Sincerely, Yours

First, for the fantasy writers out there, this has been a good tool for inspiration in naming things beyond just characters. I like to take the suggestions apart and make my own.

These next two websites get me into my character's headspace. If you're someone who likes to give your characters birthdays, whether it is important in the story or just because you like to, this is a fun exercise. I like to take this quiz in the headspace of my characters to see what their zodiac sign is. It gives the month and day range for the sign, which helps me pick a date for my characters. It is also fun to see if the traits of that sign line up with the character. Even if you aren't looking to give them a birthday, I think the questions make you think of how a character would react to certain work and social situations. It takes about 20 minutes to complete.

This second website is another quiz to take in your character's headspace. I have used this for years, and I have grown very fond of using it. It is a free personality test based on Jung and Briggs personality type theory, and I find it to be most helpful in getting to know my new characters. For fun, I add the results to their character sheet. It is 64 questions, and is rather similar to the zodiac personality test. There are links to the 16 personality types that explain them quite well if you'd rather just find the one that sounds close enough. Over the years of using this site, I have found it to be quite useful for my characters. I hope you will find it useful or enlightening for your characters as well.

As a bonus, here is a link to the alignment test. I find the alignment test for D&D to be great for getting acquainted with the characters in my writing. And, why not use it? D&D is awesome!

This last website is one of my favorites to use. This is an incredible source for more than just character creation and development. They have worksheets, questions for world building and character development, and even a page for character's personality types. They even discuss the Myers-Briggs and western zodiac categories I mentioned in this post. There are additional categories on that page as well. This link will take you to the character development questions. There are approximately 150 of them. I like to pick and choose the questions I find the most relevant to my story and add them to my own sheet that I have built over the years. As a challenge, I try to complete all of the questions, even if it takes the character out of the story's setting. I feel doing the previous quizzes first helps me answer these questions with certainty.

Pinterest is my number one app for inspiration. Creating and organizing boards for my stories and characters is one of the best things for my imagination and immersion. With my coauthor, we collaborate on boards and share ideas to paint a picture of what we imagine. I can usually find character art or frames from movies/shows that are very close to how I imagine a character. But when Pinterest fails, I use Artbreeder. Artbreeder has graced me with success in tweaking pictures just right to make my characters as close to how I imagine them as possible. It can take some patience and it takes a lot of experimentation when you first learn how it works, but I have found it to be very helpful. I've been very happy with my results. The best part about it is the fact you can combine "parent" photos and make "child" photos. If you're creating a family, this is a great tool to distribute traits. If you are ever curious to see what I have created on Artbreeder, let me know and I can post examples.

There you have it! These are some of the resources I use to bring my characters to life. Getting to know your characters on a deep level will never steer you wrong. Being a writer, knowledge is power and the cards are all in your hands. Use what you learn about your characters and let it contribute to their story.

I will most likely add to this post in the future! Feel free to share some of your favorite sites that help you develop a character with me! I am always looking for new sites and material!

Before we begin:

Have a pen and paper handy to jot down your ideas.

Consider creating a character sheet or journal to keep track of your character’s stats, abilities, and other important details.

Step 1: Developing Your Character’s Personality and Motivations

One of the most important aspects of roleplaying a D&D character is understanding their personality and motivations. This will inform how your character behaves in different situations and how they interact with other characters in the game world.

To get started, think about what makes your character unique. What are their quirks, flaws, and strengths? What are their goals and aspirations? What do they value most in life? Answering these questions can help you get a sense of your character’s personality and give you a foundation for building their backstory and shaping their actions in the game.

It can also be helpful to consider your character’s alignment, which refers to their moral and ethical outlook. Are they lawful good, chaotic evil, or something in between? This can give you a sense of how your character might approach different dilemmas and conflicts in the game.

Finally, consider your character’s motivations. What drives them to adventure? Are they seeking wealth, power, revenge, redemption, or something else? Understanding your character’s motivations can help you make more informed decisions about their actions in the game and give your roleplay more depth and purpose.

