For the Newb

Just what in the heck IS roleplaying?

Roleplaying is when you are playing someone else's role. Sounds simple? It can be. You've just gotta know how to work it.

Do I pick an original character (OC) or a character from a story?

This all depends on your personal preferences. I'm not even going to get into how much more work one is rather than another, because in all honesty I've been down both roads and either is as much work as you put into it.

So, what's it like to RP a character from a story?

I can't stress this enough. You need to do some research on the character you're playing. If you don't get them exactly right physically and mentally, people will notice. Pay attention to mannerisms, thought processes, what they're knowledgeable about. Make sure you can at least fake their knowledge base.

If you want more freedom, make an OC. If you mix your own ideas into a character, most people will not like that. They like the character as he/she is.

So, let's wrap this section up. Benefits: less need to be creative, people already know who you are. Annoying: Can't be more creative, people already know how you're supposed to act. Double edged sword there, I know.

I want to make an original character! Where do I start?

Well, here's the way I make characters.
1. Come up with an outstanding strength. (Makes them useful.)
2. Come up with a flaw that stands out. (Makes them believable.)
3. State what drives them. (Gives them direction.)
4. Say what situation they're in. (Gives you direction.)
5. Figure out how they got there. (Having a past helps them be fleshed out and believable.)
6. Flesh them out. (Add more strengths, flaws, and personality based on the previous steps.)

Again, you should do research. If your character is blind, research what sort of things could have caused it. If your character is a ninja, research on ninjas. REAL ninjas. If you want a good old fashioned unique character, try not to take ideas from shows. Go to the source and figure out your own take on things.

Make sure your character fits with the story you want him/her to go into. When there's previously established boundaries, don't push them. Other players do not appreciate this. I've seen it a million times in the Avatar-verse. Silver fire, purple fire, shadow bending, plant bending, etc. No, this world only has WATER FIRE AIR AND EARTH.

But how can I be unique??

Don't despair just yet; you can be unique! In fact, you are more unique if you don't go through this "I need to be unique" phase in the first place. But anyhow, let me give a few pointers on how to be unique.

Try being unique in personality, family history, or flaw. There's a lot of really wonderful characters, and every single one of them isn't perfect. The EASIEST way to be unique is to try a flaw out you'd never heard about and research it. To be unique in personality is much harder and I suggest you only try this if you're experienced in roleplay. Your character's family history can make your character REALLY interesting. For instance, if your character's dad was a pirate but your character isn't, that makes for a VERY interesting character with a unique view of the world.

Benefits: Creativity! People don't already have expectations of how your character is supposed to act. Annoying: You need to be able to take charge, do the research, and you have to make the character balanced.

For the Experienced Roleplayer

I'll offer a few pointers that you may or may not have thought of.

1. Always research. OC or not.

2. If you have trouble remembering character altering events (especially really small ones), make sure to log it. If you're too lazy to log it, you could always spend a little time thinking about it before you go to sleep. Yes, you're not the only one who does that.

3. Sometimes if you feel a little stumped about a character it's REALLY helpful to ask yourself the "what/who/where/why/when". If your character does something that's usually OOC, you may be able to still explain his/her actions using this method.

4. Have you lost your mojo for roleplaying? I hear this a lot. Roleplaying isn't life. Just leave and come back when you're ready. Or you could try something new. Maybe you need to scrap your character and go for another. It happens. You don't even necessarily have to go to that extreme. Meet someone new. Add another aspect. Ask someone for a random problem and give your character something similar. When you lose your mojo, often times a problem is the solution. (HA! I made a funny. XD)

5. My favorite site to research is wikipedia.org. There also may be a wiki inspired site full of knowledge and trivia about popular shows and stories.)

6. Remember your surroundings.

Socially Restricted Characters

First of all, I only recommend these characters to very experienced RPers. They're VERY difficult to maintain and require more than reliance on dialogue to function within such a social game.

Your character won't necessarily wish to interact with the others, which makes character interaction a mess. You very may well find yourself getting left out. You as a player will have to rely on the more social characters to keep your character in the story, so make sure to set this situation up with the other players ahead of time.

Obviously then you can't use this as a crutch because YOU have trouble interacting with others. If you can't interact well with others, I recommend having a friendly character. They're much easier to maintain, just trust me.