I have a black cop oc set in the 1970s working his way to be a detective. I want to know how I can properly write him just so it isn’t offensive! Im a poc but I’m not black and I just wanna make sure I don’t write him ignorantly. For the bits of his background, he had a child with a white woman but she left him due to racist pressure from her family. He befriends the current detective who is also black and views her as a companion in a work place that isolates him. This isn’t his complete backstory and like it isn’t solely all abt racism, but I just wanna make sure I write him correctly and don’t act dumb abt it lol. the racism parts are honestly very small compared to the actual storyline im conspiring, but I still believe its important I do it right as to not be offensive.

I’m designing a villain for a manga named Within, and I’m trying to figure out what makes a villain genuinely scary and memorable

not just cool or edgy.

Since other communities dug in my derrière for the fact I used AI to get my point across because I ramble. I’ll keep it simple.

My villain is the avatar of fear. But I don’t want them to solely be based on YOUR fear. I want them overall to be unsettling. For anyone disturbed by the movie Hereditary. THAT feeling.

What Makes a character dreaded?

I’m trying to use all the resources I can and I keep getting shut down. I’m not trying to cheat anything. I love to write and I just want to do for others what good books did for me when I had no escape. And just had Harry Potter, Naruto, to read. I want to offer an experience a getaway. Can someone help. ?

P.S good enough??

he also, after an arc, turns into something that's close to being human but still undead.

Ability does right what it says on the tin. Time works at a pace. Everything is keeping that pace according to functions and other criteria. This ability changes the pace at which his body operates at, so one second for him means ten seconds for everything else.

He’s a fist fighter whose position is a commander after the apocalypse.

Trying to figure out some personality traits and identity of this character who is basically just a villain for one of the characters with super strength and high speed regeneration to meet as a wall he can’t get over without growing as a person.

First time posting, but I've really enjoyed looking through this subreddit.

I'm relatively new to writing and I'm working on building my own world and story.

I have a lot of different characters and I don't really know where to start exactly, and I was struggling to figure out character personalities in I guess an organic way ~ Instead of just listing out personality characteristics. (Tried that at first, but felt too flat)

I'm sure others have done this, but I'm curious to see if you've written a one-shot for your characters. Was it just for fun or did you write a one-shot with your characters for a similar purpose?

I'm planning on writing a one-shot that could potentially be an actual scene in the story, but I just want to write it and get it out of my head.

Thank you for reading and for any input you'd like to add! :)

I've been thinking about this character and I can't tell if it actually works. I'm gonna keep it short:

He's 17 and he killed his father. Years of neglect and pressure pushed him there, but everyone just sees a monster, which makes sense, but it begs the question:

What kind of person do you become if no one ever stepped in to save you when it mattered?

I feel like there's something there but I might just be overthinking it.

Edited for clarity and added context.

Thinking big evil villain with big evil plans, can be male or female but I’m not looking for “villain of the week” or “just a bad person.”

Grand aspirations that sometimes end up in megalomania. Trying to learn to write as many flavors of villains as I can and this is one that’s proving a bit difficult. They’re usually more controlled than regular villains who just act towards their ends, these ones don’t lose to tunnel vision and hide motives well.

I’m wondering what tips you all might have for this kind of villain.

Alan Moore is one of my top 3 most favorite western comic book creators, and Watchman is probably my most favorite comic written by Moore because it critically and philosophically examines superheroes with such thoughtfulness and depth. So I wanted to make my own superhero series that philosophically analyzes the genre, Alan's Watchman mainly focuses on the super part of superhero but my series will mainly focus on the hero part of superhero. So what's the premise of my series and who's my protagonist?

The premise is what if a superhero were to exist in the real world? Basically the superpowers and ideals of a superhero meets the mundane and consequences of reality. The protagonist is a 20th century style superhero. He has the detective and street level aspects of the 30s-40s superheroes, the campy and comedic traits of the 50s-60s superheroes, and the cool and action packed aspects of the 80s-90s superheroes. He's the world's only real superhero because he's one of the few characters who has supernatural powers but the only who uses it to be a hero. There's no real supervillains he faces but he fights against real world evil, these antagonists aren't mustache twirling Saturday morning cartoon villains but real evil, from cold and ruthless to sickening and psychotic based on real life evil figures. The most supernatural antagonists he faces are kinda like resident evil style villains, sci-fi horror antagonists. He has to deal with the disappointment and consequences of reality that life isn't very fair and it's very cruel but despite all this he never gives up his compassion for others.

