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I'm gonna draw my oc with this and you should too
Httyd, Next Gen.
IVE DONE IT, PEOPLE!
After days of writing, trying to find proper names, and (trying to) make it as accurate as possible, I present to you my version of the next generation of dragon riders in httyd (in this AU)!
*(Btw, the descriptions are from a series of stories im making, so it will contain a shit-ton of lore. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!)
Zephyr Haddock - The eldest of the Haddock children, and the future heir to Berk. She reflects her fathers sarcasticness and creativity. She rides a Stromcutter she named Skysplitter. She is also the unofficial leader of the next generation of Dragon Riders, and is willing to protect all of them, especially Nuffink, when they are in danger. She often feels pressured by this new role, due to the fact she was placed in it overnight, but is guided by Avery. She feels guilty and feels as if it is her fault that her parents, and Berk, are in the state they are in in the first place. She doesn't like to talk about it all that much.
Nuffink Haddock - The youngest of the Haddock children, and while not the heir, still the Chief’s son. Unlike Zephyr, he reflects his mother’s traits of being adventurous and brash. He rides a green Nadder named Buckwing. He tries to help Zephyr the best he can on Dragon’s Edge, but sometimes goofs off with the cousins and Eira. He doesn’t like hearing about Berk, because it reminds him of his parents and the condition they are in.
Scullnut Thorston-Jorgenson - The son of Snotlout and Tuffnut (fraternal mother was Ruffnut). He inherits both of his fathers’ chaotic personalities, while also reflecting their loyalty to their old team. He rides a Typhoomerang named Glowtorch. When he escaped from Berk, Thornut wasn’t on the best terms with his parents (there will be TONS of context on that later). He feels guilty about it, and often feels like they ended up in their condition because of him. He takes his guilt out on the other riders in various forms, like questioning Zephyr’s leading, disobeying Avery and running amok on Dragon’s Edge with the cousins, and often zoning out during combat lectures. (He just doesn’t know any other way to deal with it, and certainly is not the type to talk about his problems).
Runa Ingerman - The daughter of Ruffnut and Fishlegs. She inherited Ruffnut’s chaotic personality and Fishlegs’s love for dragons, so the result was a chaotic love for dragons (I seriously don’t know how that would work out). Runa rides Fogs and Gust, a Zippleback from the Hidden World. She and Scullnut are thicker than the hairiest yak on Berk, because I mean, they are cousins, after all. They often secretly go on little adventures around Dragon’s Edge, just to loosen up a little. They also try not to think of the state Berk, and their parents, are in, afraid of what might’ve happened to them.
Arne - The eldest child of Dagur and Mala, and the future heir of the Defenders of the Wing, and the Berserkers. He reflects his mother’s traits, being calm and collected in times of danger, and knowing when the right time is to strike. He rides a Thunderdrum he named Waves, and often helps Zephyr as second-in-command of the riders, and keeps everyone, especially Eira, in check. He also comforts the riders when they feel at their lowest, and assures them that they are going to defeat Zelda and get their islands and people back.
Eira - The youngest child of Dagur and Mala. She inherited her father’s red hair and wild personality, and his fighting skills as well. She rides a Triple Strike named Wildeye. She has a hobby of chasing some of the Night Terrors around Dragon’s Edge, along with the cousins (Runa and Scullnut). Sometimes even Nuffink joins them as well. But Eira does have a more serious side to her. She looks up to both of her parents (mostly her father), and refuses to believe that he fell to a crazy lady and her dragon. So, whenever someone mentions him or anything related to him, she goes quiet and isolates herself for the rest of the day.
*I'm sorry if this isn't accurate/is cringey. As I said before, I tried to make it as accurate as possible (for this AU).
“He’d look fine doing it-““he’d be so hot wearing-“ NO! LET HIM BE UGLY. I DONT WANT HIM HOT AND BASIC. I WANNA SEE HIM UGLY!! BUT CONFIDENT AND I WANNA BE CONFUSED ON WHY I LIKE HIM!!!
This is why your characters don't feel real
Here are the top reasons why your character could be feeling flat or unreal. What every author aims for is to make palpable realistic characters who feel like someone we could actually know.
