in his love for his son. In RPs, what this does, is make a reader actually care a little bit about a villain. It also makes them less typical. Somethings like a lost child that they still mourn over or a small pet that that worship and smother with love and care and protect like a baby or even a sympathy for a type of person. In Princess Mononoke, what is great about it is that the two opposing forces are both equally good and evil. Lady Iboshi, in charge of the human side, wants to destroy nature and in that sense is evil. But, she is great to her people- giving prostitues honest work and caring for lepurs. I am not saying she should be that nice. But I am saying think of something that makes them not pure evil since there are so many pure evil villains out there. Think of a character realistically. It is very unlikely someone would grow up entirely evil. Even Hitler, for example, had some good qualities like his love of art and his economic benefit for Germany. To the people he favored, he was good. To the others he was terrible. Everyone has things that they love in life- people often times have a purpose to being evil. You mentioned she is from another world. First off, be very careful with that idea because it can often times disrupt threads very easily. I for one tend to be closer to the Middle Earth setting than many others might. What I would suggest is to find some way to base her off of Middle Earth. If not, then make sure the thread players are agreeable with that. What is essential with that type of character is why they choose Middle Earth to attack and not another place? As well, are they known as invaders? What is the world doing? Why aren't the stronger forces like the Valar interveening? Why are they or aren't they noticed. What political factors on their planet are conflicting with their goals? What factors on ME conflict? What is essential is to not look at their world in a vacuum. Look at it as an organism that has many shapes and folds. See Middle earth and all its political climates and cultures. You need to have some of that considered to exist on your planet as well. Why is she the one on Middle Earth? What did she have to do to get that position? Do other people conflict with her having that position? She serves her queen, but does her queen like her and on what conditions would she not like her? What stress does that make? Does she have an Army? If so, why hasn't other ME nations attacked them? How do they keep a supply of troops? Are they well supplied food wise or cut off from their other world? Hmmm... some other things... What does she try to improve or learn? What parts of ME does she like? What does she dislike? Why? Does she like talking to people? If not, who does she talk to? Why? What does she say and what does she NOT say? How educated is she? Does she speak at the level of her education or talk at the educational level of those who are listening to her? Its two am so I cant think of much. I will probably give you some more ideas soon. The idea is to think of the most original concepts you can. The more unique and developed the aspects of the character, the more enjoyable.

by **Wandering but not lost** » Sun Mar 09, 2003 2:56 am

A history would be nice. Also, you dont need to post the answers, just think about them really. With Wandering, what I do is I think of as many questions about his character that I can- almost like I am doing a really detailed interview or psychological test session or something. I sometimes even imagine almost asking them the question. One thing hard about a villain, btw, is that they tend to be one thread characters. A group of people often dont want a thread to end with the villain still hanging around. It makes an incomplete resolution. Its alright though to have a one thread character btw. If you expect them to be in many threads, you need to figure out how to do that. That means you will probably not be able to be a main villain as that would make each thread you are in very similar since the villain controls much of the plot. You would want to find some way to be a character either as a side plot- like a profeteer maybe that does not do enough evil to the group as make her elimination necessary for the purpose of a peaceful resolution- or a part of the party (which is really hard to do!). Tempest does a good job if I remember correctly of playing an evil oriented character and I think she often is not the villain. I dont know if she reuses characters in each thread or not though. Maybe see if she is posting anywhere at the time being.

by **Wandering but not lost** » Tue Mar 11, 2003 2:41 am

Something entirely off topic, but as this has become my random advice thread on Role Playing, is the topic of joining a thread. I think I already addressed this recently but I would like to touch up on a simple idea that I am going to start implimenting myself that I think would make many threads much more interesting. If you are going to join a thread, have about two posts posted on the thread where you are not part of the group but instead doing some action at a place where you (not the character) know the group is heading. Use these posts to establish why your character is where they are. For example, instead of just having your character see them, walk up, and say hello, have your character in the first post walking around the forest hunting some deer or something. The next post have them hear a noise. Perhaps quote some dialogue or something from a previous poster. What that would do though is instead of making the reader feel as if you are interrupting them by suddenly being there, it makes the group feel as if they are interrrupting your character's actions. This is a dramatically more effective means to easily slide into a thread. Because instead of breaking their natural flow of things, you have a pre-established reason for already being where you are and the group has merely been traveling and came close to you. This is a technique not used that often. I have used it in the past but often times i instead merely have one REALLY long first post where I establish a reason for being there (very important in joining a thread- why are you exactly in that area and happen upon them), and then merely join them. Often times I will follow and observe them first as well so that my character is already pre-established in the routine posters for the thread before I jump in. Basically the key to joining a thread is to make your character seem as appropriate to be joining the group and to have been where they are are possible. The goal is to make no need for transition really between you joining and the plot (except if you have some plot changing reason to be there). Does this make sense? So many people will join in their first post in a thread. I suggest taking about 2 or 3 posts first then join the actual group. Maybe even mroe for some more dramatic effect.

