How To Make Original Characters People Care About

Want to make Original Characters that get people's attention, cause them to feel something, and make the care? This, my biggest video yet, follows the same mentality of teaching a man to fish: I want to equip you with the ability to make original characters for an audience. I... also get very fired up.
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[@tatiannachandler4196]

For the last point you made about target audiences: *" You can make the most delicious and appealing cakes in the county, but there's still gonna be people who won't like it."*

[@hicclesilly]

Tatianna chandler I’d be one of those people because I hate cake

[@A_Debater]

I'm gonna kiss your head :)

[@drakewilson638]

Driftwood There u go

[@killarusca1495]

@@hicclesilly Same, except ice cream cakes, those stuffs are delicious

[@elpretender1357]

Also, you don't need to write with a target audience in mind, just make the story you want to make and if it's well done, you'll get the attention you deserve. One thing tho, the age rating is something you actually have to consider

[@ivancorredera4241]

I feel like someone from Illumination studios needs to see this.

[@izzythetrashposter5710]

oOf

[@Scroteydada]

Dr Eggman without glasses! Dr Eggman without glasses with blond hair!

[@LinkEX]

I doubt they'd be interested all that much. They put theme before character writing. Judging by their movies, marketability and profit is above story and characters.

[@mrjokioo]

@@LinkEX I mean, it puts bread on the table.

[@pussinboots838]

@@mrjokioo It may be bread, but its not bread well earned.

[@redxp0p]

“III: What are you trying to say?” *ad plays* “Everybody hates writing.”

[@alienrabies]

Red x p0p, Oof.

[@FerniForest]

Oh my gosh I had a very similar ad XD

[@captainmagicmoon6389]

Dude when I read this it happened to me! Like literally while I was reading this.

[@Sapphireskittles]

Grammarly can help

[@Alltheprayers]

_Got to stay boosted_ _Nutriboost ad_

[@wither475]

It also annoys me when people say "why didn't they do this instead of that". My response is that "people are human and make mistakes".

[@JGHFunRun]

YES!!! Stop using hindsight, use I’m-not-there-but-I’m-pretending-to-be-there sight.

[@vaultguy4540]

As long as that mistake they make, makes sense because of a emotional reaction that's consistent to their character, ignorance of the situation that's pointed out in the story etc etc For example a high regarded general that is incompetent for no reason other than plot Saying that they're just human and humans make mistakes isn't a good excuse there has to be a reason maybe this general is a traitor maybe this general was put in their position because of corruption and they actually have no idea what they're doing and then you could work with that but just saying they're human lol is an awful rebuttal

[@wither475]

@@vaultguy4540 True, almost everyone has that really stupid moment in their life where something should've been so obvious, but it just didn't hit them 'till later. If it's a person who's meant to be smart that makes that sort of dumb mistake, then yeah, it doesn't make sense, but if it's an average person like you or me, it may be excused to some extent. I'm not saying I'm disagreeing with your point, in fact, there's a lot I agree with, but what I'm mainly talking about is just a normal person like you or me that people criticize for making a dumb, yet very human mistake.

[@aisha5156]

@@wither475 Smart as in what?

[@wither475]

​@@aisha5156 As in characters that are meant to be smarter than the average person, maybe even einstien level smart.

[@BologneyT]

THIS VIDEO JUST CHANGED MY LIFE. UNFORTUNATELY, it ALSO showed me why every character and story I've created is garbage, BUT, AT LAST I know! I've been searching for years for my problems. You can't fix your problem when you don't know what it is, and now, I think I know. I want to support you one day soon.

[@TsulaAngenati2292]

BologneyT same here, but hey, learn, live, love

[@nicolemartinez6440]

@Tsula Agenati Amen to that.

[@crispyein8601]

Oof felt that

[@Flux_One]

They're not garbage, they're just version 1. Keep pushing concepts and it will happen

[@russiancheems2275]

Man bruh I made one awesome f*ckin character and then I just fell off and couldn’t make another good one. Just need another hairstyle I can do easily for animation.

[@nose-rice]

This is why I don't like when people say "It's not realistic for them to break out into song," or "Their reaction is way overboard!" Because not everything is set to be perfectly realistic, that is what pushes the character arc! For example: If someone had a family member or friend taken away from them and is now going to destroy or get revenge on them you could say "that is unrealistic" but in reality it is a fictional character going through tough times and going through and arc so you can have your entertainment. Like, imagine this one character going through tough times and you just watch them sit there and be sad for a long time. That would be boring :)

[@maitremaitre9283]

Also, most of the times, these characters come from worlds completely different from ours. It makes sense the social norms and their personality can completely differ from what we are used to IRL.

[@nose-rice]

@@maitremaitre9283 yeah

[@Amy-si8gq]

it doesnt have to be realistic, it should just be entertaining

[@remyhavoc4463]

Imo, it doesn't have to be realistic. Just have to be believable and accurate. And maybe relatable but relatability is kinda arguable since people have a hard time picturing theirselves in a fictional character's shoes in a fictional universe, but I personally think a character can still be relatable even if you never experienced the same things that the character experienced Like, I completely relate to Violet Evergarden even though I've never been in a war or never lost a loved one in a war

[@SupHapCak]

Who tf out here complaining musicals aren’t realistic? It’s in the word/name: FICTION.

