GojiBean
Your resident irradiated Kaiju King
Hoyo!
Time to take a short dive into what makes character interactions compelling.
So, let's get started!!
When something is "compelling," it means that it's evoking a powerful reaction of interest and/or admiration from you as a reader/participant.
Based on this simple definition, I think we can all agree on one thing...
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Bob walked up the street and noticed his friend Steve walking towards him. So he gave him a wave. As they passed, Bob asked "What's up, Steve?"
"Not much." Steve replied.
"Goin' to work?" Bob asked.
"Yep." Steve replied.
"All right. See ya Steve!"
"See ya Bob!"
--------------------------------------
... Thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis isn't exactly compelling, is it?
And the reason is obvious. This is boring. It's not in any way exciting, interesting, or garnering any admiration. It's about as stale and empty of soul as you can get when it comes to two characters interacting with each other. But, nevertheless, this is character interaction.
But compelling interaction is not so easily achieved. And there's a good reason for this.
What makes something "compelling" is subjective.
Something I find compelling might not be compelling for you. And vice versa.
For example, if I saw the following I would call it compelling.
--------------------------------------
She raised her sword high in a white-knuckled grip, hand trembling and tears streaming down her cheeks as she glared down at her life-long friend who stared back with eyes wide as saucers. The memories of old swarmed her mind like a hoard of angry bees. All the smiles. All the laughs. All the shared tears. The hugs. The support... The lies.
It was all fake! All of it! She'd been used from the beginning and intended to be made into an unwilling martyr for... For... She didn't even know what this was! But all around her were their friends. Half of them face down in the mud never to rise again. And the other half barely clinging to life.
It couldn't go on. It had to end. For her own sake. For the sake of those who survived. It had to end!... Now!!!
She shut her eyes tightly and unleashed a war cry at the top of her lungs as her sword swung down at full speed. Her life-long friend shrieked in fear until... Silence.
... It was done.
The tip of her sword was buried in her friend's skull, and her screaming had come to an abrupt end as her eyes grayed out. Slowly, her friend's body fell back off the blade and to the mud below, soaking it red. Her grip failed, and the sword fell to the ground at her feet as she dropped to her knees. Her shaking arms barely held her up as she wailed in agony, already yearning for her friend to embrace her and tell her everything would be all right.
But it wouldn't be all right. It couldn't be.
... Not anymore.
--------------------------------------
Now that, to me, is compelling. And I'm kinda proud of myself for coming up with it on the fly for this tutorial. But my pride is neither here nor there. So it's time for me to take a sip of humble pie and get back on track here.
The point is that what's compelling means something different for everyone. There may very well be those of you who read that example and thought, "well, that was boring, cliche, and predictable." And that's okay.
This would be the perfect time to ask yourself "what do I find compelling?" What makes you excited, interested, and sparks a reaction of admiration when you see someone else's writing? Because what you find compelling will always be more important than trying to force yourself to find what is compelling for others. You're not here to satisfy everyone else. You're here to satisfy yourself and your role-play needs and desires. If others share in those same needs and desires, they'll find what you do compelling. And they'll share in that enthusiasm with you.
If you're anything like me, what's compelling comes in the way of the small details.
Details like the fact her hand was shaking, and the white-knuckled grip both non-verbally working together to convey her reluctance, fear, anger, confusion, and sorrow all at once. Little details like the words "not anymore" indicating that it was always her friend who made everything all right before, and now that she's gone the character feels like nothing will ever be all right again because nobody will ever understand her or make her feel the way this friend did.
It may or may not have been romantic. But this character loved her friend dearly. She was always there. Always caring. Always supporting. And now, she's gone.
Not anymore.
Little details like that are what I live for. But how about you?
If you love the small details, keep on reading!
It's not a requirement, but it is good practice to treat every little detail you spot as if it's the key to some form of advancement when it comes to character interactions.
For example, if I state in a post that my character is talking to someone, and I also drop this detail: "... he replied with a subtle twitch under his left eye."
What do you think that twitch means? Did it indicate stress? That he's lying, perhaps? Nervousness? Anger? Fear?
