I just have a general question;

How do you feel about original characters?
Do you think they're neccessary? Annoying? Are they over-used?

I both love and hate original characters and happen to use them a lot in my stories but at the same time I've read stories where original characters were just randomly there. Do you use them? I know how my readers feel about the OC's but I want to get other point of views as well.

I, personally, don't mind OC's. They can add a whole new dimension to the story, as long as they are a character that works in the world you're writing. To throw a character in, just to write something is a touch annoying. The only place I don't like OC's is if they are they focus of the story. I don't see that too much here. It's more like if you see a Sesshoumaru x OC. Just not my thing.

I don't mind OCs at all, so long as they don't fall into the realm of 'Mary Sue/Gary Stu', which can be an entirely different conversation on its own.

I've read stories where a 'main character' was paired with an OC and quite enjoyed it (in one of those cases it was Sess x Kag, Inu x OC), but then I've also read stories where I didn't like it because they only seemed to be there to accomplish the writer's desire to be part of the story themselves. I don't mind people doing that, but it's not my cup of tea.

Really what it comes down to for me is how well they are written in to the story.

Do they fit the story line? (ie. a human with blue hair in Feudal Japan isn't going to fly with me, but if she were a water nymph, I'd be far more open-minded.)

Does the character match the story line? (By this I mean if it is supposed to be a village woman of Feudal Japan, it doesn't make sense for her to act/dress/speak in a way that those woman would not. At least, not without consequences.)

Do they become romantically involved with a main character? (I mentioned already that this can work, but it can also go bad. Ie. Sesshoumaru isn't secretive about his dislike for humans. If this is meant to take place in Feudal Japan, I like to see some development if he grows to care for a human woman [any woman, to be honest] to find it believable. A lot of the time, however, it seems to be love at first sight, something I don't believe he is capable of with anyone, much less a human.)

OCs just seem to open up a big can of worms where the author often takes more liberties than many feel comfortable with in order to satisfy their own needs with existing characters. Again, this is not always the case - I've read many wonderful stories starring OCs and an existing character and absolutely loved it.

Really, for me it is all about how it is written.

Agrees with see03!!

No self-insertion... nothing turns me off faster!

I have read hundreds of AMAZING stories, though, that had original characters intrinsic to the story lines. A well-fleshed out, important character that the plot sometimes turns on is a truly wondrous thing! I adore the stories I've read with such OCs and can't help but marvel at the creativity and imagination of the writers who introduce us to such characters. I find it especially amazing when the writer manages to integrate the OC into the InuYasha universe seamlessly, to the point that the reader forgets that the character wasn't part of the original.

Keep going with the OCs - you manage to make them interesting and capture the reader's imagination with them!

~~Wiccan~~

I pretty much agree with what everyone has already said, especially with see03. For the most part, I'm fine with OCs.

Though I've noticed a certain curiosity in my own writing; I tend to use OCs more often in canon fics than in AU fics.
It sounds a bit backwards maybe, but if you have a canon fic featuring Sesshoumaru's castle, for example, you will need a whole army of OCs. And of course, an AU setting gives you much liberty with the canon characters so that there is much less need for an OC.

I find that OC's make an appearance when I need them. I have a few that I reuse because I like the premise for them. Senshi is one I've used a couple times. Though I suppose whether or not the character is liked depends on where it falls in the story and how big a role it plays. There were a couple... let me think a moment... ah, that's right. Shattered by Aura on FF.net (Rated - M), has an OC that makes the story work really well but I rather disliked simply because of his place in the story as one of Kagome's potential love interests.

In the end I suppose they can both add and take away from the story. I find it much easier to include them when they are there purely to enhance the story but not to interfere with it.

I agree with the OCs being in stories, as there's a place for them. Mine, particularly Yukio, tends to have a side role, whether portrayed as a friend, subordinate, a romantic interest for another character or a parent. So it all depends on the author and they use them.