They have no internal conflict(!)
You haven’t got a clue about their backstory.
Or about what their struggle/internal conflict is rooted in.
You write them to fit the plot, instead of letting them react the way they should in the given moment (even if this leads to a huge change in the story!).
You fail to think about their dynamics & backstory with each important character in their narrative.
You don’t give them a motivation/goal going into each scene.
There are so many factors that go into making a character feel real - and you might hear advice that this is because they don’t have an interesting personality, or a unique character voice, but honestly? These are surface-level reasons. These are not going to make or break your character.
What IS going to make them interesting is internal conflict —> a struggle which we meet them in, a story of overcoming the struggle that we get invested in, and a root cause for the struggle in the character’s backstory.
Would you like to learn more about crafting realistic character who lead the plot FOR you? 🤯
You might want to give my 6-month group coaching program a go! It's designed specifically to help overcome this issue and teach you how to plot ANY story with ease. It uses a mix of writing their classes, with group coaching sessions to work specifically on YOUR project.
The first group kicks off Feb 11th, so grab your spot now!
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https://www.novlr.org/the-complete-novel-coach
10 ideas for character personalities
Creating unique and interesting characters is essential to any good story. Here are some ideas for character personalities to help you develop your own characters:
The Rebel: A character who defies authority and rules, often causing conflict but also inspiring change. Stubborn, working for a greater cause, but often ignores those closest to them.
The Optimist: A character who always sees the bright side of things, even in the darkest of situations. They might be the comic relief, and they’ll tend to be naive in dangerous situations and often put themselves at risk of heartbreak because they see the best in people.
The Pessimist: A character who always expects the worst, often bringing down the mood of those around them. They might be very sarcastic, witty, and grumpy, and they can only be handled well by certain characters - they match well with softer, laidback personalities.
The Perfectionist: A character who strives for perfection in everything they do, often to the point of obsession. They’ll never really be satisfied with anything they achieve, no matter how good it is, and they have trouble with friendships and relationships.
The Joker: A character who uses humor to cope with difficult situations, but may also use it to mask their true feelings. They often feel a lot worse than they let on, and they put others ahead of themselves.
The Loner: A quiet character who prefers solitude and may struggle with forming connections with others, though they tend to be quite emotionally smart and observant.
The Leader: A character who takes charge and inspires others to follow them, but they can get carried away with the power in their hands. They’re confident and they know it, and they often end up hurting people with their behavior.
The Follower: A character who prefers to take direction from others and may struggle with making decisions on their own. These are often very passive characters who rely on help from others - typically from one specific protector.
The Nurturer: A character who is caring and compassionate, often putting others' needs before their own, and making sure that everybody else is happy. They have people-pleasing tendencies and will hide their own opinions if they find it might upset others.
The Adventurer: A character who is always seeking out new experiences and challenges. They may be impulsive and thrill-seeking, but also courageous and resourceful.
These are just a few ideas to get you started. Remember, the key to creating memorable characters is to make them unique and multi-dimensional, beyond the archetype of personality that they fit into!
The Character Bible and my two other Writer’s Toolboox are dropping in just 8 days! They’ll have masses of resources, materials, character theory and even customizable character sheets.
How to write a negative character arc
Here’s the simplest way to break down the building blocks of a negative character arc in your novel!
Here’s the A-Z on negative character arcs
It’s totally possible to pull off a negative character development, for ANY person in your story, whether that’s a side-character, villain, or the protagonist.
Here’s something no one tells you, but it’s actually fundamentally simple.
You can do this with a very easy formula. Typically, a positive arc means that you set out with one main character flaw/issue, which that character overcomes by the end of the story.
So all you need is:
a flaw your character NEEDS to overcome
a goal they WANT to achieve
For a positive arc, they’d succeed at their NEED. Then maybe their WANT as well. For a negative, they simply never fulfil their NEED.
This means they never overcome the flaw they are supposed to face. In fact, they ignore it so confidently, it becomes a PROBLEM. They will never truthfully own up to their mistakes.
This is where you can let it get worse, let it develop into fatal flaw, and let more issues arise from it. As for their WANT? They’ll usually put their external goal above everything else, and dig themselves even deeper into personal disarray, where they won’t recognize themselves any longer.
