Share some ideas!!

[alysen]

I thought it would be interesting to have a board where we can post our different ideas and techniques for things like: developing characters as they change, getting in character, expression, accents, costuming, fleshing out characters and any number of other things!

It occurred to me that many of us have RP tricks that we use ourselves to accomplish lots of these sorts of things, but we don't share those ideas much.

If we all share our techniques and ideas, then we'll have a great database of exercises and tips for us all to use.
Sounds like fun?? Post away!!

[Julie]

Getting into character is sometimes well-nigh impossible without music. All of my characters have 'theme songs' that I can listen to (or play in my head if I can't get to a cd player) that immediately help me call up the emotions needed to get into that character's mindset. As a character evolves and changes, the songs change too. Sooner or later, all of my most solid characters have entire soundtracks.

[ben]

The Definitive Prop

my characters tend to have one prop or costume piece that is theirs and theirs alone. once that goes on, then it's game on. these props can change through the life of the character, and sometimes at some games i don't even have them, but i actually use that to show the unease or disorientation the character's feeling that session.

it doesn't have to be noticeable, or even a static thing. The Scourge in my game has hoods or sunglasses as his prop. doesn't matter which or how much or that it's a specific one, it's gotta be there (or conspicuously not there) or there's no character.

also, if i find myself not really into it, i try forcing my way by getting into my character's stance and/or walk and moving around a bit. it hasn't failed yet.

[Julie]

Another thing I can do sometimes to push a character a little further forward in my mind is to start using her 'voice'. I can't hold an accent to save my life, but each character speaks a little differently than I do, so just running my mouth and talking to myself out loud in their voice can help me get a grip on them right before a game.

Thea has volume control issues, for example, and has a tendency to liberally sprinkle her speech with profanity when she starts to get upset. Collette's voice, by way of contrast, is soft, and a little higher pitched than my regular speaking voice. When she's worked up about something, there's a faint trace of her Louisiana accent that bleeds through just a tiny bit.

Little things like that are sometimes enough to solidify a character concept, or help me get into an existing character.

[ben]

either way, we've both picked out things that, in our heads, define enough of a character to force us to slide in the rest of the way.