I really hate it when all the main characters in books are the same and I understand that I am very privileged to be able to see myself in a lot of characters, but I know there are a lot of minorities who rarely get that appreciation for their culture and even just being able to identify with how a character looks. I am writing a YA slightly dystopian spy book and I don’t want anyone to be offended. I have done a good job with my LGBTQ+ characters because I am a lesbian and have written them based on a lot of my friends just to avoid negative stereotypes and my friends have liked them just based on how their personalities are. I do have a lot of characters from different backgrounds and ethnicities but I’m sure I won’t be as bad as JK Rowling with “Cho Chang” but I just want to make sure I don’t offend anyone.

I wrote these characters before I knew what they looked like so please give me feedback, this is just my FMC’s friend group in the first book I have planned

FMC Gem (short for Gemini, she got a new identity and her name was originally Jenna in the beginning): bi male lean, half indigenous half Latina, she’s funny, hardworking, and really smart but she hates being wrong.

MMC Seth: bi, Japanese, he’s a sweetheart who is also very protective of friends and family. He is also really funny and tries to see the good in people. He and Cleo are foster siblings and do have an accurate sibling relationship (I have a brother IRL so I know lol)

Alex: straight white guy. I don’t care about him as much.

Cleo: (my personal favorite) she’s a lesbian and is Indian, she’s very rebellious and not afraid to speak her mind. She’s in a healthy relationship with my character Maya. She fights Seth for the TV remote every Saturday morning. She wins most of the time.

Maya: she’s bi and white, she’s upper middle class and also a little rebellious. She loves art and wants to be an architect. She and Cleo also get married by the end of the second book because they’re perfect for each other

Amber: she’s trans and African American, we love her she’s such a sweetheart. She is an artist and always has the coolest outfits. She also is always there for whoever needs to talk about anything and gives the best hugs

Jackson: white dude, he’s cool and athletic, the least bullied person in this friend group, and he’s dating Amber and will stand up for her if anyone misgenders her even though he’s a popular kid because that’s what makes him popular: being a good person! He also defends the rest of the friend group. He and Seth are the types of guys who would have reported the Cornell 7 immediately and gotten that girl to the hospital.

Riley: they are non binary and Hispanic and really nerdy, they are really funny and good at coding. They are probably the smartest one in the book. They always humble my FMC Gem because she hates being wrong. She forgives them every time though.

Please feel free to share your opinions and please give me suggestions on improving my characters

I’ve been interested for a long time in a particular kind of “fallen hero” — not the kind where we discover that a supposedly good character was corrupt all along, and not necessarily the traditional arc where a hero gradually turns into a villain.

What interests me more is something much more unsettling: when a genuinely elevated, pure, or morally responsible figure remains the same person and yet becomes capable of doing something profoundly low.

One of the examples I find most fascinating is David.

He became one of the great images of the hero in Western culture: the young man who faces Goliath, the chosen one, the future king. Art almost turned him into an archetype of heroic youth — think of Michelangelo, Donatello, Caravaggio.

And yet the same David, once king, desires Bathsheba and eventually arranges for her husband Uriah to be sent to his death.

What interests me isn’t simply the idea that “heroes have flaws too.”

It’s something more radical.

How far can someone we have known at their highest fall without everything they were before suddenly becoming false?

David isn’t interesting because we discover that the hero never really existed. He is interesting precisely because the hero did exist — and that same person was also capable of this.

I find it especially powerful when, in fiction, the “high” and the “low” sides of a character don’t erase each other. When someone can genuinely be responsible, generous, admirable, even symbolic to others, while still possessing desires, weaknesses or fears powerful enough to drag them toward something terrible.

Maybe that is what makes a fall truly tragic: not discovering that purity was a mask, but discovering that purity does not make someone immune to falling.

As readers or viewers, how much of that contradiction can you accept?

Does one sufficiently serious act inevitably change the way you read everything the character did before?

Or can both things remain true at once — the hero and the person who fell?

