Writing a Bio
From ElanVital
So it's time to write a bio and you're finding yourself curious about the process. This page will hopefully be able to answer some of your questions about how to do it and what the bio should contain. If you're still confused, feel free to ask a staffer on the game for help!
Contents |
Biography Basics
A bio (short for biography) is a quick summary of your character's life. It should ideally be in third person and written objectively- think a book report rather than a story, as this helps staffers read it more quickly and easily without having to infer the details. It should cover everything from your character's birth to the point at which you begin playing them, and be at least half a page or so in Word. More detail is better, but there's a limit- a ten-page bio is going to take staffers a long time to properly parse and approve!
Concepts that you CANNOT apply without special staffer permission include:
- A noble of above-Luten rank
- A member of the Phalanx
How to Write
As our Biography room in chargen reads:
We need the basics, of course - character's date of birth, general
conditions of childhood and adolescence, any important life-shaping events (if
applicable - could just be an average joe), educational background, and a
basic understanding of theme. Please be considerate to the Staffers and use
mostly-proper grammar, as well as splitting your biography up into paragraphs
for ease of reading with the %r tag. Please use it twice to get a nice blank
line in there.
That's essentially what it's all about- but it can be hard getting from a basic concept to that fully fleshed-out document. Here are some tips to get you started:
1) Plan ahead of time: focus on milestones to get the big picture down first.
This may seem obvious, but it helps quite a bit. Sitting down and writing out a simple list of the major milestones/data (birth, family, education, adolescence, first romance, school graduation, etc.) and then dedicating a paragraph to each important facet of each milestone will let you move smoothly from one part to the next, expediting the process.
2) Read the thematic info in the Newbie Category before you start writing.
We do require that bios demonstrate a knowledge of theme- if the one you submit would work just fine for a character set on Earth, it's not likely to be approved. Reading the thematic information will make you much more likely to get approved the first time around- not to mention there may well be something in there that sparks your interest and helps you build a much more well-rounded character. All concepts should be formed and informed by the values of their culture, after all!
3) Think about your bio as a way to explain your character in the present.
Most people start a character concept not with a backstory, but an idea of who they want to play. A bitter old man? An energetic, unusually cheerful young boy? A calm, mature woman? Your bio is a great opportunity to figure out how your character became what you're envisioning putting on the grid. Perhaps the bitter old man is mourning the loss of his family to beasts in a previous attack, or the mature woman has come to terms with a difficult life and draws great personal strength from a meaningful relationship? If you try to trace the antecedents of each of your character's beliefs, personality traits and actions to their past, you'll find yourself with enough material for a biography in no time.
4) Remember- no biography is ever the end-all be-all of a character.
It's pretty much impossible to create a biography that will encapsulate every last day of your character's life and every last detail about their experiences. You'll likely find the blanks writing themselves through roleplay, as details come together to complete the picture and beliefs/attitudes surface in your character you may not have even planned. Such is the joy of roleplay, and not something to worry about! As long as the bio conveys the essential nature of your character, we won't cry foul at any sort of character growth beyond its limits. The only thing worth noting is that anything extremely important (such as being the child of a very powerful NPC, or etc.) that was not covered in your bio should be approved by staff before you RP it.
Helpful Questions
Maybe you understand how to write a biography, but are having trouble fleshing out your concept. If so, this is the section for you!
Here are some 'food for thought' questions and one last recommendation- read Life on Voltumnus if you haven't already to understand the major ways in which Titanian culture differs from what you might already know!
Birth
- Who are the character's parents? Happily married, unmarried, unhappily married? Male-female, male-male, female-female? Noble or commoner? Adopted/fostered/natural birth?
- Which side of the city was the child born on? This is obviously very important!
- How was the child's prenatal/natal health? Was anything done to the character before birth by way of genetic modification? (It is fairly common in Titania, especially among the rich). Were there any problems with the birth?
Childhood, birth to 4 years
- What was the make-up of the character's household? Siblings, grandparents, pets, etc? Large and noisy? Quiet and solemn?
- Is your character old enough to remember the war (690-693)? How did this affect them?
- What was the socio-economic status of the family? Noble/commoner, rich/poor? All of these combinations would imply different levels of comfort and social prestige among one's peers.
- What kind of neighborhood did the child grow up in? Rough or safe? Well-protected from the weather or miserable?
- What kind of childhood pastimes did the child enjoy? An early reader, or a rough-and-tumble physical play fan? Dolls, trucks, or both?
- What were the parents' feelings toward the child? Hope and ambition as a noble heir? Indifference as an unhappy accident? Love and pride, anxiety to succeed? This is an extremely important formative influence.
- Is the household religious? Old Earth religions are still around and decently common; some younger folk practice Lunism as well. Is the child raised in the religion or left out of it?
The School Years, 4 to 14
- How does the character do in school? What is their favorite subject? Do they have any particular genius or inability in any real field? If they are noble and rich, do they have a private tutor?
- How does the character manage to socially integrate? Are they awkward with their peers or talented and charming? Do they enjoy the experience of making new friends or remain a comfortable loner?
- How does the character interact with authority figures? Do they like their teachers or oppose them? Do they act up in class or study peacefully?
- As the character begins to get older, how do they experience adolescence? Is it smooth or rocky? An early bloomer physically or delayed?
- When does the character first become aware of romance? Does it go well for them or poorly? Are they one of the first to get kissed or watching, perplexed, as others talk about things they don't understand?
- Does the character experience any unusual formative event during this time? A parental divorce, a considerable injury, the discovery of a beloved pastime, etc; this is a pretty good time period for a lot of big events.
Adolescence, 14-18
- At 14, a character will go on to secondary school: either a basic one for vocational training, a slightly more advanced one for professional careers, or the most advanced one for work in academia. Where did your character go?
- Is the character's relationship with their parents changing during this period? More tumultuous or actually more pleasant as the adolescent is given increased responsibility? Are they under more pressure to succeed or written off as a failure due to the aptitude tests?
- Is the character thinking about their future or not concerned at all? Do they study hard or just float through school?
- Is the character maturing at a rate comparable to their peers?
- Have their romantic fortunes changed? Improved/declined? Are they still with their first kiss- have they had their first kiss yet?
Adulthood: 18+
- Beyond this point, characters' lives fragment too much for any standard set of questions to be as useful. However, once childhood and adolescence are established, it's usually easier to trace the character's life to the point where you want to play them.
- Did your character go on to college?
- Once your character has a job, how does it go? Can they hold a single position down steadily or flit from job to job? Do they get many promotions, or languish at a low pay-grade for a lengthy period of time? Are they doing a job appropriate to their credentials, or below? (Above is only likely to happen in very rare cases of nepotism.)
- Has the character settled down with a single lover, plays the field, or remains chaste? Have they had a few failed relationships in this period of their life? (Likely).
- Has the character been affected by any of the beast attacks?
- Does your character have a driving goal or ambition, or are they more going where the wind takes them? Characters with a driving goal and ambition are often more fun to play and more self-sustaining, but it can limit a player who wishes to explore the theme before committing to anything.
- Does your character want children? Are they waiting til marriage or in a hurry? Would they rather foster or give birth themselves?
- If raised religiously, is the character still religious? Questioning his/her faith? Having completely forgotten it? Do they discover religion later in life?
Conclusion
Hopefully this advice has helped you write your bio. If not, there's only one suggestion left... go take a break for a day, do something relaxing and sleep on it, and then try again!
