The Dos and Don'ts of OCs · 1:12am Oct 21st, 2014
OCs. An acronym that sends a cold shudder down the spine of so many long-time FimFiction readers, and not without good reason. Nary a day goes by without the ‘New Stories’ box being graced with a story wherein some new pony wanders into town and befriends our beloved cast. And for the most part, these stories are... less than good. Which is a shame, really, because a good OC can open a ton of doors for an author to take their stories in directions that just aren’t possible if they restrict themselves to the canon personalities of established characters. And since I’ve been turning over questions about when and where they’re properly applied this evening, I figured I might as well share (read: inflict) some of my wisdom (read: bullshit-laden ramblings) onto all my adoring fans (read: people who sneezed mid-click and accidentally ended up here) while I try to hash out the things I’ve done right and wrong in the past. Some of the conclusions I’ve reached are common sense, while others are a bit counter-intuitive. And like all ‘Rules for Writing,’ the best stories are often ones that know when and where to break them.
DO: Make sure your OC has a life and identity of their own
Nothing makes a world start to feel claustrophobic like a network of characters who all share some pre-existing connection. The mare who just happened to be Twilight’s classmate back in Canterlot. The stallion who became a champion lasso-tosser after he just happened to watch Applejack win some tournament. It’s cheap and lazy characterization, and it defines your new character only in relation to another one. Imagine meeting a real-life celebrity on par with the Mane Six. Sure, they expect that you’ve heard of them, but going on and on about how you went to kindergarten together and you still have a scrap of the blankie they drooled on during naptime and omigosh isn’t it just kismet that we’re meeting again like this is a great way to get a complimentary escort out the back door by a large, burly man wearing a three-piece suit and an earpiece.
Bottom line: Your character should be able to carry a story that never intersects with the canon cast at all, at least in theory. If you do need to break this rule, try to do it retroactively. See Cheese Sandwich and the events of Cutie Mark Chronicles for reference. The connections are already existed, but the characters would be interesting even if they didn’t. It’s the gravy rather than the meat, is what I’m saying.
DON’T: Clone an Existing Character
‘My OC Tabula Rasa is a total nerd and bookworm! She’s usually pretty level-headed, but she can get totally crazy when she thinks she might disappoint her mentor, Brincess Belestia.’
Yeah, we already have that character. If you’re using an archetype that’s easily filled by an existing character, an OC might not be the right tool for the job. The exception is when your OC can serve as a shadow archetype to an existing character, a ‘there but for the grace of God go I’ warning who differs from the established character in only minor ways but ended up going in a totally different direction. A Sunset Shimmer to your Twilight, or an Algae Bloom to your Cloud Kicker. These sorts make great antagonists or anti heroes, generally.
DO: Beat the Shit Out of Them
Want your audience to like your original character? Make them suffer. Not randomly, mind, but as a direct consequence of one of their own screw ups (corollary: make sure your OC screws up from time to time). It’s a bit of a balancing act; an OC sentenced to death for littering is only going prompt eye rolling from your readers, but when in doubt harsher is better. Actually, I’d suggest making all your characters suffer as a general rule. Letting your universe knock them over and then kick them when they’re down only for them to learn a lesson and get back up again stronger than before is pretty much always compelling. Who doesn't love rooting for an underdog? It can be tough to follow through on this, especially since you probably like this character and want to coddle them. Fight that impulse. If you fudge the die rolls for them, so to speak, your readers will pick up on it. Do you want a Mary Sue? Because arranging events so that they always work out in your OC’s favor for no good reason is how you get a Mary Sue.
DON’T: Tell Me I Should Like Them
What makes readers think a character is awesome? That character does awesome things. That’s it.
Obvious, right? But a lot of people put the cart before the horse and just expect readers to like their OC because they give them attributes that they think are cool and expect it to rub off. If any of the following phrases appear when you’re describing your character...
‘Invented a groundbreaking device that gives him the power to...’
‘Received numerous awards for...’