[@areoants9453]

I like how this talk about making appealing characters temporarily evolved into "the new star wars really wasn't that bad"

[@CharacterDesignForge]

LOL you've got me pegged! Except more like "the new Star Wars was amazing" 😆 Hopefully you understand why I included that segment in a video with this title, by the way.

[@deadlywork]

The worldbuilding thing is so incredibly true. It feels to me like a LOT of erstwhile writers spend a lot of time trying to create a unique universe, but have no real grasp of how to go about actually WRITING a proper, well-constructed story with complex characters who have believable and interesting interactions with one another, which to be honest I think is a lot more important.

[@SupHapCak]

Mine is pretty much just alternate Earth, but I’m putting a lot of work into the world building, because it’s easier for me to “see” what’s happening that way. Also I’m stalling before actually writing the thing lol. I mean literal world building like I have maps and stuff planned out.

[@sillau9]

@DW inc. Facts,exactly..they have to make me believe in their made-up universe..make it believable..like Harry Potter,LOTR,etc.

[@Synnabelle]

I started falling into this trap and am reeling myself back to actually focus on the stories in fleshing out the characters through said stories

[@ravenfrancis1476]

I think it also needs to fit the overall tone of the story you're working on. If it's a serious drama? Sure, all the traumatic backstories and emotional character arcs you want. But if you're aiming for a more lighthearted comedic tone then maybe using Rule of Funny should apply first before any serious character arcs. You don't want to make a The Last of Us out of what was intended to be a Crash Bandicoot, and vice versa.

[@Gochujangst]

^^ Someone give this dude a medal ^^

[@vickypedia1308]

That's something I struggle with. I don't want my story to be too dark and have some funny moments too but I have trouble finding the balance between both

[@logopolizer7602]

One should also note that accidentally making something completely different can be appealing in a strange way. If someone tried to make The Last Of Us and ended up with Crash Bandicoot, I'd play that out of curiosity, just to see what the hell happened with it.

[@ravenfrancis1476]

@@logopolizer7602 Honestly? I would too

[@aisha5156]

@@logopolizer7602 Same. Is there actually a story like that though?

[@Donteatacowman]

As someone who really developed character writing in the fan roleplay community, it's interesting how some of that intersects with OCs. The characters that you play every day for years quickly develop their own history and personalities beyond what the original canon gave to them, so those mun-vs-muse (writer-vs-character) moments aren't unfamiliar!

[@OnkelFenrir]

Donteatacowman You're so right.

[@blockeontheleafeon]

Yeah. I get that Feeling Too. In fact, I've Grown to Love these Character that Even the Mere SIGHT of them Fills me with Joy. (Such as Blockeon. A Leafeon with a VERY Soft Cherry Blossom Tail.)

[@Nomarura]

I haven't been roleplaying for very long, but I've had that happen many times. Its always an amazing moment!

[@Nonria_17]

Yeah, it's amazing My first character was a MLP OC, I created her when I was 9 and now I'm almost 15 and my character is now a human, I can't say she's perfect but I realized how much she's been changing since the first time I drew her

[@thedarkoverlordofall]

Donteatacowman Hey, same! I’m not sure if anyone cares, but I write detailed character pages about my characters-here’s one. Check her out! animal-jam-clans.fandom.com/wiki/User:TheDarkOverlordOfAll/Ophidian

[@OrangeDragonofDusk]

As someone who spent years trying to find a "perfect" world-build and getting discouraged from critical reviewer friends (who ended up being toxic rather than constructive), this video is life-changing. Thank you for making this!!

[@TheAnxiousOwl]

I had to show my friend how they hurt my feelings for them to come around and at least word things differently. I swear I have to teach people not to be a butt... hope they turned around that shit sucks...

[@vincev4630]

Most non-artists don't know how to give real feedback. I've gone through the "take feedback" phase, I regret taking feedback. I'm much more clear in my designs by practicing to critisize my own work.

[@sageserendipity]

All this time, I was sitting here fretting about my characters and my story, trying to make it PERFECT. And then, after getting frustrated and nearly fainting from exhaustion, I go to KZbin and find this video. I just want to say thank you so much for this and the rest of your videos! You have no idea how much I need this right now!

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Sage Serendipity Super glad! Also dont be afraid to let a story simmer for a bit! You can always refine more with fresh eyes

[@jamieuniverse9318]

Yea great video! I feel like lots of times people sort of just scratch the surface, but you dug deeper, I took notes on this video, I only take notes for stuff that's important/has a bigger impact in my life.

[@sageserendipity]

Brookes Eggleston - Character Design Forge Again, thanks a lot! :D

[@janetreid4515]

Sage Serendipity I once had three nose bleeds in one day trying to figure out a new OC.

[@sageserendipity]

Janet Reid Oh my goodness, that's terrible! Well, I hope watching this video helps and encourages you! :D 👍

[@warpzone8421]

Yeah, about the Plausibles. it turns out that if a character does something the audience wouldn't do, but the reason they did it was a character flaw that's internally consistent and well-signposted... doing that groundwork _makes_ it plausible. So I say be as plausible as you can be without making your writing worse!

