Defining Original Characters

            Almost all of us who write or draw fan works have at some point created an OC – original character.  I see them frequently and I’ve been asked on a number of occasions if I have one.

            The answer to that question is that I actually have several.  For me an OC falls into several categories; primary character, secondary character, blank canon character, pivotal character, and the extra.

            Let me attempt to define these distinctions.  First off is the character I call ‘extra’.  They may or may not have a name, their appearance in a story is very short, they have little to no back story, and they can be useful enough to have a minor recurring role.

            An example of such a character is Shawn from the story “Spool”.  He is Mikey’s go to guy for comic books, especially hard to get ones.  He is useful for a number of different reasons; he’s youthful and therefore connects well with Mikey, he is a good reason for Mikey to leave the lair, he could be used as a trusted informant or spy, and if need be he could be the one bringing a problem to the Turtle’s for them to solve.

            Then you have what I call ‘pivotal characters’.  These are characters with no personal relationship with the Turtle’s and will have none to very limited recurring roles.  They are however the basis for a single adventure – the person around whom an entire story has sprung.  These types of pivotal characters are found in my “Encounters” series of one shot tales.

            Pivotal characters have names and their back stories can range from minimal to fairly comprehensive.  They are more fleshed out with enough personality to be relatable and to draw empathy from the reader.

            Examples include: Tawny, the trans/bi-gender streetwalker from “Encounters: Leo and the Streetwalker”

            Russell P. Cochrane, the aged cabbie from “Encounters: Don and the Cabbie”

            Nancy, the jealous gun-toting wife from “Encounters: Raph and the Jealous Woman”

            Ruth, the mom turned mugging victim from “Encounters: Mikey and the Housewife”

            And Cassidy and Preston, the sister/brother runaways turned thieves from “Encounters: Raph and the Runaways”.

            Next we have ‘blank canon characters’.  These are characters that have actually made an appearance in an officially sanctioned comic, movie, or cartoon.  Sometimes they have names and even a very basic back story, but their appearance is short and they rarely have any speaking lines.  Because of this, their personalities have not been defined and they are therefore ‘blank’ canvases.

            Examples include a number of the Justice Force members from the 2k3 cartoon.  Chrysalis and Tsunami make an appearance in several episodes, but aren’t much more than background characters.  I enjoyed creating personalities for both of them in my “Justice Force Series”.

            For me, a ‘secondary character’ is one that is fairly well fleshed out.  They have names, they can have recurring roles, they have important parts to play in the story, and they have distinct personalities.

            Secondary characters do not carry a story; they are however an important and necessary means for moving the action forward. Oftentimes they are the catalyst that delivers the integral momentum which leads to the story’s inevitable outcome.  Their roles can be vital bridges that support the entire story arc.

            Some notable secondary characters are: the skinwalker from “The Witchery Way”

            Hideo and Daisuke from the story “Fighting Desire”

            Frank Logan, Cynthia Page, Detective Tomas Sandoval, Lin Zhu, and Ethel Bugge – the good and bad guys from the “Lavinia” series of books.

            Finally you have your ‘primary character’ – the OC you’ve created after careful thought and consideration, and for some of us blood, sweat, and tears! This character should be as three-dimensional as possible; they require a defined personality, a comprehensive back story, and recognizable physical traits.

            The primary OC is a character whose role defines a tale; they are the impetus for the creation of the story.  Everything that takes place is because of their appearance in the story.  The difference between your ‘pivotal’ character and your ‘primary’ character is that the primary has a personal involvement with the canon characters.  Their lives become intertwined in a way that forever changes that of the characters with whom they interact.

            I have three primary original characters:

            Lavinia Daniel (whose name was derived from the female renaissance artist Lavinia Fontana 1552-1614), from the “Lavinia” series of books – “What You Need” and “Settling The Clan”.

            Her antecedents are clouded in mystery, but she spent part of her teen years as the adopted daughter of Hamato Yoshi. Lavinia is a mutant – though completely human in appearance, she possesses certain gifts which include the ability to heal others as well as herself through touch, and the ability to sense emotions.  Because of her unique attributes, Lavinia does not age.

            Niccolo or “Nicco” from the fic “Don and the Puzzle Box”.  Nicco is a mutant turtle from another dimension who Donatello encounters when April’s transport artifact sends him to another world.

            Masolino or “Mase” from the fic “Don and the Puzzle Box”. Mase is Nicco’s brother, the turtle who was supposed to travel through the artifact that they own but missed his ‘ride’ and left Nicco to journey alone.

            Through a slight difference in the way the Turtle’s origins began, the reptiles that would have been ‘Leo’ and ‘Raph’ merged into a single turtle and became Nicco.  Likewise with the characters of ‘Don’ and ‘Mikey’ – they merged into Mase.

            Manufacturing an original character is a lot of fun and gives you the opportunity to stretch your creative muscles.  It is also a good training exercise if your intent is to someday write a book of your own.

            I’m not going overly much into the controversies regarding ‘Mary Sues’ as regards to original characters because they’ve been discussed elsewhere ad nauseum.  Just be sure your character has a true purpose in your story, is as carefully crafted as possible, and has flaws – because real people do.

            Then – enjoy yourself!  Write (or draw) what you want and don’t stress if others aren’t as ecstatic over your character as you are.  Many people are going to run away from the words ‘original character’ or ‘OC’ without even taking a look at what you’ve created and that’s something you have to expect.

            Those that stick around to comment should be profusely thanked and you should take any constructive criticism to heart.  Learn from it because really, that is the point of posting something publicly anyway – to grow as a writer or artist.

            I must be off now – Nicco is calling and he is not a turtle one can easily ignore!