Character Writing - Blog Posts

How I Would Write Kronika As MK1's Villain?

During the period when the first 20 minutes of gameplay came out, I thought Kronika might be the villain. I was mixed about the idea because I was nervous that the writers might fumble her writing like in MK11, but I had some hope that she could improve. Plus, her new design is a massive improvement compared to her previous one and it kind of sucks that her character is just a disguise. I really wanted MK to have a well-written female main villain.

Overall, I enjoyed the ending we got but the multiverse idea seems a bit too much. I would've preferred Liu Kang's and Shang Tsung's timelines to be the only ones that exist since, in canon, they were in Titan status in MK11 Aftermath. But, MK1's ending does not make me hate the game or the franchise. I'm still invested in it.

Anyway, this is my idea: (I really like the setup/base of the story so most of my changes are minor except for the final battle.)

Instead of MK11 Shang Tsung disguising as Kronika, Kronika would disguise herself as a high priest called Damashi, who is connected to Outworld's royal family. She plots with Shang Tsung and Quan Chi on how to overthrow the kingdom and rule the realms (a lie). To keep Geras convinced that Kronika is dead, Kronika wiped the knowledge of her having a failsafe plan to become a mortal if she is near death. As Damashi, I’d have her appear throughout the story but in the background and for only a few moments, watching the events unfold, to hint that something is wrong. Shang Tsung is still very manipulated and is the cause of General Shao, Rain, and Reiko betraying the royal family.

When Shang Tsung introduces “Damashi,” it will be Kronika in her true form instead of Titan Shang Tsung. She would berate Liu Kang and his timeline, saying that balance is the true way to create a timeline. Liu Kang argues that giving people free will to be good instead of taking away that choice is the right thing to do. Kronika then reveals that she created another failsafe within Geras- if she ever loses her Titan powers then she can steal Geras’. She extracts his powers, reverting him back to his MK 11 self. Geras' corruption causes the Hourglass to break, slowly destroying Liu Kang's timeline. Some of the characters start dissolving/disappearing so this leaves Liu Kang on his own. He travels to the Hourglass and the final fight starts with Kronika as the main fighter and Geras as her Kameo. If Liu Kang does damage to Kronika, it causes her life bar to steadily increase. Instead, Liu Kang would have to hit Geras, who is much weaker since Kronika absorbed most of his powers. The player would have to wait for Geras to appear on stage while avoiding Kronika's attacks. Kronika is defeated and Geras is healed. Out of wanting to properly protect the timeline, Liu Kang decides to reabsorb his Titan powers.

I intended this to be a parallel/comparison between Liu Kang and Kronika’s ideals on how a timeline should be and their treatment of Geras. While Kronika believes balance is the best way to handle a timeline and treats Geras like a servant/tool, Liu Kang believes people are more capable of good and sees Geras as a friend.

I really wanted MK1 to focus more on Liu Kang's struggles with being a Titan and Earthrealm's protector, such as making sure the timeline gives all or at least most people the free will to choose their destiny, his melancholy with not being with his friends like in previous timelines, and seeing them die in the future.

One of my favourite questions for figuring out a character’s motivations is which qualities they most fear being assigned to them. Are they afraid (consciously or unconsciously) of being seen as stupid? Ungrateful? Weak? Incompetent? Lazy? Cowardly? Intimidating? Like they actually care? etc.

It’s such a fun way to explore into who they are, why they do what they do, what they don’t do out of fear, and how they might be affected by the events of the story. And I love when characters have negative motivations—trying to avoid something (in this case, being seen a particular way) as much as they’re trying to achieve a goal.

