.:OC Bio Creation Tips:.

~Valuable Character Bio Creation Advice And Information~

• NONO: The BIGGEST nono for bios is putting something like “unknown” or “N/A” in a bio category of a character. First of all, why did you even include that category in your bio just to pass it up? It’s an eyeroll for a serious writer to see these things in bios. Even if the character or other characters don't know their name or even their age or parents, it should ALWAYS be listed in the bio. These are things that everyone has (unless they are a robot).
• CATEGORIES: I have included a blank bio form with all the categories I find to be necessary when explaining an in depth well rounded character. It’s okay to maybe get rid of some categories for simplicity’s sake but some are obviously necessary. On the other end of things, don't add too much! Bios with too many categories are just as obnoxious to fill out as they are for other people to read!! You want to have a bio form that you’ll be able to fill out again and again as you develop your characters. You may use MY FORM INCLUDED AT THE BOTTOM, but only with credit. Don’t add a category if you feel it can be described somewhere else! It’s better to have only a few categories with long descriptions rather than a whole ton of extra one-line categories.
• NAME: First and last name. No need to go into an exotic long name with a middle name unless you feel it necessary. But everyone has a last name with the exception of a few special instances. Choosing a well-flowing and original name that identifies your character and sets them apart from the other ones out there.
o NAMES TO AVOID: Luna is the #1 Mary sue name for girls. I can't take any character named Luna seriously. Following up at #2 is a girl with Alexandra/Alexandria or whatever as her name but she goes by Alex. I can't take those seriously as characters either, again, for their reputation as being Mary sue names. Other overused names are: Jake, James, Alex (male), Jenny, Sam (girl), Rachel, Jack, Ryan, and Lily. A lot of these are very nice names and I’m sure I have a few characters with those names too! But if you're making a new character, try to avoid these names please. Pick something more original. Also, avoid using words for names…that aren’t really names. This doesn't allow for people to be able to take your character seriously. Don’t be lame.
o ORIGINALITY: On the opposite spectrum of picking the normal/common names is taking an iconic name from somewhere else, trying to imitate. I couldn’t take your character seriously if they were named Katniss, okay? Iconic names and other such names created and not used from public domain are NOT public domain. Nobody could take your character as anything but a rip-off if you use an iconic name. God forbid you steal someone else’s name that they made up for that character, including mine. I make up a lot of my own names and I do not permit any kind of usage of my things. My stuff isn’t public domain and I don't intend to let it be. If you’re bored of names that are public domain, it isn’t that hard to just make up your own. In fact, that's what I’d encourage.
• AGE: Depending on the setting/other characters in the story you will have to keep this in mind as you describe the age. Personally I think it’s always best to include the BIRTH YEAR instead of writing an age for a character, unless they only appear in one book. But if that age ever changes, throughout multiple books and a timeline or something, you would do well to have a set birth year for your character so that you and your readers can keep them consistent at the proper age for the time. If your story setting is vast into the future or on another world’s timeline, you would probably have a hard time coming up with a birth year and would do best having another way of explaining it. So be smart about it then eh?
• APPEARANCE: Your character doesn't have to have a one-of-a kind genetic set and style to stand out. It’s all about your take on ideas and weaving them together to bring them to life in a visual way.  
o BUILD: Describe their body shape and any distinctive features. This will help paint a more accurate picture in someone’s head as they try to imagine your character. It’s a necessary part of character description that is typically taken for granted. If you leave your character’s body structure up to reader imagination I guarantee they will not see your character how you see them.
o SKIN: It isn’t racist to describe your character’s skin color and ethnicity. Creating characters with a variety of skin tones adds more charisma to your group overall.
o ETHNICITY: To go with skin color, this adds character too. What’s their ethnic background? Where were they born? Did they always live there? Mixing in various cultures and creating an exotic group can really wow your reader.