Step 2: Building a Backstory for Your D&D Character

In addition to your character’s personality and motivations, their backstory can play a major role in shaping their identity and informing their actions in the game. A well-crafted backstory can add depth and complexity to your character, as well as provide opportunities for roleplay and character development.

To begin building your character’s backstory, consider their family and cultural background, as well as any significant events or experiences that have shaped their worldview and personality. You might also think about their education and training, any notable relationships or allies they have, and any enemies or rivalries they might have.

It’s important to strike a balance between providing enough detail to give your character depth and complexity, while still leaving room for flexibility and growth. Your character’s backstory should be a starting point, not a definitive roadmap for their actions in the game. As you develop your character’s backstory, try to think about how it might inform their behavior and decisions in the present. For example, if your character comes from a wealthy and privileged background, they might approach problems and conflicts differently than a character who has had to struggle and fend for themselves.

Don’t be afraid to collaborate with your DM and fellow players to incorporate your character’s backstory into the game. This can add an extra layer of immersion and help bring your character to life in the game world.

Step 3: Physical Characterization and Mannerisms

Together with your character’s personality and backstory, their physical appearance and mannerisms can play a significant role in bringing them to life in your D&D campaign. Consider your character’s physical characteristics, such as their height, weight, facial features, and any distinguishing marks or scars. You might also think about their style of dress and any unique items or accessories they might wear.

Next, consider your character’s mannerisms, or the way they carry themselves and interact with others. Do they speak loudly or softly? Do they make frequent hand gestures when they talk? Do they have a particular way of moving or standing that is distinctive to them? Adding these small details can help bring your character to life and make them more believable to your fellow players.

It can also be helpful to consider your character’s posture and body language, as these can convey a lot about their personality and state of mind. For example, a character who is confident and assertive might stand up straight with their shoulders back, while a character who is anxious or nervous might fidget or avoid eye contact.

If you're stuck then try to draw inspiration from real people or fictional characters you admire. Just be sure to make your character your own and avoid simply copying someone else’s mannerisms or appearance.

Step 4: Voice and Dialogue for Your D&D Character:

An important part of bringing your D&D character to life is establishing their voice and dialogue. This includes the way they speak, their choice of words, and their tone and inflection. To begin, consider your character’s age, education level, and cultural background, as these can all influence the way they speak. You might also think about their personality and any quirks or mannerisms that might affect their speech patterns.

It can be helpful to practice speaking as your character out loud to get a feel for their voice and how they might naturally phrase things. You might also consider using a voice recording app or software to help you fine-tune your character’s voice and speech patterns. In addition to your character’s voice, pay attention to their choice of words and the way they speak. Do they use formal or informal language? Do they have a particular dialect or accent? Do they use slang or colloquialisms that are specific to their background or profession?

Consider your character’s tone and inflection. How do they sound when they are happy, angry, sarcastic, or serious? By paying attention to these details, you can add depth and believability to your character’s dialogue and help bring them to life in the game. As you work on your character’s voice and dialogue, don’t be afraid to take risks and try new things. Just be sure to communicate with your DM and fellow players so that you can all work together to create an immersive and engaging game world.

Step 5: Consistency and Continuity in Roleplaying Your D&D Character

One of the challenges of roleplaying a D&D character over an extended period of time is maintaining consistency and continuity in their behavior and actions. It’s important to stay true to your character’s personality and motivations, while still allowing for growth and development over the course of the game.

To help ensure consistency in your roleplay, it can be helpful to refer back to your character’s backstory and personality traits as you make decisions for them in the game. This can help you stay true to their character and avoid sudden, unexplained changes in behavior. It can also be helpful to keep track of your character’s actions and decisions in a character journal or log. This can serve as a reference for you and your DM and help you stay on track with your character’s development.

In addition to consistency, it’s important to consider continuity in your roleplay. This means keeping track of your character’s past experiences and how they might impact their present actions and decisions. For example, if your character has a history of being betrayed by friends, they might be more hesitant to trust new companions in the future. Paying attention to consistency and continuity in your roleplay, you can help bring your D&D character to life and make them feel like a fully-realized individual in the game world.