It could be anything. Or it could be nothing. Regardless, if your character notices that twitch then it's wise to take a moment to address it. When you address it is up to you, as there are pros and cons to doing so immediately versus doing it later.
But when you do address it, pay close attention to the response of the character in question. That response will tell you whether it was nothing, or something.
For example, your character notices the twitch and asks if my character is feeling okay. My character responds with: "His throat clinched shut when he tried to respond, forcing him to swallow the words which were stuck in his mind. He cleared his throat and replied with 'It's nothing. Let's stay focused on the real questions.'"
Nice dodge there, Goji. But that's important!
My character said they were okay, but we now know for a fact that he's not okay. Something about what happened in this conversation affected him enough that his body and mind are both responding negatively to both whatever it was he were first addressing, as well as to your inquiry about my character's well being. That cheek twitch under the eye, in real life, is most commonly an indicator of stress. It could mean other things. But stress is the number one. And when my character tried to reply at first, likely with the truth, his throat collapsed momentarily which preventing him from speaking. This physical reaction is usually due to a mental block indicative either of trauma, or a severe anxiety about what telling the truth could bring which then prompts the lie of "it's nothing" to come out.
So, my character is not okay. And you found out about it because you saw and responded to a simple twitch under the eye.
If you'd left that alone, you'd not have realized my character was suffering from anything. And the underlying issue could have gone entirely unaddressed for who knows how long. During that time my character could potentially have gotten worse, or maybe gotten better on their own. But if they did get better on their own, then it may have resulted in a missed opportunity for further interaction, soul sharing, and bonding between our characters.
If you read another player's post and spot a little detail which catches your attention, chances are it was meant to catch your attention. So, address it. If it's nothing, it's nothing. You don't lose anything from asking about it. But if it's something, and you don't ask, you'll never know what could have been.
It's a very, very common human reaction to feel your heart strings being tugged by things that resonate with you emotionally.
For example, if you know what it feels like to be bullied in school as a kid and you're in an RP where bullying is a thing by NPC's, you may feel yourself being triggered by some of what goes on with those NPC's.
This is normal. So try not to let it get to you so much as fuel your creativity.
Take from your own experience and memories of how you got through it, and use them as a guide to help push your character ahead in a way that feels true to them. But whatever happens, do not allow yourself to enter the fray.
When you have close emotional ties to something it's easy to forget to stay in character, and to remember that your character is not you. I struggled with this for a long time. So I know all too well how dangerous this trap can be. When you become too invested in the situation and can't separate yourself from how your character is acting or speaking, you're doing the character a disservice and cheating your fellow role-players out of a genuine experience.
So be careful to separate what you know and what you feel from how your character responds. Keep your emotions in check, and let them serve as a guide instead.
Going back to the bullying example, if you know what it feels like to be bullied then you can use how you feel, or felt at the time, to guide how you describe your character's mental and emotional reactions to what goes on, as well as to inform the character how to act physically. If they have a temper, chances are that it won't take much bully provocation for them to lash out and start swinging. If they're more introverted and just get sad, they might start crying instead. If they're more fearful, they might try to run away and/or curl up into a ball and ignore the bullying. Or, they might try singing something, or yelling something to try and drown the bullies' words out.
TLDR: Write what you know. But do not write yourself into it.
If you can make yourself excited while writing something out, or if you can make yourself angry, or if you can make yourself cry, then you're doing something right.
Others might not feel the same as you. But that's okay. Because, again, it's subjective. Everyone has different lives and experiences to draw from. What makes me cry won't make you cry. Or it might not, at least.
Focus on you. Focus on what you know, and use it to tug at your own heart strings in various ways as you write. If you're feeling something while writing, you're doing it right. Just make sure to keep that mental check on yourself so that you don't find yourself staring back at you from the page after you're done. If you find that you're staring at yourself on the page, it's time to go over it from top to bottom to find out where you entered so you can change it to be your character instead.
That's about it for this tutorial!
I hope you enjoyed!
Cheers!
~ GojiBean
Time to take a short dive into what makes character interactions compelling.