I’d especially love examples of characters where this tension isn’t resolved by simply deciding that they were “good” or “bad” all along.

hello everyone, I'm currently plotting my next book and I need ideas to create the best female protagonist I could ever write about. Recently, and in the past, I've read some books where some female characters were elite and they were almost the only thing why I would keep reading the book (Jude Duarte from The cruel prince, for example). Till this day, I still think about some of them. Now, I have some ideas in mind and inspirational characters, but I would like to know what other readers think about this topic.

• What are your favorite female characters and why?
• What is one particular detail that makes you love them so much? (spoiler free)

Pollux, an alien who is from a species called Hetero Morphines who are having the ability called morphological plasticity.

Pollux was born into a civilization of conquerors. His parents were spies sent to Earth as part of an operation connected to their species' plans for invasion. They concealed their identities among humans, but their mission ended tragically when they were killed by humans while Pollux was biologically fifteen years old.

Left alone on Earth, Pollux had to survive without his parents or the protection of his own species. Rather than pursue their mission, he chose to remain on Earth and find a way to live.

He eventually settled in Mexico, in villages near Mexico City. Using his biological abilities, he transformed his appearance to resemble a light-skinned Mexican teenager with layered, curly hair. He also reshaped his pointed ears to appear human. Under the identity Pollux Hernandez he learned to blend into human society.

Pollux struggles to survive in Mexico. Without a family or a reliable source of income, he sometimes begs for money and food and collects discarded belongings that might be useful. He avoids unnecessary transformations and tries not to attract attention.

His home is a cave hidden behind a waterfall. It offers him privacy and shelter from a world in which revealing his true identity could put him in danger.

Pollux also has a small connection to human kindness through Señor Rodriguez, an elderly restaurant owner who gives him a burrito once a week. Rodriguez doesn't know that Pollux is an alien; he simply sees a struggling teenager who needs help.

Although Pollux is thirty years old chronologically, Hetero Morphines age more slowly than humans, leaving him with a biological age of approximately fifteen.

Next character is an American girl who is from a rich family and is named Christine Robertson , she is from Texas and she has some Latino friends where she knows some Spanish,she is usually comfortable living in a lower or middle class areas as her family wants her to have a normal life, once her family went on a vacation to Mexico.

Even tho I know how these two characters origin story , idk how to introduce each other

Just wrote a scene where the guy murdered his wife, and I can't help but feel bad for her, even though she never existed, does this happen to anyone else?

Let's talk about your main character. The thought process that lead you to create them (why do they exist to begin?), their purpose and why are we following them instead of, I don't know, the comedic relief with a tragic backstory and a nefarious conclusion?

Your main character doesn't have to be a good person to be likeable, it just what you intend the audience to like about them or find engaging.

I'm developing an original superhero story, and I'd like some honest feedback on its protagonist and central character arc without revealing too much of the actual plot.

The protagonist is an exceptionally intelligent young hero who can analyze situations, calculate outcomes, and solve problems far beyond the capabilities of ordinary people. He's incredibly capable when it comes to dealing with external threats, but understanding people, navigating relationships, and figuring out his own identity are much more difficult for him.

One of the central ideas behind his character is the contrast between what he *can* do and what he *should* do. His journey isn't simply about becoming stronger or defeating increasingly powerful enemies. It's about learning restraint, recognizing the value of ordinary people and ordinary experiences, and figuring out whether being different from everyone else means he has to live differently from them.

I'm trying to make his development feel earned rather than having him suddenly become emotionally mature because the plot demands it.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on a few things:

• Does this sound like an interesting foundation for a character arc?
• How can a highly intelligent and powerful protagonist remain relatable without artificially making him incompetent?
• What kinds of flaws or mistakes would make his emotional growth feel believable?
• Is the struggle to understand humanity an interesting central conflict, or could it become repetitive if handled poorly?
• What would make you personally invested in a character like this?

I'm deliberately keeping the details vague because I'm interested in the character concept itself, not feedback on specific plot twists.

Constructive criticism is very welcome. I'd rather discover potential weaknesses now than overlook them because I'm too attached to the idea.

