# Just a little help to get me started



## Houshou (Jul 18, 2008)

I myself have written many fan-fics, and I'm looking to write another. I was working on one several months ago and posted a few chapters up. But it got...boring. Though recently, I had the bug reach out and bite me, quite hard this time. To the point where I didn't just start writing every thing in my head down. I took down the main ideas and listed them as a brainstorming idea. I have the major plots all listed out in a bullet style format, some a bit more in depth as they are...more important to the whole story.

I don't want to go into to much detail about this fan-fic, as most of the people who have read some of my stories, know that I can be quite creative. Please, don't expect some sort of master piece to just waltz in here one day under my name, I've had High School Creative Writing Classes, and that's about it. Word placement, and some punctuation still eludes me. So I expect grammatical errors in my rough drafts. Hopefully I will be able to find a select few people willing to privately proof read it as I draw near the end. 

I know, I know. I'm promoting the end result with only the basics done. Please, relax and calm down. I need a little help with the characters. This is going to be my second Furry based fan-fic, and I'm having a bit of a problem designing the characters species. I'm fairly new in the fandom, been active in it since Feb this year. I tell you this so you can better understand what I mean as to, character species.

Now, I realize that some of you may say that the species of the character is all on me. They are what I say they are. But to me, that doesn't mean jack squat. To me, everything has to have a purpose. This character is this kind of person, and has a very snob-like attitude, so he is more like a (insert anthro-animal/beast that matches the character description). Do you understand?

Here's a good example character:

Chief Body Guard: This guy has been hired by the main character to be his personal body guard. He is strong, sharp, takes his job seriously, almost never jokes around, and loyal till the end. He is...a Doberman Pincher Anthro, named: Lobot. He stands five feet and ten inches tall. He is a rare fawn breed, with seemingly only one tone to his naturally short fur, copper. It's apparent that as a pup he was mistreated, from his short and stubby docked tail to the unnaturally pointed ear crop job that apparently had gone wrong on his right side. Instead of standing straight up, like the other one, it's pointing out horizontal and bears obvious marks of poor treatment. On his lower back and to the left he bears multiple scars, and will let you know that his parents weren't the best people in the world. Before he left their house his father had whipped him in a drunken stupor. But despite all that, the family that took him in brought him up right and proud. He will see his job through, to the end.

Do you see how not only his personality, but nearly every thing about him has a purpose to his Anthro-animal? That's what I need help with, for the other characters in this story. Any sort of Anthro animal or beast, mythical or not, is welcomed as a suggestion. But its gotta fit just right, I'm kind of OCD about this. The Body Guard was easy for me. See Lobot, was my first dog. He was everything I described in the above paragraph. God knows I miss him...and I hate the fucker that mistreated him before my parents found him. So he's somewhat personally tied to me.

But the others are a bit more....laxed on their character descriptions and they are the ones I need help with. Remember, any suggestion is welcome, but the ones I use will "feel" right to me.

The Father; is a selfish brute who thinks mainly of himself first. He is very intelligent and is running for a political office. He has many supporters, and is most likely to win. But he'll secure his position using any means necessary. Even if he had to kill someone to do it. He is also the main character of the story.

The Mother; is your typical loving and caring mother. She supports her husband, but keeps him distant. Often she will intervene between her husband and some sort of ill-begotten confrontation between him and her son. Very protective of her son, has high hopes and dreams for him.

The Son; is fearful of his father. Knows that his father will do anything necessary to get what he wants. But he is always watchful, ever learning. He skirts around danger, even plays with fire just to see how long he can go without getting burned.

The Opponent; is almost the complete opposite of the main character. He is very pro-life and has a very active lifestyle. He cares about his family and shows a greater love for them, than the campaign. His wife has an accident and he cancels interviews and speeches until the doctors assure him that she will be alright. His sense of justice and family thrives amongst his supporters for political office and has the best chances of competing against 
the main character.

The Assassin; (Come now, wasn't there enough hints this was going to be a role?) Very calculating, patient, and cautious. Never takes on a job he feels will endanger his own life. Very professional, considered among the best in the world. Evil itself skirts this guys eyesight so to ensure that they don't lose any of their ranks. Death follows in his wake collecting the souls of the damned victims who happen to cross his path. Some say he enjoys killing, but when you meet Grim Reaper he will tell you that its the thrill of the hunt.


Any help that anyone can give would be greatly appreciated. As I stated before, this is merely in the Brainstorming stages, and may be some time before you will hear from me again. I'm also at a loss for names right now too. But they're usually a bit easier to get, I believe.


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## Le_DÃ©mon_Sans_Visage (Jul 19, 2008)

With all the jostling for rank and group interaction, it sounds like the idea would work best with intensely social animals. 

With the father/mother/son dynamic, my first thought was bears. Everyone knows mother bears are incredibly overprotective of their cubs, whereas fathers not only take no part in raising them, they'll kill them if they get the chance. This infanticide angle would work for the father being brutal and selfish, and mother having to intercede for her son, who himself is keeping an eye out for dad. Lions might work for this, too, although female lions are more social - depends on whether or not mom has a support structure.  

For the opponent, I know wolves are overused but they're also intensely social animals that are very interested in who's where in the pack hierarchy, but they have a sort of outgoing playfulness that would be an interesting change of pace from the usual big bad lone wolf.

For the assassin, that sounds like more of a lone predator type, although you could also make it surprise like a rabbit (you'd have to really work to justify a bunny hit man, though). Cats are quintessential loners, of course. Jackals and the Anubis connection might work interestingly here, too. I'd even enjoy seeing a reptile, for instance a komodo dragon. They are ambush hunters who will follow prey for days after they injure it, waiting for it to die, so it would work for being patient and interested in death. My assassin character is a lemur, but that's probably a little too wacky  


Just some thoughts.


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## Houshou (Jul 19, 2008)

I too thought about the Lion aspect for the Main characters family. But the Bear suggestion, might be a bit better. As he could utilize his Bear-Anthro in campaigning ads, the friendly 'Teddy Bear'. For those who can't see past the news media coverage of his life, and have an overall sensitive theme to a very brutish personality.

(`n.n) Bears will do.

The opponent...ya, wolves are a bit over used, but you did have a point when you said it would be different having a wolf character not being the 'Big Bad Wolf'. I think most of those stories are influenced by Mother Goose. I will think about it, but this is one character that is still open for suggestions.

The Assassin, reptilian is pretty much exactly what I was thinking. But I think I'm gonna wait till we get some really deadly, and vicious reptiles listed. This role is going to be the fun one to create.


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## Le_DÃ©mon_Sans_Visage (Jul 19, 2008)

LOL glad to be of help. But komodo dragons aren't vicious enough for you? Yikes. Actually, in my personal biased opinion, I like any of the monitor lizards, because I used to have a lovely one as a pet. Maybe something a little sleeker, like this guy (an argus monitor) http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2395/1795828118_e8e03a75cf.jpg?v=0 or this one (peacock monitor, aka spiny-tailed monitor) http://www.aqua.org/images/animals_details/SpinyTailedMonitor.jpg


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## Houshou (Jul 25, 2008)

*Does a little digging on the Argus Lizard.*

See, I never knew these little guys existed. I knew it would be a great idea to ask here for some ideas to gaining some characters.

Any one else have any suggestions?


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