o HAIR: Describe the color and style. There are a million different shades. Any color imaginable is valid open game! Describe length and how much curl there is at all. Describe texture. Is it thick or thin? Dry or greasy? Do they frequently wear it up in a signature style? Go into detail. That's what a bio is for! Tell us!
o EYES: Same with hair, any shade is fair game! Are their eyes multi tone? Are there flecks of another color in them? A fade? Missing an eye? Got a different eye shape? Describe it! Also include if they have glasses!
o CLOTHING: Describe their style choice and the kinds of things they are likely to use in an outfit. Any accessories? Key objects? You don't need to describe a full outfit—but give enough information for us to get the general idea.
• SPECIES: Lots of characters are human but maybe yours isn’t. List their species so that we know and if it’s your own species you have the option of describing that a little bit too.
o POWERS: What extra abilities does your character have? Tell us! Be sure never to go into the OP range but describe your character’s powers in a way you think is realistic and proportionate to the world they are in.
• PERSONALITY: This is the most important and definitive part of your character. It shows us who they really are. Peel them like an onion. Show us the side of them everyone sees, the things that only they know about themselves, and the things they don't know yet. If your character has development, show it here. Show their change from the person they used to be. Don’t let this category seem all over the place but go about it in a structured and organized way. Then maybe later review it and remove anything that breaks the harmony or doesn't belong. When developing a really fleshed out personality I would suggest no less than 200 words.
o REALISM: Your character should be able to seem like a real person to us regardless of whatever world they're in. They should have a clear definitive persona of their own, not related to real people per se but deep enough that we can see who they are and how they got there.
o ORIGINALITY: Don’t base off other people or characters. It’s okay to be inspired by someone but copying is stealing, and no one can take it seriously. Add your own twist on an idea that you were inspired by and make it your own, enough so that only you will know where the ideas come from unless you choose to reveal it to people. I hate when people say “there's no such thing as originality anymore” because that is so untrue!! Maybe whatever it is has been done before but it’s never been done by YOU. You as an individual have the power to put your own twist on it if you so choose. Its effort, but if you really want it, you’ll shake the lazies out and work for it.
o LIKEABILITY: A completely original and well developed character isn’t necessary likeable! Be sure to add things in your character that will attract people to them, not in the “she/he’s hot” kind of way exactly, but, in the way that this character will give leave people with a positive and lasting impression. You want your characters to stick in other people’s minds for whatever reason and I’m sure you’d rather it be for likeability’s sake rather than being annoying!
o RELATABILITY: I can't tell you how little I care less about this and how much I am irritated when people say they don't like characters they can't relate to. Who cares? Make a character who is well written and likeable and doesn't sound like everybody else. If a character is relatable to the general population, how much originality is in that character? Probably not much if any at all. Keep this in mind. Let your character rise up for being cool and well-done.
o SANITY: Not everyone is mentally stable. Not everyone who looks insane really is. Not everyone who looks sane is alright in the head. Expound on your character’s psyche. Most people have some kind of disorder tendency, however small. In other people it’s more severe. This doesn't have to be a negative trait or even a flaw depending on how you write it and how your character uses it. Explain how their psyche changes with mood, people, and time.
o MORALS: Morals vary drastically from person to person. Maybe you want your character to be a mix of good and evil. How are these two sides brought out of them? Where and when? How have their morals developed over time and why, if at all, have they changed?
o PEOPLE: Extroverted or introverted? What are their tendencies around people, specifically? How do they treat certain people? What do they think of people or of society in general? Cultural influences?
o TENDENCIES: What are their habits and mannerisms? Why do they change? How did they get them? Any neuroses? What's their behavior and how does it vary? How drastically? What are their opinions? How strong is their will?
o VALUES: Similar to morals. People attribute worth and value to different things. Why does your character value things? What do they hold of highest importance? What's special to them?