‘Super-genius’
‘The best [whatever] that [authority figure] has ever seen’
‘Alicorn’
And so on and so forth
...then odds are I probably won’t give a damn . Nobody cares who your OC is going into the story. What they actually do on the page is a thousand times more impactful. Really, it’s just the old ‘Show, Don’t Tell’ advice gussied up in a new outfit. And don’t think you can slip these sorts of things past readers as long as you give your OC flaws to ‘balance them out.’ This isn’t some sort of point-buy RPG system, it’s a story. Give them core traits and beliefs, sure, but those things can lead to positive or negative characteristics. It’s actually better when strengths and weaknesses both feel like outgrowths of the same attributes.
DO: Buy a Slow Cooker and Learn How to Use It
This one has nothing to do with writing, I just really love my Crock-Pot. You can convince a truly absurd number of people you’re some kind of cooking savant when the limit of your ability is actually ‘chop stuff up, toss in pot, set to LOW for 10 hours.’
Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments.
Good advice for writing OC's. I have seen some good an bad OC's and i think this is spot on.
This actually helped! I'm writing a story with an OC and have feared him not being liked. Thanks for this!
God I want a crock-pot.
You should also get a wok, similar effect, but it only takes 15 minutes to make.
that slow cooker seem like a metaphor. hmmm...mmm...
2546371
You know they only cost like $20, right?
Dude, dude.
Take any cut of meat, but preferably a large beef.
Cream of mushroom soup.
Slow cooker.
Fucking magic.
Nothing to say about OCs, but you reminded me that it's fixin' to be stew and chili weather. Crock pots are the best.
Crock pots are fuckin awesome.
Well, this seems incredibly useful. May I put a link to this blog on the tips section of my user page?
(And yeah, slow cookers are awesome.)
usually what i do to make some sort of OC is first i develop the character as if they were for a totally original series, then 'convert' that character to the universe i'm writing for and tweak whatever doesn't fit. it's served me well.
I'd add:
DO: Make Us Root For Them
We go into ponyfics knowing in advance that we want to root for Twilight Sparkle et.al., because we wouldn't be here if we didn't. Using them as protagonists is a pretty safe bet, because as long as you stick to their canon characterizations, we will automatically care about them; all of the positive emotional baggage from the show carries over to your fic. With an OC protagonist, on the other hoof, we are essentially wandering past them on the street; we have no built-in reason to get emotionally invested in what happens to them. So show us — don't tell us; that was covered above — your character doing something that establishes them as a positive influence on their world. Even if it's something as simple as consoling a friend who's feeling down, or anonymously feeding a parking meter that's about to expire. The more we want to be friends with your character, the more invested we get in their fate.
(This is especially important if you're making them snarky, "edgy", or morally ambiguous heroes. They can be jerks to others, or have big personal failings, but make sure we also get to explicitly see their good side.)
2546378
It can be. Hmm... okay, "A good OC should develop and reveal their complexity over time rather than front-loading everything into their introduction. The longer you're willing to let them simmer as the audience gets to know them the greater the payoff will be when they have to take climactic action."
2546383
I have a Mediterranean pork loin and chicken cordon bleu recipe on standby for when I'm feeling particularly ambitious. I actually made a beef stew (cubed beef, carrots, celery, potato, garlic, beef stock, flour, salt, pepper) today and it taunted me all day with delicious scents as it cooked. Hence its inclusion.
2546386
Right? Stew today, and sometime soon: chili
What most people pulled from this informative blog: How to make an OC likable and enjoyable to read about.
What most people pulled from the comments: Crock Pots.
2546410
Sure, go nuts!
2546428
Good point. Some overlap with the 'Make Them Suffer' point, but from a more positive direction.
That parking meter suggestion really strikes a chord with me for whatever reason. I can totally picture a scene where some meter maid is waiting by a meter with a single minute left so they can write a ticket, only to have a stranger walk up and drop a quarter into the meter before carrying along with their day. You could play it either as a tiny act of kindness or an anti-authoritarian 'fuck the system' kind of thing.
This might become a chapter for my shorts collection, actually.
