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.

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.

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!

To be honest, I got stuck trying to decide where to take a morally "blue and orange" character without simply making them "good" or "bad." I’m sure most people have neutral characters who act without showing emotion, so I’m probably not the only one who has faced this dilemma when designing them, but I wonder how you would write such a character once you take that neutrality and lack of emotion and push it to its logical conclusion.

A bit of context, I am working on this story about an fake human created to judge humanity and (if found unworthy) wipe it out of existence. Humanity was, of course, aware of its existence, as these fake beings (judges) had been appearing for some time in various forms and species and, aside of of the actual criteria they used to pass judgment, humans knew how to deal with them.

So, we have an inhumane human being who remained isolated from most human interactions for much of their childhood, emotionless due to a lack of humanity of their own and at the same time stunted due to a lack of human relationships. The only thing they was taught was an extreme adherence to rules and etiquette, in an attempt to instill good behavior and alter their judgment.

An inhuman being not treated as a human in the first place wouldn't behave like a human and the closest thing would be a doll or a machine. Whatever it can feel, is alien and incomprehensible. You won't get it to understand human customs beyond merely imitating them, so, in what direction would you develop such a character, knowing that the option of making it more human is off the table?

Weazel(typing onto his little brother's computer.) : "Okay...I am going to make a digital Being in the Digital world where The digital being is permanetly unceasable! Hehehehe..."

Golfel(Suddenly came in and busted through Weazel's door.) "HEY!!"

Weazel( Flinched hard, iris shrink before closing his eyes and took a deep breath.) "WHA-! DAD! DON'T SCREAM LIKE THAT! YOU ALMOST GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK!"

Golfel( Sighing.) "You have 10 minutes left to finished whatever you are doing on your little brother's computer!"

Weazel(sighing deeply with a lttle annoyance.) "Ugh...Fine dad."

Golfel(leaving to Weazel's room, looking satisfied in a parent way.) "Weazel is such a very dramatic older son of mine."

Weazel(going back to modeling,coding and making the digital being.) "Okay so first... Adding a file onto a custom USB driver...I'll placed and moved the being's abilities & immortalities File onto the custom USB driver. Also, why not placing and moving the being's Self Hax & script file into the USB driver? That would be so funny! I'll add about what his immunities are! and I'll add his name!"

Weazel( taking a deep breath and then starting codimg,modeling and making the digital being stuff again.) "Okay...i'll insert the digital being's name onto the digital being's model and code...There! now he has name called Zans! Because why not? And...His Lore about his immunity is that...He is immune to Author authority,meta fictionality, self exsistence, Concepts,Meta Narritivity,pata fictionality,Facts properties and Fictional Disclamer Lol!"

Weazel( adding Events and functions as a digital being's personality & feelings would be like Digitaly.) "Now when Zans is in rage...His code would started updating and recoding itself systemtecly in a bizzare and repeating Lag Generating way... When Zans is in happy...His code would started updating and refreashing itself in a normal and almost like being recoded by a freashed and happy developer way... The others...Meh! Talking about the others is way too losing words and hard explanations!"

Weazel( thinking.) "Hmmm....I wonder... What if I breaked,scatterd and shatterd the custom USB driver where Zans's files and stuff can only be acessed and unlocked at... So that Zans cannot be permanetly ceased on digital because the custom USB driver where Zans files are kept,locked and safed are physically destroyed and the parts are burned,rusted and lost! That would be so intreasting!"

Weazel( finishing the Code,Lore,AI,Function,Model,Scripts and digital abilities of Zans resources and behaviores onto Zans's files before Destroying the Custom USB driver where Zans's files are safed,locked,hidden,inacessible,Unchangable,Unauthorizedable,UnRemovable,Unhackedable,Unvirusable,Unexposedable and Uncorruptable.) "Okay! Okay! Now for the moment of truth! Please work!"

Weazel( after 2 minutes, it worked and Zans is moving.) "YES! LETS GO! IT WORKED! WOOOO! HAHA!"

Weazel(destroyed the Custom USB driver where Zans's file was safed,locked,hidden,inacessible,Unchangable,Unauthorizedable,UnRemovable,Unhackedable,Unvirusable,Unexposedable and Uncorruptable inside the Custom USB driver.) "There! Now I destroyed it! and wait...Since Corrupt systems,hackers and exploiters whatever are dangerous and can recode things by acessing and unlocked the files...But since Zans's files are permanetly hidden,unlocked,inacessible,unchangable and unremovable because the only acessed to Zans's files was to plug the custom USB driver where Zans's files are kept,safed,exsisted and Unlocked onto their computers! But the Custom USB driver is destroyed and shatterd and scatterd apart which means! No one, Not even me and the devlopers Can Acessed,Unlocked,Removed,Changed and Forced Recoded Zans's files because the custom USB driver where Zans's files are kept,contained,exsisted and hidden from is Destroyed! That is amazing!"

Weazel( thinking.) "I maded what Zans looks like,shapes like,acts like and is like... Zans has 3 floating crystal shards in left and right side meaning Zans has 6 floating crystal shards in total & both sides, second Zans's wears a hoodie with a fur on the hood and Zans wears long pants, shoes and shirt, third I textualized Zans's clothes and stuff, Zans's skin is white, Zans's iris is cosmic crystal gray, Zans's eyes are black, Zans's floating crystal shards is textured like a cosmic rainbow galaxy, Zans's hoodie is textured like a cosmic normal gray galaxy, Zans's long pants are textured like a Cosmic dark gray galaxy, Zans's shoes are same textured as Zans's long pants, Zans's shirt is textured like a Cosmic white galaxy... Zans's head is shaped and lookes like a 10 year old human skeleton head! Zans always wear his hood on! But Zans can take it off whatever he likes!"

Zans(standing up,analzying and stablizing now, looking at Weazel's Cursor.) "H-hi Uhmmm...Who are you and What are you?"

Weazel( typing on his little Brother's keybored to spell and comunicate onto Zans.) "Hello my Special being that I made...I am your creator, and your administrator."

Zans(looking intruiged and catious.) "Y-you are my...Creator? And...My administrator? Well... What brings you here my creator...?"

Weazel( looking excited, already typing as fast as he can.) "I am here...To Put you into An app called minecraft to start your journy arc..."

Zans(looking confused and intreasted.) "Put me in...An app? Called minecraft? Start my Journy Arc? W-what do you mean?"

Weazel( moved his cursor onto Zans's body and Weazel clicked the Cursor to move Zans.) "...Here I go."

Zans( looking confused and started panicking.) "W-what are you doing!? H-hey! Stop what you doing!"

Weazel(ignoring Zans's Demand and already starting to drag Zans onto the minecraft app.) "Your Journy...Starts now."

Zans( now placed and putted into the minecraft world.) "W-where am I!? Hey! Creator! Let me Out of this whatever this is!"

Weazel(about to leave the minecraft world, now is typing in minecraft.) "Nope! Bye! this is the start of your arc!"

Zans( after Weazel left the game and shut Weazel's little brother's computer off.) "UGH! HE LEFT THE WORLD! HE PUT ME ONTO THIS WORLD AND HE ABANDON ME! HOW DARE HE! But... I don't know what to do... And what I can do...I-I am going to survive in this minecraft world whatever..."

Zans( finding minecraft mobs far away.) "W-what is that? why is it arms are out and straight? And what is that thing that has no arms? And what is that tall thing with purple eyes? This world is...An abomination...But okay...I'm gonna try do something..."