Conclusion: Bringing Your D&D Character to Life through Roleplay

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Critique vs. Alpha/Beta Reading

I want to start with this because so many times (as a writer) I have asked for beta readers, and basically gotten a critique (or "crit" as it will be called from here on). A crit can look a lot like many different things depending on the reader, but in general, here's the difference:

Critique: grammar, style, clarity, often line-by-line

Alpha/Beta: story structure, character arcs/development, plot, and overarching themes and ideas

And I say this because some writers might want both. Some want all these separately, and some want them all at once.

Generally, crits are harsher, and can resemble "tearing apart" a manuscript. They can certainly offer great feedback, but it depends on the writer and their needs.

Some writers, especially for those who have had critique partners in the past and this isn't their first story, may not want these comments at all. I generally prefer not to have them (unless it's something stark that draws you out of the immersive reading experience) because when it comes to grammar, style, and flow, these are things I can edit myself. I have had enough good critique partners in the past that I can handle that and don't need betas to do it for me.

However, some writers might not feel that way! But I definitely know I'm not alone here. Especially when manuscripts have already been critiqued and you specifically ask for a beta, it can be disheartening to receive this style of feedback (especially in large quantities).

Examples of critique-style comments:

Word choice and/or grammar edits

Line- or scene-specific comments like breaking down or giving advice on dialogue, action sequences, worldbuilding, and the writing itself

E.g. "this needs more visual description" or "this description is too long/drawn out" or "action sequences require faster pacing" etc.

Examples of alpha/beta style comments:

Character arcs/dev: "I liked this character's journey, but I didn't feel connected to them during XYZ parts of the book." or "I don't understand why this character chose to do this."

Plot: "This scene is what I consider to be the part where the plot really begins" or "I don't understand how ABC scene connects to XYZ scene."

So what's wrong with that? Nothing!

But you can see where if someone asked for an alpha/beta but the reader's comments are 90% crit-style, the writer might feel like the reader didn't like or connect with their work. If a reader is crit-style commenting x5+ per page, then they likely weren't engaged with the story so much as analyzing the writing style. And for alpha/betas, you want to be as immersed in the story as possible and analyzing the story.

Particularly if the manuscript has already been critted in depth, and is a polished draft (which, is certainly debatable, but that's a topic for another day) ready for betas, it can be frustrating to receive crit comments when that's not what you asked for. A lot of the times, for well-edited and mostly-polished drafts, these crit-style comments come down to personal preference with the reader editing your work to fit their personal taste. Which is not making the story better, just different.

But, to emphasize: if you were unclear in your expectations and the reader doesn't know that manuscript is already critted/polished going in, they might think you want these comments!

Also, some readers might be awesome critique partners, but terrible betas—and vice versa.

This is why I'm going to drive home my Big Takeaway from my first post: communication is key! Both writers and readers need to be clear on the type of feedback that's desired.

Of course, most readers probably do a mixture of both of these styles of comments, and this is fine! The important thing is to keep what the writer wants in the back on your mind. If you know the writer asked for a beta, then try to keep crit-style to <50% (or maybe even <25%) of your total comments. And vice versa, etc. etc.

TL;DR: A critique analyzes the writing. An alpha/beta analyzes the story. Many readers will look at BOTH, so it's important to discuss this beforehand and provide the feedback desired!

The Purpose of Alphas & Betas: MINDSET

So this piggybacks off of what I just discussed: if someone has asked for an alpha/beta, you should keep the GOAL of being an alpha/beta in the back of your mind. Especially if you're prone to crit-style comments, this will help you.

The goal of BOTH alpha and beta readers is to SUPPORT and ENCOURAGE the writer. I know that's obvious, but so many times I have gotten comments or questions about why some readers' comments seem rude/inconsiderate or not constructive. And, at least in my experience, it's because the readers went in with the wrong mindset—a mindset more appropriate for crit, rather than alpha/beta.