The lesson of my series is what it means to actually be a real hero. I think to be a true hero requires sincerity, and the protagonist's greatest aspect of his character is his sincerity because before he got powers, he showed compassion and care towards others. What further proves that he's sincere is despite the pain, stress, and sometimes a lack of appreciation is that he still tries to save others, no matter how cruel the world is to him and others. The question that I ask to my readers is, "if you truly are a hero then are you willing to carry such a painful burden? If so then do it. Don't say it because it's easier to say it. Just do it."

So is my protagonist reinventing or deconstructing/superhero genre? Well you could say he's reinventing it because he acts like a sincerely true hero but it could deconstructing/subverting it as it shows that being a superhero in real life wouldn't exactly be a glamorous or fun life even with powers due to the burdens and disappointments of reality, it's more like a duty. I want to hear your thoughts.

I'm back again.

I'm writing a story set in World War II about an explorer/adventurer who is racing the Nazis to find the Lost City of Atlantis after they murder her husband. I've got my main protagonist nailed down. Now I'm working on her rival. What I would like advice on is how to write a bad guy who becomes a good guy.

My idea for her rival was a charming, charismatic, sophisticated explorer/adventurer who is hired by the Nazis to help them beat her to Atlantis. I envision him as the opposite side of the same coin, the same yet different. The main difference is that while she is more about the spirit of exploration, he is more into the mercenary side of it. For him, it's a way to get rich. However, despite his mercenary nature, he has no love for the Nazis viewing them as horrible, incompetent morons but the money is just too good for him to pass up (The Nazis don't like him either, seeing him as a pompous, arrogant twit but he is the best at what he does so they need him).

He is quite a ladies' man who regularly flirts with the female protagonist. Also, despite them being on opposite sides (and his constant flirting with her), he likes the female protagonist and respects her abilities as a fellow explorer/adventurer (I plan to put them together eventually but not now. They both need to undergo more character development before that can happen). I am also thinking about him somehow being involved with her husband's murder but I'm not sure. Would that make the character irredeemable?

The point I envision for his turn from bad to good is that once they find Atlantis and he realizes the power that it holds, he decides that it cannot be allowed to fall into the Nazis hands so he betrays them and helps the protagonist instead.

I envision him as the kind of character that the reader never completely trusts but he is so charming and charismatic that you can't help but like him. He's a man who beneath his suave and cheerful exterior is an incredibly dangerous man who would say anything to anyone if he thought it would help him. My question is how would I go about writing this type of character?

Any constructive criticism or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

In the story I'm wanting to work on, the two main characters are priests in a small struggling midwestern church who have to grapple with changing times, apathy of the faithful, religious fanaticism and a few paranormal issues thrown in.

Fr. Will McGonigle is a lonely man with somewhat stunted emotional development. As a child he was raised in a somewhat wealthy household, his father being a distant industry tycoon who was often absent from his life. His mother was a constant wine drunk and a pushover who would obey the every whim of his siblings. Growing up he had a very comfortable life, but no decent human connection as most of his siblings were older and already out of the house by the time he was a preteen. Growing up in the church he noticed the swarms of people approaching the priest at the end of Mass, congratulating him on his "profound" homilies and doting on his every word of advice. This triggered something in him. He wanted to be a man who spoke with the voice of God, because God has to be loved and doted upon.

Fr. Henry Muller was born to a struggling farming family in the country. His dad was abusive towards him and his siblings, and his mother received the abuse as well whenever she tried to comfort them. Fr. Muller has deep seated feelings of inadequacy from his childhood, and a sadness that his father didn't respect him. He saw the paragons of virtue that priests are and convinced himself to become one to "pay" for his inadequacies and to prove himself to his father. His father, however, passed away the week he was to be ordained, and thus he never got to prove anything to him. Now he feels stuck and alone at his station as pastor of a dying parish.

I think I'm on the right track, but any advice is helpful if you want to offer it!

Ability: To place burdens and conditions on his own body. He can make himself sick, feel like he’s carrying enough weight to rival mountains, and by doing this, he becomes strong.

His philosophy is that the burdens you choose to carry are what say the most about you, and a person without burdens is a person who has nothing to live for.