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Agreed! We usually have a tendency to do that in our own work, go over it until it’s waterproof. But there’s a balance to strike!

[@valeale8851]

Yup

[@SupHapCak]

Good Plausibility; Frame the guy who looks for the killer instead of running as someone who was raised to stand their ground instead of just a catalyst for the story to progress forward. Bad Plausibility: “I’m such a horrible coward john… well, I’m gonna go investigate the noise I heard in the basement.”

[@nevergonnagiveyouup1180]

@@SupHapCak Well I mean if your character is known for being a hypocrite and someone who just spews out that they are things they’re not That second thing could be plausible but it would take quite a bit of effort to make that work

[@splitorama6312]

Ignorance is bliss but knowledge is power. It's sort of harsh as an artist to have to acknowledge that my characters are not perfect and my stories are flawed or unappealing to others, but if you're here and you're feeling that way too, be happy. Pride can really get in the way of learning and developing as an artist, realising the issue is first step to fixing it, no one gets anything right the first time. This was a big help, thank you for another eyeopening video.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Awesome! Im very glad!

[@tommyrojas1571]

HAHA Mark I love your cameo I wish I had all those books.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

YES my favorite part of this video... his collection is awesome, I hope they're ok now after what they've sustained

[@HPOfficePrinter]

Thanks man! And honestly if you're looking for star wars books go a thriftstore, the ones near me always seem to have at least five!

[@tommyrojas1571]

Mark Morabito lol for sure i usually grab some from the public library but now i might start actually buying them

[@REX-gq6ur]

I have been writing my characters for almost four years and sometimes I find myself unconsciously asking myself "What would she do in this situation?" or doing their mannerisms. :0

[@david83597]

does it help you?

[@REX-gq6ur]

@@david83597 It helps me make the characters interact more naturally. It also helps to have an actual list of character traits so I don't mix things up.

[@nvcomics]

With the "anime aesthetic", if you have a more slightly realistic body structure similar to that of Avatar the last Airbender is that still okay? I thought it was okay to have a set body type but have someone be shorter or maybe be a bit more muscular or on the chubby side rather then them being a completely different shape than someone else.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Absolutely! Look at the cast of Voltron, while their proportions are fairly realistic, a lot of the have face shapes that are echoed through the rest of their designs.

[@kuremyona7017]

omgosh, you...just made me feel less crazy...I was writing fanfiction once, and had made a "throw-away OC" it was the first character I ever had speak to me. I went to write him do something, and i heard him say in my head "Why?" and my thoughts were like "What?!" and he told me "I wouldn't do that...thats not who i am." that night, his position in the story changed because i never forced him to do anything he thought he wouldn't...the first time i told someone about it, they said i was crazy, that, That was impossible. so i stopped telling people about him.

[@VincentEdelstein]

This happened to me too!

[@kuremyona7017]

@@VincentEdelstein it’s amazing that there are others who experience this

[@pastelskulls]

Whoa, I'm not the only one who has this happen? I'm guessing the people who called you crazy weren't writers

[@kuremyona7017]

@@pastelskulls this makes me so happy! I don’t think they were, not sure though. Do you do NaNoWriMo?

[@pastelskulls]

@@kuremyona7017 I've never tried because I don't handle deadlines well 😅

[@roostarstuios]

I think part of the negativity is people get emotionally invested into a story SO MUCH that they kinda develop exceptions and disappoint them selves. I think this happens a lot with Star Wars because this .. Product? Story? will never end so people who have been invested in it for so many years probably find it easy to work themselves up over little things. That's.. kinda why i feel some stories need a ending or at least end on a high note. But that's just me. example (Calvin and hobbes, Terry Pratchett (stories in one big world) ex.)

[@krinkrin5982]

Add to that the fact that people have been invested in the world they created for decades with books and animated series, then suddenly there's this big reset, with all of the previous material officially thrown into the bin, and then beloved characters like Luke acting so completely at odds with their portrayal in the decades prior. People are going to shout 'foul'.

[@cainfilmstudios6493]

This video so far has been really helpful! When I was creating one of my personal OC’s, I had this snarky, smart ass, and pretty annoying personality (which was pretty much based off of me 😅), but overtime when rewriting his backstory and motivations, I noticed overtime as I developed the character he essentially lost the super annoying personality and became a little more mature, serious, but still had this sorta joking matter.

[@pigeonpower42]

Charater development

[@Ruenig]

The plausibles point really helped me feel better about what my character did. I kept thinking "I wouldn't do that, it's obviously not the best course of action". I can get over it by remembering that's not me so they won't do what I would do anyway, and I'll always know more about situations than my characters, and also sometimes people make miscalculations or don't think things through.