So what is the goal? To me, the goal should be to figure out what the story is the writer is trying to tell. Maybe in some cases the writer is upfront about that, or maybe you're going in blind. But when I go into a book as alpha/beta, this is the question I try to remind myself throughout the journey:

What is this story trying to tell me, and how could it be stronger?

But MJ, what does that mean??

Because no, I don't mean the genre, or the plot, or even the character arcs or writing style. I mean:

What theme is this writer exploring / what is the message they're sending to readers?

And from there: what about the narrative/writing/plot/etc. interfered with my connection with this message?

Side story: let me use avof as an example. This is an urban fantasy with vampires and werewolves and shifters (oh my!). I had some shitty "betas" for this book years ago which really threw off my groove as I was editing because I didn't know they were bad betas. But the truth is they weren't betas at all. They were critiquing it, and from the mindset of "this is vampire romance book." They went in critiquing my book for something that it wasn't. They completely disregarded that it more aligned with adventure, not romance, and the themes explored were self-discovery, self-acceptance, the impact of immortality on psyche, and gender & sexuality & identity - and because of that, they critiqued the book without engaging with the book. If they had asked themselves "what themes are being explored?" they (hopefully) would've seen it wasn't romance, and likely would've engaged better.

So, to continue on with this main goal, there are other things to consider—what kinds of mindsets you should avoid!

Whenever I have gotten insensitive (and sometimes, full-on offensive) comments, these were contributing factors. Regardless of critique, alpha, or beta, these are true:

You are not the only reader. There are going to be multiple people giving comments, and your comments are all of equal weight. You may be the only person who can't visualize that fight scene. You might be the only one who thought a plot point was too predictable. In most cases you will never know if other readers agree/disagreed with you, which is why it is the writer's decision whether to take action on your comments are not.

You are not an expert. I don't care how long you've been reading, writing, or beta reading. I don't care if you've read 100 published books in this genre before. You are not the expert on this book. The writer is. You do not know what is better for the story than the writer does.

You are not here to decide whether the writer is a good writer or not. You should not be making statements that imply that the writer is inexperienced or new to writing. You should not go into reading a manuscript with the mindset of "I have more experience than this writer and I should share my knowledge & teach them something." (But if the writer has expressed this, then it might be okay in some instances to give advice.)

If a specific minority group is being repped on the page that is not ownvoices and you are part of that community, you could offer insight that can be helpful, but should ask the writer if they want that kind of feedback prior to giving it. If you are not part of the community, you should not comment unless the writer has requested it (unless ofc you're complimenting it lol)

When betas go in without these ideals, it can lead to at best, unhelpful comments, and at worst, condescending and hurtful comments. These are the comments that make writers feel like failures, or like their book is bad, or that they are bad writers. Or, for experienced writers who know you went in with these (toxic, imo) mindsets, it can hurt relationships, break trust, and/or make a writer roll their eyes and disregard all of your comments.

That isn't to say that you should only compliment and not have any negative feedback or ignore flaws you see in the writing, narrative, character development, etc... but it is best to go in with the mindset that you are here to give them insight so they can make their story stronger, not to teach/give advice or change the story.

A note on sensitivity, authenticity, and expert readers: In my opinion this is one of the only cases where direct education/advice should be given. I also recommend having at least 2 sensitivity readers per any group that's repped that's not ownvoices, because even two people from the same group may interpret your story differently or see different weaknesses/strengths. That said, it is important for readers who are not of the repped groups to hold their tongue. It doesn't matter if your partner or sibling or parents are part of a group repped on the page. If you are not a member of that group, you are not an expert. If you have an inkling that the writer has not had sensitivity readers yet, you can politely suggest it. But it could also be a case of you having different life views, ideals, and/or opinions than the writer and the group being repped, and that is why you are not a sensitivity reader. I can't tell you how many times I had cis/het betas say my representation of an identity or repping gender as fluid was inaccurate/offensive when it was ownvoices, or when I'd already had 3+ sensitivity readers for the group(s).

Basically, as an alpha/beta reader, you are here to offer insight and immerse yourself in the story. It's also good to remind yourself throughout reading that "this might rub me wrong, but another reader might like it." Framing your ideas and comments this way will help you be more objective and less "this is wrong/right" because there is no such thing in writing.

