Eyes narrowing with a sharp, intense stare.
Clenched jaw and pursed lips.
Crossing arms defensively.
Making snide or sarcastic remarks.
Glancing repeatedly at the object of jealousy.
Trying to outdo or one-up the rival.
Faking a smile that doesn’t reach the eyes.
Speaking in a tense, clipped tone.
Avoiding eye contact with the person they’re jealous of.
Drumming fingers impatiently on a surface.
Feeling a burning sensation in the chest.
Sighing loudly or rolling their eyes.
Gritting teeth and taking deep, forced breaths.
Biting their lower lip hard.
Tapping foot incessantly.
Passive-aggressively commenting on the situation.
Mimicking or mocking the rival’s behavior.
Frequently changing the subject away from the rival.
Feeling a knot tighten in their stomach.
Casting resentful, sidelong glances.
"it's all in the eyes i was once told"
catching the stare of someone across a crowded room
subtle furrowing of eyebrows beyond a blank facade
coldness easing into warmth
a fond mothering gaze
corner of the lip nudged upward
forced glower/glare as they break underneath
batting their lashes, playful
a boisterous laugh
intrigue piercing the stoic
proud smugness at the other's success
lingering glances
a childish joy bursting through
pupils dilate
eyelids shut in a look of peace, calm and trust
"there was once a time when they were mine"
terseness
features fold into a scowl
an urgent flinching back
coldness returns (as though the warmth had never come)
lips part then purse
invasion of shock
slow stare at the floor
the ripple effect of a swallow
frustrated breath/sigh
bitter laugh in reminiscence
dread tearing through the seams of their composure
"darkness"
mean smirk- teeth bared grimace- scowl
dismissive gaze
gaze of contempt/impatience
threat lowering the voice
sardonic goading grins verging on manic
rolling one's eyes
flicker of irritation in the eyes
stares stubbornly ahead despite distraction
gritted teeth, clenched jaw
fierce biting remarks
even measured complexions betraying no thought
strangling oneself back from violence
utter apathy
murderous silence hanging in the stare
snobbish laughter
smiling at another's downfall
Bringing them a blanket when they’re curled up on the couch.
Whispering, "It’s okay, I’m here," when they wake up from a bad dream.
Stroking their hair gently when they’re lying on your lap.
Running a warm bath for them after a tough day.
Holding them close and saying, "I’ve got you," when they’re upset.
Preparing their favorite comfort food when they’re feeling low.
Turning off their alarm and letting them sleep in when they’re exhausted.
Reading their favorite book to them before bed.
Playing their favorite soothing music to help them relax.
Just sitting in silence with them, letting them know your presence is their safe space.
Making a Character Whine in Monologue
I’m a big believer in letting characters bleed quietly. You know, the kind of emotional tension that simmers just under the surface—not the dramatic “I am torn!” speeches. Here’s how I like to sneak internal conflict into my writing without making my characters feel like they belong in a bad soap opera... Have Fun! (。♥‿♥。)
Saying the opposite of what they feel. Like insisting they’re fine while gripping a coffee mug like it personally insulted their ancestors.
Pausing before responding to something simple. Because sometimes the silence says “I’m thinking too hard about this” louder than a whole paragraph ever could.
Changing the subject when things get too close to their emotional soft spot. Classic evasion. Bonus points if they pretend it's for someone else’s sake.
Making choices that contradict their stated goals. "I swear I’m over them"—cut to them rerouting an entire road trip to pass by their ex’s hometown.
Being too nice. Yep. People-pleasing? Avoidance in a trench coat.
Fixating on a tiny, irrelevant detail while avoiding the bigger thing. They can’t deal with their grief, but they can definitely spend 12 minutes lining up pens perfectly.
Snapping at someone they trust—then immediately regretting it. Because pain has to leak out somewhere, and it’s usually not in a convenient monologue.
Doing something “just in case,” but obviously hoping for the opposite. Packing a goodbye gift they never plan to give. Writing a message they never send.
Rewriting memories in their head. “It wasn’t that bad. They didn’t mean it. I probably deserved it.” A spiral in slow motion.
Being hyper-aware of how others are reacting to them. Internal conflict often turns into external paranoia: “Did she flinch? Was I too cold? Did he see that?”
So you want to make an OC?: A Masterpost of Ways to Create, Develop, and Make Good OCs!
i made this masterpost in hopes that it helps you in making your own OCs ah;; it can also apply to developing RP characters i suppose! if you’d like to add more resources then go for it sugar pea (´ヮ`)!
EDIT (10/16/18): edited my disclaimer (below) before diving into the huge chunk of information here! also included new resources and links to writing disabled and nonbinary characters. happy researching! <3
1. i made this post when i was like 14? 15? so as such: the information researched here is very, very old. a lot of it, imo, is no longer relevant! especially with language use (ESPECIALLY if you’re reblogging the old version of the post that had links to an article about gender/sexuality. i’ve removed that. i’ve removed also the mary sue/gary stue chunk because my values have changed since) the point is, the resources here will not always fit in with what we need as time goes on.
