RP for Newbies: Writing a Character Description

[Cordir]

Having a character description can really be a useful tool in RP - because the mud is all text, it helps to give people a frame of reference for interactions with your character. If you haven't written creatively before, they can be a little daunting. As with a character history, it helps if you sit down and ask yourself some basic questions:


>What is your character's race:
>What is your character's sex:
>Does your character appear to be of average height for their race?
>Does your character appear to be of average weight for their race?
>Does your character appear to be of average build for their race?
>Is there a physical characteristic people are most likely to notice first about your character?
>What color is your hair?
>What length is your hair (close cropped, shoulder length, mid back, etc)?
>What texture is it (Silky, rough)?
>How is your hair worn? (Loose, braided, etc.)?
>What color are your eyes (please be very specific)?
>What shape are your eyes (Almond, catseyes, human round, small, etc.)?
>What tone is your skin? (Pale, golden, tanned, leathery, grayish, albino, etc.)
>Do you have any visible scars? If so, what do they look like, and where are they?
>Do you have any visible tattoos? If so, what do they look like, and where are they?
>Do you have any visible birthmarks, moles, etc? If so, what do they look like, and where are they?
>Do you have any visible piercings, brandings, tribal marks, etc.? If so, what do they look like, and where are they?
>Do you have any special jewelry, heraldic ensignia, clothing, or other worn items of note?
>Do you wear armor? street-clothes? magical robes? Feminine or masculine style of dress?
>What predominant colors do you wear?
>Is your clothing designed for : concealment - outdoors, concealment - city environment, court, etc?
>What level of wealth does your apparel hint at?
>What visible weapons do you wear?
>Do you have a specific reputation for anything?
>Do you have a pet or totem animal that should appear in your description?
>What are five adjectives that would describe the first impressions others would have of you. *
*Examples: fearful, bold, shy, confident, courageous, quick-tempered, aloof, gregarious, friendly, scornful, angry, calm, energetic, quiet, subdued, etc.


Using these questions can help you shape what you want to convey. A description isn't just the physical appearance of the character - but can also convey the emotional presence as well. Here's some examples of descriptions. (Please don't take these and use them - they belong to existing characters.)

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Orgrim:

A powerful example of his race, this Ogre stands at the ready, his massive hands
never straying too far from his weapons. His armour and clothing isn't much to
speak of, as if he distains the implied weakness of fighting with more than the
gifts nature has given him already. His hair is long, dark, and greasy, falling
to nearly shoulder length. It is tied back from his face with a bit of leather
thong, making the horrific scars that run from scalp to collarbone all the more
obvious. His eyes are the color of spilled blood, and glare at you with a deeply
felt loathing and hatred for nearly all of mortal-kind.

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Faile:

At first glance, she calls to mind the dusky, cool tones of a winter's
sunset; tones of blue and purple cast upon the blinding snow, icy, and
crystalline. Yet despite the impressions of palette and reserve, those
inquisitive violet eyes hold both warmth and welcome that no season of
barrenness and death could ever withstand. Tall for her race and more
slender than most swans, Faile has the lithe grace of a rapier wielded
by a master swordsman. Though her form is youthful and strong, an aura
of wisdom, experience and calm confidence surrounds her.

Gleaming silver tips each feather upon her wings, creating exquisitely
artistic contrast with the flowing ash-gray, floor-length, spider-silk
velvet cloak clasped about her slender throat. She mantles her crest,
the feathers rustling softly with the movement, and dips slightly in a
movement akin to a curtsey or even the steps to an ancient and courtly
dance. One claw-tipped wing is extended out and back, her head lowers,
the silver-touched silk cascade of her snowy hair slides like a water-
fall over one shoulder.... but yet her eyes remain on yours, watchful,
ever curious.

'Wind beneath thy wings and good fortune to your travels,' she chirps
in a musical voice. Rising from the curtsey, she smiles and is on her
way.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The lean, muscular build of the man before you, coupled with his
tanned skin and dappled green and black garb is instant evidence
of his love for the outdoors. Friendly green eyes the same shade
as oak leaves in the spring meet yours with an easy to see depth
of honesty and integrity. Just below one of those eyes, a narrow
scar shows his life has not been one of ease or safety. Shoulder
length hair the color of warm maple syrup falls in a silken flow
down his neck, partially restrained by a braid on either side of
his angular, rugged face. The quirky grin and easy-going look on
his face show this is no vicious brute, but someone the young of
the realm and his friends can trust, and turn to for help.

He lifts his hands to show them empty of weapons and in greeting,
revealing an elongated, darkly inked tattoo of a spider upon one
hand, and a brilliant, rich-looking golden band upon the other.
When he speaks, his voice is quiet, pitched low from a hunter's
long habit of not scaring off prey in the woods.

'I am Nunzio. Well met.'

