Original characters, or OCs for short, are often the first step in making a new story. Whether you're making them for a game, a book, a movie, a show, or just for the H*ll of it, original characters are a great way to make your creative juices going...
Heya gang. Sorry, the chapter on simple and complex characters was so long for being one of the first pages of this new book. I'm a bit of a talkative girl and the subject matter is something fairly important.
Anyway, now is not the time to dwell on past chapters too much. As stated, I will discuss a common place to start when trying to make a character; the inspiration.
According to Google, quote, inspiration is "the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative." This is very much how I feel when I get inspired.
Usually, when I make a character or try to plan out a story idea, I tend to draw inspiration from things I've seen or heard. Sometimes a song I have on my playlist will play or a new song from a YouTuber I like will be released and I'll realize that it fits the situations in my stories or even become the blueprint of a new character. Sometimes I find bits of art or watch videos that give me ideas for shenanigans and events, or otherwise, make me rethink a character I love in a whole new light. Sometimes I read a thing in a book or a magazine and it gives me bits of useful information for my characters.
Really anything can be an inspiration for your characters or stories. Honestly, anything. Real-life events, personal experiences, rumors, and myths you heard, the food you eat, the fanart made about a favorite fandom you like- really anything.
Remember Caroline from my last chapter on simple and complex characters? The Coraline one.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
It wasn't just Coraline and the many mysteries and horrors of it that inspired me to originally make Caroline. It was a video on Coraline that inspired me. And not even just that. It was the thumbnail art of the video specifically that drew me in and made me try a knack at drawing the uncanny tinkerdoll Caroline.
No really, a thumbnail inspired me. I even went out of my way today to look for the video that I watched that Caroline spawned from. I think the school wifi here didn't want me watching it for some reason so I couldn't get a link, but I have the thumbnail for it right here to prove the resemblance Caroline has to it.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The video and the thumbnail are by a YouTuber named abitfrank btw. If you like things like Coraline and Nightmare Before Christmas and the like, maybe give her a watch. She's really nice to listen to. I'll try to get a link to this video ASAP assuming it's not actually taken down or anything.
