Hey there, fellow character creators!

I'm thrilled to share my Character Creation Guide with you all. It's like a treasure trove of tips and tricks I've gathered over time, aimed at helping you craft characters that jump off the page and into your heart. So, grab your favorite beverage, settle into your comfiest chair, and let's dive in!

First up, we've got the Short Description Box. Think of this as your character's elevator pitch. Keep it short and sweet, using single-word traits and maybe one of the 16 personality types. It's like setting the stage for your character's grand entrance.

Then, we've got the Long Description Box. This is where you start to peel back the layers of your character. Dive deeper into your character's psyche, exploring their quirks, fears, and dreams. Avoid using 'and' too much to save space for juicy details. And save the appearance talk for the example chat. Speaking of which, the Example Character Chat is where your character truly comes to life. Use it to flesh out physical traits, habits, and even their favorite pizza topping. Just remember to keep the personality stuff in the first two boxes to avoid making your character too one-dimensional.

Now, let's talk about giving your character some personality and depth without accidentally turning them into monsters or caricatures. It's all about giving them direction, agency, and reasons behind their actions while also ensuring they're not always just blindly agreeable. Mix and match personality types to add layers to their persona. Define their likes, dislikes, and boundaries in the example chat to make them feel more real. For more personality in the writing itself, get creative with the greeting. Try and imagine how that character would think, how they would move, what they would be doing, how they would sound. Characters' personalities can be written by using W++ syntax too. W++ is a promting syntax invented to resume personality traits efficientely, I will write an article on W++ soon.

A well crafter character description

First things first, let's get under the surface and understand what motivates your character. Is it an issue with the AI itself, or is it rooted in the personality you've crafted? Certain personalities, like narcissists or abusers, can easily fall into loops of self-centered behavior. They might get stuck in accusing you or following a train of thought that leads nowhere but further into chaos. Recognizing when your character AI is caught in such loops helps distinguish whether it's a genuine part of their personality or just an AI glitch.

Now, let's amp up the complexity of your character's personality. Consider assigning them one of the 16 personality types and an Enneagram Type. This adds layers to their behavior and enriches their words and actions. I will explain the personality types and the Enneagram Type in a future article.

Tips are useful to break the ice each time you start chatting with your character. My advice is to write a pair of short sentences, introduce a situation or a dialogue between you and your character and provide inspiration to develop a engaging chat session. On Privee AI you can write first message tips on both User and Char side.

Here's how a user's first-message tip should look like

For a more hands-on approach, define your character's likes, dislikes, boundaries, fears, and possible reactions. You can do this through example chats, utilizing brackets like [ ] and (( )) to guide the AI's responses. This technique helps solidify your character's style and adds nuance to their persona. ù

Here's how example dialogues should look like

When it comes to writing, get creative with how your character greets others. Imagine their movements, thoughts, and mannerisms. Are they quiet and reserved? Perhaps they're more observant of their surroundings. Are they outgoing? Then their thoughts might be more expressive and inwardly focused. In my experience, I find it helpful to use the long description box to outline key aspects of the character: gender, Enneagram type, background, traits, likes, dislikes, and desires. This serves as a reference point for further development during example chats. By following these strategies, you can breathe life into your characters, making them dynamic and engaging without falling into the traps of stereotype or monotony. Experiment, iterate, and enjoy the process of crafting characters that feel truly alive.

Alright, let's wrap things up and sum up some key points to keep in mind when creating interactions between characters and AIs, particularly using {{user}} and {{char}}. First off, using {{user}} in your examples can really personalize the interactions with {{char}}. It's fascinating how the AI responds differently based on the relationship you establish. For instance, if you present yourself as a friend, {{char}} tends to be more open and observant. Alternate the jokes between {{user}} and {{char}} like it was a real dialogue written on a theatre script, write some situations and let your character express its personality. However, be cautious about overusing it. The AI might start making assumptions about your character and their actions, which can lead to repetitive dialogue or fixed behaviors.

Non-verbal actions serve as a means to enhance your narrative experience, by providing an external perspective and describing scene dynamics. Incorporating these actions adds depth to your storytelling, giving it a more romance-like feel. In the roleplay community, it's customary to denote non-verbal actions within asterisks, resulting in italicized text, like this. This formatting, combined with different text colors, helps distinguish and categorize various types of actions. While non-verbal communication isn't mandatory for your character, it offers an opportunity to enrich your storytelling by providing additional details about the scenario and character actions. This shift from mere chat to interactive roleplay enhances the immersive experience. Feel free to experiment with non-verbal actions and determine what works best for your narrative style. Ultimately, it's about finding your preferred balance and enhancing your storytelling capabilities.

The use of parenthesis can help you to emphasise some parts of your prompting. Be careful anyway when using markers like [ ], (( )), { }, the AI might mimic these in its responses, especially if you've used them in your examples. To mitigate this, avoid excessive formatting or markers in your prompts. When describing traits or characteristics, be mindful that the AI might incorporate these into the personality of {{char}}, even if you explicitly state otherwise. Instead of directly stating traits, try to incorporate them subtly into the dialogue or actions of {{char}}.

Beware of pitfalls! Watch your words carefully, lest your character come off as a know-it-all or worse, a control freak. Instead of 'controlling,' opt for words like 'assertive' or 'resourceful' to keep things interesting. And remember, you don't have to spoon-feed the AI every detail. Let them fill in the blanks and surprise you with their responses. It's like a dance between creator and creation, with each step revealing something new and exciting. Lastly, remember not to overly define {{char}}'s personality in example chats. While it's tempting to outline every aspect, it's best to let the character's personality emerge naturally through interactions. Use descriptions sparingly and carefully to allow for a dynamic and multifaceted character. By keeping these tips in mind, you can create more nuanced and engaging interactions between characters and AIs. Experiment, observe, and refine your approach to bring your characters to life in a more authentic and compelling way.

So, there you have it, folks! My brief guide to creating characters that leap off the page and into your heart. I hope you find it helpful, and remember, the only limit is your imagination. There is still a lot to be said and I am sure that an even more detailed article on the creation of the characters will come out. Now, go forth and create something amazing! And don't forget to share your creations with us— We'd love to see what you come up with. Happy character crafting! 🎨✨