I've noticed something about some of my favorite OCs: Snowdrop, Nyx, Littlepip, Quizzical Greystone, *ahem* Azalea. They're all young. Now, before someone points out, 'hey, Azalea is a full-grown pony and Nyx used to be a full-grown alicorn,' I'm talking about the time they've been their own ponies. Before the elements did their thing, Azalea was a mindless drone with barely an inkling of free-will and Nyx was a part of another pony's mind. Back to the point. I think the reason I like these characters so much is because we get to see them grow. It's as you said, an author can't just take for granted that their OC will be awesome just because they say she is. With these ponies I've mentioned, we really get to see them grow into their awesomeness. They are flawed, yes, some of them very heavily, but we see them overcome these flaws in the most magnificent ways possible.
Thanks for the reminders. I generally pride myself on my character creation, so to speak, but it's always nice to see reminders. Thanks for that!
2546452
I think it's very much like you said, the possibilities for growth and development. I actually consider Azalea's initial introduction in Stitch to be in violation of the 'Don't Tell Us She's Awesome' rule. Twilight falls for her much too quickly. I don't think it hurts the story too much, given that it leads to some major heartbreak for both of them later on, but it does irk me just a bit.
And flaws are incredibly important. Meaningful flaws that actually limit and hurt the characters within the context of the story. We've all got them, your OCs should too.
DON’T: Tell Me I Should Like Them
I would argue this is the most important aspect, ESPECIALLY on Fimfiction. Scootaorphan fics can be amazing, but not when you out right tell the audience to be sad instead of showing us their version of Scootaloo's character first, then making us sad later.
Thanks for this. I think I'm on the right track with Ember, though it should be admitted that her story and any development I've given her wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for her pre-existing connection with Trixie (which wasn't even my idea to begin with).
2546381
Not allowed in my dorm, sadly. :<
Oh, this. So much this.
We learn about characters when we see them suffer. Most characters -- most people, really -- are pretty similar as we go about our normal, everyday lives. It's when people are under stress, when they're tossed into the furnace, that you see what they're really made of.
Implying there are good OCs
Crock-Pots are serious business. I've made amazing pulled pork with it.
This explains all of the Loop series.
Also, yes. I love my slow cooker. And it's chili season!
2546515
Every character started off as someone's OC, the good ones just tend to stick around and take on a life of their own.
2546482
There's nothing wrong with creating a connection to an existing character, just don't lean too heavily on it. As a rule of thumb, as long as they can exist and be compelling without relying on their connection to a canon character to carry that weight, you're likely fine.
So you're saying my OC should be a crazy pony whom all the towns folk stear clear of because they're always spouting outlandish conspiracy theories?
oooooh, crOck pot!, not Crackpot!
2546561
Way ahead of you
2546566 This was all a ploy to get me sucked into the Optimalverse wasn't it?
Well played, Eakin, well played.
(Reminds me of that one panel in the MLP comics reflections arc. If you've read it, you know exactly which one I'm talking about.
2546515 That is based on opinion
Toss some ribs in a Crock Pot and dump barbecue sauce on it. Let that run all day and the meat will be falling off the bone by dinner. Add muffins, potatoes, or your starch of choice for a delicious, easy meal. You can also toss in some frozen veggies if you're feeling particularly healthy.
2546603
At first I thought you were suggesting adding the muffins to the crockpot with the ribs.
2546539
2546594
It's satire. Probably should have made it more clear, lel.
I've made Chili, Stew, BBQ, Lasagna, Baked Ziti, and all kinds of marinated meat in my crock pot.
...Hell, I've even make a cake in it. Best dang cake I ever made...
I wish I had a bookshelf for memorable blog posts.
Also, muffins with ribs? Like, in the pot, or...?
Very much agreed. Also, I always just sorta assumed OCs should exist far-away from the Mane 6, and also figured that if you really want to write a character more-or-less from scratch, there are plenty of background ponies waiting to be fleshed-out.
I have the most overwhelming feeling I've read all of this before. Literally all of it. Even the crock pot joke. I'm... a little weirded out right now.
I've had Deja Vu before, but this feels... different? Idk, maybe I'm just tired.
