Rants, Wisdom, and Weirdness

OOC and how to avoid it

Out of Character is a term I first encountered when I've started reading fanfiction. I didn't think much about it back then, but with time passing and me reading tons and tons of fics, it became an important label to me. 

It's because I'm not a fan of OOC-ness in the fics I read. I read a particular story about particular characters because I want to read about exactly those characters and not about someone else. And that's why I drop most of the stories on Wattpad before I even make it to chapter 2 of the book.

When I say OOC, I don't mean a different interpretation of a character than I have. I'm quite open to different kinds of interpretations. But let's face it, OOC in fics is usually accompanied by bad grammar and lack of well-written text.   

I decided to put up a list of things to do/avoid doing so your chosen characters don't end up a carbon-copy of other poorly developed characters. 

You may or may not agree with my opinion, that's up to you.

1. Mary Sue/Gary Stu 

Don't make your characters perfect if they aren't. Usually canon material doesn't make them so (and if it does then it's up to you how to develop that). 

If the character you're writing about is lazy, show them being lazy (please don't tell, that's just lazy writing). If the character is an angry little shit, show them being an angry little shit. This also applies to original characters and original works. 

You get what I mean, so I'll end this one here.

2. Unprompted personality changes

This one is my usual drop-the-fic, close-the-chrome-tab situation. 

If I see an unprompted personality change I get angry because a good writer (and I don't mean excellent, just your neighborly good one) won't make this mistake. I don't even ask myself 'why did he/she change?' I just click the little x on the tab and arrivederci out of there.

Even in canon, characters have a reason why they change their usual reactions to something, any kinds of changes in personality are supported by plot or subplot, or something else, etc. (if they're not, then the show is shit.)

A possible solution to use: Make a list of your chosen character's characteristics and personality traits and think about how the fantastical situation you're putting your character into, will impact them.  

Otherwise, you find yourself with a character who turned one-eighty without rhyme or reason, which equates to OOC-ness, and you thread through a very difficult territory to escape from. 

3. Interpreting character through the idealization of certain themes

There were certain instances when I dropped the fic because the author kept pushing their own ideologies through the POV of characters who wouldn't be caught dead promoting the same ideals. 

An example I experienced: the author would try to promote self-acceptance and self-love using male characters who in the whole canon of a show had never shown tendencies to do so, resulting in such a level of OOC-ness that I just couldn't continue reading even though the plot was executed well enough. 

My problem wasn't with the representation of a character that way, but with an underdeveloped or complete lack of buildup to the particular change in personality. And we come back to number 2 on this list, so read it if you haven't done so yet.

4. The author lacks a basic understanding of a character 

Well, this one is a bit harder to judge because sometimes it happens that the author forgets some detail and that results in slight OOC characterization. Watch your details.

But I once managed to find a fic where the author unabashedly stated that they know nothing about the character and the show, but will write a fic anyway. 

...

what the fuck.  

I hightailed out of there after the first sentence. (it was atrocious.)

5. The best way to write your characters IN CHARACTER

Aside from already mentioned advice in previous points, try to judge if whatever you've already written is something your character would do/say/think. If it's not, try to come up with an idea of why not and change/rewrite whatever you need to change so you don't lose your character to the dark side (and here I am thinking I'm being funny lol).

You can always try to find a beta reader to read your fics before you hit the publish button. and for this topic of OOC, the best beta is the one who is part of the fandom of the fic.

Writing fanfiction can be harder than writing your own original stories (not always but it happens sometimes) because there are already some rules set that you shouldn't break, characters you shouldn't let to get much OOC, and you have to try to find a way to describe and expand already existing world which isn't yours, but you're acting like it is your playground for the time being. 

Honestly, it can be exhausting. 

But there's no better feeling than when someone tells you you've made their day with your fic. 

Good luck with writing your fics!

~legendoftheotherside