• STRENGTHS: Everyone has some kind of contribution they COULD make, whether they decide to take initiative or not. Think outside your own ego for one moment. Maybe somebody else is good at something you wouldn’t see as a “good” thing to be skilled at. But they do. Or someone else does. Making a character isn’t about you. It’s actually about branching out to someone different from you!
o HOBBIES/SKILLS: Not everyone is good at things you think are good so be careful here. People have a wide variety of habits from things as “significant” as winning marathons to burping the alphabet backwards. You may think the latter is lame or gross but if your character is a ten year old boy, it might be the coolest skill to them. Describe how good your character is at their skill also. Maybe they just enjoy a hobby because it’s fun and aren’t necessarily good at it!
o MOTIVATION: What can get them to achieve their goals? What keeps them positive and focused? Can they actually focus at all? What's their passion or inspiration if they have one, or do they tend to lean towards zoned-out zombie mode?
• WEAKNESSES: Everyone has flaws and things they are bad at. Not everyone is strong. Some people are complete pushovers. Some people have out of control tempers. A weakness for one person might not be the same for others. Add low skills. Add things they try and fail at. Show fallibility. Without actual flaws that readers can see, your character is flat and not even really human. Show us who they are at their worst. Tell us what makes them crumble, break, and cry. What can't they seem to overcome? What did they struggle with before and then work past? No one is infallible or immortal. Everyone has a weakness.
• LIKES: It’s good to include other things your character enjoys. Anything from food to places, times of day, objects, temperatures, climates, types of year, anything that can add to who they are as a person. Show what's significant to them. Also, describe what kind of music they like. It’s another good way to add to this picture of them you are paining in our minds.
• DISLIKES: What kind of music can't they stand? What sets them off? What are their pet peeves? What irks them? Any OCDs? Fears? Worries? Allergies?
• FRIENDS: What crowd do they gravitate to? Who do they get along best? Who is already their friend? Who do they want to be their friend? Who’s their crew and why? How many people? Any besties? Are they social or popular?
• ENEMIES: What kind of people can't they stand? Who is an instant turnoff? Who do they fight with? Who do they hate and for what reason? Who are they afraid of?
• LOVE INTEREST: What and who do they find attractive? Who are their crushes? Who do they love? Who have they dated or married?
• FAMILY: Describe their family in as much detail as you find to be relevant. It can be whatever from listing that they live with a single mom to listing a dozen people by name. Do they have any kids? Do they even know their family? Even if they don't know them, you as the creator do, so like all things your character doesn't know about themselves, include it in the bio.
• BACKSTORY: If the backstory is a story in itself, there is definitely a bunch of stuff you should cut out. I think a good backstory is around 200-300 words and 400 is too long. Backstory nearly as important as people think it is for the reason that the STORY is meant to show the character’s development and change throughout time and the bio is meant to show who the character is overall. You can certainly show development in a bio but you’ve gotta include who they were, who they are, and who they will be all at once. The story is for showing the progression and going into detail about how the character grew and responded to their life changes. The backstory’s purpose is to give a short concise life summary. Whether you decide to summarize their whole life or only tell who they were before the time of the story is up to you. But keep it short!! I can't stress how obnoxious long backstories are!
o HOME LIFE: What’s their family like? How do they get along? How does it change throughout time? Are they close to their family? Where have they lived? What was the home like? How often have they moved? How did they feel about that?
o AGING: Depending on the character’s age at the time of story, you can't always show much age-specific development. Maybe touch on a few impactful details of their past but only what is relevant.  
o CAREER: What career path did they choose and why? How does it affect their life?
o DEVELOPMENT: Again it’s up to you whether you want to summarize all their important life events, or only include backstory of who they were before major character development. Both are fine and equally valid backstories.

***Bio form is no longer open for use by others but is just kept present here as a textual example:Name:Age:Appearance:Speciesersonality:Strengths:Weaknesses:Likesislikes:Friends:Enemies:Love Interest:Familyackstory: