Question How to write an "average" character?

[Steavsi Austinoi]

Im looking to write a character (this profile) who's just an average kinda schlub, he owns a ranch on Corellia. Nothing too remarkable about him, he's pretty skilled with guns, he's above average in-fact, but he isnt a gunslinger, and he's only skilled with the slugthrower his father gave him. He's an excellent farmer, (reason he has a ranch,) and he sells the cattle and crops for money often, when he's not saving them for harvest, and he's good at fixing starships and other mechanical devices. He likes to explore, but he seems content to settle down on Corellia for the rest of his life. How can I write him into interesting situations/encounters?

 

[Doc Painless]

Steavsi Austinoi I'm trying to write The Doc this way; he's not any good at combat, just a fixture of the Denon underworld.

One thing I'm having him do is have him offer jobs, like an NPC quest-giver, when he runs into situations he can't handle himself. I'm running two threads like this right now, Back Alley Exorcism and Mile-High Hack, in which the Doc has hired people to take on threats beyond his capabilities while he helps from the sidelines. For a farmer, that might mean hiring mercs or bounty hunters to protect his crops from bandits, or to recover something that he needs for his farm. I'm also just throwing him into social threads wherever he would fit.

The other way I'm hoping to integrate the Doc, who is a pretty skilled street medic, is to have him provide medical care and cybernetic augmentations for other PCs - and meet them that way. I will probably advertise in LFG to see if there are people interested in writing those kinds of stories. For your farmer, it's probably his starship-repair skills that would be in demand.

I also have the Doc in a faction, Darkwire, that tells stories in the region where he's settled down (Denon), and I throw him into those stories in non-combat roles whenever I can. That starts building character connections for more stories.

I've only just started writing him, so I don't know how it will go, but here's hoping!

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

One thing I do when fleshing out a new character is to put myself in the position. How would I look at the sunrise? Would I be annoyed with cattle getting out? The bank?

 

[NE-1]

The above are perfect examples and good advice.

With this character, I am trying to bring people out of the faction heavy stories I have seen of late. Bringing public threads into the mix. I don't expect to be wildly successful tbh, but I am certainly going to keep at it.

Largest bit of advice from me is to just keep on plucking away and create stories. Even if something doesn't get noticed right away, something will eventually catch someone's interest.

 

[Holly Starstorm]

I join a lot of threads and make very little impact but I have small interactions. Eventually Holly just started becoming background in a lot of people’s posts because I would jump in, have a random encounter, and jump out. It got her name out there.

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Steavsi Austinoi

Yup, what everyone above me has said is all good advice. Have your character hire other characters to do jobs that are too big for him, social threads, and providing services.

If you do want to join a faction with a more average character, or even just do an occasional mission that's bigger than the usual fare, make sure to establish some connections first. With Nimdok here I tried to get him into a major faction mission by using his expertise as a historian/archaeologist as an excuse, but that didn't really cut it and the other players had to invoke Rule of Cool to get him involved. So, my one contribution to this advice column is to say be patient and don't try to jump the gun, lol.

 

[Auteme]

Steavsi Austinoi hey!

Just wanted to say -- I find it simultaneously weird and fascinating that you're looking to write a pretty regular dude. People tend to come to a Star Wars fanfiction roleplaying site to write extraordinary characters. I certainly do. Even the people who write 'average' characters often get caught up in galaxy-shaking events, and do extraordinary things despite meager skills.

I tend to write things that I am not, which is why many of my characters are incredible, unique, powerful people. If the same is true for you, you must have an extraordinary life already!

When it comes to entering and setting up threads, I think it's best to communicate with your writing partner(s); they can often help you come up with an interesting story. Threads need more than one person. It's really useful to have someone to bounce off of; that's what makes roleplaying fun.

Jacen Nimdok hit the nail on the head, too. Even if your character is average, giving them something more to tug on is great. It's just as important to be patient -- if there's no good angle for you into a thread? You don't need to join it. But if you really want to -- spend a bit of time figuring it out; give him a reason to be curious and explore and get into trouble.

Hope this helps, and I can't wait to see your writing!

 

[Jsc]

Drop him into an Invasion and pick a fight with the biggest Sith Lord you can find.

Should be fine.

 

[Steavsi Austinoi]

Drop him into an Invasion and pick a fight with the biggest Sith Lord you can find.

Should be fine.

"No way! I ain't picking a fight with no Sith!"
-Steavsi Picks a Fight with A Sith-

 

[NE-1]

I feel like it would be the scene from Iron Man 3 with Natasha and Happy.

 

[Steavsi Austinoi]

Steavsi Austinoi hey!

Just wanted to say -- I find it simultaneously weird and fascinating that you're looking to write a pretty regular dude. People tend to come to a Star Wars fanfiction roleplaying site to write extraordinary characters. I certainly do. Even the people who write 'average' characters often get caught up in galaxy-shaking events, and do extraordinary things despite meager skills.

I tend to write things that I am not, which is why many of my characters are incredible, unique, powerful people. If the same is true for you, you must have an extraordinary life already!

When it comes to entering and setting up threads, I think it's best to communicate with your writing partner(s); they can often help you come up with an interesting story. Threads need more than one person. It's really useful to have someone to bounce off of; that's what makes roleplaying fun.

Jacen Nimdok hit the nail on the head, too. Even if your character is average, giving them something more to tug on is great. It's just as important to be patient -- if there's no good angle for you into a thread? You don't need to join it. But if you really want to -- spend a bit of time figuring it out; give him a reason to be curious and explore and get into trouble.

Hope this helps, and I can't wait to see your writing!

Reason I decided to write an average character is because I thought it would be interesting, ironically enough. People seem to go for the extraordinary character types, and I wanted to deviate a bit from the norm.

 

[Jerec Asyr]

I join a lot of threads and make very little impact but I have small interactions. Eventually Holly just started becoming background in a lot of people’s posts because I would jump in, have a random encounter, and jump out. It got her name out there.

This is huge - I really enjoy using my characters in supporting roles or cameo appearances, or doing their own thing around the fringes of Great Events. Lots of fun possibilities.

 

[NE-1]

Thing about side/support characters is that they can make a big impact in little ways in threads. Sometimes the notice of small characters isn't about some great galaxy changing event right away, but the effects it has on other characters.

Variety is the spice of life, and adding a bit of the 'norm' as some would call it can breathe a whole different life into a thread or even other characters.

 

[Alkor Centaris]

Look at the Galaxy from the perspective of you (the writer) as a person first and foremost. As a general character, before factoring in the Force at all, think about the following:

Technology level- is this something your character is used to, or are they from a bronze age planet and unaccustomed to space travel, etc?

Other species- is this character's homeworld one that has a constant influx of alien species, or is it homogenous? If the latter, are they xenophobic or generally fine with other sentient races? If the latter, how would they respond to seeing a race they have never encountered before?

Conflict- how does this character feel about fighting? Crime? Political issues?

Politics (specifically)- what is this character's stance politically relative to the Galaxy? Are they generally good, or evil? Are they ambivalent and more interested in their personal pursuits? Are they a rebel without a cause, or a staunch imperialist?

Just take a bit to really ponder over the world you're going to enter as a writer, then things will start falling into place. Once you have a perspective for the character, their mentality will start to come naturally.