[@WatchReDirect]

I think you really hit something with the creative criticisms from people that create and those who don't & how it should be handled. The problem is, it's to easy to say something isn't good, very hard to actually *do better*. That goes for both types of people, really. Creatives tend to have a "why are people consuming this and not the thing that i do" attitude for things they don't like or understand rather than legitimately wanting to make something better or use it as inspiration to make the next big thing. It's like someone getting rejected and retorting with "he/she was ugly anyway." People that aren't creative generally don't have much ground to stand on to even give legitimate critiques that aren't just "this thing doesn't appeal to my sensibilities." Which, is fine, but, not really a criticism. It's just personal taste.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

FanatixFour Yeah, totally! And a lot of it has to do with attitudes. My goal here also wasnt to make an “us and them” of creative and uncreative folks, or people that make vs consume, but just put a focus on rising above that attitude. Good point about jealousy of other creative works from folks who do make things!

[@WatchReDirect]

That totally translates, I just mean to say they're really different attitudes or, really different motives when it boils down to it. Joe Schmoe isn't going to pick at the narrative structure or a character's line of action or whatever, they're more likely to say they don't like it because it's not like other things they like. Creatives will likely say it's not as good as the thing they make. It's harder to detach from the consumer thought process. Creatives should know better for sure.

[@TheMikirog]

That's why I totally respect YMS and similar KZbinrs who use this cynical criticism to make people laugh. He only does these kind of comedic reviews on bad media or media with lazy stories and characters and turns them into laughing material. He is passionate about what he's doing and he loves going to movie festivals and independent cinemas for screenings. Most people, who spew negative opinion don't think their opinion through, so it feels shallow and underdeveloped. He has an opinion and understands the medium he's poking fun at. If he critiques the story, plot or characters he explains that in a way that "See how this template that is used a million times and obvious plotholes got in the way of enjoying the movie?". He wasn't focusing on finding flaws, he just found it during its viewings.

[@Yipper64]

i like this comment section... lots of long paragraphs... good discussion!

[@minecraftmadison462]

You should make your comment a paragraph. You should make your comment a paragraph. You should make your comment a paragraph. You should make your comment a paragraph. You should make your comment a paragraph.

[@redpanda6497]

Well, better than endless, repetative memes.

[@Natoursofcourse]

coca cola espuma

[@demonyckscreations9990]

Other comment sections have every single comment as some overused meme “No one: Me: when the imposter is sus!!”

[@aisha5156]

@@minecraftmadison462 Oh look, five sentences, that makes a paragraph according to school.

[@lve5571]

I came here curious about comics, developing a character and such... and ended up with a life lesson unlike any other... now I’m indebted to you.

[@RickyCruzMedia]

Really great video; I love seeing other people discuss what makes good characters. On the point of plot holes, I agree with your main point, about people nitpicking things to gain a sense of superiority over it (though channels like CinemaSins are still entertaining on the merit of their humor and legitimate criticisms). But one of the common issues that pops up as a result is the “this character wouldn’t do that”, or the “this character would’ve thought to do this instead”, which is where the criticism is extremely valid, and not just nitpicking. A good character should be constructed well enough that an audience won’t respond with “why didn’t this character do this thing”, with respect to how a character would act, which is one of the things you already brought up. If one of the characters is notoriously a genius who comes up with clever ideas, then a writer will want to make sure they never leave an ingenious solution that would’ve allowed them to evade a necessary plot point. Lajos Egri’s The Art of Dramatic Writing has a really good section on characters plotting out their own story: “If Oedipus had been any other type of man, tragedy would not have befallen him. Had he not been hot-tempered, he would not have killed a stranger on the road. Had he not been stubborn, he would not have forced the issue of who killed Laius.“ If there is a solution, but a character wouldn’t have reasonably worked through it, it wouldn’t be an issue, and would even illustrate something about them, but when the characters are written to be smarter than that, it might fall apart. This might just fall into the constructive criticism category you were talking about, but I think it’s a valuable point that might be mistaken for the kind of pointless plot-hole targeting you’re referring to in the video.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Yeah, CinemaSins is the prime culprit of this and honestly I'm not sure how people can find it entertaining. You're exactly right though, my point wasn't about criticism or analysis in general, but with making negativity a part of your identity, as a human tip but especially a creative person tip. Hopefully that was clear enough!

[@smegmcgee4942]

Both here and in the video you've expressed not being able to understand "how people could find something entertaining" or "how could people be so negative towards something you love so much", and I must to say it comes off as a little... odd. Almost as if the thought of someone having different taste/choices than you being hard to grasp. Other than that, enjoyable video and I'm glad to find a channel with a lot of content on character design.

[@carriekalumbula4238]

I actually didn't mind the length of this video🙃

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Oh good! I was hoping that wouldn't be too much of a barrier. Hopefully breaking things into digestible pieces helps

[@ishmellokat]

Same Carrie ☺

[@ooliekitty]

“III: What are you trying to say?” Ad: It’s meat

[@edwardvandermeer7455]

When you have an entire timeline set up and are about to start animating it and there's still enough to learn. IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY WITH THESE THINGS. First of all. This video showed me i was right about most things, and also that i have forgotten some basic things i can easily fix by just realising. Love it!

[@wondersaimlessly2114]

I'm planning on creating a comic called "poor Garden, poor Kalen" this really helped! Thank you!

[@CharacterDesignForge]

fantastic, I'm so glad!