If you need a hand getting started on your novel, we have 3 coaches at The Plottery who can work with you intensively for 4 month to skill up your writing and help you finish your first draft.
Apply through the [link here] or below!
So my problem with most ‘get to know your character’ questioneers is that they’re full of questions that just aren’t that important (what color eyes do they have) too hard to answer right away (what is their greatest fear) or are just impossible to answer (what is their favorite movie.) Like no one has one single favorite movie. And even if they do the answer changes.
If I’m doing this exercise, I want 7-10 questions to get the character feeling real in my head. So I thought I’d share the ones that get me (and my students) good results:
What is the character’s go-to drink order? (this one gets into how do they like to be publicly perceived, because there is always some level of theatricality to ordering drinks at a bar/resturant)
What is their grooming routine? (how do they treat themselves in private)
What was their most expensive purchase/where does their disposable income go? (Gets you thinking about socio-economic class, values, and how they spend their leisure time)
Do they have any scars or tattoos? (good way to get into literal backstory)
What was the last time they cried, and under what circumstances? (Good way to get some *emotional* backstory in.)
Are they an oldest, middle, youngest or only child? (This one might be a me thing, because I LOVE writing/reading about family dynamics, but knowing what kinds of things were ‘normal’ for them growing up is important.)
Describe the shoes they’re wearing. (This is a big catch all, gets into money, taste, practicality, level of wear, level of repair, literally what kind of shoes they require to live their life.)
Describe the place where they sleep. (ie what does their safe space look like. How much (or how little) care / decoration / personal touch goes into it.)
What is their favorite holiday? (How do they relate to their culture/outside world. Also fun is least favorite holiday.)
What objects do they always carry around with them? (What do they need for their normal, day-to-day routine? What does ‘normal’ even look like for them.)
ways you can further develop your main character
give them a misbelief
no characters have a personality when the plot starts. all of them have backstories, a past, and a mindset that they grew up with!
basically, a misbelief is the wrong mindset that they grew up with, and is also a belief that will be restructured by the end of your novel.
this not only shows character growth and development as their mind is "restructured" or they learn their life lesson, but also drives the internal plot of your story, which differs from the external (or action) plot that most people seem to read.
+ this gives readers a deeper insight to your character!
give them a goal
every character has a goal, or something they want in their lives. having them strive for it would essentially drive your plot, and may also help you dig deeper into your character's motivations!
this goal doesn't always need to be achieved, or may be impossible to (for example, someone wanting to meet a loved one who turns out to be dead; they may have not reached their goal, but it took them on a journey)
this goal should also be concrete if possible! vague ones like "they want to be happy," isn't very helpful. what do they think will make them happy?
(side note: wanting everything to be the way that it is can also be a goal, cause they're striving to make things go back to the way they were!)
more notes / explanations here! most of these notes in this post are taken from story genius by lisa cron, and i thought they might help. please take all this information with a grain of salt, and maybe use it in a way that'll work best for you! <3
97 character motivations
Here’s our masterlist of 97 character motivations that you can use in your novel to spark an idea for a character arc!