I love OC's - I think they're great and yeah. I definitely agree in regards to the Mary-Sue aspect. I honestly don't know how I feel about an OC ending up with a main character though, haha. I don't think I've read one that I liked. Normally it's always the OC is so perfect and is the most beautiful and is an all powerful angel/demon/God/miko thing and has a super tragic past that makes Sesshoumaru [I use him because this is Dokuga] want her.

I also would like to agree with the whole "human with blue hair" bit.

Yeah - that wouldn't fly with me either.

Thanks Wiccan! I love mine [they're like children because I felt like I breathed life into them] they're like mini people.

I feel OC's are kind of like brain-babies.

OCs can be intrinsic to a story... or go real bad real fast. I both love and hate OCs. I love them when they fit seamlessly in the story and enhance it without overriding the plot. I hate it when they are a broken mishmash of all the best qualities of all the characters without any of their flaws. I have yet to use an OC in any of my fanfiction only because I haven't needed to. The Inuyahsa universe is rich with characters so I have always found a cannon character that would fill my needs. I do have plans for one at some point in the future however.

I think we have all meet an OC that we have fallen in love with. (My example: Forthright's Hisoka.)

So in the end they can be good or bad depending on how they are used, just like anything else in fanfiction.

I think, like a lot of the other comments (I'm guessing, kind of pressed for time, so I only got to skim a few), that the use of OCs is okay so long as they're handled with the same level of care and detail as you're treating the other characters. 'Cause- as I'm sure we're all aware- there are OCs . . . and then there are Mary Sues and, contrary to how a lot of readers of fanfiction feel, not all OC's are Sues. I use them, too, but with the exception of one (which was for a different fandom and was more of a writing exercise on practicing realistic, balanced, as objective as possible, self-insertion [something my old RP group did years ago to teach everyone to be better role players where we based our characters on ourselves, but the rest of the group chose our traits based on what they'd observed of our personalities & what they new of our abilities . . . okay, I'm rambling, anyway] ) I usually keep them to lesser, supporting, or background characters only because I feel it adds a level of depth to the story that you're not allowed if you only stick to the core characters.

I mean, it's like any show where you meet a character who's just in there for a single episode (if you play it right). If the world (show) was only confined to that exact handful of characters for each and every telling of a tale about them, then we'd all get bored with it.

I like OCs if they have a purpose and fit in with the universe. If they look like they've been thrown in just to have an OC, or if it's a self-insertion, then I quickly lose interest.

I think they are best in the role of a supporting character. There are very few authors I've seen that are able to take an OC and make them a main character that works.

One word: Hisoka.

I was pretty against OCs until I read Unspoiled. Hisoka is an important character that helps the story along. His interactions with the characters are fitting and he really seems like a character than can fit in the series- like actual research was done on the era before throwing an OC in it. I.G. You don't want a gangster demon showing up at Sesshoumaru's castle going YO HOMIE, LES DUEL. In a non-crack fic that is LOL.

Another well done OC is from Laying Amongst Dokatsu. A demon guard that accompanies Kagome was really well done and implemented into the story.

I've never really seen an OC that is involved romantically with a main character that is particularly exceptional (not that I can recall right now at least!).

But I'm totally game for trying a fic with an OC, just please do your time period research! In whatever period it may be.

Fox wrote:
You don't want a gangster demon showing up at Sesshoumaru's castle going YO HOMIE, LES DUEL.

.... *wibbles and deletes her first and now last inuyasha fanfiction* My one and only original idea....










PFFT...

I do prefer OCs that fit into eras. And I have to echo Fox's opinion about Hisoka-sensei.

*remembers her first OC and face-palms* My first original character was an EPIC fail. I almost die thinking about it now. I was sooooo original with my vampire-shadow demon named Zuru. He was hawt but he failed as a character and then I revamped him and felt better.

I pretend that part of my life did NOT exist.