[@ragloraglo8944]

its been 3 years where is it at

[@wondersaimlessly2114]

@@ragloraglo8944 I was 13 when I made this comment and was convinced every idea I had would become a comic really soon even tho I very much lacked the skills to do so 😂 still working on them tho :)

[@ragloraglo8944]

@@wondersaimlessly2114 i have been waiting 3 years for poor garden poor kalen and i demand a release date!!!!!!

[@crisptomato9495]

@@wondersaimlessly2114 Don’t worry about not being skilled enough to write that comic. Everybody sucks at first and will inevitably screw up their first brain child. But that’s how you improve. It’s like how the first pancake you cook always comes out wonky. Just do it!

[@spacebun5049]

So glad I found you man. This will definitely help on my writing!

[@CharacterDesignForge]

That's awesome, thank you Timmy!

[@happysmash27]

This re-iteration of "write what you know" just inspired me to change a story I was drafting in my head to be much, much better and more unique than it was before (or maybe even make a completely new story), by going on about a theme I know a lot about, the danger of proprietary software (and maybe the benefits of it too). Thank you so much! I have so many ways to twist the story to tie into the theme that I never thought about before, and now the driver of the plot isn't nearly so generic!

[@ajarofpickles2826]

Always nice to get help from a guy who knows what he is talking about. Thanks this really helps me out!

[@andano4055]

Its nice to see he helped you out of a pickle

[@therizinosaurs]

꧁Andano꧂ *ba dum tss*

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Hi this is Brookes from Chair Design Forge

[@Wewius]

This sentence should be the "Hey Vsauce, Michael here" of this channel.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

+Art of Wewius 😂 Hey chairs, chair here

[@HPOfficePrinter]

This is clickbait. A 20 minute video and you only mention chairs once!

[@SkullbombRaging]

Ah yes, hello, I'd like a chair that would be fitting for my-- I mean... a friend's dungeon.

[@monicalidiadragan8303]

Brookes Eggleston - Character Design Forge hiii

[@Phyzicalarts]

OK, so the answer to (W/w)hat's this video about? Lowercase "w" = "How to create characters people care about" Uppercase "W" = "Brooke's passion for STAR WARS!" (Just kidding, LOL! Excellent information, really helped me understand character development a little better)

[@madmanzeek9081]

Thank you so much for creating this video I am a comic book artist in training and lately I have been fretting on making my comic realistic mainly because people nowadays tend to Point out flaws a lot but what you said is true I should make something to move people not something perfect and I should Make something interesting and not boring

[@peeachykeen48]

This video explains why Pixar has such amazing stories because the characters care SO MUCH about what is going on in the plot, it makes you care too! The characters are very memorable and easy to attach yourself to because of their humanity or their likability/relatablity that each has, it just makes the movies so great!!!

[@PenguinPotential]

Very great tips, I love the clay visual of creating the world and characters simultaneously. For my own series, I've been working on the world and characters before choosing the theme. I was able to allow the characters to change to the themes I gave each of them because I forced myself to grow less attached to their original designs. This helped me form the story into something much stronger than I originally began with.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

That's awesome! I'm glad you've found something that works

[@zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz385]

I've noticed that I create characters or stories without developing the other, and everything you said on it applies to what I do.

[@watchinglearner]

I've always been absolutely horrible with thematics. It's like a language I never really understood. It took me forever, even as I had it explained to me, to understand what those were, and now I find myself struggling to apply them to storytelling in a natural, honest, and subtle way, let alone structure a story around them.

[@melonyswife]

I love your jabs at CinemaSins

[@midnightartist43]

I’ve actually had that experience of when my character acted a way that was surprising to me 0-0

[@rockylujan449]

I feel what is said is true though I must say that the story shouldn’t take on the philosophy that forces every plot development to depend on the protagonist I feel that the characters should abide to the overall story arch though I must admit I do myself playing both a character and plot dependent role.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Absolutely agree!

[@Chill1332]

You made so many amazing points in this! I do watch critics on movies occasionally but something I get so tired of hearing is them calling things 'cliche'. Like you mention nothing is totally original. I've heard people call How To Train Your Dragon a "cliche Boy and his Dog" story. As if that somehow makes it lame. As a reader and writer i can recognize tropes or character types but I have never thought of them as a bad thing. I can often recognize the inspiration of a character. I have characters of my own that I am totally unashamed to say are inspired by several other characters. They aren't copies of them, but a mixture of traits I thought in combination were entertaining. I don't think having inspiration from something made previously is "unoriginal". There are going to be characters that are similar to each other because HUMANS can be similar to each other. And you made a good point that oversight by characters is not always oversight by the writer. Sometimes characters not doing something is the only way a story can happen. And ANY story can be picked apart. I liked that one artist said any piece of art can have it's flaws pointed out. She pulled up the Mona Lisa and was like "Dude! What is with that expression? Make your emotions more clear. And that background! Is that even on Earth? And can't you come up with a more dynamic pose than that?" Anything can have flaws if that's what you are looking for. Just sit back and enjoy the story.

