what are your tips for making good fantrolls, ive been stuck on it for a while
I am so sorry I left this one in the box for a while, I've been very distracted but I hope this can help.
Note neither I or anyone else should be the say all end all for characters, especially OCs because they are yours you should be able to have the freedom to do what you want. I also wont touch on things like clothing or visual designs because those while they can make a character look cool they arent what make a good character. Just like people someone’s looks dont relate to how interesting, nice, or relatable they are. However these are things that work for me. “Good” is up to interpretation but what I can tell you is what makes a solid and understandable or relatable character.
Cornerstones:
One thing that really helps with any type of character are cornerstones!(they can also be called core themes but it just means the same thing) I know I have said this before but cornerstones are extremely helpful when making a character. They can help with design the most but can also give you lil hints at personalities. Think of it like an oak tree seed. You plant the seed and it grows, it has different branches that go off from its core but it's all part of the same tree. Cornerstones can be anything and with a bit of research you have pretty much everything you need, not to mention it will go super fast. Example: Troll based on Aconitum.
This plant is commonly known as wolf's-bane, give them a wolf lusus and wolf ear horns. (or you could use any of the other nicknames)
The flower is purple,make them a purple blood.
Gender identity: presents as female due to the other nicknames “women's bane” or “queen of poisons”
Aconitum comes from the Greek ἀκόνιτον, which may derive from the Greek akon for dart or javelin, there's your weapon.
Name? Easy could be any of these if you wanna do 6 letters: firmum, flavum, or pascoi. Each are part of the species of Aconitum.
That took maybe 10 minutes looking through wikipedia. So this is like a really easy way to make a character who has a solid theme. So you see how helpful cornerstones are especially with trolls since they are usually based on themes! (also yes anyone can use the example)
Personality:
Personalities are always big ones. Character personalities will also change overtime but characters who are really enjoyed by people are ones who are understandable and relatable. You can even pull off god mode characters if you have the personality and reasons to match up with your character.
Questioning: Usually the more you ask questions about a character like “Does that match them?” you will slowly start to see a personality form. The best characters are ones you don't actually control and you know you have one where they kind of start telling you things about them. Instead of you commanding like “He/she/they do this” it changes to a question “Would He/she/they do this?” and the character will give you an answer. This also allows a character to sort of grow into their own so they're not just copies of their creator’s personality and whims.
Realism: Now realism doesn't mean “non fiction” in this sense, what it means is that a character acts in realistic ways to their environments and stimulus. You sort of need to think about what they would do in situations that would arise in their environment and how they would react based on what you know about them. Things like RP or putting characters in different AU’s helps a lot with this but you can also do it with just coming up with a random prompt and sticking them in it. With realism you also need to know what your characters' limits are, what they can and can't do or what they would and wouldn't do. Trust me giving characters limits to their power isn't bad, it actually makes them more relatable, just like us there's always someone better than us but there's also always someone worse off. Reasons: Every character has their reasons, even super powerful characters have to have reasons to be understood. They can have logical reasons or emotional reasons, it always depends on the character but a mix of both is the best one.
I hope this helps! Also please remember this is just what I have found works for me, everyone will have their own way to create and each way is just as valid! If anyone wants to add on what works for them go for it!