So, let's get started!!
What Makes Something "Compelling?"
When something is "compelling," it means that it's evoking a powerful reaction of interest and/or admiration from you as a reader/participant.
Based on this simple definition, I think we can all agree on one thing...
--------------------------------------
Bob walked up the street and noticed his friend Steve walking towards him. So he gave him a wave. As they passed, Bob asked "What's up, Steve?"
"Not much." Steve replied.
"Goin' to work?" Bob asked.
"Yep." Steve replied.
"All right. See ya Steve!"
"See ya Bob!"
--------------------------------------
... Thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis isn't exactly compelling, is it?
And the reason is obvious. This is boring. It's not in any way exciting, interesting, or garnering any admiration. It's about as stale and empty of soul as you can get when it comes to two characters interacting with each other. But, nevertheless, this is character interaction.
But compelling interaction is not so easily achieved. And there's a good reason for this.
What makes something "compelling" is subjective.
Something I find compelling might not be compelling for you. And vice versa.
For example, if I saw the following I would call it compelling.
--------------------------------------
She raised her sword high in a white-knuckled grip, hand trembling and tears streaming down her cheeks as she glared down at her life-long friend who stared back with eyes wide as saucers. The memories of old swarmed her mind like a hoard of angry bees. All the smiles. All the laughs. All the shared tears. The hugs. The support... The lies.
It was all fake! All of it! She'd been used from the beginning and intended to be made into an unwilling martyr for... For... She didn't even know what this was! But all around her were their friends. Half of them face down in the mud never to rise again. And the other half barely clinging to life.
It couldn't go on. It had to end. For her own sake. For the sake of those who survived. It had to end!... Now!!!
She shut her eyes tightly and unleashed a war cry at the top of her lungs as her sword swung down at full speed. Her life-long friend shrieked in fear until... Silence.
... It was done.
The tip of her sword was buried in her friend's skull, and her screaming had come to an abrupt end as her eyes grayed out. Slowly, her friend's body fell back off the blade and to the mud below, soaking it red. Her grip failed, and the sword fell to the ground at her feet as she dropped to her knees. Her shaking arms barely held her up as she wailed in agony, already yearning for her friend to embrace her and tell her everything would be all right.
But it wouldn't be all right. It couldn't be.
... Not anymore.
--------------------------------------
Now that, to me, is compelling. And I'm kinda proud of myself for coming up with it on the fly for this tutorial. But my pride is neither here nor there. So it's time for me to take a sip of humble pie and get back on track here.
The point is that what's compelling means something different for everyone. There may very well be those of you who read that example and thought, "well, that was boring, cliche, and predictable." And that's okay.
This would be the perfect time to ask yourself "what do I find compelling?" What makes you excited, interested, and sparks a reaction of admiration when you see someone else's writing? Because what you find compelling will always be more important than trying to force yourself to find what is compelling for others. You're not here to satisfy everyone else. You're here to satisfy yourself and your role-play needs and desires. If others share in those same needs and desires, they'll find what you do compelling. And they'll share in that enthusiasm with you.
If you're anything like me, what's compelling comes in the way of the small details.
Details like the fact her hand was shaking, and the white-knuckled grip both non-verbally working together to convey her reluctance, fear, anger, confusion, and sorrow all at once. Little details like the words "not anymore" indicating that it was always her friend who made everything all right before, and now that she's gone the character feels like nothing will ever be all right again because nobody will ever understand her or make her feel the way this friend did.
It may or may not have been romantic. But this character loved her friend dearly. She was always there. Always caring. Always supporting. And now, she's gone.
Not anymore.
Little details like that are what I live for. But how about you?
If you love the small details, keep on reading!
It's All In The Little Details
It's not a requirement, but it is good practice to treat every little detail you spot as if it's the key to some form of advancement when it comes to character interactions.
For example, if I state in a post that my character is talking to someone, and I also drop this detail: "... he replied with a subtle twitch under his left eye."
What do you think that twitch means? Did it indicate stress? That he's lying, perhaps? Nervousness? Anger? Fear?
