What do you start with when creating a character?

I go from concept to character sheet, I usually just combine a bunch of concepts that'd seem cool when combined. my current character is like the thing from stephen kings book of the same title but it doesn't have set goals and seems more like carrion from Carrion in it's base appearance and abilities.
 
I usually have a face and basic start for the character, then really build their personality and find a name I like.
 
I start with their looks. Then I go with their abilities or what powers they might have. Lastly I go for their personality and history - which is always the most difficult for me.

For example: I already have an character idea for my own Avatar just waiting for the right roleplay to implement it.
 
before anything is the world/story they would be in, so thats not exactly the character themself.... but then i start out with simple role and personality. from that i make a base design, edit personality, edit design, and constantly go between the two until im satisfied, if im going to be showing it to anyone. otherwise i wont do the redesign-personality edit a lot, or ill edit the personality to match the first design or two
 
For me to be able to really be creative with a character, I always need to find the face claim first. It tells me all I need to know including personality, internal struggles, bold traits, powers/abilities, sexuality, attitude, likes/dislikes, and even parts of their backstories!
I have been purely creative and made ocs on the spot but I always find it hard to find the picture of that person that really matches who I've already made them out to be.
 
0rganist said:
So pretty self explanatory question in the title, but also, how much is too much info on a character?

I always start with their brains, I determine how happy/sad they are, what their goals are, how they view and interact with the world around them. After that I move onto the superficial things, likes and dislikes, their faces, their names etc.,

I feel like I can never stop developing a character, which is why I wondered how much is "too much" for other writers. I feel like I treat my characters as if they were living things that are always changing and growing... so I never really "stunt" their growth by stopping their stories.

So yeah. Let me know what y'alls think c:
Click to expand...
looks, personality, (optional) powers, goal and other related to that,back story and extra info with some scenarios or events they were in
 
Usually I start with my characters backstory, and think about how their past would’ve shaped them in the present. This helps me determine their morals and likes and dislikes, along with personality traits and mannerisms. Then, I move onto looks, shaping them around how I feel my character would look based off of their story.
 
Inspiration to create a character kind of hits me at random times. I could be watching a movie and then suddenly come up with an OC to fit that fandom. But then I never write a fanfiction and just use the basic concept of said OC for an original story or Roleplay instead. Or I could be browsing Pinterest and notice an interesting piece of artwork and think, 'imagine this character in this setting doing x thing'. And then it just snowballs from there. Same thing if I was to watch a music video, or read something. Heck this morning I was looking at the bouquet of flowers on my table and thought how interesting it would be if monsters were actually human sized flowers.

It usually starts with a concept and then I build around that concept the more I roleplay with them. Over time they get edits or I want to test something out like a different personality trait to see what happens to them until they eventually have a solid base to work with. Then next time I roleplay they have their looks and personality and a core background (a simple background that should fit in any setting you put them in).

I like reusing characters in different settings or put them in different roles just to see how their character development can be influenced by a simple change of their environment or role in society.
 
probably species for me since for me its usually i wake up one morning and im like "oh i dont have many ocs with [insert animal features] i think ill make another one!" and thats why i have SO many characters
 
When it comes to making a character for an rp I always make the history first as a baseline for character traits, Normally a loose creation of a mother and father and/or key persons and events and think about how they would react to all that allowing me to flesh out a good idea on how they would be when they are injected into the rp. Apart from that I dive into the reality of whatever rp world is and think about what is normal and what would be strange, Thinking that if we rp as cave explorers strutting around with a pole arm in a tight tunnel would be a bit silly but also reflecting on what other players are using and thinking on how we could work with or (when its fun) against each other.

We are all products of our history, how our folks handled us as children to our interaction with things in and outside of our control. while it may not dictate the future it always leaves an impression.

At least that is how I go about it.
 
I have 3 ways that I start a charactor. The first way is by an image and the second way is by writting out a character sheet.
The third way is the hardest way of all. By a genealogical charting. I have only 1 character that I have done this with and it was very informative plus unpredictable outcome.
 
I think appearance, and character design is one thing I'm really big on and can say a lot about the character and the message they convey.
 
I always start with a concept. Instead of focusing on a single category, I'm more interested in the big picture. How can I describe this person in a paragraph? And what role do they play in this RP (if it's a one off). After having that information I will fill things out in no particular order, though content heavy pieces like personality, history, and abilities come first. I tend to do likes/dislikes and trivia sections last since they are the hardest (and least interesting) for me.
 
I usually start with a generic concept of what I'd like to see in a character. Sometimes, I'll see a picture on the internet and create a character around that.
 
I like starting with what I haven't done before. I like pushing my limits and throwing myself into something I'm not use to can be fun and exciting.
 
Their name.
I always start with that vital piece of their identity. Sometimes, you can get a lot with just the name. It can tell you plenty of a Muse or even subvert expectation entirely. From there, I think about their past, their life before as that shapes their present. I generally like to keep their history in the side when writing themup because most if not all of it, will bleed into who they are as a person or non-person. I like to write distinct Muses esp based on a world they're in, or to fit the world they're in. If not even, but to stand out as well, to be the exact opposite. It all depends really. Clothes, mannerisms, tics, personality traits, how they think/see the world, and it all enmeshes itself until either I have a clear picture of them in my mind or find one online that matches close enough. My muses depend on what I'm writing them for so that's just a basic on how I come up with them.
 
I usually start on their appearance, their reference. The way they walk, talk, interact, and effect the world around them. Do they have powers? Are they human? My template usually goes off like this:
Name: 8th
Age: 5th
Species: 7th
Gender: 3rd
Sexual Orientation(most times): 2nd
Alias/Code Name(When doing a sci, hero, or villain oc): 9th
Personality: 1st
Inventory: 4th
Reference pic: 6th
 
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