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need the character help info, please

Started by anne of oaktower, May 07, 2008, 03:40:36 PM

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anne of oaktower

Greetings, all.  Glad we have this life raft so we're not left just drifting aimlessly.

I'm trying to find a recent post about creating a character.  Someone had posted links to a source that had worksheets to use.  I was going to print them while I'm still here on campus, since I don't have a printer at home right now.  If anyone has that info and can post, it would be greatly appreciated!
aka: Oak-hearted Annie / Anne of Oak Barrel / Barefoot Annie

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."

BagPipeBabe

Something like this??


Full name:

Hair:

Eyes:

Attitude: 

Outfitting:

Birth place:

Family:

Childhood summary: 

Occupation: 

Task you refuse to do:

Favorite Color:

Hobbies:

Social status:

Fears:

Regrets:

Bad habits:

Handwriting:

Defining Accessories:

Emotions/moods:

Bio:

Annastina

Thanks - doing a cut/paste so I can get to know the other voices in my head!
In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.

anne of oaktower

yeah, that's kind of what I was looking for.  It's a good start anyway.   The one I was remembering was was in a post within the last week or so....someone had replied and included a link that linked to other links where there was bunches of instructions and worksheets.  I think the worksheets had some sort of point-scoring system.  I knew I should have printed them right away, but just got too busy and forgot.
aka: Oak-hearted Annie / Anne of Oak Barrel / Barefoot Annie

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."

Baron Doune

I know the one that you speak of Lady Anne but I'm having trouble finding it.

This link is along the same lines, well sorta.

http://elizabethan.org/compendium/

anne of oaktower

Thank you, Baron.  That looks like an interesting link, I'll check it out. 

Wish I hadn't cleared the history on my computer the day before R/F went down :(
aka: Oak-hearted Annie / Anne of Oak Barrel / Barefoot Annie

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."

gypsylakat

*hopes someone finds it* It sounds like a great idea to use for an RP if i ever make one, my bf is determined that I shall. Mine will be character driven so it's important to have well developed characters lol.
"A kiss can be a comma, a question mark or an exclamation point.
That's basic spelling that every woman ought to know."

McGuinness

Here's one that we use on my cast. I'd be happy to help if you ned some more information on any of the questions, I've used it for four years now. There are tons of other character worksheets and profiles out there, good luck finding one that works for you.

-Eileen

---------------------

1.   Character's Name?

2.   Character's Age and Date of Birth?

3.   Character's Occupation?

4.   Parent's Names, Ages, Occupations, Dead or Alive?

5.   Dwelling – Rural or Urban, Of what construction, Address, Size, Persistent Odors, Sounds or other
sensory stimuli?

6.   Socio-economic Status – How much money does your character earn (if any)? Of what class are you a member of? Is it the same as your parents?

7.   Religious background, Instruction, and Present Beliefs?

8.   Attitude toward authority figures, Nobility, and/or those of socio-economic

9.   Attitude towards revelry, merrymaking, activities of the event in which your character participates?

10.   What do you want more than anything else? The answer to this question is the key to your character center and motivation. Your answer must begin with either "I must..." or I have to...".

11.   Does your character possess the ability to achieve this goal? Why or why not?

12.   Is your character strong willed or is s/he easily influences by others? Does your character realize this or does s/he perceive him/herself differently?

13.   Is your character basically good or evil? Does your character realize this or does s/he perceive him/herself differently?

14.   What has been the biggest moment in your character's life?

15.   Decorum – Describe in detail the physicality of your character. What do you sound like, how do you move, where is your physical center (head, heart, pelvis, other), how do you dress, how do you speak, what are characteristic gestures, physical mannerisms, quirks, tics, habits and idiosyncrasies?

16.   Describe the overall health of your character and general state of mind.

17.   What are the outstanding characteristics in personality and physical appearance? What special skills does your character possess?

18.   List at least 3 adjectives that describe your character and why. (Remember: The more diverse the choices, the more interesting the character)

19.   List one adjective for each of the senses (taste, touch, smell, sound, sight) which describes other people's impressions of your character.

20.   List what you think your character would be if it were:
a.   An animal
b.   A fruit
c.   A vegetable
d.   A color
e.   A flower
f.   A word
g.   A sign of the Zodiac
h.   A Humour
i.   A musical instrument
j.   A tool
k.   A mineral
l.   Other

Lady Donegan

AKA:
Kendra The Seamaid
Maevous O'Connell
Fox McShane Cursed Crew (Ship's Pilot)


anne of oaktower

Huzzah!  I found it!  With a bit of persistent searching, I was finally able to locate the link that was posted on the other forums.  This is the one  I was asking about:


http://www.museangel.net/character.html

(And this time I've bookmarked it in case we lose it again  8))
aka: Oak-hearted Annie / Anne of Oak Barrel / Barefoot Annie

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."