TL;DR: The goal of alphas/betas is to engage with and understand the STORY, give the writer insight into how you interpret it, and help the writer figure out how to make their story stronger. It is not to give advice or teach. The writer decides what changes to make and is the expert on their story.

Ok, now I got the Beta Mindset™. So how do I comment?

Well, really this will depend on the person. Everyone is different and will notice different weaknesses and strengths in any given manuscript. And, as I said above, most people naturally will provide some crit-style comments, it's just in our nature to point out when a writing style doesn't mesh with our preferences.

From a writer's perspective, at least for me, these are the kind of comments that are the most helpful for me:

"I..." statements. For example: "I am struggling to visualize this fight scene." Instead of rewriting it or pointing out that the descriptions or actions are weak or explaining how to fix it—this is an open statement that leaves the decision up to the writer.

Immediate emotional reactions are awesome for writers to know. For example, if a line made you laugh out loud, say so! If you get to the end of a chapter and were so immersed that you forgot to comment, say so!

And on the other end, if you were immersed but then something happens that snaps you out of it, say so! But without "because..." or "you should..." advice. Just say "hey I was super immersed, but in this paragraph you lost me."

I also recommend holding comments until the end of a chapter/section (minus immediate reactions as above). Look at scenes, chapters, acts, as a whole rather than individual pieces. This will help you focus on the story, rather than the writing.

I would also recommend this post!! Excellent, and I agree 100%!!

Other critical examples: "this is my favorite character but this decision is frustrating/confusing me"; "I was bored and skimming through this chapter"; "I'm not sure what [insert worldbuilding feature] means"; "I didn't know that the magic system could do this and I feel blindsided"

Other complimentary examples: "This line of dialogue really resonates with me"; "this has been my favorite description so far"; "I didn't see this coming but it makes perfect sense!"

And here are comments I suggest you avoid:

Anything that implies that the story is unfinished, too long, too short, etc. This might be ok for crits or alphas or if the writer has said that it's unfinished, but probably not for most betas. If the writer is at the beta stage, then likely they consider their manuscript finished (minus any changes they make based on beta feedback). If you feel the need, you might say something like "this genre is usually 80-100k and yours is 150k" but avoid wording like "the story is overwritten/underwritten", which can be hurtful. (Once, a story of mine was on draft 8 and had been called polished and ready to publish by various other people, and then one beta said, "this is a good attempt at a draft of an opening scene." So yeah, avoid stuff like that.)

Wording things in a way that make them seem like Facts. As a reader, everything you say is subjective. Regardless of what you are commenting on, what you are providing are opinions. Especially for writers who tell unconventional stories/structures, comments like "this isn't the way this is done" are just annoying and are not even true half the time.

Unless you can provide sensitivity feedback personally, do not criticize the representation of a group you are not a part of. If you see something overtly harmful toward a group on the page, you can politely suggest sensitivity readers, and leave it at that.

Try your best to not give reasons or "because" statements. "This action scene felt slow because-" "I didn't feel connected to this character because-" Nope. Stop right there, unless/until the writer asks to elaborate.

Side Story: My Favorite Comment One of the single best comments I've ever received in a beta was when they noticed a character making a decision that didn't seem right. They pointed it out and basically said, "This feels out of character to me because I don't think this character would do this. They have done XYZ in the past, and I thought their motivation was ABC, but this decision directly conflicts with that." Why was this the best comment? Because 1) they didn't tell me how to fix it, 2) it was objective with evidence and nonjudgmental, and 3) they were 100% right. What they had actually found was a plot device I had used to push the character in the direction the story required. But because they pointed this out, I was able to see the source of the issue and rework the scene so that the character's motivation was consistent and they still ended up in the direction of the plot.

Since I foresee questions, allow me to elaborate on the last point: so often, a reader will say "this isn't working for me because of this reason" but actually, they're wrong about the reason. Like the comment above, this beta could have easily said, "this feels out of character because you messed up their motivation." But the problem wasn't motivation, it was me using a half-assed character decision to move the plot in the right direction! The issue was the scene, not the character development. The advice to "fix the character's motivation" wouldn't have fixed anything and might've even made the problem worse.