Saving a family member from capture
Saving a sibling from disease
Saving a pet from danger
Saving the world from ruin
Saving a friend from heartbreak
Saving the town from financial ruin
Saving friends from dangerous deadly situations
Saving a love interest from dying
Saving themselves in a dangerous world
Saving a community from falling apart
Saving a child from a potentially dangerous circumstance
Saving a place or location from evil forces
Saving a ghost from limbo
Overcoming a phobia
Overcoming an addiction
Overcoming marital struggles
Moving on from loss
Finding a significant other
Finding a new family (not blood-related)
Finding true biological family
Finding out an old secret
Finding a way home
Reconnecting with long-lost friends
Getting out of a dark state of mind
Finding peace in life
Beating a disease
Beating an arch nemesis
Forming a peaceful community
Transforming a location
Bringing someone back to life
Winning a competition
Going on an adventure
Getting a dream job
Keeping a secret
Escaping a location of capture
Proving a moral point
Proving a political point
Winning a political campaign
Betray someone
Ruin someone’s life
Find a suspect or killer
Find the answer to a mystery
Discover ancient sites & secret histories
Perform a successful ritual
Summon the dead
Save a country from dictatorship
Become the most powerful in a community
Outshine a family member in business success
Prove someone wrong
Win prize money to help someone in need
Get revenge on someone who wronged them
Find the person who wronged them
Develop significant scientific progress
Gain respect from family
Get over an ex-lover
Move on from a painful death
Keep their community alive
Lead their community
Heal people in need
Preserve a species (animal, alien, plant…)
Discover new world
Get recognition for hard work
Become famous
Get rich to prove themselves to people who doubted them
Break a long tradition
Challenge the status quo of a community
Defeat a magical nemesis
Take over a location to rule
Find out truth behind old legends
Help someone get over their struggles
Prove their moral values
Prove their worth to an external party
Become a supernatural creature
Keep something from falling into the wrong hands
Protect the only person they care about
Start a revolution
Invent new technology
Invent a new weapon
Win a war
Fit in with a community
Atone for past sins
Give top-secret information to an enemy as revenge
Kill an ex-lovers current partner
Reinvent themselves
Raise a strong child
Make it to a location in a strict time period
Find faith
Find enlightenment
Find out more about the afterlife
Confess love to a friend
Solve a moral dilemma
Have a child of their own
Avoid being alone
Run away from past struggles
Reinvent themselves as a new person
Impress a colleague or boss
Avoid a fight or war breaking out
If you need a hand getting started on your novel, we have 3 coaches at The Plottery who can work with you intensively for 4 month to skill up your writing and help you finish your first draft.
Apply through the [link here] or below!
Relationships that have real king/lionheart energy, that whole “I have sworn myself wholly to you, I am your sword arm, I am your dog” to someone else’s “you are the one person in this world I can rely on, and I am both bolstered and burdened by your absolute faith in me” vibe, but it’s in circumstances that are like. so low stakes. Manger of a movie theater/the one usher who doesn’t smoke weed at work.
Good Traits Gone Bad
Exploring good traits gone bad in a novel can add depth and complexity to your characters. Here are a few examples of good traits that can take a negative turn:
1. Empathy turning into manipulation: A character with a strong sense of empathy may use it to manipulate others' emotions and gain an advantage.
2. Confidence becoming arrogance: Excessive confidence can lead to arrogance, where a character belittles others and dismisses their opinions.
3. Ambition turning into obsession: A character's ambition can transform into an unhealthy obsession, causing them to prioritize success at any cost, including sacrificing relationships and moral values.
4. Loyalty becoming blind devotion: Initially loyal, a character may become blindly devoted to a cause or person, disregarding their own well-being and critical thinking.
5. Courage turning into recklessness: A character's courage can morph into reckless behavior, endangering themselves and others due to an overestimation of their abilities.
6. Determination becoming stubbornness: Excessive determination can lead to stubbornness, where a character refuses to consider alternative perspectives or change their course of action, even when it's detrimental.
7. Optimism becoming naivety: Unwavering optimism can transform into naivety, causing a character to overlook dangers or be easily deceived.
8. Protectiveness turning into possessiveness: A character's protective nature can evolve into possessiveness, where they become overly controlling and jealous in relationships.
9. Altruism becoming self-neglect: A character's selflessness may lead to neglecting their own needs and well-being, to the point of self-sacrifice and burnout.
10. Honesty becoming brutal bluntness: A character's commitment to honesty can turn into brutal bluntness, hurting others with harsh and tactless remarks.
These examples demonstrate how even admirable traits can have negative consequences when taken to extremes or used improperly. By exploring the complexities of these traits, you can create compelling and multi-dimensional characters in your novel.
Happy writing!
Did I just listen to Kaleidotrope for the first time yesterday?
Yes.
And am I now entirely invested in this world and these dorks so much so I’m quite literally on my third listen?
Admittedly, yes.
(anyway, bless them and the podcast. I can only hope we get a season 2 one day, or get more projects from the creators.)
whenever “strong female characters” insult men by calling them girls my eyes roll so far back in my head i can see my brain cells die
My OCs Flep and the newest addition, Lollibob! ^-^
My goal is to make plenty of colourful characters like them to populate a silly world with :D
characters have to be a little bit awful in ways that you cant defend. its good for the ecosystem. your honor he did do that. He did in fact do that
It's so so important to show badass female characters being moms. It's important to write intelligent cool female characters with deep inner lives also being good parents to their kids. It's actually essential to the future of our society, I think.