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Jonas:

The human thief who stands before you crosses his arms over his chest and
stares back at you with dark brown eyes. "Yeah? What can I do for you?"
His hair is long and black, spilling over his thick shoulders. While he
is not very tall, his body shows the muscles built up from years of fighting
A pouch full of thieves lock-picking tools can be seen hanging from his
belt, and while he has not learned all there is to know in the profession,
he seems like a diligent student of those lessons he has been taught.
This young man could be a good friend to those who are worthy, but an
equally determined enemy to any who cross him.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I usually recommend writing your description in WordPad or Notepad. If you are using another word processing program, change the font to Courier 10. This will emulate the base font of the Mud, and will help you see how the description will look on the mud. I always prep my document for writing descriptions by entering a string of characters that show me the 80 line maximum (prior to text wrapping) that the mud will display. This is another tool to make sure the description will look right when it's entered on the mud. Here's an example of what I mean:

desc + 12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890
desc + The aara swan before you has the tense, nervous poise of a creature ready to
desc + take flight. Her glittery black eyes are wild with uncomfortable fear at being
desc + so close to another who is not kin, and the tips of her green and blue fletched
desc + wings twitch with repressed desire to flee. With the slight, delicate build of
desc + her race, this aara maiden ducks her head shyly and blinks. A tear gleams at
desc + the corner of her eye... but then you realize it is not a tear, but rather a
desc + mark in the shape of two teardrops intertwined, the symbol of Lord Tokugawa's
desc + Order when He lead mortals upon a Balanced path. She touches it pensively,
desc + and her wings droop slightly, remembering and mourning its loss. With a easily
desc + seen resolve, she forces her chin back up, and smooths her feathers with one
desc + clawed hand. This adopted sister into House Beoluve knows fear and sorrow, but
desc + knows and seeks the courage to overcome it each day.

Because none of the lines extend past the last 0 on my 'testing' line, I know it won't wrap funny when I enter it on the mud. The "DESC +" is the command required to send the line to the mud. (read HELP DESC if you need further help on that.) I always start descriptions with a blank line, to help separate it visually from other things you may have looked at or other mud messages, just prior to looking at the description.

Hope this helps - enjoy!

-cordir

[Faile]

This is really great! Thanks for posting these helpful files.

[Cordir]

Glad to help.

[Cordir]

If there are folks who would like some help writing their character description, I am glad to help. You can either send me an inital draft and I'd be glad to give suggestions, or you can fill out the questionnaire in the initial post and IM me with the info and I'll write up a first draft.

[Kaira]

I'm sad sad sad... my description didn't make it on here! Maybe Cordir, if you write me a new one where I look prettier (even though that seems impossible) I will be worthy. :-p

[Cordir]

(All the ones I quoted, I wrote... so as not to run into copyright issues with other authors... that's why I didn't include other descs. There's a lot of really beautiful descriptions out there, but to avoid problems, I only used ones I wrote. I gave myself permission. ) If you'll fill out that questionnaire in my initial post and email it to me, I'd be delighted to make an attempt. Though I'll be honest - the one you have is already quite impressive, and I would be hard put to improve upon it.

[soloban]

Here's mine:

The man before you displays almost a cocky-over confidence perfected by years of troublemaking
in his youth. A long scar crosses his cheek, a constant reminder of a City Guard enraged by an act
of petty vandalism as a child. Vowing one day repay this act of cruelty he spent hour after hour of his
teenage years perfecting his physique unloading casks of ale and mead at the Mage's bar.
Tattoos of a nude elf princess adorn each forearm and account for his lifetime ban from Loth-Lorien.
His hair, what is left of, it is closely cropped. His voice is gravely and baritone, from the pipe he
carries in his pocket. Despite his troubled youth he vowed to follow the path of good in exchange
for a prayer answered by Boromir for a miraculous escape from a dark prison cell in depths of Delving
after being caught attempting to desecrate the fountain in the Dwarven chapel on drunken dare.
Old faded scars on his wrists shaped like shackles show at the edges of his armor.

[Whistler]

All right, all right, i'll write a description already....


-

[Cordir]

Or, you can pay me 10k, and I'll write one for ya.

[Cordir]

So, I did a description writing thingy the weekend before last. I'm pleased to say three folks took me up on my offer. I'm willing to extend it: If you'd like a description written, fill out the questionnaire above, and email it to me. My email address is Cordir (at) hotmail (dot) com. I'll see what I can come up with

[Katrana]

I've seen a few and what I have seen is -gorgeous-. Your work always amazes me!

[boromir]

Hi,

I used to have a description that Cordir was not fond of.
She 'convinced' me to change it and graciously offered to craft one for me. I accepted of course


My old description? ....

"non-descript"

[Cordir]

I'm reiterating my offer to help anyone who would like a description. Fill out the questionnaire in the first post of this thread and email it to me (Cordir@hotmail.com) and I'll gladly write something up for you.

[Cordir]

new desc I wrote this week for Troy:

The blatantly arrogant smirk on the face of the man before you - and the
comfortable way he wears his expensively made but heavily scarred armor-
(almost as if he practically lives in the stuff) is a clear indicator of
his confidence in his abilities. His expression is one of cocky and bold
appraisal, looking everyone over to see what sort of threat or challenge
they might bring. Whether at rest or moving at a swift pace through the
forest, there is a sense of energy and a restless, constant vigilance in
him. The silver crescent-shaped blade he bears is instantly recognizable:
Qual'Minai, a legendary sword crafted by one of the Hundred. The bright
metal stands out in bold contrast against the crimson red and ebon black
of his robes, which bears an Ebon Sigil Odegra gripped in the fangs of a
hunting hound above his heart. Loyal servant of the Wyld Hunt, he walks
the path of Chaos, servant to the Wyld.

[Cordir]

I'm reiterating my offer to help anyone who would like a description. Fill out the questionnaire in the first post of this thread and email it to me (Cordir@hotmail.com) and I'll gladly write something up for you.

Reiterating this offer. Had some folks ask on mud recently.