Advice/Help Do you write your character around their backstory or the backstory around the character?

[Fist Full of Frogs]

I'm not sure if this is a dumb question or not. Just food for thought. When you're staring at a character sheet do you start with the personality, appearance, etc? Or do you jump straight to the backstory / motivation and build on that . Is the backstory just an afterthought and the character itself is more important. Which method do you think makes for a better character?

 

[Malphaestus]

I write the Character Sheet in chronological order. Whichever comes first, is whichever I will write first.

 

[nerdy tangents]

I usually write backstory first unless the personality is part of the role.

So if the roleplay is :: Hyper Competent superhero works with whimsical layabout.

 

[Edric Blight]

I guess I'd say the backstory around the character.

 

[arcanas]

Usually backstory around the character. I might have a few key events that shape the character, but it’s almost always their personality that I write first and then fill in their backstory to match.

 

[Idea]

I always start from a character concept, and build around that concept. Sometimes that makes the backstory come first, other times it comes last. The way this tends to work is that whatever the core character concept is - or core elements are- is what I write first, then followed by whatever would be interesting to create interplay with. Generally speaking though, I have a couple things in mind for personality and the like which I write down, but then focus on backstory, powers and such, before finishing the personality. This is because unless my core concept is specifically about how a characters acts - in which case I likely have a very strong image in my mind of how the character is and acts- then odds are I'm constructing how the characters acts by running what I already know about their personality with the various things I go about adding. This means that I'm often in more uneven footing if I'm not starting with personality, but that's less about method and more about lacking a stronger image of the character in my head when I start building them.


Now, I don’t think backstory coming first or last makes that big of a difference, certainly not in terms of expected character quality. In the end, a better character is generally not one where the backstory, personality and so on are truly disconnected, but rather is one where the different aspects tie together, influencing and shaping one another, and reinforcing each other. Even when the backstory is incredibly simple and mundane, treating it like an afterthought is a bad idea. After all backstories not only justify how a character came to be who they are, they contextualize everything about them, from who they are now to their worldview and even where the future might lead for them.

 

[Grey]

I usually start with a combination of backstory and broad concept.
By which I mean I read the setting material, and then think either 'what kind of characters emerge from this world and why would they be interesting to involve in this plotline?' or 'how do I make this compelling idea cohere with the setting presented to me?'

So, for example, maybe in one RP someone presents me with an intriguing superhero setting where I'll be playing a villain, and I ask myself 'how do the forces of this world define a villain, and how do they create one?' and come to a character who is only a villain if you think the world is perfect the way it is, or balk at needful things.
And then someone presents a neat fantasy setting after that RP falls through, but I like the character concept, so I look at the new setting and wonder 'what events in this world would result in a character like that?'.

I normally only think of appearance where it's relevant to their story and character; I'm actually really fond of hinting at personality, powers, or history through physical features. I love characters who are warped and mutated by power.

That said in practice my approach is actually more holistic, much as Idea expresses in the latter half of their post.

And of course, I never play anymore; I GM, so my character creation process is really an extension of my worldbuilding philosophy.

 

[Idea]

I never play anymore

Out of curiosity, why not?

 

[Grey]

Out of curiosity, why not?

Honestly I have more fun as GM, and I rarely see a pitch that intrigues me enough to play (and sometimes when I do I feel like I'd actually be a poor player who would degrade the experience for everyone involved).

 

[Idea]

Honestly I have more fun as GM, and I rarely see a pitch that intrigues me enough to play (and sometimes when I do I feel like I'd actually be a poor player who would degrade the experience for everyone involved).

Fair enough. As long as one is doing what makes them happy, that is what matters. Though I would encourage you to give groups that intrigue you a shot, provided of course they are compatible with your style as a player / writer. It definitely doesn't seem to me like you'd degrade a roleplay like under such circumstances, especially because one can really bring a lot to the table just by being cooperative. Not that I know all that much about you to begin with.. but I do think so based on that little I know, and wouldn't want you to feel discouraged if it's unwarranted...