Because when people either a.) write mothers as only there to play supporting character to the kid, or b.) write badass women only choosing to be childless, it sends the message that being a mom is for lame loser women who don't have or deserve personalities and lives. And who would want to be that?
And it's not impossible. We do it all the time for men, male characters frequently get to be awesome and also be dads. There's even a whole trope about Badass Dads raising Badass Kids while they trek across the post-apocalypse or whatever. Why can't we give women the same treatment?
Characters whose naiveness is a form of protest, my beloved. Who know that there are dark things below but refuse to look down. Who will not let you take this last bit of childishness from them. Who are doomed by their unwillingness to acknowledge the darkness. Who everyone knows will be destroyed for holding on to something they could never truly have. Who are playing at normalcy and foolishness to avoid having to face the music.
You may not be a child, may not have ever been a child, will not ever get to be a child. The darkness with taint anything resembling a childhood, no matter how much you shelter yourself. Yet I will love you anyway, and I hope that you can slowly begin to look through your fingers, to remove your hands from your eyes. I hope you learn to acknowledge and deconstruct the darkness, because I love that you will not let the darkness take any more.
me, trying to explain that I change how I portray the characters to match the narrative and how it affects them but they’re still the same core person: Please just listen
The goose in my basement: Honk
Let characters rest, my guy.
One thing I’ve seen is a lot of people write in characters is they are constantly going. And I get it, down time in a story can fall flat, but not every character is made to be working by 24/7. Plus, giving your characters a chance to rest also can be a great opportunity to give a glimpse in their coping mechanisms, how they wind down, and it can help slow the pace of your story for your readers to process whatever action scene before that they just read.
Josh and Summer❤️ Josh set up the laptop and Summer lay on his bed, flicking through his iPhone. She giggled at the selfies Josh and his best friends Ronan, Caolan and Zeke had taken. “You guys sure love yourselves,” smiled Summer as she uploaded one of the selfies to Instagram. “It’s for the memories,” shrugged Josh as he glanced over at Summer. Summer smiled to herself. Wait until everyone saw that picture she posted! “Time to watch some Doctor Who!” Grinned Josh as he flopped down beside Summer on the bed. “I’ve never watched that ever so how am I supposed to keep up?” Asked Summer. “Ask me,” smiled Josh as he put his arm around her and gently kissed her on the lips. They sat back and watched and Summer was shocked how quickly she became engrossed. They watched episode after episode cuddling the whole time. Hours flew by like minutes and eventually Josh’s Dad came in. “How long have you two been on that laptop?” He asked. Josh glanced at the time and gasped. They’d been watching Doctor Who for hours! Summer was amazed at how rapidly time had past but she had enjoyed it a lot. “I better go but don’t you dare watch on without me,” smiled Summer as she got up to go. “Wouldn’t dream of it,” winked Josh as his Dad strolled off. Josh let his hands drop to Summer’s waist and he leant in and kissed her as she cupped his face in her hands.