by **Tobias_Red-tail** » Tue Mar 11, 2003 5:22 am

Wandering, I was intrigued by Molpadia’s post concerning villains. I write one myself, an assassin who kills without remorse. A villain need not necessary be bad, seeing that Alayna has, in her history as a cold-hearted killer, met up, and even traveled with rangers and the like. She is rather evil, seeing that she does kill, or at least, hurt for no reason at all. Furthermore, there is, I admit, a good side to her, seeing that she considers helping people in need. Anyway, about your question on where Tempest has posted lately, do check out the War of the Ring- the Aftermath, and the Sword of Nenduil. Both these threads are currently static, seeing that there has been no posts for at least the last month for the Sword of Nenduil, and that the War of the Ring is currently in a precarious position, seeing that the unexpected demise of a player has occurred. It is supposed to continue, and for Molpadia’s knowledge, there are plenty of ‘evil’ characters in that thread, what with Naiore and Nienjah in the same thread. For more ‘evil’ characters, check out Naiore and Nienjah, though the latter does not write thoroughly evil characters. I have had the honor of writing with both of them, and am pleased to say that the experience has enriched me greatly. I used to write crap, at least until the War of The Ring came up.

by **Leslie-ElfWarrior** » Tue Mar 11, 2003 8:22 am

Well I've been gone a while from this thread, but now... *Does in a real creepy voie* I'm baaaaaaaacccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!<img src="http://www.tolkienonline.com/mb/i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif"border=0>

by **ElfMaiden13** » Tue Mar 11, 2003 10:28 am

Leslie! Finally a farmiliar face! Everybody else I knew before I left have all but dissapeared. BTW, do you want to join a thread I'm in? IT is an RP that is off to a really good star, and has a strong stroy line, but could use some more players. It is call "The Gaurdians". Will you look in on us? Everybody else is welcome too! ttyl!

by **Wandering but not lost** » Tue Mar 11, 2003 3:09 pm

Leslie, it is always my pleasure to see you my good friend as well as you Tobias. That is true. Characters without morality (neither immoral nor amoral) but who merely act on things such as money are at times interesting but very hard to balance. The reason being is that a character so quickly often will be definied as immoral or moral but someone who has no morals (not in the bad sense of lacking morals, i note) is always interesting too.

by Molpadia* » Tue Mar 11, 2003 6:29 pm

WOW!!!! Your advise is amazing wandering, i never real thought about those sought of things before, i mean i thought about them, i just never really apply them all that often. Ok, ummm a brief history.... Molpadia grew up on a remote island off the west coast off ME, she was raised by her parents in there castle home untill they were killed in a horrific accident. Molpadia filled with anger, locked herself in her library, studying all there was on magic, dark magic, she wanted the whole world to feel her pain. It was her servent Tor that was able to calm the rage that filled her heart and incouraged her to travel ME, learning all that she could of its people. There she fell into service of the dark queen tyg and has serverd her faithfully ever since. She takes great pride in her work, capturing new cities and bringing them under her queens constitution. Molpadia does however have a soft spot for her best friend, laivith, who grew up with her as a child, she also still has her faithfull servent Tor at her side. Molpadia lives in her castle home most of the time unless she is needed by her queen, then she lives in the citidel that was granted to her by tyg, and at all times she travels with her panther. Hope you can give me some more ideas, im running out!! Molpadia, the deathsong.

by **Esgalgondwen** » Thu Mar 13, 2003 1:29 am

Hey guys! I noticed that this place was back in buisness, so i thought id drop by and say hi and to give some advice. Ahem, " Life is never worth living, its to be taken and formed into the image you wish to project to the world, no matter what the critics say" i thought it was the right thing to put in a character based thread, if you wont to have a good character, you have to mold and shape them, using them as a tool to project your self onto the world stage. Well, anyway..... Es

