||How to handle a profile page||
By: Risa (Who has too much time)

Now, I do this mostly to satisfy my own sarcasm, and to order my own thoughts on the subject. Making up people is kind of my favorite thing in the world, and my future profession if all my rubber duckies stay in line. Realize that this is just me putting my advice on a page, take it as you will. I don't intend on seeming pretentious or haughty, though god knows my sarcasm gets ahead of me. So just take things with good humor and I hope you'll learn something from my partially insane ramblings. All of this is, of course, using Kristin's lovely profile which I've done many times over and find it as fun on the 100th time as I did on the first. I will be brushing over the parts that are kind of a duh, so it isn't the complete profile. If you can't figure out what your name meaning is... well, this will be of no help to you. That said, onwards.

Do you have a character and want to apply? But wait! Oh no! You don't know where to start or what exactly is being looked for? Well, look no further! Okay, I'll stop, really though, if you're nervous about the profile keep this in mind... Admins are looking for three things when they review a profile:

• Writing aptitude.
• Creativity
• Ability to follow directions

Don't get all panicky, most Admins don't bite. Their goal is simply to create an environment that is pleasant for all those involved. That means that all three of those are important. Thankfully, they're also really easy to follow. Fill in all fields as requested, give your profile a quick proofread, and mostly, have fun, be quirky, be creative, and don't be afraid to make fun of your character.

Name:

Names are a tricky thing to peg. But usually you'll find one that just sounds right. Things to watch out for, though.

1.Crazy names: Weird names aren't necessarily bad, especially in magical settings, but if it has more vowels than is godly necessary, it's probably one that should be bowled over. Just ask yourself some basic questions. Would the character's parents even think of this name? Is it a family name? Did their drugged mother horribly mangle the spelling when the nurse was filling in the forms? Etc.
2.Non Regional Names: I.E. If you're not from japan, don't make it a Japanese name. Generally, it's a good idea to keep regionally or racially in line with last names in particular. First names have lots of leeway, but a white italian guy from Jersey should not have the last name of Kwilek. Keep it in mind.
3.Well Known Names: If it's a well known character that someone can point at and go, “Hey, now!” to, then avoid it. This is the same for using the same name as the actor you are using. Notable expections are if they aren't entirely popular and you feel like being cheeky or if you feel like paying an homage to them. If you do that last one, though, try middle names and don't be too obvious, please.

Dos:
1.Normal Names: They're classic for a reason, and there can be some interesting parts to a character who is annoyed at being “Jenny S.” their entire life. It makes some of them twitchy, which is fun to play out.
2.Middle Names: Make them normal, make them embarrassing, make them weird, but try to have one.

Celebrity:

Ah, the dreaded actor/playby/faceclaim whatever we're calling it these days. Mostly this is just a matter of skimming a million pictures until you find someone who just rings true to your character, but there is a term you should become familiar with and that is baggage. A lot of big name actors have some serious baggage either from their typecastedness, their personal lives, or just their looks. There are two ways to escape the baggage:

1.Pick an unknown. It's not as hard as it sounds. Most of the time not knowing exactly what they've done leaves you with a clean slate to work with. You don't necessarily have to go with actors either. Singers are another common pick, as are models. What I do when I truly want an unknown is go to a site like Deviantart.com and delve into the photography section. Just absolutely make sure to be courteous and link back to the originals. Being one of them, I know deviantart people are vicious when not credited.
2.Go for opposites: If you pick Alexis Bledel, don't make her the sweet girl, make her that freak that claims she can tell your future based on connecting her freckles into constellations.

Overall Personality:

This is one of the sections that tends to trip people up the most and because of that i'm going to give you guys just some quick and dirty tips. This isn't how you have to do it, not by far, but it'll get you out of a slump and get you thinking.

Structure: Overall is more about quality than quantity. You want to delve deep into part of your character and explain why they are the way they are in a concise fashion. So, what I recommend doing is starting with three Core character points. These can be as simple as just a single adjective.

I.E.: Quick Witted, Boring, Honest, Distrustful, Manipulative, Bubbly, Secretive, Silent, Ditzy, etc.

A good way to springboard ideas is by using a zodiac sign. Most of the time when you look up a sign it'll tell you the core characteristics of a person who has that sign. That doesn't mean you should base everything off of it, not by far, just use it as a base and work up.
Now that you have the three things, try this sort of formula. Give a quick intro to the character and the trait explaining what exactly you mean by it. Anecdotes are always fantastic and give you a better fleshed out character with a pre-made history. After that, perhaps explain why she is the way she is, this will also fill in some history gaps. Next would be any additional thoughts or anecdotes. What I usually think of is what it would require for them to bend that personality trait, or the story of how they already have. Another possibility is how this trait inhibits them from a talent of theirs.

I.E. “Suzy is an honest girl even to the point of self incrimination. She was always one of those girls who stole a cookie flawlessly, but then could only sit in her room, staring guilty at it for a half hour, before slinking back up to her mother and confessing on the spot. In a way she inherited this trait from her older brother, Danny, who was years ahead of her and almost perpetually grounded. She saw the strain it had on her family as a young child and somehow ended up developing an oversized guilt complex that keeps her honest. Sometimes Suzy wishes that she could lie because it turns out that she is fantastic at it. Her excuses are near flawless except for the fact that she blurts out the truth two seconds later. She is so good at it, her brother will commonly ask her how she would lie out of a situation and then turn around and use them for himself.

Rinse and repeat. Have fun, most characters have something humorous about them. Capitalize on it, even if they're a naturally depressive character. Quirks make awesome characters even if they're small ones (the quirks, not the characters though tiny characters are funny too).

Strengths/Weaknesses:

Being shorter, this is more the place where quantity is given a thumbs up. That doesn't mean that you should skiv on the details as they strike you, though. Pretty much a good strategy is to brainstorm traits that strike you as something your character would do for ten minutes and just let it stew. Then divide them into strengths and weaknesses and then edit yourself. Something that seemed like a good idea at first may not ring as true when you re-read through it. Try for the non-typical and try not to list everything in both categories.
Another thing you should really consider is limiting your strengths and expanding on your weaknesses. You can do the typical kind of dual capacity traits, the ones that could be good or bad. You can do the weaknesses that are actually kind of stupid but noble. However, it is almost completely necessary to do a weakness that is just utterly damning in a way. Something that your character would rather never come to light. It doesn't necessarily have to come to the surface very often, but everyone has one. Just dig deep and think.

Likes/Dislikes (Color, Food, etc.)

This is your time for your character to shine and to just have fun, especially after the deep overall personality stuff. Quantity is what is being looked for, but in sentence form. Start with the obvious, the surface layer stuff. Walks on the beach, candlelight, Hair Metal, then start to progress more into the hidden, deeper likes, not necessarily profound ones either. Like they have this constant urge to listen to that Dixie Chicks song “Goodbye Earl”. Little things, be precise, dig deep and cast yourself back to your early years especially for the foods. It's a nice way to toss in a little piece of yourself, and don't just say Spinach, come on guys.


These are just the biggest chunks, but just try to extrapolate for the rest of the form. This will probably be updated as the mood strikes me, in the meantime if you have a question, feel free to contact any of the lovely admin staff or, if you feel brave, myself. That rumor about Kristin setting that guy on fire is greatly exaggerated. It was only a little match.