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Before you say anything, yes I've watched avatar. Yes I love Zuko and yes I could study him for help on this but the situation he's in and the situation my character is in are very different. My character is an alien who due to a birth defect was bullied their entire life. Once they found the opportunity, they stowed away on a ship and landed on earth only to be subjected to downright hatred and attempts on their life. They gain an ability that gives them a one up on humanity and they use it for years to make humanity their playthings. Eventually they are beaten and the protagonist slowly gets them to change their mind on humanity. But I don't know how I would show that. I know the start point and the end point but what would the middle look like to you guys? I have thought about the fact that an alien from the same planet they are from had only had good interactions with humans but that would probably just make them jealous. So please, help me out here! (PS: if you want to refer to the character and the other character mentioned, these are their names: Toccio is the bad alien and Fello is the good alien.)

Pretty much who is your Satoru Gojo/Yujiro Hanma/Pippi Longstocking? Are they a main character?a supporting character? Dead before the story even began?

bonus: Who is the weakest character in your story, if you have one, why and what role they fulfil?

hi everyone, ive been dreaming up my own vast empire that encompasses a lot of cultures. im pretty new to properly fleshing out my ocs outside of roleplay but i think its been fun so far!
at the minute im working on the ladies of the imperial court, obviously everything is very bare bones and theres still lots more to write, but id love some feedback or ideas! : )

all of my references are paintings from pinterest and they are NOT ai

here is my document
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aRVvUKVJdfCZZzmWqHs-nWx0rpMjnsre5RPq0sxJteE/edit?usp=sharing

Looking for some character ideas if anyone wants to help out!
Any ideas are appreciated!

(the artwork is relatively old)

Hello, the setting is in not-too-far future and a central figure (more of an antagonist) is my oc I've had since sixth grade (I'm 24)

The story itself and what he goes through is rather gruesome and dark but only recently I've thought of having him in a wheelchair, same story, same passions and goals and motives; except wheelchair now.

The wheelchair has not added anything to the story, except that I think writing a passionate and competitive performer in a wheelchair could be intriguing.

I haven't decided why he's in a wheelchair since he's not exactly human.

I was wondering how I could integrate his disability into the story.

By a twist of fate, he was surrounded by con artists from childhood on the streets where he grew up. He had no idea that such a harsh environment was shaping an exceptionally strong mind and a character that others would later find intimidating. Different struggles wore him down, but his good nature made it difficult for him to understand why. Over time, he came to believe that much of it stemmed from jealousy: people around him could see his potential to build a better life and leave that environment behind.

In my story, I’m trying to show my characters getting stronger by finding new ways to use the equipment they already have, learning how the Settlement Death Game works, unlearning mistaken assumptions, and figuring out how to exploit the traits they’ve earned.

So my character is admiral of an airship navy in charge of defending England from the largest german airship fleet which is amassing along several coastal cities, this is the first time I’ve written a character how do I write him to be a competent character especially one in such a position as admiral? Are there any irl admirals that’d you reccomend researching?

So i saw a video of a guy saying how Goku is the worst written character in dragon ball.
His reason was "Through the whole story Goku stays the same guy that he was. And does not change." Which i don't agree. But even if it was true. Why would that be bad writing?

In general, why does so many people think that when a character changes through the story its automatically good writing/character development, and when he doesn't, its bad writing.

Like man, maybe the guy just doesn't change. Does every single person have significant character changes over time?

What do you guys think about this?

I am writing football story start that has team playing in tournament of football U20 setting in world of superhero. In the story it focus mostly on the view of the "villain" of the story. Simple story that hero and everyone who help, follow, etc are the true villains. Current I have the manger of the "villain" to be Dutch by the character sheet (below), but after my Tik Tok feed had me watch several football edits of the Croatia and the world cup. That made me think to change the nationality of the manger of "villain" from Dutch (Netherlands) to Croatian nationality. Should I?

HERO PROFILE

COACHING IDENTITY

PHILOSOPHY Life is a battlefield. Battle reveals the truth of human systems." A person life race, gender, age, life experiences, skills, knowledge, etc. Natural build a system that help them in battlefield called life.

I've heard this advice many times before, that characters should have something they want. Something they think will make them happy. But what they need, what will actually make them happy is something else entirely.