Sofie, Toni, Chloe, Callie and Ali Goodman They are Dylan's sisters. Sofie Goodman is 9. She's innocent, adorable and small. Sofie and Dylan are very close and she sees him as her hero. When they move to their new house she clings onto him more than ever. At school nobody wants to be her friend and she finds herself all alone so she events imaginary friends for herself. The imaginary friends tell her to do things or they'll stop being her friend and soon Sofie is never out if trouble. Everybody thinks she's doing it for attention and when she tries to explain nobody will listen to her not even Dylan... Toni Goodman is 12. She's a tomboy, loud and always in trouble because of her fierce temper. Toni and Dylan don't talk very much anymore because Toni doesn't like his friend Jamie. Toni is best friends with Jake Hunter who she soon unwittingly begins to fall for. She's confused and refuses to accept that she's growing up and has her first crush. She distances herself from Jake unknowingly leading to serious consequences... Chloe Goodman is 14. She is girly, flirty and popular. She doesn't really care about Dylan because she's quite self centred. Chloe flirts and forgets her friends and let's them down all the time. However one day she ends up in a serious accident because of a boy and Chloe is left by herself. The boys think she's a freak. The girls think she's a loser. Her old friends don't even care. Chloe is all alone apart from the cute boy she's been chatting to on the internet and it seems like he's the only one that really understands her but is he hiding something? Callie Goodman is 16. She is quiet, smart and kind. Even though she's older, Dylan has always looked out for her and she is very close with him. Callie runs into her old friend Carter Hunter who is now one of the popular kids. Carter and Callie are soon firm friends again but things have changed. Callie fancies him but she knows Carter will never see her that way. However Carter ends up finding out and avoiding Callie. People also begin calling Callie names and ignoring her after someone lies that Callie used to be a bully. Who's behind it? Could it really be someone close to her? Ali Goodman is 18. She is creative, kind and in love. Dylan and her argue because of her boyfriend that he thinks is a bad influence. Ali plans to go to university and has her own blog and couldn't be happier until she finds out she's pregnant! Her dreams crash and burn and her boyfriend is horrified and dumps her. She tries to hide her huge secret but very soon the whole school finds out! Everyone looks at her differently and talks behind her back and Ali is miserable until a boy she's overlooked her whole life sticks up for her and the two become close. However when her boyfriend begs her to take him back, Ali must pick between them but will she pick the right decision?
Carter Hunter Aged 17 and Jake Hunter Aged 13 Carter and Jake are Jamie's brothers. Carter is smart, sporty and popular but he's worried about his sister. Jamie has distanced herself from him even though they used to be so close. Carter seems perfect but he's constantly worrying about everything and it's affecting him. His spot on the basketball team is threatened and his grades are slipping... Jake is small, sweet and a bit dorky. Jamie is very protective of him and she won't stand for Jake getting bullied. That is unless it's her own friends doing the bullying... Jake has a big crush on Toni Goodman but she always says she hates all that boyfriend girlfriend stuff. The bullying gets worse but Jake won't tell anyone not even Toni and it starts to consume him. He's terrified, depressed and all alone...
Dylan Goodman Age 12 and Age 15 Dylan Goodman used to be the school bad boy and bully. People were scared of him and he liked it. Now Dylan is trying to make up for his past mistakes and he's realised just how stupid he was. He goes back to his old school and meets Jamie Hunter, a girl he once bullied. Despite their differences they become friends but Dylan is shocked at how much Jamie has changed. He knows she's unhappy and he wants to help her but she just pushes him away. Dylan's also got a few things from the past coming back to haunt him...
Jamie Hunter Age 12 and Age 15 Jamie Hunter went from a dorky 12 year old girl that wore childish shirts and had braces and bobbed hair to a cool 15 year old. However does being cool really make you happy? Jamie thought giving up her not so cool friends was for the best but her new friends aren't exactly nice people. Is skipping school and failing in everything really a good idea? Jamie isn't so sure if she likes the new her and when a familiar face arrives in her life she really questions herself.
Second chapter of my story😊 Ryan and Jake have a bit of fun😂 please give it a read, it might make you laugh☺️
Axel and Sadie Axel is 15 and he acts tough but he's really a very sweet guy, he even helps out at the local animal shelter! Sadie is 16 but got held back a year because of bunking off too much school when she was 13. She occasionally gets into trouble now a days but she's generally a good person. Axel meets Sadie at the animal shelter even though they're in the same class at school, they hardly chatted before. They instantly form a strong friendship and pretty soon all Axel can thing about is Sadie but does she feel the same way about him? Or is 17 year old Jax, the baddest guy around, her true love?
Josh❤️ Ronan❤️ Caolan❤️ Zeke❤️ 4 outcasts. 4 best friends. 1 band. When Ronan Dolby and his best friends Zeke McPherson,Josh Flek and new kid Caolan Kennedy decide to start a band to forget their issues, they have no idea what it will lead to. There will be plenty of good times but also plenty of problems to overcome. Find out how an idea for a bit of fun turned into something life changing for not only the boys but a whole new generation of troubled kids who thought they were all alone...