AmEva wrote:
These are all expertly given advice, but I forgot to include that I was thinking of writing a fic where Sesshomaru is the antagonist. I've seen a handful of S/K stories where there is no happy ending (not because someone died). As much as I take joy out of reading funny and romantic S/K fics, I have an inner cruel streak (Meeheehe...) and I can't resist the temptation of writing a story where Sesshomaru is a bad@$$. If anyone has ever read this non S/K fic called 'Caged' by brower47 then you could better grasp my meaning.

So, my new question is this: How can I make Sesshomaru vindictive, cruel and mildly sadistic (but not in the gorey sense), in other words a true antagonist like Naraku yet more...suave/aristocrative without butchering the delicate threshold of what is believable and what is not?

Also as I said before, since this dark fic has no happy ending (unless you're looking from Sess's perspective since he gets the girl, abeit unwillingly), Kagome will go through a series of psychological changes yet she will not be a weak sniveling cry-baby. She will remain strong, stubborn and courageous through and through.

Honestly, there is no way. Sesshoumaru can be a bastard, but he's not like Naraku. He isn't cruel just to be cruel. He isn't sadistic -- taking great pleasure out of giving pain to others. He merely does what he has to in order to get what he wants. He always has a purpose in everything he does. He's like a bulldozer or, alternately, a hurricane. He plows through everything until he gets what he wants. And if his goal no longer suits him, he abandons it without any further thought.

I think you can make Sessh being cruel work, but it's very hard and I've only ever found one story where it worked. (See Oroyukae's "Broken Promises".) Most fics where Sess is super cruel end up throwing him wildly out of character and aren't really pleasurable to read after awhile. At least for me. There's only so much cruelty and angst I can take. But again, that's just me.

These are all expertly given advice, but I forgot to include that I was thinking of writing a fic where Sesshomaru is the antagonist. I've seen a handful of S/K stories where there is no happy ending (not because someone died). As much as I take joy out of reading funny and romantic S/K fics, I have an inner cruel streak (Meeheehe...) and I can't resist the temptation of writing a story where Sesshomaru is a bad@$$. If anyone has ever read this non S/K fic called 'Caged' by brower47 then you could better grasp my meaning.

So, my new question is this: How can I make Sesshomaru vindictive, cruel and mildly sadistic (but not in the gorey sense), in other words a true antagonist like Naraku yet more...suave/aristocrative without butchering the delicate threshold of what is believable and what is not?

Also as I said before, since this dark fic has no happy ending (unless you're looking from Sess's perspective since he gets the girl, abeit unwillingly), Kagome will go through a series of psychological changes yet she will not be a weak sniveling cry-baby. She will remain strong, stubborn and courageous through and through.

Hopefully this can become some kind of help/reference for writers who are struggling with keeping Sesshomaru IC. We've all seen how annoying OOC (Out-Of-Character) is in characters, especially Sesshomaru, whose personality is so hard to write about (unless we're talking about fanfic goddess Resmiranda ^^) without making him being overly cruel or hopelessly soft. And by soft I mean Sess delivering flowers/chocolates, whispering sweet nothings, holding hands, cuddling (without a good, solid reason to). So if any good writers who feel like they have gotten a good handle on keeping the reigns of Sesshomaru's persona want to offer a little bit of advice to developing writers (*coughmecough*), then please contribute your wonderful knowledge.