Well, before I tangle myself with a ramble, thanks for satisfying my curiosity there

 

[Onmyoji]

I also start with general concept first. It's a combination of "what kind of character I want to play right now" and "what kind of character would fit into this setting". So that the former is more about personality and the latter also includes backstory.
Can't say one strictly comes before other, rather they are developing simultaneously.

 

[GojiBean]

I'm in 100% agreement with Onmyoji with regards to how I think about characters.

Ultimately it doesn't really matter what comes first so long as the basic concept of the character fits the lore of the RP in an appropriate fashion.

So long as you are happy with the end result of the character it really doesn't matter what you start with. Sometimes I start by finding a face claim and build around that. Other times I'll have an idea for a personality and build around that. Other times I'll come up with a backstory and build around that.

So long as I'm happy, that's all that matters.

Cheers!

 

[Viper]

I tend to start at the face claim actually! I hate when the FC does not match the personality/ lore of my character, and this has resulted in me starting with a super vague idea (such as elf man) and looking at pictures of male elves until I find one I like most. All background and personality is built around that image. If the FC is frowning, then they are a stoic character. If the FC is smiling while surrounded by sparks, then they are playful, energetic, and likely reckless with their powers. If the FC has a lot of jewelry and gold, then they were raised as a rich noble.

It's easier to make a character based off an image I love than loving a character and never being able to find the perfect FC to match my vision.

 

[Gary Sue]

In any roleplay I participate in, I always get a rough draft of what character I want to play and write a relatively loose backstory for them to have some things set in stone and ready to go. Once I've played them for a while and have a better feel for them though, I'd say it's around then I feel comfortable feeling the little gaps I'd left in there depending on how I feel my character could have come this far or even started out the way they did.

TLDR: The backstory around the character. I need to get a feel for them more than anything first.

 

[Jannah]

Backstory is almost always first for me. It's what really makes the character, imo. It's really a person's experiences who shape who they are, thus exploring this element in character creation is especially important.

 

[Jannah]

I tend to start at the face claim actually! I hate when the FC does not match the personality/ lore of my character, and this has resulted in me starting with a super vague idea (such as elf man) and looking at pictures of male elves until I find one I like most. All background and personality is built around that image. If the FC is frowning, then they are a stoic character. If the FC is smiling while surrounded by sparks, then they are playful, energetic, and likely reckless with their powers. If the FC has a lot of jewelry and gold, then they were raised as a rich noble.

It's easier to make a character based off an image I love than loving a character and never being able to find the perfect FC to match my vision.

One reason why I rarely use face claims. There's never anything that fits 100%. I also can't draw so it's not like I can create my own images.

 

[Viper]

One reason why I rarely use face claims. There's never anything that fits 100%. I also can't draw so it's not like I can create my own images.

Exactly. Unless you start with the face claim as the foundation, it's impossible to find something perfect. It's one of the many reasons I start with the FC, but I get why people don't like them.

Personally, I enjoy the process of seeing 100+ images and narrowing them down to the perfect one. And as a further benefit, I just like seeing cool art and character designs, so face claims let me see pretty pictures and, more importantly, has prompted me to make characters I otherwise would never have. For example, a buff villain who wears a lot of pink/purples and fur. I never would have made that choice unprompted, but I fell in love with the image and so now I have a cocky, cruel person with a flair for the dramatics and has the power to steal random traits from the foes he has defeated. It also helps me be consistent with long-term RPs; I only post once every month or two, so I'll forget what MC or my partner's character looks like, so having a picturing that reflects looks and personality gets me right back into the proper headspace to write said character.... without combing through pages and paragraphs of text to remember eye color or something.

As I said though, I get why people have their issues with face claims... but for me, there are more virtues than vices when it comes to FCs.

 

[wild]

It really depends for me. Sometimes I will get a backstory in my head and make a character around that - but it's rare. It usually has to be sparked by another character/a book/tv show/etc., I'll basically see an idea, be like, "Huh, I can make that better" and go with it.