“Extremely detailed character sheet template”

Character Chart Character’s full name: Reason or meaning of name: Character’s nickname: Reason for nickname: Birth date: Physical appearance Age: How old does he/she appear: Weight: Height: Body build: Shape of face: Eye color: Glasses or contacts: Skin tone: Distinguishing marks: Predominant features: Hair color: Type of hair: Hairstyle: Voice: Overall attractiveness: Physical disabilities: Usual fashion of dress: Favorite outfit: Jewelry or accessories: Personality Good personality traits: Bad personality traits: Mood character is most often in: Sense of humor: Character’s greatest joy in life: Character’s greatest fear: Why? What single event would most throw this character’s life into complete turmoil? Character is most at ease when: Most ill at ease when: Enraged when: Depressed or sad when: Priorities: Life philosophy: If granted one wish, it would be: Why? Character’s soft spot: Is this soft spot obvious to others? Greatest strength: Greatest vulnerability or weakness: Biggest regret: Minor regret: Biggest accomplishment: Minor accomplishment: Past failures he/she would be embarrassed to have people know about: Why? Character’s darkest secret: Does anyone else know? Goals Drives and motivations: Immediate goals: Long term goals: How the character plans to accomplish these goals: How other characters will be affected: Past Hometown: Type of childhood: Pets: First memory: Most important childhood memory: Why: Childhood hero: Dream job: Education: Religion: Finances: Present Current location: Currently living with: Pets: Religion: Occupation: Finances: Family Mother: Relationship with her: Father: Relationship with him: Siblings: Relationship with them: Spouse: Relationship with him/her: Children: Relationship with them: Other important family members: Favorites Color: Least favorite color: Music: Food: Literature: Form of entertainment: Expressions: Mode of transportation: Most prized possession: Habits Hobbies: Plays a musical instrument? Plays a sport? How he/she would spend a rainy day: Spending habits: Smokes: Drinks: Other drugs: What does he/she do too much of? What does he/she do too little of? Extremely skilled at: Extremely unskilled at: Nervous tics: Usual body posture: Mannerisms: Peculiarities: Traits Optimist or pessimist? Introvert or extrovert? Daredevil or cautious? Logical or emotional? Disorderly and messy or methodical and neat? Prefers working or relaxing? Confident or unsure of himself/herself? Animal lover? Self-perception How he/she feels about himself/herself: One word the character would use to describe self: One paragraph description of how the character would describe self: What does the character consider his/her best personality trait? What does the character consider his/her worst personality trait? What does the character consider his/her best physical characteristic? What does the character consider his/her worst physical characteristic? How does the character think others perceive him/her: What would the character most like to change about himself/herself: Relationships with others Opinion of other people in general: Does the character hide his/her true opinions and emotions from others? Person character most hates: Best friend(s): Love interest(s): Person character goes to for advice: Person character feels responsible for or takes care of: Person character feels shy or awkward around: Person character openly admires: Person character secretly admires: Most important person in character’s life before story starts: After story starts:

found here

i made a guide for ppl

Writing Tips Master Post

Character writing/development:

Character Arcs

Making Character Profiles

Character Development

Comic Relief Arc

Internal Conflict

Character Voices

Creating Distinct Characters

Suicidal Urges/Martyr Complex

Creating Likeable Characters

Writing Strong Female Characters

Writing POC Characters

Building Tension

Plot devices/development:

Intrigue in Storytelling

Enemies to Lovers

Alternatives to Killing Characters

Worldbuilding

Misdirection

Consider Before Killing Characters

Foreshadowing

Narrative:

Emphasising the Stakes

Avoid Info-Dumping

Writing Without Dialogue

1st vs. 2nd vs. 3rd Perspective

Fight Scenes (+ More)

Transitions

Pacing

Writing Prologues

Dialogue Tips

Writing War

Writing Cheating

Worldbuilding:

Worldbuilding: Questions to Consider

Creating Laws/Rules in Fantasy Worlds

Book writing:

Connected vs. Stand-Alone Series

A & B Stories

Writer resources:

Writing YouTube Channels, Podcasts, & Blogs

Online Writing Resources

Outlining/Writing/Editing Software

Writer help:

Losing Passion/Burnout

Overcoming Writer's Block

Fantasy terms:

How To Name Fantasy Races (Step-by-Step)

Naming Elemental Races

Naming Fire-Related Races

How To Name Fantasy Places

Ask games:

Character Ask Game #1

Character Ask Game #2

Character Ask Game #3

Miscellaneous:

1000 Follower Post

2000 Follower Poll

Writing Fantasy

So I bookmarked this for later and remembered which way you shifted them wrong, but that got me thinking...