And this goes for not just Romantic fics but Angst, Horror, Adventure, and oddly enough, Humor as well. Basically any genre.

~~~~~~~

One thing that I've noticed after reading story after story is that most authors like to portray him as possessing an inner "beast". What do you guys think of that?

Another thing I've seen is that he is written as being a stubborn chauvinist who addresses Kagome with "Bitch" or "Breeder" or "Mate". For some odd reason, those titles do not sound like how Sesshomaru would address Kagome (IMO). What do you think he would/should address her as? I'm more used to "Girl" and "Woman", and sometimes "Miko"

Anyone got any tips on how to make Sess slightly mischevious without making him act/sound like a hentai? (Cause that is what I've read in Smut fics). Likewise, anyone got any advice on how to make Sesshomaru a cold, calculating, and seemingly heartless demon? What about a cynical and sarcastic Sess? Any words on how to make Sess be affectionate without stripping him of his masclinity and turning him into a giant plushie bear?

I hope this topic would help writers who find themselves stuck lol (like me)

Ah my tips on keeping Sesshou in character. I receive a lot of praise for my sesshou characterization.

Tips!

- Sesshou says more by doing than speaknig. If he's making many long speeches, then he's talking too much. Short sentences, preferably less than 5 words most times suffice
- let him speak with his eyes, they hardened, they glared, etc.
- Sesshou is not mushy. He will not say 'i love you' or 'have my pups'. My sesshous have never spoken of love. He will show instead, but not speak it.
- He prefers to watch. His gestures are in teh way he fights, pushing kagome out the way, standing in front of her, etc.
- His humour is dry. It's there but it's very dry and subtle.

He's the type of guy who would sooner kill and skin a cat in your honour for food to eat than give a rose to a girl.

Just remmeber, subtle looks, very little speaking, larger actions. that's what I focus on.

I've never particularly cared for the whole inner beast thing. It always seemed a bit silly to me -- especially when it starts talking to him. Crazy people have voices that talk to them, seriously...

I feel the same way about him calling Kagome 'bitch' -- it's a bit too misogynistic for my tastes, no matter how you try to explain it away.

Anyway, in regards to keeping him in character. Sesshoumaru has always struck me as a character as being possessive without being possessive. (That sounds weird, but that's the way I feel about it.) He says that he doesn't care, but he does. He acts like someone isn't important to him, but they are. It's like, he's going after Naraku because he captured Rin, thus humiliating Sesshoumaru -- and he acts like it's all about the humiliation part, but it's really about Rin and Naraku attempting to use someone that is important to him against him. Am I making sense? I'm not sure. Anyway, that's my feelings about it. *nodnod*

AmEva wrote:

One thing that I've noticed after reading story after story is that most authors like to portray him as possessing an inner "beast". What do you guys think of that?

Another thing I've seen is that he is written as being a stubborn chauvinist who addresses Kagome with "Bitch" or "Breeder" or "Mate". For some odd reason, those titles do not sound like how Sesshomaru would address Kagome (IMO). What do you think he would/should address her as? I'm more used to "Girl" and "Woman", and sometimes "Miko"

Anyone got any tips on how to make Sess slightly mischevious without making him act/sound like a hentai? (Cause that is what I've read in Smut fics). Likewise, anyone got any advice on how to make Sesshomaru a cold, calculating, and seemingly heartless demon? What about a cynical and sarcastic Sess? Any words on how to make Sess be affectionate without stripping him of his masclinity and turning him into a giant plushie bear?

I hope this topic would help writers who find themselves stuck lol (like me)

I don't profess to be an expert on this, but here's my 2 cents...

I don't care for the "beast" split-personality thing really. Like I've said before, I've read some really good fics where they do this and it works out great, but I've never really cared for it in my stories. To me, he is by his very make-up "a beast" just like we're by our very nature "an animal". He'll always have internal monologues just like anybody else, but he won't come off like he's a schizophrenic.

Smut is hentai In my hentai-ish fics he talks more during those scenes then he does outside of those scenes. In my (hentai) mind, outside of the bedroom he's reserved, but inside it's a whole different story. That, and he's always the dominate. The only time I make him slightly more passive is when the scene is meant to be more romantic than smutty. Anyway, that's my take on him and absolutely not everybody else's. Since I'm pretty positive Rumiko T. had no idea how far we'd take her poor characters in this department, I don't think there are really any strict rules to follow.

The only thing I would say in addition to the "use few words" suggestion is that he will say more than 5 words if he feels he has something important to say. He's never going give a long winded soliloquy, but if he needs to make a point and it's more than 5 words long, I think he'll make it.

The "would he say, 'I love you'?" thing depends on the story. I agree that it's not something he's going to pop out with right off, but I disagree that he would never say it aloud. Like I said, depends on the story. I've read stories were it came off as incredibly OOC and others where it fit in just fine at that moment.