[@Chill1332]

I can see where you are coming from. Advice can be great. There is nothing wrong with advice. And constructive criticism is very helpful! And authors should strive for excellence and originality. If people listened to critics they might think. "I want Dad to be a nice guy who loves his kid. Oh, wait...somebody did that before. Guess he can't be nice. Well, what if he was mean. Oh, wait...I remember one time where a book had a mean father too. Um. Well, this is tough. Maybe I'll just kill him off. Oh, wait Shakespeare did that. I guess the only way to write that story is if the kid is a clone and didn't have any parents at all. Oh, wait....I guess that has been done too." *throws away notebook and pencil and never writes again.*

[@phantomparty2079]

21:07 it's true I love having a whole rainbow of colors when I do digital art. Sometimes I'll get carried away with colors 😂. But I'm getting better at only using 2-3 colors per drawing

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Nice! Just a little restraint goes a long way.

[@Veiraviss]

I honestly didn't know that other creators also fall into the "world building trap". I thought at this point I can do nothing about it. While I have a theme and a story, I was always convinced that I still need to fix something in my world, in the rules of my world, in the design and biology of different creatures, because, see, I was always surrounded by people who were just telling me that it's illogical, that evolution doesn't work that way, and it really, really was getting to me deeply. Because what for me was logic and well crafted, for someone else was "unrealistic". So I was constantly remaking and remaking my original species and characters, so they were more "original" and more "logical", but then other people were still saying it shouldn't be this way and I just UGGGGH. And I spent over five years on making sure everything is as scientifically accurate as possible, that every character has a family, complex backstory told since they were born to the end of their lives or journey, instead of telling the actual story.

[@lucetubegplusstillsux2678]

I now want to see Alfred Hitchcock's "Star Wars"

[@ShinyShilla]

2:40 omg so true, in my first priority story all the character started to do things by their own!!!

[@caldanwil]

Dude, hard core respect for having an Oswald drawing behind you while talking about character. You have a new subscriber!

[@RacingSnails64]

you're so damn informative and articulate dude. this is such interesting stuff. everything you say is so constructive it's awesome.

[@konnigonconnie6226]

This honestly explained why I’ve only stuck with 2 characters

[@GustavoSilva-ny8jc]

Saw your 2 videos on character and they're GENIUS, there no other word, they're so simple but becomes ultra special when no one talks about it. It's a breath of fresh air after suffocation. I hope most of your videos are like this, and if yes, that you are a teacher cause people really need the help of someone like you. I feel like i just watched a great lesson for free (a criminal) and i never valued a teacher so much and i saw one as friend who gives you the helping hand that saves your life. Hope you're doing fine and getting a lot of success.

[@raywhitmire2738]

Ya know, I started watching this video for tips I could use in making side characters for a DND Campaign I'm working on making. Then, as I got along with watching the video, I started thinking about a couple of the stories I've started writing and how I could apply this to them too. Thank you for such an amazing video.

[@yderga8707]

I had trouble with my stories, and kept throwing them out and starting from scratch, until I was enlightened by a long time role model of mine. *You don't have bad stories, just great ones that are implemented poorly.* Thats what inspired me to stick with a single story I was passionate about and keep molding it through different perspective until I started becoming happy with it.

[@fernissofuckingcool]

as a writer/story teller, its really nice to see how the story and characters I have have grown with me, as I change and learn my characters and story do too! that last part is the one I need to work on the most: not everyone will care, I know this but sometimes I feel like everyone should(not out of ego but like as an insecurity), but I know not everyone will and it ok because only the people who like it will be there and thats fine, I will take your advice on writing it for one friend, its such a great idea! the whole video has great tips but that was the one I feel the most, thanks!

[@superapartmentfriends349]

Psyched to see "Rock that Scoober" as a chapter heading.

[@jayg361]

THANK YOU ❤️ I've been taking notes! I want to make my OC real for a long time. I've been writing their story, and dreaming of them during times where I've been low. I hope to release an ARC of my story in ONE YEAR. I'm afraid that it will flop...I should just take a chance though right!

[@JC111414]

Jay G take that chance. I would love to know what you come up with.

[@aegletastrophe]

how's that arc goin

[@Dria_Ah]

@@aegletastrophe i also want to know, hope it went well

[@pastelskulls]

@@Dria_Ah same, I wanna know how it's going

[@Dria_Ah]

@@pastelskulls maybe they're still working on it

[@hailey-lh2kd]

Man,your channel is extremely helpful and rich in information,you deserve so many more subscribers

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Thank you Hailey! Appreciate that!

[@hiiambarney4489]

Really good and well thought out video! I'm very pleased finding things my characters and their arcs etc. stick to very well and also I'm even more pleased to find things I could improve upon, as I'm not interested in having my characters be "the best ever" in terms of story as it is right now, but slowly and gradually improving and honing my skills naturally! Thank you for this Brookes! My Story pretty much has a good thoughtful sentence that contains what I'm trying to say overall, the Characters adjust accordingly over their arcs, the "villain" has a reasonable motivation from a neutral perspective and during my script so far it will show enough to build the world around it pretty naturally, without distracting too much from the main story. Now in a newer video you talked about story creep and going to large for an indie project or "first time" project and that's certainly one thing I will keep in mind going onward. Sometimes I felt like I needed to change things for appeals sake and thankfully you made a good point about it in the end! I feel empowered to continue!