(very long post under cut)

1. Bravery - Recklessness Arrogance: A pretty common trope already. They're kinda stuck in a cycle of doing something heroic, getting a big head, and then having enough confidence to do it again.

2. Intelligence - Arrogance Naivety: The classic book-smart-but-not-street-smart character. They know a lot, but can easily get tricked.

3. Compassion - Naivety Stubbornness: A character has a lot of love in their heart, and won't let anyone tell them that they should stop being so nice.

(This is honestly really sweet.)

4. Determination - Stubbornness Manipulativeness: They have a lot of passion, but they use it to get other people to help them reach their goals.

5. Charisma - Manipulativeness Opportunism: This character has a way with words. Unfortunately for everyone else, they're a greedy little bastard and are always looking for an opportunity to get more of whatever it is they want.

(I know it’s tempting to give this one to a politician or CEO, but let’s try to think outside the box for a moment. What if this was a little kid instead?)

6. Resourcefulness - Opportunism Blind Obedience: To be honest, this one was a bit tricky to work with, but I like where I landed. They are very creative and crafty, but everything they make goes to a person they probably shouldn't be helping.

7. Loyalty - Blind Obedience Denial: This character is extremely devoted to whatever they are loyal to, to the point that they refuse to accept anything negative about them.

8. Optimism - Denial Inappropriateness: They're always looking on the bright side, and want others to do the same. However, this leads them to being insensitive and disrespectful towards those in pain.

9. Humor - Inappropriateness Lack of Boundaries: This character relishes in making jokes at other people's expense, but never listens when asked to stop.

10. Generosity - Lack of Boundaries Passivity: Instead of making their own decisions, this character tends to just give people stuff. Probably falls for scams a lot.

11. Patience - Passivity Cynicism: A character is so used to putting up with other people's nonsense that they've come to expect it. However, they still will treat these people with kindness.

12. Wisdom - Cynicism Overconfidence: This character is very wise, but they take their own words as gospel.

13. Confidence - Overconfidence Bluntness: They know they're great, and they're not afraid to say it. They consider themself above politeness, feeling it only gets in the way of success.

14. Honesty - Bluntness Rigidity: This character always tells the truth, and will not allow anyone to lie, no matter the reason.

15. Self-discipline - Rigidity Impulsiveness: A character has strong morals, but often acts without thinking.

(I can think of two directions you can go with this- they could be hypervigilant about anything that could be going against their morals, and recklessly try to find a way to correct it. Alternatively, they could do something "wrong" in the heat of the moment, then beat themself up over it later. Both are really compelling, and could perhaps be used together!)

16. Adventurousness - Impulsiveness Overwhelm: They are eager and curious about the world around them, yet they feel daunted by how much they haven't explored. They also consider themself insignificant compared to the sheer vastness of the world.

(Relatable.)

17. Empathy - Overwhelm Ruthlessness: This character cares very deeply for their loved ones, but will do anything to help those precious people, even if it means harming others outside their circle.

18. Ambition - Ruthlessness Emotional Detachment: A character is very passionate and diligent about their goals, but doesn't consider/care about how it impacts anyone else.

19. Resilience - Emotional Detachment Calculative: They've been through a lot. To avoid having to deal with any more traumatic situations, they plot out their strategy to make everything work in their favor.

20. Strategic - Calculative Recklessness: This character is great at making plans, but doesn't include any fail-safes or escape plans in case something goes wrong.

20 Compelling Positive-Negative Trait Pairs

Here are 20 positive and negative trait pairs that can create compelling character dynamics in storytelling:

1. Bravery - Recklessness: A character is courageous in the face of danger but often takes unnecessary risks.

2. Intelligence - Arrogance: A character is exceptionally smart but looks down on others.

3. Compassion - Naivety: A character is deeply caring but easily deceived due to their trusting nature.

4. Determination - Stubbornness: A character is persistent in their goals but unwilling to adapt or compromise.

5. Charisma - Manipulativeness: A character is charming and persuasive but often uses these traits to exploit others.

6. Resourcefulness - Opportunism: A character is adept at finding solutions but is also quick to exploit situations for personal gain.