by **Wandering but not lost** » Thu Mar 13, 2003 2:09 am

I think for a basic description of a character that is fine molpadia. It is hard to advise on character pasts because it is your creation and not mine. That is why I took so long to post. I was trying to think of something. All I could think of is this for advice: -If you met this character in real life, and were doing an interview for a magazine, could you write an autobiographical article about that character's past with the info you have? If not, what questions would you want to ask. I think that is the best advice. If you feel comfortable enough taht you know the character well enough to write a good amount about them, then that is all you need. One thing about the pony a lot of people put emphasis on is the idea to do profiles for characters in an ooc thread. Personally, I do not see a great need for this. It makes lazy writing a lot of the time because it gives things away. Yeah, I have at times posted a brief profile before joining a thread but generally I do not give away much. A past, when in a thread, should be developed. It is ok not to know everything. In fact, I advise you don't. Part of what makes the character have a personality is that they should tell you what has happened to them. You have to maybe start them off with a push then after they will tell you "hey, did I ever tell you about that brother of mine" and you will think "no... I never heard about that..." and it will work from there. If you tell people everything about a character when doing a real thread, it makes you feel less of a need to state their past and their feelings about it in the actual thread. Or, it can also make you sound repetative to the readers. It is good to see you. I liked those quotes. I would say one thing though about the last statement. The idea of projecting yourself on a character. This is a question I often go back and forth on. Is it a good idea? I think it depends on the goals and directives of the writer. It is obvious to assume that it is easy to make yourself the character's voice because you know what you will say in that situation and you also know exactly how you would react. Thus, you already have a pre-established and developed personality that you can draw from. This can at times make very good characters. It saves you a lot of the work of listening to what they have to say, making their personality, and thinking about what they would do and separating it from what you want them to do (a hard feat for an author). Thus, there are benefits -it is easier -often makes a believable character -more controllable as far as what it will do (since it is what you would do) However, here are the big disadvantages I see in making a character that is merely you with a perverbial cloak and sheath. The problem first of comes from the main fact that if you are pursuing multiple characters or a new one for each thread it becomes very repetative. Basically, instead of having new characters, it is merely you in a new outfit. Is this really advisable? Probably not after a while since the posters may get tired of the same old stock character. This also tends to foster very cliche characters because not only do you make a character that is what you want as far as a personality (your personality), you also tend to project many of your fantasy desires on it and make it in a sense a vicarious way of living a dream. That is why so many invincible and all powerful characters emerge. The reason being is that basically people want to be that character- the one with invincible skills and such. It is an appealing idea. But, that is also very cliche and hard to play effectively. As well, many people will make moral decisions naturally. Thus, many characters tend to be cliched concerning them being very good characters and such like that. It also may make a person write more educated dialogue then the character may actually speak because the writer may be educated, using their voice, and writing of a character who was born in a poor farm life etc. Another problematic issue is this. If you would like to eventually pursue writing in a more professional setting, it deprives you of practice. Instead of practicing characterization and learning how to make unique and original characters, it draws you into the appealing rut of writing only from your own voice. This is thus preventing you from gaining all of the benefits from role playing. The disadvantages are thus -it makes characters repetative after a while -it often produces typical and cliche characters - can sometimes make an unbelievable character (dialogue issues for example) -deprives a writer from the practice of making unique characters It is hard though to separate yourself from a character. Sometimes even a character does that on their own. What can you do to separate your voice? Here are some ideas for a dramatic effect -make a character that is very weak, not typical of you, with moral failings, and also maybe uneducated and stick to that role and make it believable. This will force you to think almost "what wouldn't I do" while that is still working off of your personality, it will give you practice breaking from that routine. -write an extensive background and profile idea for a character. Develop in your mind their personality. Think about how they are different from you. The more developed the more you get typical to the decisions they would make and not the ones you would make. -have a conversation with them. This almost sounds psychotic but I mean it. If you really want to, try and talk to them in your mind. Get an idea of how they would respond and purposely make them speak differently than you. This may mean thinking about even small details like vernacular (word choice), accents, things like that. -Write the character's personality not based on your voice but instead the voice of someone you know really well. This is good practice on how to break away from the rut of using your voice and for imaging a voice. You may have an idea of how your friend would react, talk etc. This trains you to make character decisions diferent than your own and sets a smooth transition to creating personalities that have no basis in reality. These are just some brief ideas and musings. <img src="http://www.tolkienonline.com/mb/i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif"border=0>

by **Esgalgondwen** » Fri Mar 14, 2003 12:06 am

That was some very good advice wandering, i hope molpadia saw it. I really like her Character... I too have some advice and musing, if anyone uses it well thats just plain luck i guess. A)If you close your eyes and can see how your character interacts with others, walks, talks, eats, sits Etc. Then your character is alive. If you can hear the way they talk, then you should ask them, how do you feel about this issue, or that issue and then hear there reply, your characters and posts will benifit. B)Your character should always hold some part of you, but it should also have its own beliefs, its own ideals and world views, if you can find that out then write it, your character takes more then a 2D shape. C) Never let any one tell you how your character should act or react. they are a person unto themselvs, let them be themselvs. D) If you feel someone has taken liberties with your character (eg, done something to them or with them that you dont like, or your character wouldnt like) then tell them, let them know how that character feels about it, i mean they are people! Ok thats all for now,maybe i'll have some more good advise tomorrow... Good to see you again wandering... Es