[@peachgeek3835]

This gave me some really great tips for a story and the characters I'm making along side it!

[@RickTS]

Yeah, I have multiple OCs with a lot of lore or little, where a bunch of my friends know, some of my most [like 2-4 people know] popular OCs have to be the ones that the characters are relatable too or just seem cute/unique and I love it when we can get along that way too, mostly through the lore, since a friend or two may make their own OCs which are canon to that universe, and I just love it!

[@selina3974]

Your mini rant on TLJ was such a mood. I feel you when you called trying to understand the haters an "energy sink" SO TRUE!!!

[@WiFi-qj5kr]

Ive been wanting to make a game for a while and this actually helped me quite a lot

[@kaexewires7531]

man I really needed this... thank you...

[@unknownentity6226]

Thanks...it helped a lot....even if I im still working on my story though I’ve been working on it for 5 years

[@CharacterDesignForge]

You’re welcome! Keep at it my friend!

[@LiloCreatesArt]

I have watched a few other character design videos but nothing has helped me like this. Even though the other videos were short and had a lot of visuals to help and make it easy to understand I honestly didn’t take much from it. This video was so helpful and I was so intrigued the entire time even with you just talking. The amount of information I took in and motivation is amazing. This video has me really thinking about how to make my art better and for thank you. This video is amazing

[@Oof-vq2um]

"What are you trying to say?" Ad: "there are millions of bacteria in your mouth"

[@mrburger3540]

I wanna Thank you you actually showed me without even talking to me that my Story Part 4 of my story specifically is actually expertly Constructed if were talking about How the characters interact And the main theme of the story Represents I can’t thank you enough 🙏🙏🙏 😭

[@the_spider_king]

I just found these and they are so ridiculously helpful. I've been in an art block for a while now and a writing block for like, months. I have not been able to draw anything and what's worse, I haven't been able to make any stories to go along with my characters. But this really helped comfort me that my first storyline (when I do get around to writing it) does not have to be perfect. Thank you so much!!!!!!!!

[@eggpuppet1913]

happiness as i watch this after the development of my characters realizing i somehow managed to hit every point

[@socratesmmxii]

This is was my first video I watched by this individual and I was really pleased. There's a lot of positivity and wisdom here, which is getting rarer and rarer in web culture.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

That means a TON to hear Carl, thank you! We have to fight to keep the light of positivity alive!

[@zorletos]

Holy shit, I really needed this. I've been in a creative slump for the last couple years and I haven't been able to figure out the /why/. What happened to that creative spark I used to have? It wasn't until you brought it up that I even realized that I've forgotten how to just... take it easy. It's so easy to get caught up in cynicism these days, especially with the state of the world as it is. but as a creative, that cynicism can eat you up. I've gotten so caught up with what other people will think that I've stopped just sitting back and enjoying what /I/ think. It's gonna take a while to unlearn that behavior, but you've set me on the right path, and I can't thank you enough for that.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Well that response is worth all the nasty Anti-Star Wars stuff personally attacking me I’ve had to delete. Thank you so much! Very glad that this video had a positive effect on you!

[@doodle.drawz.dreamz]

i love that you have an Oswald drawing in the back!! 💕💕

[@mlpDreamer]

This is wonderful! Thank you. I'm absorbing all this. I like this cause it's not just the same advice I've heard people copy time and again, it's personal experience.

[@robbieking4070]

I have a question about show don't tell. How does it work when applied to writing? For a movie or comic it's easier to show because your actually showing it onscreen or on page but with a book you only have text. So how would you explain a scenario or action sequence without sounding like your droning on ?

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Yeah! So even in writing it kind of comes down to suggesting and dropping hints, instead of just throwing all the information at the reader. There's a big difference between two characters just giving exposition, or the writer explaining every piece of the puzzle, and giving the reader a few pieces at a time. We love to make connections on our own, even if it's visceral. To compare it to film, it's like if the Star Wars opening crawl kept going until it said "btw ___ is Luke's father and all of this stuff happens the end". As far as an action scene goes, try to make the writing match the pace of the action. Make it move at the same speed. If the events are unexpected and jarring, make the description of what's happening just as confused and stunted. If action is as long as you're saying, we get weary, and wonder why this car crash has lasted 16 pages. :) I hope that gets the ball rolling for you!

[@lucylume]

"Her throat dried up, her chest heaving. She could feel her knuckles clenching." Writing like this shows instead of tells. You could write that she's angry but that's not emotion evoking to read. Show us she's angry in physical reactions and description. Don't tell us a character has been betrayed, let it by happen and show her reaction. This works for all emotions and situations and is much more powerful. Hope I described it well for you :)

[@pibi_333]

0:22 reminded me of how KZbin ads used to look like.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Do you feel as though I shouldn't have a patreon or shouldnt help people with their art? Im confused

[@nevergonnagiveyouup1180]

That originality section makes me feel better because I have ideas I like a lot but then I find something similar to it

[@verysoftwares]

lowercase/uppercase W speaks to me. interested in having a critique session with you, at least for some of my less fleshed-out characters

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Awesome, glad it could help! Would love to have you for a critique!