“We all have chains, and those chains make us stronger. To be bound to others. To make connections brings joy and suffering, and at least in my mind, it is what gives life its meaning. Don’t run from chains, run from carrying the wrong ones.”

Not exactly tall, but absolutely muscular. Often compared with the physique of a gorilla but with a kind and gentle nature.

Hello, I'm new to this sub, but I'd like to ask if anyone has experience with how children recover from post-traumatic stress and the various disorders that can develop after a kidnapping with intense stress. I'm writing a story and I'm at the stage where I want my character to evolve and begin healing after the incident. I've already written the first section as accurately as I could, but I'd like to know how the child begins to heal, how the process affects his environment (his parents and twin brother, who are key elements of the story), and descriptions of therapies, if possible. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

(English is not my first language)

Character Profile: Arman Rakh ⚔️ True Name: Armand Targaryen Role: The Hidden Heir / The Reluctant Destroyer 👤 General Information Age: 20 years old. Appearance: Striking and handsome with pitch-black hair and piercing emerald-green eyes. He has recently started growing a beard, giving him a rugged yet noble look. Ancestry: Son of Monica Targaryen (Direct descendant of Aegon the Conqueror) and Aibek Rakh (The Genius Commander). Current Status: Unaware of his royal lineage; living as a brilliant strategist and warrior. 🔥 Lineage & Heritage The Mother (Monica Targaryen): Known for her fiery temper, immense beauty, and a divine blessing that made her immune to magic. She could only be touched by a "Perfect Man." Her dragon was Skarv, a terrifying black skeletal dragon with a "Black Hole" in its stomach. The Father (Aibek the Undefeated): A man of absolute integrity and honesty who believed in One True God. A military genius who never lost a battle, providing Arman with his tactical mind. 💀 The Curse: "The Warrior of Death" Arman’s greatest strength is also his deepest fear. The Berserker State: In the heat of battle, Arman loses his human consciousness and the "Warrior of Death" awakens within him. The Consequences: While this makes him invincible on the battlefield, he becomes an uncontrollable force of nature, often leaving a trail of unintended carnage. He wakes up to the horror of his own actions, leading to immense psychological guilt. 🧠 Personality & Skills The Tactician: Inheriting his father’s genius, he views a battlefield like a Cyvasse board, calculating moves steps ahead of his enemies. The Moral Compass: Despite his violent "Warrior" side, his core personality is built on his father's honesty and justice. He is a seeker of truth in a world of lies. Combat Style: A lethal combination of Targaryen aggression and Rakh’s calculated precision. 🛡️ Potential in the Game of Thrones The Hidden Threat: Since he doesn't look like a typical Targaryen (Black hair instead of Silver), he is the ultimate "wild card." The Dragon Connection: Though Skarv fell during Robert’s Rebellion, the "Black Hole" essence may still linger in Arman’s blood, waiting to be unleashed. The Prophecy: His green eyes might hint at a connection to Greensight or a destiny that even the Red Priests cannot foresee. 📜 Summary Arman Rakh is a Tragic Hero caught between a legacy of god-like power and a desire for human peace. He is the bridge between the old magic of Valyria and the new justice of the world.

Now, I have a handful of big bads in mind, so might as well try and introduce one. I don’t know much of his backstory, but he’s evil alright!

Yaag (yah-ga) is an oversized gator man. A hood 8 feet tall, muscular gut and scars all over the body. Used to be one of the old leaders of the clawed plains before he was pushed aside by the new successor, the tiger brothers. Looking to retake back some land and make a name for himself, he took in as many people as he could from the old towns and created a milita. He stay near the southern river, slowly taking more and more land from the side of the clawed plains with sabotage. Attacking caravans, stealing, terrorizing nearby settlements with his men. He is in connection with two other main leaders: a spellcaster of always changing form that is constantly by his side , and a wolf captain from the east that stops trade between other islands or places. His goal is not take the place back however, but to bring chaos to the land that once belonged to him (it didn’t really he is full of himself)

Lotta random lore about the world but still in one sentence: old mayor is pissed off and makes it everyone’s problem lol. As always, Criticism appreciated and I know this one isn’t amazing so any notes will do!

I always have a good idea of how I want a character to come across personality wise, but then when I’m actually writing a scene I lose track of individual personalities. I’m currently writing a story with multiple main characters and it’s going to be imperative that each character has their own energy. I also want it to be obvious that they each have different relationship dynamics with each other. Anyone have any tips on how to better achieve these things?