Terry Griffith

Ann and all,

There is a really great book that we have been reading that has similar worksheets but it also delves into how to use each bit of information in relation to interactive theater.  It's by Gary Izzo and called "The Art of Play - the new genre of interactive theatre" ISBN 0-435-07036-3.  We ordered it from Amazon.com.

Gary Izzo has done work as ED at several Ren Faires and for Disney.  He sets up an imaginary production set in a wild west town but the process is the same as a Ren Fest.  The unique and helpful thing about it is that it shows you how to use the aspects of your character to create an atmosphere that interacts with others to achieve the desired effect.  It's mostly for actors who want to learn interactive theater and improv in the lanes which I'm assuming is why you are asking.

Just reading the book gives you a different outlook towards interaction and playing in the lanes.
"There's a unicorn that's hangin' in what's known as father's room......"

anne of oaktower

Thanks, Terry.  I'll have to look for a copy of that.
aka: Oak-hearted Annie / Anne of Oak Barrel / Barefoot Annie

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."

LadyMorna

I was wondering whether, if one chooses a noble persona, it must be an actual historical person.  I have been researching online titles of nobles who existed about the time of Henry VIII (Scarborough Faire year is 1533, as I understand it), and I've been looking for castles of the time, all in an effort to make my character somewhat believeable. Problem is, I always find a flaw as to why a particular castle or title to be descended from wouldn't work for my character if I were questioned by someone who knew history better than I do. That takes the fun out of it for me. All I know is that I wanted to be a "lady", and the name "Morna" sounds Gaelic and is somewhat close to my mundane name.  I am of Scots-Irish descent, and my husband is of Scottish descent, so I wanted to stick sort of with that.  

Lady Morna
Mistress of Conundrum Castle, Wife of Sir Marcas McLaren, and Lady-in-Waiting to two royal housecats

McGuinness

LadyMorna...

I think a lot of that depends on the faire or atmosphere that you are in. Some faires are more historically accurate than others, some bend the rules to fit, and others are more fantasy based. Also, if you aren't in cast it doesn't matter as much except for you own piece of mind and you can get as crazy with that as you like. Sometimes you need to stretch things to make them fit or, if not, come up with plausible backstory for why the inaccuracies are there. Most common patrons don't know enough of the facts to know that something is a few years off or whatever. Example: If you choose a real title that didn't exist yet and someone calls you out on it, you could cover that by saying "Well, His Majesty didn't want to make it public just yet, so lets just keep that little secret between us, aye?"

And just have fun with it! Like I said, most people aren't gonna get too bogged down with your details and those who do and want to make an issue about it...just walk away. A lot of the old Scottish and Irish titles aren't that well known anyway and a lot of their old castles aren't around anymore, so you could likely get away with some creative character work (aka, make it up). If you aren't cast with constraints and requirements, just go with what you like.

My $0.02.

Terry Griffith

#15
Quote from: LadyMorna on May 17, 2008, 09:20:33 PM
I was wondering whether, if one chooses a noble persona, it must be an actual historical person.

Lady Morna,

If you are on cast, they will pretty much tell you who you should be so that you can fit in with the rest of the cast.  If you are a playtron you should still find out if the character that you want to be is already assigned to someone if it is historically correct.  Just like in real life, there were many people of many different walks of life and many different lineages.  You could be whoever you are most comfortable being.  The important thing is, you can be the person that is inside even if it is completely different from your mundane self.  That's why we do it afterall. That should be your first priority in choosing a persona after making sure it fits in with the period and cast.

We have 18th century pirates, barbarians, ninjas, storm troopers and all mixed in with actual personages from 1534.  The freedom to be who you want to be is something that no one who understands the experience would take away.  There are some who would criticize but they are just being who they are inside too. 

"There's a unicorn that's hangin' in what's known as father's room......"

LadyMorna

I shall, I think, go with making things up.  I'm a playtron, not cast, and historical accuracy can get boring.  There's a castle I found in Ireland called Dundrum Castle, and I think I shall make my home to be "Conundrum Castle", since I love a play on words!  This is going to be fun! Now to work on details for my lord husband!

Lady Morna

Quote from: Colleen McGuinness on May 17, 2008, 09:36:12 PM
LadyMorna...

I think a lot of that depends on the faire or atmosphere that you are in. Some faires are more historically accurate than others, some bend the rules to fit, and others are more fantasy based. Also, if you aren't in cast it doesn't matter as much except for you own piece of mind and you can get as crazy with that as you like. Sometimes you need to stretch things to make them fit or, if not, come up with plausible backstory for why the inaccuracies are there. Most common patrons don't know enough of the facts to know that something is a few years off or whatever. Example: If you choose a real title that didn't exist yet and someone calls you out on it, you could cover that by saying "Well, His Majesty didn't want to make it public just yet, so lets just keep that little secret between us, aye?"

And just have fun with it! Like I said, most people aren't gonna get too bogged down with your details and those who do and want to make an issue about it...just walk away. A lot of the old Scottish and Irish titles aren't that well known anyway and a lot of their old castles aren't around anymore, so you could likely get away with some creative character work (aka, make it up). If you aren't cast with constraints and requirements, just go with what you like.