He is such an inigmatic character. He says he doesn't care but all his actions suggest otherwise. He gave Rin the choice to leave him, and it wasn't even a choice really, he just told her 'do as you wish' and there you go. But the look on his face showed he really didn't want her to leave him.

As far as the whole inner beast thing, i've seen it done well before in 1 or 2 instances, but the 'inner beast' acted more like your inner voice or inner dialogue. Many of the others that i've read had his inner beast almost like a split personality and he seem's to be too in control of himself for that.

I must admit that I do not have a good handle on writing a good Sesshoumaru but like good art, I know when he's written well and when he isn't.

That said, there have been a few fics out there with him really OOC and where done well enough that I went with it anyway. I guess if it's done well it doesn't matter as much, but if your trying to really hit the mark with Sess, he must be brief in speech, powerful in resolve and the destroyer of all who appose him.

Some reviews said that I have made a good characterization of Sess. But a lot other reviews also said that he is rather ooc.. Well I should hold on to the ones who said I have kept him in character.
To keep him in character I think firstly we must understand his background. Understand how the inuyokai's society, his experiences of life shaped his personality.
And then we must put ourselves in his POV. What will he do if he faces this kind of situation, based on his culture. He could act very cold, uncaring, maybe evil from our POV. But that is not wrong. It's just how he and his society naturally act.

Well, that's just my thought. Hope I can help!

I don't actually do a lot of writing these days, but here's my advice.

Before you go to write fanfiction, stop reading other fanfics and instead read some canon manga.

I've always found that I write more "in character" when I have their canon characterizations still fresh in my mind from the actual manga/anime/movie etc.

Sometimes the dialogues between Sess and his "inner beast" creep me out, BUT... When he gets outraged, when he is fighting, he does on occasion turn into a funky werewolf character. I don't like to think that he and this thing speak back and forth inside his head, but I do feel it's a facet of his personality that comes out when he is feeling very...wild. You know (or maybe not) how sometimes, when you get into a fight or are having s** with someone you are comfortable with, how you become primal? Not a lot of thought process going on there, right? I like to think Sess' "beast" is like that, just a little more demonic... As for flowery words, he can go into some grand soliloquies at times, where he sounds a lot like Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. When he is obsessing about how you could love a human, and if he is "afraid", in the very early episodes of the anime. I kind of expect him to pick up one of those skulls you see lying around everywhere, and start speaking to it. So he does have deep feelings, but because he does not want to "grant hostages to fate" and also because he does feel vastly superior to most others, he does not feel obligated to share and broadcast these feelings for lesser beings to see. As for gifts, and flowers, and mushy stuff, I can see him carrying Kagome to a field of flowers, throwing her down, and getting on it (and acting as though it's just happenstance that they are in a beautiful field of flowers), more than "presenting" her with something. Unless it is something he has killed...

See, this inner beast thing I really don't like either.

Sesshoumaru is a beast. Period. He's youkai, not human so I would think that any humanity he has in him is learned so when he's acting like a beast, it's not an inner beast, it's just him. We're seeing him as he really is, hiding nothing. no tormenting in his head.

I'm not sure how good I am with keeping him in character but I make him a good a$$, my take on Sesshomaru is like most of these post his more cutting edge if he feeling it must be said then it will be in the shortest terms. "you shall die" can't get any shorter then that.

if I'm using a "beast" speaking it's more like his instincts are talking in a way the reading can understand, I've found it harder for a reading if Sesshomaru just has an urge to do something he wouldn't think of doing. Sesshomaru is a beast no matter which why we look at it, he just has enough power the appear "human" but he still turns into a giant dog.

I have a bit of writing experience under my belt so I'll add my humble opinion here.

First of all, the inner beast thing: While I understand the reason behind it, and I have seen it written well, I have never used it myself. I feel that it is completely fan based, and therefore it is something I just have never been interested in using in my own stories. I think that in time people will abandon the idea.

Second, the dreaded "B" word. I have never had Sesshoumaru refer to Kagome in that way. In the manga, I have never seen him refer to her as anything other than "girl." Therefore I normally have him start off as calling her girl or woman, move on to miko, and then advance to Kagome. Because he is from the feudal era, I think it is reasonable to give him some chauvinistic qualities, but I would apply them with a light touch.

As far as making him cold and seemingly heartless, I usually use Inuyasha for this outlet. Not that I don't like the guy, I just love writing exchanges between those two!!! Weirdly, I also like to make him curious, and occasionally confused over the actions or motives of... well, usually Kagome. While some might see this as OOC, I think it adds depth to his personality.