[@cynthiabrogan9215]

2:33 this also happens in dnd when you haven’t fully planned your character! I made one who went from true neutral to neutral evil just by putting Heinz mustard on a pile of 18 dead bodies! :D

[@jackpijjin4088]

Honey you can't just give us saucy details like that and then disappear without telling us the whole story

[@cynthiabrogan9215]

@@jackpijjin4088 What’s sad is that, this is pretty much the full story. I asked the dm for mustard as in the plant but they didn’t realize it was a plant, then we found 18 dead bodies which I decided needed mustard because my irl alignment is chaotic chaotic and my thoughts don’t make sense.

[@michaeloffner8515]

I remember making a comment on an earlier video talking bout lots of this stuff in less detail - this video basically explains all of it super well in ways that make it much clearer than it was in my head at the time and ties it in with a lot of stuff I didn't know. Awesome video and thanks bunches Brookes!

Took so long to find you. Can't thank you enough.

[@wolfsoul_zanesilver7710]

I love the lag KZbin has at times when switching between videos and the title stays as the previous one for a bit though the other video already started. XD And good video!

[@samanthakittle]

I came to this video expecting to learn how to design characters and ended up reassessing everything i knew about storytelling.

[@colonelcat8639]

That’s it, I’m going back to my childhood comic book star, long nose man. His only super power is a stretchy nose he used to smite evil. It only activates when he eats spicy food causing his nose to run and become malleable.

[@ryuk4471]

I had a Nescafé Coffee add, so I paused the video and made a coffee and now the video is even more enjoyable First time an add makes sense Very helpful video, by the way! I'm loving all of your content!!

[@m.e.7219]

I must say your video was awesome from beginning to end, very helpfulI and relevant, and on top of that you knew how to maintain our attention! I draw almost exclusively characters, learning by myself, so I am happy I've found your channel, your video answered questions I usually can ask only to myself ! Thank you so much (I'm french, sorry for my bad english)

[@phoenixthegrandanomaly236]

All of my ideas come from dreams, is that good? They are always super fleshed out and even if it’s just a feeling. From there I sort of subconsciously create a character and world to go along with that sort of dream preview. Does this work? Should I use more original works that the brain soup that I see when I’m sleeping?

[@SHADOWDOESROBLOX678]

Nobody responded to this so I'll say it. There are TONS of professionals who use dreams as a means of creating their characters. In your dreams, your creativity goes unfettered so if you can grab something feasible in a sea of vagueness then I say use it

[@PrincessCuteheart]

I just wanted to say that I really appreciate your videos. Your presentations are honest, insightful, and articulate. This month is very tight for me but starting next month I'd love to become a patron! Thank you.

[@snappy6324]

＊ “Now go do it, do the make stuff thing, I believe in you” over the tune of fiddle music, is the most motivating thing I’ve ever heard ever so thank you, friend! I’m gonna stop procrastinating and go do some concept art.

[@Xizee_]

This was INCREDIBLY helpful! Thank you!!

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Absolutely, Lily! You're very welcome!

[@squidiki]

I don't get a superiority complex from finding plot holes and things, I get actively angry. I feel cheated for being told a story that could've been done simpler, as if my time was wasted.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Alrighty! I hope you can ultimately make your interaction with works of fiction a worthwhile and satisfying one. 🙂

[@matthewvice721]

I think it depends on the severity of the plot hole myself. Some things I can let slide - these are usually the things you only notice after you've watched/played/read something so many times that you finally notice it. The ones I can't let slide are the ones that are so glaringly obvious they smack you in the teeth on the first go-round. That has nothing to do with feeling superior - even fictional stories need some degree of consistency to help you suspend your disbelief.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

UPDATE: Along with work on my OWN animated series, it's a dream come true to share that Biko, the main character, is available to give you healing as a plush, only until 11/6/22! Grab it to directly support the development of Stormfellers! www.makeship.com/products/biko-plush

[@sirpotato1927]

I actually feel really called out by this advice.. so thanks, ive let myself be pretty awful about a bunch of different entertainment media because of my own lack of creating anything that i felt like was better than their work. I appreciate the lessons you share and Im genuinely learning things that most other people dont communicate properly. Your awesome, and thanks again ^^

[@chamelioness]

A special like for that uppercase W "What" intro moment. 😄 Long time lurker, first time commenter. Love your work, Brookes! Your videos keep getting better and better!

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Oh awesome, appreciate it! :D

[@a.j.morrow5533]

This is really cool man. Thanks for the advice.

[@table2.0]

Characters coming alive in my head.. being a system and having headmates is an interesting experience

[@shibajoy5989]

Thank you so much! I like how you actually give intel based off of not only original characters made on the web, but real characters from movies and books! This is very helpful! :)

[@mohammadsarker648]

THANK YOU SO MUCH! I wanted to start making characters, I’m 11 right now so I’m really thankful for this video!

[@piss.p599]

This is the video you’re looking for

[@KrypticWarrior2]

i went on a binge of your channel and gained a ton of insight. thank you so much

[@precisecalibre6986]

Just so long as people don't mistake 'discarding plausibility' with 'ignoring internal consistency'.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Absolutely! A good writer shores those things up.