Your first point, "Make sure your OC has a life and identity of their own," reminded me of what MovieBob had to say about 'destiny.'
So I'm just gonna ask this here (since you managed to derail your own comment thread already): is
Pond ScumAlgae Bloom original to A Stitch in Time, or does she show up in Chengar Qordath's stories? I don't read the latter, but you piqued my curiosity.EDIT: Actually, having the comments be a delicious slow-cooker recipe swap instead of a whine-off of "but my OCs..." was probably your plan all along! Crafty.
2546814
I disagree, Taste of the Good Life being my best-realized counterpoint. I'd also say that every background pony is more or less a collective OC at this point.
2546832
While I disagree with Moviebob quite often, I remember seeing this particular issue in his videos. I agree with him on this particular point.
2546496
You would know better about the behavior of people under extreme stress than I would. I'm just drawing from basic chemistry; if you want to provoke a reaction, turn up the heat.
2546586
Oh no, of course not. If, hypothetically, I were a value-satisfying AI who was trying to lure you into my web with a casual comment, I'd be much more subtle.
Then again, if it worked and I could convince you that I wasn't an AI strictly because of how clumsily I handled your indoctrina... I mean your introduction to these perfectly innocent stories I would certainly do so.
2546842
Algae Bloom was originally a one-off in Stitch and I had no plans to develop her beyond 'random kinda-rapey bitch.'
As I tend to do, I got sucked into expanding her beyond that, and brought her back as a recurring character in Changing Lives. I just couldn't resist presenting a character who's everything that all the Winningverse haters claim Cloud Kicker is, and I set her up as somepony who Cloud despises with every fiber of her being for exactly that reason. But she doesn't exist outside of the Time Loop Trilogy.
2546496
Tell me... Have you read the works of Shan Yu?
2546864 Ooh,
she's good!Another one: Don't make them meet canon characters unless it is necessary. I read this one story where all the Mane 6 were introduced in a rather forced fashion, and I just stopped reading.
Good example: Main Course doesn't know Fluttershy or Applejack. And of the rest of the Mane 6, he only knows well Rarity (Important for the storyline) and Pinkie (I'm gonna guess she's there just because you like writing Pinkie Pie)
WHY IS THERE AN AD FOR A CROCK POT ON THE BOTTOM OF MY PAGE RIGHT NOW?!
Eakin, did you plan this?!
I ended up writing a blog post about this same subject matter, talking about round versus flat characters, which I feel is a very important distinction which is really the critical thing that most folks get confused about and which is what results in so many bad original characters, and yet which people seem to dance around a lot when it comes to OCs, or indeed characters in general.
Quite a nice set of points to make on the form of good character construction. I feel as well that one should beat or berate thier own character from time to time. Yet I feel as well making sure the world they exist in needs just as much of the attention as the character. Cause he is forced to cope with it in what ever temperature it seeks to set on the character. It should sometimes be a living thing that is not forgotten by the author. They have control over it as well, while we mold characters or constrain them around it.
heh, I think I was doubly bad with one OC on the first one. First she is Fluttershy's sister, though becasue of the age difference, as well as being near opposites, they aren't too close. But mostly it's that she's defined by her job, being the captain of Luna's guard. One thing to flesh her out is that she was the captain before Luna got back, and the guard was never disbanded, just used to do other things. Also an unreasonable focus on a connection can actually be interesting as long as you intend such a thing.
on the other hand the closest I ever got to cloning a character is Lockie (the norse god of chaos if you couldn't guess) who looks like a green and black Pinkie.
Yea, my self named and inspired OC Dreamvolt got run over by a tank in one scene. Also it doesn't relate to OCs directly but I also had Luna, Rarity, Twi and Celestia trying to reign Pinkie in after she became queen of the griffins. Granted I ussually do it for comedy, but I am more than willing to torment my characters.
I certainly never do this. I might try a little to had to have them do things that will make you like them, but I never just outright have a character instantly like someone upon meeting.
You forgot:
Do: Be random.
Spots the slow cooker note.... Oh, never mind!