2. these resources are not law!! i made this post because i was and still am very passionate about ocs. this resource was intended to be a sounding board for when u have ideas you want to further delve into and you’re not entirely sure where to begin. it’s not the only resource out there, and sometimes, the best sounding board will be you!!! follow ur heart. ocs are fun. this post was never, ever meant to tell you how to write your own characters but help broaden ur knowledge if u found urself limited in an area (this was first made with a white, abled, cishet audience in mind!)
3. i’ve gotten some great notes and commentary on this post and things i want to explore more since making this post roughly 5 years ago. things are very, very different. i have better resources for a LOT of these, and have more i want to tack on! but i simply can’t find the time for it, so until I do: i’ve removed a lot of links here that i found harmful and irrelevant to today, but i haven’t combed through all of them and can’t lead you to what i think is best. research yourselves! you’ll learn lots.
4. and in closing, thanks for reading! this a/n got off on a tangent so that’s that, LMAO. go forth and develop your ocs!!! and tell me about them!!! or tell me if you have fresh sources or a better perspective or just wanna call me out. this post is 100% open to criticism because it’s imperative to keep growing and learn as much as possible and be as whole and mindful as possible. this world is full of diverse, incredible creators who have contributed so much to telling their stories. let their knowledge guide you, not a silly post made 5-6 years ago. <3
How to Write Better OCs:
basic tips on how to make your oc even better
tragic backstory? learn how to write one/make yours great
writing specific characters
a wordier, great guide on how to develop your character
kick out those vague descriptions and make them AWESOME
Character Development:
how to actually make an OC
Q&A (to develop characters)
more Q&As
giving your character a backstory
how to write an attractive character
Diversity
adding more racial diversity
masterpost on writing more diversity into your story
cultures of the worldguides to drawing different ethnicities (not just a great art reference, but also really helpful in appearance descriptions!)
disability resources: fuckyeahcharacterdevelopment: writing disabled characters, disability-writing-advice, actuallyblind, cripplecharacters
nonbinarycharacter blog! (huge thanks to @writersshock for this and the following resources to writing nb characters!)
6 tips for writing genderqueer & nb characters
writing nonbinary characters: a primer
Villains
villain generator
need an evil sounding name for your evil character? bam
villain archetypes
what’s your villain’s motive for being a villain?
Relationships
character perceptions (What your character thinks of themselves and what others think of them)
how to write strong relationships between two characters
8 ways to write better characters and develop their relationships with others
OCxLove Interest Handbook
develop your couple with good ol’ Q&A!
how to write realistic relationships
how to write relatives for your characters (this is more OC related to a canon character, but will help in writing family members in general)
ARCHETYPES
12 common archetypes
8 archetypes for male/female characters
female archetypes (goes pretty indepth from two main categories)
a list of archetypes
NAMES
how to name your character
random name generator
most common surnames
surnames by ethnicity
APPEARANCE
tips for better design
basic appearance generator
pinterest board for character design (includes NSFW and images of skeletons/exposed muscle (?) so tread carefully!)
clothing ref masterpost
DETAILS
give your character better powers
a list of professions
proactive vs reactive characters
positive and negative traits
interest generator
skills generator
motivation generator
123 ideas for character flaws
list of phobias
again, this is to help inspire you or help establish your OCs! i hope you get a lot of info and help from this ahh ( ´ ▽ ` )ノ
sluttiest thing a man can do is say your name mid conversation
prompt list by @novelbear
pulling away and their faces are all flushed and they hear nothing but the sound of eachother trying to catch their own breaths
grabbing them by their waist and tugging them closer to deepen the kiss
^ maybe it catches the other off guard and they let out a little noise of surprise (much to the amusement of their partner)
cupping their cheeks and giving them a peck on the nose or lips
smiling into the kiss (it's gonna do it for me every time)
or if they smirk a little whilst doing it oh my god
they're lying on the bed, one on top of the other just planting kisses alllllll over their face. all over.
just going at it and suddenly they're being picked up and placed on the counter (or whatever surface is near)
laughing out loud when one of them makes any noises accidentally
one is shorter and they just plant a soft kiss (or kisses) along the taller's jawline
gentle. forehead. kisses.
a first kiss: one just goes for it so fast that the other doesn't realize what's happening at first. then they're like "oh shit"
^ but they slowly melt into it, let their eyes close, and kiss back
back hugging and the one in front just turns around to press their lips against the other's
those kisses that start off short and sweet, but things just naturally escalate
whispering words of admiration and love between a kiss
one is on the other's lap, holding their face between their hands, kissing them and instantly forgetting everything else in the room with them
those kisses that are just passionate from the start, they wrap their arms around their partner's neck or waist, being dipped back slightly.
after a heated session, they admire their flushed partner and softly place a peck on the cheek.
when they're holding hands and one just brings them up to their lips and places a kiss on their fingers.
Having a really long-term hyperfixation that has since faded is terrifying yes but it's also so embarrassing. Hi I used to think about Scrimblo Splungus 25/7. Yeah, for 2 years straight. Nah, I don't think about them anymore except for with a vague sense of melancholy as I recall how they used to make me feel. Anyways this new one, Blimpkins McGee? I'm gonna think about them forever and the cycle will NOT repeat in 2 years. Trust me guys.