But largely, I design the "basics" of the character first, like name, etc. and then I start with personality. Are they grumpy? Why? Did something happen to them? Was there trauma? What's their goal? Why is that a goal? What's the biggest struggle for that goal? And the backstory comes to me from that.


But I also admit I have a lot of characters without backstories right now, because it hasn't come to me yet. Names, art, etc? Check! Just no story yet!

 

[Wisteria Romance]

I absolutely can not plan a character if I don't have a face claim first. I usually pick a few character tropes in my mind, then search for a FC that fits those. It's important that I have a visual subject so I can plan everything out based on that.

Recently I've found that I enjoy planning the backstory first because, in a way, it gives me a layout of what their personality will be. Someone betrays my character in their past which causes them to be reclusive, my character was always doted on by their parents through lavish gifts so they will be a little spoiled and bratty, my character had a relative who worked as a zookeeper and often visited them at the zoo during their childhood so that's how they became fond of animals, etc.

 

[Individual]

It depends. I usually start drafting up a character when I have an idea floating around in my head. It can be an interesting quirk that I want to try having a character based solely of it or a backstory that dives into unique worldviews. Whichever one is written around the other is dependent on what comes to me first.

 

[Natasha4E]

I start a character with an idea for their personality, then build everything around that. Most of the backstory will naturally grow when creating the various other aspects of the character, because the background has influenced on how they became who they are today. If there are still blanks left in the background when I am done, I fill them in last, but it is entirely possible that I just start using the character in a story, and usually the blanks in the background will fill up somewhere along the way.
When I use characters for written media I may not even have a face claim until I am halfway through.

 

[Fraised]

Whenever I'm making a new character, I tend to come up with their appearance and personality (in an interchangeable order) first. Backstories have... always been one of the more challenging elements for me to create. Admittedly, even some OCs that I've had for 10+ years still have vague or checkered pasts at best. But it helps when I can find inspiration in my character's design and behavior to shed some light on their background. That trinket they're wearing... does it have a special meaning to them? What was their social life like before the events of the story to make them this way? Where does X philosophy of theirs stem from? And so on!

 

[Murdergurl]

I usually start with a character concept. That concept will include a rough idea of who/what the character is, and I take it from there. Either I make or search for a faceclaim and once I get enough artwork together, I make a character profile document on google docs and make up the details as I go. However, sometimes I just stumble upon a picture that I want to use as a faceclaim, and I work out the backstory and setting from there. Tbh, I don't have a rigid method of operation when it comes to character builds. It just kinda happens organically.

 

[discorights]

Definitely the latter. I don’t want to write myself in a corner, but going in blind is always a risk. It’s better to start out with a rough outline, and fill in the details as you go — makes it easier to build chemistry with your partner as well. Just makes the character feel more like they really belong in that world. All of my best characters have started this way.

 

[zombriffic]

personally, i always start with a rough concept of the personality. a lot of my character sheets begin at the top with the name and then a summary of who they are. an example is below;


once i have that little sentence blurb, i try to come up with the full personality. what's their alignment? are they introverted or extroverted? do they easily make frieneds? are they popular or do they prefer to keep to themselves? etc etc. once i have that personality, i can think up some scenarios that the character seems to "fit" into with their personality type. like, maybe they were bullied because they didn't have many friends, or maybe they hate to stand out because they're so used to being one of the "popular" kids. sometimes, i'll even find a phobia they might have an write a backstory where the phobia derived from and bam, there's the character's origins.

if i do end up having to write backstory first, it's never a solid base. it's usually a loose concept. royalty ran away because of this and this or thief became a thief because of this and this. usually, i only ever write backstory first if it's a very, very stereotypical character or if there's a plot/dynamic already in mind.

my tip for writing backstories would be don't force it to come. if you need to, write rough ideas, put the character in a rp, and as you write, more will come to you. musing the character could very well be the key to getting an idea of where they came from and how their morals formed.