EDIT: In my defense I was like fourteen. On that note I love the idea of OC's as an object of affection for Kaggerz. I didn't really like the idea until my readers began to throw it at me for ADLC because they actually preferred him to Sesshoumaru [*gasp* I know I freaked out too]. ANd then I began to toy with it until it fit and now I both use the idea and actively search out fics that make it happen.

I love them if they are well written and serve a purpose in the story. In fact I have read many fics where I have loved the OC just as much as I love the main characters.
Being a romantic at heart I love the ones that serve as romantic rivals to Sesshoumaru. The ones that make him step up and prove himself the better male.

Right now my unhealthy OC crush is Naqaashi's Minoru <----- I love that bird he's just the latest in a long line of OC's that I've loved as much as the main characters.

I do agree with Wiccan on self-insertion, they are a turn off.






Kagome Yuki Niwa wrote:
*remembers her first OC and face-palms* My first original character was an EPIC fail. I almost die thinking about it now. I was sooooo original with my vampire-shadow demon named Zuru. He was hawt but he failed as a character and then I revamped him and felt better.

Don't feel bad about your first OC. We all have to grow as authors and now when you look back it makes you realize just how far you've come. Be proud! (ok so I'm not the best motivational speaker, but you get the drift ) Oh, I am totally digging your OC Takeshi

Like it's been said, I don't mind them as long as they're well written and don't steal the spotlight(I read fanfiction to for the canon characters. My only exceptions are if the OC is the child of a canon character that's helping start a new generation or falls in love with the canon character).

I like OC's. I even like when some people do some self insertion along with some unique interaction with the story characters, as I have been a culprit myself a few times withthe self insertion thingy.

I've been told that I rely to heavily on my OC Aimaru...while some love him to death others think I rely too much on his character to make my story work and i must say...that im guilty. Im not a good writer honestly and if I have to depend on an OC of mine to make it work and get the story going than garsh darn it.. thats what Ill do. He's like a muse that helps me get my story out as I write. Since Dokuga is a place where people just want to tell a different story to entertain others without profit or fame...I dont need no one hounding me or anyone else like its a big deal with wagging 'no-no' fingers. We're are not writing for fame fortune or recognition, but for others who needs something different from their favorite anime couples. Im not sayin you can post any old thing up on here, but some of the readers here I think need to chill out on the writers.

While Im not guilty of replacing Sesshoumaru with another rival completely...Im guilty of pairing Sesshoumaru and Kagome with my OCin some of my stories with Sesshoumaru/Kagome/and Aimaru pairings...now dont get meh wrong, I love Sesshouamru to death...but man do I love annoying him with the polar opposite I created of him. mweheheheheh.

Originally I wasn't a fan of OCs when I first started reading fanfiction but now I've come across some very complex and well developed ones that I absolutely love. I think that's the main thing for me, the characters have to actually have a personality and make sense in the story that I'm reading, not exactly just push along the plot.

And I completely agree with Fox about the demon guard in Laying Amongst Dokatsu (Akito, I think)... I remember loving him so much that I honestly ached for him to be with Kagome and I've never been one for OCs paired with Sess or Kag.

But anywho, some of my favs right now are Naqaashi's Minoru & D.O.D's Aimaru (especially in Waking up in Vegas).

One day I may try adding an OC to one of my own stories but they'd have to be really developed and I'd have to r.e.a.l.l.y like and feel confident about him or her.

I'm not a big admirer of original characters in fanfiction. I especially do not enjoy stumbling into "Mary Sue" stories. But, turning it over and looking at it from another angle, isn't it almost always some element of personality or experience that we share in common with a character that turns us into a fan in the first place? My relationship with my older sister gives me street cred to dig deeply into just how Kikyo makes Kagome feel, down in the pit of her stomach. It might sound like therapy, but I bet some of the deepest and most insightful character portrayals ARE self-insertion, of a sort. But more subtle, right?