Stories are always a fun way to relieve stress As a fanfiction writer I would know. My favorite part of writing is creating original characters (commonly referred to as OCs). Now, in the fanfiction community, several readers tend to hate original characters, but that’s often because these characters are poorly developed, whether they’re too perfect (these characters are called “Mary Sues”) or there’s just not enough thought put into them.

But creating a character that readers love is easy; it just takes some practice. So, to help my fellow creative writers out there, (fanfiction or not) here are some helpful tips for character creation.

1. Appearance

This is the fun part. Step one is always asking yourself, “What does my character look like?” Sit down and figure out what gender your character is, their age, what color their eyes, skin, and hair are, and what their style is. Figure out how their height and body type. After you do this, you can give your readers a general idea what of what your original character looks like.

2. Name

Another fun part because you actually get to name something. Now, if you want your character to stand out, don’t just pick any old name. Pick a name that has meaning, whether it ties into their personality or if it foreshadows their fate. Baby name books and websites that tell you the meaning behind different names are good places to start. And make sure you pick a middle and last name too.

3. Research

This is only a must if you are writing about a character from a different background than your own. The last thing you want is to create an offensive caricature of another culture. In order to avoid that, research the history and customs of that culture. And talk with people who come from that culture if you can. The more insight you have into a culture, the better you can represent that culture in a non-offensive way.

4. Personality

This is the most important part of character creation, and it is the part where most problems arise. You want your readers to be able to relate with your character; therefore, you do not want your character to ever be absolutely flawless, so to speak. Flaws are your best friend here. And while you don’t want to give your character an overwhelming amount of bad traits, you also don’t want to go overboard with the good. Try to strike a balance.

5. Fears, likes, and dislikes

This is an exercise that will get you in tune with your character. This also helps with character development in a story because their dislikes and fears may become trials they have to face in order to grow. Knowing what your character likes or doesn’t like or what they are afraid of also helps your readers connect with your character.

6. Backstory

Everybody comes from somewhere and everyone has something that drives them. This is your opportunity to figure out your characters familial ties, friendships, origin, and motivations. This will help you understand your character better and provide an explanation as to why they are the way they are. It also gives you material as a writer to incorporate into your story so that your readers can understand your character better.

7. How they fit into the story

This is especially important if you write fanfiction, and is one of the top problems with fanfiction OCs. If it doesn’t make any sense for your character to be there, then readers are going to point it out over and over again, which will be discouraging to you. Use their backstory to help you figure out how they fit into the story. Do this before you start writing so that you have a logical defense as to why your character should be there.

8. Practice writing them

You need to get comfortable writing your character in a natural way. Start by just writing little scenes of putting your character through different situations. This helps you develop them more and also gives you plot ideas for any story you choose to write your character into

9. Character development

The final step in character creation is character development. This step never ends. It is important to remember that your character should never be static. If you never put your character through trials that change them, then readers quickly get bored, and your character becomes “Mary Sue.” By putting them through constant development, your character quickly becomes more relatable to your audience and yourself.

If you follow these steps, you and your readers will have a character that you all love. Just remember that it takes practice. The first original character you create will never be good. But if you keep at, your characters will not only become better and more relatable, but you will become a better writer.

Happy writing.