One thing I will add, which completely goes against what most people have said in this thread is that I like to have Sesshomaru talk! I have found that I am able to have him talk more than what most people would expect, while still keeping him IC. You just have to be really careful with his dialogue. I do agree that he says a lot more by his actions, but I like to have him express himself verbally as well. (This is a personal choice however. If you are not really comfortable with writing a lot of dialog for him, then you probably shouldn't have him talk quite so much)

Another thing is, that Sesshoumaru's words and his actions often contradict one another. Usually when I have him do something "nice," or heroic, I also have a "Sesshoumaru" sort of reason behind it.

To have him be somewhat affectionate, I use his inu heritage as an excuse. He is a dog after all, and dogs are actually social, and
affectionate creatures. I think when you keep him mostly in character, you can occasionally push the boundaries of what his character might entail. That being said, I can see him using the "L" word believably.

In the end though, there are various spins on Sesshoumaru's character which could be considered IC or at least believable. I think you just have to find what works best for you. I also agree with Jupe about reading some manga before you sit down to write. I especially like reading the latest chapters because he did change quite dramatically over the course of the series. My best advice is just to write him. Do little blurbs, or one-shots or even chapter stories. Nothing gives you a better feel for a character than to actually write them yourself.

Hope my long-winded speech helps! Good luck!!

I have to say, I experimented with the "inner beast" thing in my story and I dropped it fairly quickly. His internal beast in my opinion can be a very separate and overriding force. On more than one occasion both Sesshomaru and InuYasha fell prey to the beast within, completely letting it take over them. Personally, I won't be using the inner beast as a voice again, but it was an interesting foray into something different.

As for how he acts toward Kagome or other characters, the overriding factor that repeats itself in my head is his honor. Sesshomaru is a cold, ruthless killer, but he in every way represents the samurai way of thinking. He is traditional and stoic with no care for the thoughts of others. He is a lord who rules his empire with an iron fist, but with a thought for the future of his lands. He doesn't stoop to throwing insults, I believe the most I ever heard from his mouth was calling someone "human" (an insult in and of itself for him), calling someone "weak" or "hanyou," never any swear or cuss words. Such things are beneath someone of his stature and certainly someone who values their honor. I believe he called Kagome a fool at one point, but who in the anime or manga hadn't?

Alot of the factors other than what I've mentioned are subject to the whims of the story. A character can change completely, still maintaining their identity, but are now different from the character Takahashi originally created. They change in her story even. The Sesshomaru you first meet is not the one at the end of the manga.

Just my two cents, for what they're worth.

In my twisted opinion, I am of two minds about the Beast issue. The fics that I enjoy with the Beast has “it” portrayed best as the most logical and straightforward thinking part of Sesshoumaru, sort of the Ego, and Sesshoumaru is quite the Super-ego (to get technical). However both seem to share the Id, with Sesshoumaru having the lion‘s share. To break it down, both are passionate, but the Beast thinks in long-term using practicality/reasoning and Sesshoumaru in instant gratification while maintaining perfection.

A good example of this The Syndrome by SunsetMiko.

The flipside to that is the Beast is just that, bestial. It’s wants and desires are basic and the driving force, it’s thought process is straightforward and blunt. The beast is the Id. Sesshoumaru is the Ego and Super-ego, practicality and perfection drive him, while maintaining a moral code. Sesshoumaru uses logic and planning to obtain his goals and navigate day to day. The Beast uses instinct as his compass. Sesshoumaru is the Mind while the Beast is the Basic Desires. I enjoy this version as well.

An interesting example of this flipside is The Beast Awakens... by Vyncent.


I enjoy these types of stories but as individuals and not necessarily as a whole. I guess it depends on the portrayal and the author(ess). Well, I certainly waxed philosophical, didn’t I.

Noacat wrote:

I think you can make Sessh being cruel work, but it's very hard and I've only ever found one story where it worked. (See Oroyukae's "Broken Promises".) Most fics where Sess is super cruel end up throwing him wildly out of character and aren't really pleasurable to read after awhile. At least for me. There's only so much cruelty and angst I can take. But again, that's just me.

I just remembered a S/K fic (sort of) that matches with the type of story that I have in mind. Proserpina by Cathartes. I didn't mean to make him sound brutal or anything (because I know Sesshomaru would never sink to such a level so low), I just want him to be cold and rigid, but with the potential to be cruel should his nerves (or dominance) be tested by Kagome's persistent stubbornness to bend to his rule. But unlike the Kagome in Proserpina, she will not "give up" to Sesshomaru. By the way, I like the Sesshomaru you have in "Nowhere", Noacat. He was just so...well-written! As well as in your take from Oroyukae's "Broken Promises" ^^ I think "Nowhere" is one of the few fics that I've ever seen Sesshomaru without a moment of OOC. That's quite a feat to accomplish!

History shaking!