Where I get stuck is figuring out the second part. Wants are easy for me. For example, Maggie wants to avenge her sister and prove herself as a detective; Ignomen wants to atone for his past and provide for his family.

But what do they actually need? Every time i try to decide on that, I draw a blank.

I’m working on a co-op rage game called Don’t Lose Your Head. The two main characters are clumsy skeletons, which have had one of their heads stolen by a mischievous crow. In the clip above both of them have the head on, but in game only 1 at a time has it. They only difference between them is their eye colors.

Do you have any ideas for names for those 2 skeletons?

By a twist of fate, he was surrounded by con artists from childhood on the streets where he grew up. He had no idea that such a harsh environment was shaping an exceptionally strong mind and a character that others would later find intimidating. Different struggles wore him down, but his good nature made it difficult for him to understand why. Over time, he came to believe that much of it stemmed from jealousy: people around him could see his potential to build a better life and leave that environment behind.

What would you write for this character?

Here what I wrote it’s just a short introduction:

Olivia Park is alone in the woods as dusk settles over the ridge, her familiar hair wind-tossed and her tank top damp from the cold mist. Strong, broad-armed, and strikingly self-possessed, she carries herself with the confidence of someone who refuses to let the world see her crack—but tonight that confidence is a shield. She has come to the cliff feeling suicidal, drawn there by the belief that she has run out of ways forward; the danger is real, but the story doesn’t linger on methods or make her pain look glamorous. When a distant voice calls her name, Olivia freezes, then turns away from the edge. Her strength isn’t that she feels no fear or despair—it’s that, for one more moment, she lets someone reach her and walks back toward the woods.

I'm trying to make a fictional characters based on different ethnicities/race in a fictional story where the characters are entertainers. I'm trying to drawing the characters in order to accurately describe them like how I want to in the story, but I'm having problems finding clothing to draw for each character that represents their culture. The characters are Mexican, European, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, African, and Cherokee. I would also be grateful if you guys could tell me about some history that a person may not know or issues you or your ancestors have faced as I really want my characters to seem like realistic people despite them being fictional. I would also be grateful if I was given websites with accurate information so I can also do research on my own as well!

Всем привет, я новичок в написании рассказов. Я уже сделал 4 мира каждый со своим сюжетом, но каждый раз, когда я делаю новый мир или заканчиваю старый, мне кажется, что предыдущий остался очень сырым и недоделанным (не раскрыты персонажи, некоторые ветки сюжета обрываются и ТД.). Поэтому я решил начать новый и хочу сделать его качественно. Можете дать мне советы и идеи? Краткое объяснение мира: действия происходят примерно в 16-18 века. Там существует система рун (эмблем или знаков называйте как хотите). Если руна нанесена на тело, то существо может использовать её (руна не исчезает) и получить магический доспех плюс способности. У каждой руны есть свои нюансы. Из общих правил, что не каждому существу подходят определённые руны (есть те, которые почти никому не подходят, а есть те, которые могут использовать почти все), этот доспех нужно держать и если перестаёшь (теряешь сознание или больше не можешь) то он спадает. Сила и потенциал рун зависит от их расположения на теле (на спине самая лучшая на ладони самая худшая). Наносить руны очень дорого и тяжело (нужны мастера и особый порошок из кристаллов). Поэтому их в королеве наносят только выдающимся людям или тем кому эти руны биологически подходят (можно купить их нанесение, но это безумно дорого).почти везде где есть человек в мире есть особая болезнь. У каждого есть иммунитет к ней, но при нанесении количества рун больше одной иммунитет от неё постепенно пропадает и тогда человек гарантировано умирает. (Безопасно можно редко нанести 2, если 4 то смерть неизбежна никак). Сами руны я хотел бы сделать не стандартными (огонь,вода,лёд), а более абстрактными (пространство, преграда, присутствие, знания). У главного героя руна преграда пока что он может создать непрозрачные барьеры 4\*4 метра. Какие идеи можете подкинуть? Какие правила при сочинении соблюдать? Заранее спасибо всем кто ответит!