One of the most important elements in any work of fiction is characterization: making the characters seem vivid, real, alive. The purpose of a character profile is threefold, in the case of this website: to assist the writer in creating a character that is as lifelike as possible, also to make the character referenceable to those reading the stories they appear in, and to help with continuity issues in the stories you write. In interviews many famous authors have stated that they came up with the basics of a character's personality and then they found that the character just 'came alive' for them and ended up driving the story all on their own. But for the beginning writer, sometimes a more concrete approach is helpful. That is where the character profile comes in - it is a tool for organizing your thoughts about a certain character and keeping track of a particular character's idiosyncrasies and relationships. It can help flesh out a cardboard character and even make you think about facets of his or her personality that you had not considered before. Profiles are especially useful for keeping in mind motivations of the character - hurts and disappointments in the past which may not be alluded to directly in the dialogue, but which nevertheless color everything the character thinks and feels. For example, someone who was abused or abandoned as a child will most likely react differently - agressively, perhaps; in certain situations, than someone who had a happy, loving childhood. You (and your readers) can use the profile to ensure continuity in the character's actions. Obviously, a character can develop over the course of several stories. The profile allows someone who may have come across your character in the middle of one of your personal 'arcs' to familiarise themselves with them and understand a little bit about their motivations. A character profile is meant to be a guide where you can list facts and details to help you and other fanfic readers get to know your characters, especially if you get stuck on one character who doesn't quite seem real. Maybe s/he needs a new characteristic - a hidden trauma, or a deadly secret - something that will make the character come alive. Ask yourself questions, constantly: Is he well off? Poor? Did he have a good education? Did he have both parents growing up? Where does he live now? Why did he take the path he did? Who are his friends? Has he been burned by experiences in the past? How does that affect how he deals with people? Does he have phobias? Nightmares? How does he conduct himself around others? Is he cold? Sociable? Why, or why not? Is he intelligent, or more focused on hands-on work? Does he enjoy his work? Why? What are his faults? How do others perceive him? In all this, it's also important to note that when writing ReBoot fanfiction, that the character does not 'outshine' the main cast; a character having no faults or flaws stands out like a sore thumb, as does a character who always 'saves the day' or has bizarre 'abilities' (such as shooting lasers from one's eyes. Let's leave that to the comicbooks, kids). The main cast are what readers want to read about - don't fool yourself into thinking your character is the universe. They're not. Don't let your character take over the story. Let him be part of the plot, but not take it over. Original characters are incidental, and can add to it, or they can subtract from it. Being able to balance the story in this way is hard to do, but not impossible. Good original characters are just like everybody else - they have the same mundane thoughts, the same dreams, hopes, and flaws. They become interesting to read about when they fit in with the characters already in existence, and complement them, instead of stealing their thunder. A good writer can also take criticism. Sometimes that criticism is harsh - but when someone criticises your writing, they're not attacking you. They're trying to make you learn. Trying to help you become a better writer. So accept it. It's not easy. It feels like someone is taking a knife and ripping you to pieces. Well, they are. But it's not you that's being shredded, it's your work. It's nothing personal. If you want to be a good writer, it comes with the territory; if you don't learn from it, you will never improve. If you don't want real feedback, don't ask for it. But I can invariably guarantee that someone will anyway, eventually. And it'll hurt. And it'll hurt even more because you know deep down that they're right; and if you've got any maturity, you'll pick yourself up, dust yourself down, and pay attention, take the advice, and rewrite it. And you know what? It suddenly looks a whole lot better now. And it didn't hurt that much, did it?