Problems with originality

[Androxine Vortex]

Whenever I create a character, I always tend to make them appear as an already axisting one from another book or movie. When creating the character, I first think of their traits and atributes. What makes them, them. How they fight, talk, act, react, ect. But I always, ALWAYS, compare that character to the next closet already existing character from something else, if that makes sense.

So my "template" of what my character looks like is always based off of someone else. What are some tips to make my characters appearances original?

 

[Aegrus]

Every new character will always have similarities to existing characters. I usually hate to hear this kind of feedback (that nothing's really original, and you have to be okay with that), but I think that it's applicable in this case. What anyone writes will always resemble an earlier work. What's important is that you add enough of your own unique flair to make your characters memorable.

What I do is go step by step from the time of a characters birth, and give them an origin which is different from existing characters. A different past equals a different present. If your character's childhood is different from that of an existing character, the rest of their life will be as well.

 

[Butterfly]

Think about their body language, personal traits, mannerisms, scars, personal sayings, birthmarks, behaviour (broody, not broody, cheery, sarcastic, scornfulness, etc) how they view the world and the people around them, how they walk, limping, head held high, hunched up. Just a few things; the list can probably expanded.

Ask yourself these question, let your characters answer.

 

[mythique890]

I try to make my characters a little more memorable by giving them the quirks of people I know in real life. After all, you've probably met a few thousand people over the course of your life and while some of them were similar, none were exactly the same, right? There may only be a few basic personality archetypes, but the list of quirks and why they evolved is endless.

 

[Sparkie]

I try to make my characters a little more memorable by giving them the quirks of people I know in real life. After all, you've probably met a few thousand people over the course of your life and while some of them were similar, none were exactly the same, right? There may only be a few basic personality archetypes, but the list of quirks and why they evolved is endless.

I find getting to know others, listening to and conversing with them, is one of the best ways to create characters that seem 'original.'

But I wouldn't sweat the issue too much. As long as I find the character I'm reading about to be interesting, I don't really care how original he or she really is.

 

[Androxine Vortex]

Well my problem with originality is more of appearance then actual qualities as a character. LEts say for example I have a character who is like Legolas from LOTR. Since he is most like him, I always view him as looking like Legolas and it's hard to change his appearance. In my mind I try to give him new clothings, maybe different face, etc. but i seem to always revert back to the original.

I kind of do believe that there is no such thing as true originality, every idea or concept, no matter how seemingly original, is inspired from something already created. I'm not saying that everything is the same, but that every idea can be traced to a source of inspiration. I just want to make my creations (my characters) not appear to be too alike with the already-existing characters I draw my outlines from.

 

[Amanita]

For me, character charts and the like don't really work. (Some of the questions on there I couldn't even answer for myself.) I'm usually starting with a name and give the character an appearance that suits it. If given a name, I almost always have a picture of the person's looks in my mind. Than, I'm moving on from there.
Other characters simply turn up in the middle of the story, for them, I don't have this problem either.
Sometimes, I'm looking for actors who look like my characters on purpose to be able to describe them in more detail, but it usually doesn't happen the other way round.
For you, starting out with the character's position in your own world might be best. If you do that, you won't feel reminded of Legolas or any other existing character right away. (Or so I hope.) Than move on from there, adding other character traits.

Maybe you need to work on getting "into" your own world better, at least I've known this problem. At the very beginning, my characters were much like some from Harry Potter, the book I had spent most of my time with before. The better my world got worked out, the more different my characters became, and now they haven't got anything to do with Harry Potter anymore and neither does the setting.

 

[Philip Overby]

Here's an idea I use sometimes. You mentioned that you made a character who is like Legolas. So the character isn't so much like Legolas, but maybe he looks like Legolas. Long blonde hair, thin, angular features, can skate down a mammoth's tusk (I'm assuming that is only in the movie though). He has a bow or a long, thin sword. Wears green.

So here's what I may do to fix this, appearance-wise.

For an elf character.

He has short, dark hair now, instead of long, blond hair. He's a bit a beefy. He wears blue instead of green. He uses throwing axes or daggers or boomerangs instead of a bow. He's quick, but not too quick. His features are not angular. His eyes are not blue.

Now he doesn't look like Legolas. He still acts like an elf, but doesn't look like what Tolkien's prototype looks like.

I agree with Amanita. Get to know your world more. If you're making a world that seems to replicate Tolkien, then you're doing what hundreds of other authors have already done. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. But people may say, "This guy looks and acts just like Legolas." Then you may have a problem.

Think outside the box, as they say. Not every elf has to be lithe and quick. Not every dwarf has to have beards, drink a lot, and be grumpy. It worked for Tolkien. May not work for others so much unless you make the character shine in a different way. Your own way.

 

[hppavmx704]

Also, take a look around at us humans. We may all look kinda alike, but there are small differences between all of us. Some of us have sharp pointed facial features while others may have rounded facial features. Some have dark skin, others light skin, and others yet are inbetween. There are certain things that make us all the same too. For example, we all walk on two legs, breathe air, have two eyes, etc. A small tweek in the appearance of an elf could be the difference between "your elf" and Legolas. If he still seems to much like Legolas than change his personality. Instead of having him/her as a friendly seemingly invincible elf, have him/her as a stand offish, overbearing elf that barely gets through any of his battles.

Just my thoughts on the situation at hand.

 

[Androxine Vortex]

Thanks for the responses. And Legolas was just an example, i don't have any elves in my fantasy story lol
But I also realized that even if I was doing the whole elf-like thing, all I would have to do would use very good adjectives and descriptions of the character and the reader will probably make the character look a little different from their own view. The way they imagine things will not always be how I portray them

 

[Voldermort]

I would base them on someone you know, if it's possible. Basically the same as you're doing, but nobody will recognise that person because only you know them.

 

[Spring-Gem]

Every reader will imagine your characters differently than you do unless your descriptions are very detailed which is also quite boring. Describe your characters' appearances in general terms. If you describe a typical elf as tall, blonde haired, and blue eyed, you might imagine Legolas, but I might imagine Haldir. I think the only time physical descriptions matter is something that affects the story, for example a scar and how that affects and shapes the character within the story.