by **ConquestLord** » Sat Mar 15, 2003 6:58 am

Wandering, two thumbs up. I just read it, although I wish I had seen it sooner. I modified my profile. Could anybody just tell me if they think it's good or not? Name: Rykago Age: 28 Alliance: Mordor Race: Men Eye color: Murky Brown Hair color: Dark Brown Gender: Male Weapons: Composite Long Bow, self-made Broadsword, and a shield with the symbol of the cross upon it. Appearance: Rykago is almost always seen with full armor on, which is a full suit of plate armor, plate guantlets, and a "bucket" helmet, which has two eye slits and holes punched in it for breathing. He has a golden sheath, which he polishes every other day. If there is no fighting, he wears tough leather shoes and he doesn't have his armor on. He has a blue tunic, and silky green pants, from Sauron for Rykago's many victories. If you were to get a strand of hair, it would stand 1 1/2" up. Is it all brushed back, so it is not that thick. His hair is very thin also. His skin color is a peach color. He has a deep wound running from his left hand to his elbow, which he received after fighting in his first battle against Gondor. He weighs 130 pounds, so he is fairly thin. He is just right to be able to ride his horse, Pyros, because with all the armor, Pyros weighs about 250 pounds. Pyros is a rare breed. He is pure white, with some dark white streaks going across his body. History: Rykago was born into the Kingdom of Gondor. His mother had died years ago, due to an unknown disease, so all he had was his father, Ithulen. His father was a general in the army of Gondor. In one battle, his father went over to the enemy camp, assuming they would surrender. They didn't accept, and quickly chased him off, trying to kill him. A spy had seen this, and thought they were plotting. He quickly told his lord Faramir about the incident. Faramir sent the guards to arrest Ithulen, and they did. Faramir ordered him burnt at the stake. Rykago watched as his Father was burning. He immediatly went on an emotional rampage. He killed all of the guards and tried to kill Faramir. His father uttered these lasts words to him "Fight for Gondor" Then, his father's head hung, and he was dead. Immediatly, Rykago burnt the stables down to the ground, and stole a white horse, which he named Pyros. He stormed out of Gondor, and headed for Mordor, not obeying his Father and going to avenge him, by destroying Gondor. He spent a long, long journey heading there. He finally reached the Black Gates. The guards demanded to know who he was and where he came from. He knew if he said Gondor, he would be killed. He said his name was Rykago and he came from Isengard. He told them he wanted to see Sauron the Deceiver. The orcs led him to Mount Doom. He slowly got off of his horse. He smelt the smell of sulfur. It burnt his throat. He looked up into the Eye of Mordor, and said "M'Lord, I have come to serve thee." With that, Sauron made him a Captain in the Army of Mordor. He has fought in many battles against Gondor and Rohan, however he still has one goal. His one goal is the destroy Faramir. Personality: Rykago is a very serious person. He uses his stare to strike fear into his enemies, and the people who threaten him, hoping they will save their lives and stay away. He can get his hand on his sword, take it out of its sheath, and slice something in 1/4 of a second, which is remarkable. He has one flaw, however. His flaw is his pride. He will never admit losing to someone. Whether it's arm wrestling, or bow target practice, he will go on and on until he wins. He is trained with the Composite Bow. His father taught him all the skills that he knows, up until he died. Then, he had a knight, like him, train him, under the service of Mordor. He can shoot arrows with incredible speed, making him a born warrior. When in battle, he can remember his Father's death, and Faramir's face, and will go into a rage. He will hack at everything in his path. One time, he went into the back of the Gondorian line, and he started spinning around. The sword span with him, and it cut through everything that it touched. He knocked out 1/10 of the enemy all by himself. He has some difficulty shooting at ground units, however, for they are always moving. He much prefers to lie down on the ground, and pick off enemy archers that are on the walls. He now uses his father's war call, which he cries out, when he sees the enemy.

by **Esgalgondwen** » Sun Mar 16, 2003 7:36 pm

Very nice Rykago, i think your character is very well developed, but Wandering will have a different opinion then me, so wait and see if he has any tips for you to improve your character with. Perhaps you could read the other pages and see if you can pick anything up that might make your character different from others, or slightly better. Im not saying that there is anything wrong with it, or that it needs improving, its just that wandering has some very good ways for people to improve there characters, thus improving there writing. Es

by **Leslie-ElfWarrior** » Sun Mar 16, 2003 11:18 pm

In my opinion all characters are very good, but all characters need development including mine. I've never stopped developing mine, even after all this time that I've been here. ConquestLord, Great Character...<img src="http://www.tolkienonline.com/mb/i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif"border=0>

The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and Tolkien - The One Ring

The how to create a good character thread and more...

Who is online