It could be anything. Or it could be nothing. Regardless, if your character notices that twitch then it's wise to take a moment to address it. When you address it is up to you, as there are pros and cons to doing so immediately versus doing it later.
But when you do address it, pay close attention to the response of the character in question. That response will tell you whether it was nothing, or something.
For example, your character notices the twitch and asks if my character is feeling okay. My character responds with: "His throat clinched shut when he tried to respond, forcing him to swallow the words which were stuck in his mind. He cleared his throat and replied with 'It's nothing. Let's stay focused on the real questions.'"
Nice dodge there, Goji. But that's important!
My character said they were okay, but we now know for a fact that he's not okay. Something about what happened in this conversation affected him enough that his body and mind are both responding negatively to both whatever it was he were first addressing, as well as to your inquiry about my character's well being. That cheek twitch under the eye, in real life, is most commonly an indicator of stress. It could mean other things. But stress is the number one. And when my character tried to reply at first, likely with the truth, his throat collapsed momentarily which preventing him from speaking. This physical reaction is usually due to a mental block indicative either of trauma, or a severe anxiety about what telling the truth could bring which then prompts the lie of "it's nothing" to come out.
So, my character is not okay. And you found out about it because you saw and responded to a simple twitch under the eye.
If you'd left that alone, you'd not have realized my character was suffering from anything. And the underlying issue could have gone entirely unaddressed for who knows how long. During that time my character could potentially have gotten worse, or maybe gotten better on their own. But if they did get better on their own, then it may have resulted in a missed opportunity for further interaction, soul sharing, and bonding between our characters.
If you read another player's post and spot a little detail which catches your attention, chances are it was meant to catch your attention. So, address it. If it's nothing, it's nothing. You don't lose anything from asking about it. But if it's something, and you don't ask, you'll never know what could have been.
Tugging At The Heart Strings, And Dangers To Avoid
It's a very, very common human reaction to feel your heart strings being tugged by things that resonate with you emotionally.
For example, if you know what it feels like to be bullied in school as a kid and you're in an RP where bullying is a thing by NPC's, you may feel yourself being triggered by some of what goes on with those NPC's.
This is normal. So try not to let it get to you so much as fuel your creativity.
Take from your own experience and memories of how you got through it, and use them as a guide to help push your character ahead in a way that feels true to them. But whatever happens, do not allow yourself to enter the fray.
When you have close emotional ties to something it's easy to forget to stay in character, and to remember that your character is not you. I struggled with this for a long time. So I know all too well how dangerous this trap can be. When you become too invested in the situation and can't separate yourself from how your character is acting or speaking, you're doing the character a disservice and cheating your fellow role-players out of a genuine experience.
So be careful to separate what you know and what you feel from how your character responds. Keep your emotions in check, and let them serve as a guide instead.
Going back to the bullying example, if you know what it feels like to be bullied then you can use how you feel, or felt at the time, to guide how you describe your character's mental and emotional reactions to what goes on, as well as to inform the character how to act physically. If they have a temper, chances are that it won't take much bully provocation for them to lash out and start swinging. If they're more introverted and just get sad, they might start crying instead. If they're more fearful, they might try to run away and/or curl up into a ball and ignore the bullying. Or, they might try singing something, or yelling something to try and drown the bullies' words out.
TLDR: Write what you know. But do not write yourself into it.
If you can make yourself excited while writing something out, or if you can make yourself angry, or if you can make yourself cry, then you're doing something right.
Others might not feel the same as you. But that's okay. Because, again, it's subjective. Everyone has different lives and experiences to draw from. What makes me cry won't make you cry. Or it might not, at least.
Focus on you. Focus on what you know, and use it to tug at your own heart strings in various ways as you write. If you're feeling something while writing, you're doing it right. Just make sure to keep that mental check on yourself so that you don't find yourself staring back at you from the page after you're done. If you find that you're staring at yourself on the page, it's time to go over it from top to bottom to find out where you entered so you can change it to be your character instead.
That's about it for this tutorial!
I hope you enjoyed!
Cheers!
~ GojiBean
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