Writer's Challenge: Create a Character

Hopefully, the title is fairly self-explanatory; however, there are still some specifics that need to be clarified.

I am challenging each and every one of you to create an entirely original character to share with the class.

The character can be a protagonist, antagonist, or secondary/supporting character. If you know what role you want him or her to fill, be sure to explain it somewhere in the character description, please. If you don't know where your character would fit in (such as a situation where you just don't know what sort of character he or she would end up being for whatever reason), don't feel pressured into making the decision; just tell us that his or her role is undecided.

First, you should include the character's name. It doesn't need to be the first detail you decide on; in fact, you may want to wait until you have completed the character before picking a name you think fits the character.

Second, please provide a physical description. Is the character tall? Short? Somewhere in between? Is he or she blonde? Brunette? A redhead? What color are his or her eyes? Is the character human, or is he/she an elf/alien/other non-human life form? Remember, your character can be anything and have any physical characteristic you desire!

Third, you shouldn't forget their personality: kind or malevolent, shy or outgoing, cheerfully optimistic or sarcastically cynical, nonviolent or hostile, patient or anxious? Anything goes, but try not to contradict yourself too often!

This next step is optional, of course, since I realize that not every character necessarily requires special powers. However, I would suggest giving every characters you create, even the ones you currently intend to give perfectly normal lives, powers of some sort, even if you don't use them in that specific story you had planned, just in case you recycle a character for a different story. After all, you never know when you'll need a mindreader, shapeshifter, or telekinetic character.

Optionally delve into their past. What happened to your character, or someone close to him or her, that made that character the person he or she is today?

A few things to remember: your character needs to have some sort of flaw, whether a physical disability, something in their mentality that prevents them from functioning the same way as an "average Joe" in everyday society, or something else that makes them a little more "human"; try to avoid making them too perfect or all-powerful (readers and writers alike tend to find themselves disliking those types of characters very quickly, even if they're the ones who created the character).

There is no shame in making an overly normal, average, or otherwise unremarkable character, especially if he or she is meant to give another character a sense of reality in a crazy world filled with various strange powers. However, the "normal" overall image of this type of character doesn't necessarily have to be how he or she is deep down; perhaps he or she has special powers that the character never knew about prior to the beginning of his or her story. Overly normal characters don't have to be as normal as they first seem; just because the "logical and intelligent sidekick" role is practically in their job description doesn't mean you absolutely have to put them in that kind of role. Normal characters can be just about anything, so they aren't necessarily a bad thing.

By the same token, don't be afraid to make an overly odd character, especially if that character ends up dragging another character into a crazy world of magic and mystery. However, an odd character could be the main character, with his or her overly normal companion preventing him or her from going completely insane from the powers they struggle to control. On the flip side of the proverbial coin, a "normal" character can be a character dragged out of the "normal" world he or she once knew by an overly odd character.

I hope I was able to give all of you some form of inspiration somewhere within my rambling. I really hope you all have fun creating your characters!

Good luck~!