My $0.02.
Mistress of Conundrum Castle, Wife of Sir Marcas McLaren, and Lady-in-Waiting to two royal housecats

girlmacbeth

i'm wanting to go asa bard how historically accurate is a female bard in medival England?

anne of oaktower

Quote from: girlmacbeth on May 18, 2008, 05:27:09 PM
i'm wanting to go asa bard how historically accurate is a female bard in medival England?

See the posts from Colleen McGuiness and Terry Griffith, above.  As they have pointed out, most of us aren't too hung up on the historical accuracy, and you can always stretch your story a bit to make it fit various situations.  Honestly, it's all about the fun, Hon.  Make up a story, and others here will give you feedback.  Good luck and enjoy the journey!
aka: Oak-hearted Annie / Anne of Oak Barrel / Barefoot Annie

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."

girlmacbeth

thanks so much I will this is really becoming my major obession but what a one to have

Dayna

A bard in medieval England?  Gee, the new issue of Renaissance Magazine has an article (If I recall correctly) about female troubadours.  Go for it!

Dayna
Dayna Thomas
Nixie's Mom
Bristol FoF Hench
Education Goddess...yeah, right
FoF Merchant Liason/Merchandizing Maven

DT_Masters

I eventually need a character so I can play more, if that is possible because I am there primarily to take pictures.

It's not a necessarily new thing for me, having done a LARP, being a writer, taken two semesters of acting. But the way I see it, this one needs to be a gentleman of a type, someone who has lots of money and free time so he can play with this thing known as a "camera". Sounds rather Whovian.

Further, there is what I have on hand in the closet for outfit accessories. Lots of belly dancing chain jewelry, sword, costume patterns from those days, and a llama wool parka that I used last year and before that, at parties for an outfit of a crown of grapes on my head, a goatskin canteen, and a corkscrew in my belt. The Wine Consuier of the African Continent. Perhaps you have heard of him?




Tarzan of the Grapes? (I do have a sense of humor).

At any rate, maybe a Spanish or Portequese or even Arabian plantation owner from the New World? Maybe a Greek or Alexanderian based Egyptian? Thoughts?

anne of oaktower

Quote from: DT_Masters on May 26, 2008, 01:54:51 PM
I eventually need a character so I can play more, if that is possible because I am there primarily to take pictures...

How about leaning in the direction of one who comes from a long line of wizards and sorcerers, or one who has left home to dabble in the magikal arts?  Perhaps a wealthy gentleman who had gotten bored with all the wealth and trappings, so has left home in search of adventure and was given this magic device by a gypsy/trader he happened to spend a few weeks with.  Remember that something like a camera may have been looked upon as the work of the fae/devils/witches/etc.  Some may say it will "steal their soul."  You can play on that.

aka: Oak-hearted Annie / Anne of Oak Barrel / Barefoot Annie

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."

DT_Masters

Quote from: anne of oaktower on May 26, 2008, 02:54:01 PM..........Perhaps a wealthy gentleman who had gotten bored with all the wealth and trappings, so has left home in search of adventure and was given this magic device by a gypsy/trader he happened to spend a few weeks with.  Remember that something like a camera may have been looked upon as the work of the fae/devils/witches/etc.  Some may say it will "steal their soul."  You can play on that.

I like that! It sounds definetly Whovian! Thank you!

As far as stealing the souls, yes, I've been told that! I believe it was in the last century, at TX RF, where a fairy looked up and exclaimed "He's got a shadow box!" (or words to that effect). Of course, that was before there was such an explosion of cameras at TX RF.

Interestingly enough, I have come across someone like you describe in my travels.


"If any local of this time should have a camera......."
_________________________________________________________________
("I have these dreams where I have another life, where I am an adventurer of sorts."--Headmaster John Smith (The Doctor), (wtte), Dr. Who "Human Nature")

DuCoeur

I chose an historically fictional character.  One that could have exhisted in history.

This give me alot of freedom as a platron...First I am not bound to any real time period.  The As most Faires I attend are Tudor or Elizabethan...I have found garb that could be more transitional....

For the Medieval Faire at Great Lakes???  Well It is more of a Fantassy Faire so the garb can shift to late medieval to early renaissance and none would care.

I have also chosen to not make my charater wholey English or Scottish.  DuCoeur is French, and under the rule of Francois I...which also gives me alot of room to develope my character outside the traditional roles of established courts on cast.

I pay homage to the King and quuen but not necessarily the other so called nobles of the court.  I can play with them since I am of the same status...but from a different country.

Just go....Play and have fun.
I would rather endure a thousand biblical hells then live a life of perpetual inconsequence.

stonethrow

My thought is - I'm paying to get in. Then I can be a Klingon.  If I'm working it - I play by their rules.

"You said a period costume.  You didn't say which period.  The future is a period.  So I want my $2 discount."