This isn't to say that advice should never happen in an alpha/beta, but I personally believe that the best comments are not those that say "you should change/fix this" but instead say "this is working for me/this isn't working for me." It leaves it open for the writer to figure out how to solve the problem, if a problem even exists.

I shall paste in a quote from the writing god himself, Neil Gaiman:

TL;DR: Basically, you aren't here to give advice, or fix anything, or change the story in any way. You are here to show the writer how their story impacts you, what you connected with, what you didn't, how their writing style works for you. Keep your comments open-ended and use specifics to show the writer what you connected with and what you didn't. You are giving the writer insight into how readers will interpret and understand their work, and it is the writer's duty to then grow their work.

And that leads directly into our final section...

How Much Should You Talk to the Writer About It?

This depends on the writer. Sometimes, writers will do 5+ betas at once (even on the same document) in which case they might not talk individually with the readers about any of the comments. Some writers (not me lol) will have an alpha as they write the first draft so it's not even complete yet, so they would probably talk a lot.

Personally, some betas I talk to for hours trying to brainstorm fixes (see: @jamieanovels and @wildswrites lmao tysm 🙏), and some betas I will just say "thanks for reading <3" and that's about it. It depends on how much you commented, the types of comments, and if I felt like you genuinely connected with the story (or not).

Side Note: I do want to clarify that by "misinterpret" below I don't mean that the readers are wrong, I just mean that they interpreted differently than what the writer had in mind. There is no misinterpretation when it comes to any form of art. But if a writer intended for the Main Takeaway of their story to be one thing, but the majority of readers took away another—that's important for the writer to learn in the beta stage. (Also, some stories are vague or open to multiple interpretations on purpose.)

For me, I talk in-depth with alphas, and maybe some betas, but there are also a lot of betas I barely talk to. I don't think there is a right or wrong here. Because as stated above, alphas/betas are here to provide insight into how readers interpret, relate to, and understand the story.

So once the writer gets that, there may not be anything else to talk about. Or, maybe the writer has questions about something you commented, and will want to follow up. For me, especially if you interpreted something way differently than I intended, I might want to follow up to see what in the narrative made you go that direction. Or, if you interpreted exactly as I intended, I may want more insight into which parts stood out the most to you, or what your favorite parts were. Or... I might not feel the need to follow up at all, for either.

In general, in my opinion, writers should be leading these interactions. Unless the writer has welcomed it, readers shouldn't be reaching out to writers to further discuss the comments they left.

(Note: this is not the same as hype/fangirling. Please come to my dms unsolicited and go hype about my book)

You have agreed to read it and leave comments, but the writer has not agreed to have full discussions with you about their own work. The writer doesn't owe you follow-up on the comments you leave, and whether they liked or disliked, agreed or disagreed with your comments doesn't really matter.

You may leave comments that are totally out of line with what the writer wanted, and that's fine. You might leave comments that make the writer uncomfortable, and that's fine too. We can't control these things, and there is no way to know how someone will interpret a story or what comments they might leave.

That said, If a writer doesn't follow up with you on anything, that doesn't mean your comments were bad. It might just be the writer's style to process and make changes alone. Even if you "misinterpret" their work, or even dislike it, all perspectives bring something to the table. Giving the writer insight into how one might "misinterpret" and/or dislike what they've written can be just as valuable as the betas who loved it.

Regardless, it's important to comment in a respectful way—respectful to the writer and what types of feedback they request, the story itself, and yourself as a reader. We are all growing and learning together, and miscommunication or writers and betas who have misaligned goals can lead to hurt on both sides. Hopefully this longass post gave you some insight into how/why that happens, and how to avoid it in the future.

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ANYWAY that was a lot. I hope you got something out of this, because it took a week to write this up lmao

–mj

P.S. I am considering doing another in this series focusing on writers and how to handle comments (good and bad). If you'd be intersted in that let me know <3