7. Loyalty - Blind Obedience: A character is fiercely loyal but follows orders without question, even when they're wrong.

8. Optimism - Denial: A character remains hopeful in difficult times but often ignores harsh realities.

9. Humor - Inappropriateness: A character lightens the mood with jokes but often crosses the line with their humor.

10. Generosity - Lack of Boundaries: A character is giving and selfless but often neglects their own needs and well-being.

11. Patience - Passivity: A character is calm and tolerant but sometimes fails to take action when needed.

12. Wisdom - Cynicism: A character has deep understanding and insight but is often pessimistic about the world.

13. Confidence - Overconfidence: A character believes in their abilities but sometimes underestimates challenges.

14. Honesty - Bluntness: A character is truthful and straightforward but often insensitive in their delivery.

15. Self-discipline - Rigidity: A character maintains strong control over their actions but is inflexible and resistant to change.

16. Adventurousness - Impulsiveness: A character loves exploring and trying new things but often acts without thinking.

17. Empathy - Overwhelm: A character deeply understands and feels others' emotions but can become overwhelmed by them.

18. Ambition - Ruthlessness: A character is driven to achieve great things but willing to do anything, even unethical, to succeed.

19. Resilience - Emotional Detachment: A character can endure hardships without breaking but often seems emotionally distant.

20. Strategic - Calculative: A character excels at planning and foresight but can be cold and overly pragmatic in their decisions.

These pairs create complex, multi-dimensional characters that can drive rich, dynamic storytelling.

i want to design characters…

but i havent finished writing them yet…

I’ve changed my mind about the title. It’s going to be called the “Reasons to Stay” series. I just listened to the song again and I realize that, while beautiful, it doesn’t capture the essence of the story. The new title is not a song, but I think it fits.

Today was such a good day. I finally settled on calling my Wolfstar series “The Truth Untold” Series because that’s what the Marauders are, one big, hidden truth from Harry. (It’s also the title to one of BTS’ songs, which I think everyone should listen to). I also love the fact that I finally found a half-Japanese face claim that fits Sirius beautifully I really cried. It’s Conan Gray. So yeah, today was a good day.

I couldn't agree more.

PSA

// You’re allowed to change your OC’s.

Seriously, they’re YOUR OC’s. It doesn’t matter if you made them 3 weeks ago or 3 YEARS ago. You’re allowed to change them however you like. If you feel a certain headcanon suits them better, even if it’s been 5 years down the track from when you started writing them, then change them! 

Your OC’s belong to you and no one else. You’re allowed to change them as many times as you like–both physically and mentally. 

Characters grow over time, just like people. Certain parts of their story might not come to light until months after writing them. And just when you think you know who your OC is, something else springs up and might explain why they are a certain way. Embrace that change and growth. Understand and accept who your OCs are, even if they are a villain muse. Let yourself know that they’re allowed to grow as we, the writers, do. They will shape and form with us.

You’re allowed to change your OC’s, and no one has the right to tell you that you can’t. <3 

Easy fix that I haven’t seen anyone try but I have seen brought up a lot:

Make the rival/best friend also the love interest.

No honestly, it’s really that simple. The love interest lack the same sort of passion and energy that the best friend/rival typically has? Just combine the characters. This way you have less characters you have to worry about writing material for and fleshing out and you also get a stupid simple fix for romances coming off as stale and forgettable. Hell, you don’t even need to get rid of the best friend characterTM because you could just as easily give the love interest a similarly compelling dynamic and still keep both characters.

Anime/Manga Writers: Why don’t the fans like the canon straight couple instead of the non-canon gay ships?

MC looking at their canon love interest: So pretty and fights good.

MC looking at their rival/best friend/partner: They’re like the sun, brilliantly blinding and all-consumingly powerful. There’s a deadly beauty and grace to every action they take. They’re the other half of me that I never thought could exist, the one person who pushes me to be my best self, and life without them would not be worth living. There’s nothing in this world that they could not accomplish and I am but a fool chasing after them in hopes of reaching their level. Even then, having them in front of me/by my side has pushed me to heights I never thought imaginable.