[Discussion] Let's Talk About...Fan Characters

As a continuation from last week's discussion on fan-fiction, today I'm going to be looking at the characters that are inserted into those fan-fictions.  Whether you love them or hate them, fan characters are certainly an integral part of many shows and series, so I feel it's fair to give my own take on the matter.
Also, it's raffle time!  Do you have an original or fan-made character you'd like feedback on?  Leave a comment here with a link to your character's bio or reference and you could be in to win!  The character I see as the most developed, creative and interesting will win 100 from me!  Radical, huh?  Oh, and you also receive feedback
Be sure to have a description ready; you'll have a better chance of winning if I you give me something good to read
One entry per person.

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What Is A Fan Character?

Fan characters (sometimes called FC's) are characters that have been designed to be inserted into the world of a pre-established work of fiction.  It is common within large fandoms - most notably, Pokemon, Sonic and My Little Pony - but can and have been created for almost every fictional work.

Now, there seems to be two types of fan characters that I've seen.  On one side there's purely the visual stuff; you'll probably know them best as the base recolours that plague the internet.  On the other, there are the characters that are actually used in comics or written works.  The latter type is what I'm going to be discussing most in depth today.

So now that we know what we're looking at, how do we go about creating a good fan character?

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Step 1: Research

Yes, just like any other piece of fiction that you do, a certain amount of research must be done in order to properly represent the series your character comes from.  Before you roll your eyes and type out your angry responses, hear me out.

The trend that I've noticed with fan characters is that of two main parties.  One party is carbon copies of canon characters with a different hair colour or other physical traits; for example, the aforementioned base edits.  The other is characters who clearly do not relate to the source material in any way; for instance, a flying unicorn that lives within the Naruto universe.  This is a problem, as it breaks the immersion for many readers.

What you need to do is create a character who is unique, but also believable.  So, how do we do that?

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Step 2: Design

After doing your research, you should have a fair grasp on the type of character you want to create.  So, let's get started!

Now, it isn't always essential to have a visual reference of your character.  After all, I don't know many novelists that give intricate description on their main character's appearance.  If it helps you when planning aspects of your personality, that's fine!  I'm just saying it isn't the most important factor.  This is an important thing to learn as many writers I know spend too long focusing on this aspect.

There are three main things you should consider when creating a fan character;
1) Personality
2) Powers
3) Relevance to the story/universe

I'll go over each point in detail to give you a better idea of what I mean.

1) Personality
Your character should ideally have a balanced and original personality.  What do I mean by this?

Well, let's take a look at balance first.  It's important to find a good, even mix of positive and negative traits.  I'll show you one of my own fan characters as an example.

Rarity is loyal to her friends, and a very fast runner.  However, she is also incredibly vain and can be rather hot-tempered.
This is an example of a balanced character; the positive traits even out the negative traits  Her speed and loyalty are strengths, while her vanity and aggression are weaknesses.  I highly recommend having at least three of each for a character, though it's up to you how you want to work things.

Now, for some originality.  As I covered in my Originality Discussion, there is no such thing as a completely original character.  In fact, most characters you create will share at least one personality trait with you.  So then...how can we make a character feel original?

For me personally, I find that fleshing out a character tends to naturally make them feel more original.  Let's go back to Rarity for a bit; having a vain character who gets angry easily is not really anything out of the ordinary.  Having a loyal character who likes to run is also nothing new.  However, grouping those together and writing about them makes for a fairly well-developed and seemingly original character.

2) Powers
This is what I find to be the place where people slip up the most...but it's important to try and not overpower your character.  Let's look at a few examples to illustrate my point;
Naruto: A Genin-level ninja would not be able to use Rasengan
Pokemon: A Pichu would not be able to take down a Steelix with Thunderbolt
My Little Pony: A blank flank filly would not be able to wield magic stronger than that of Princess Twilight herself
Hopefully at least one of those examples made sense to you.  Either way, I think you get the point.

If you're going to go for a powerful character, make sure it actually makes sense!  For example, you could have your character be an experienced unicorn magic wielder, but if they were that powerful then how did they avoid detection for all these years?  Well, maybe they lived far away from any sort of civilisation, or come from a town far from the reaches of Canterlot.  Use your imagination!

3) Relevance
Or, in other words...why does this character exist?  What purpose did you have in creating this character for the universe?

This part is two-fold.  First, you have to consider the story you're writing.  Does it require this character to exist?  Does your character have a good reason to be inserted into it?  Make sure, if you do decide to use a fan character in your work, that you give their existence some relevance.

Second, consider the universe you're writing within.  Could your character very easily be replaced by another?  If so, then your character's existence is probably a little redundant...but not always.  In this case, it does kind of depend on the genre as well.  With romance, you could probably get away with it...with action, it'd probably seem pretty cheap.  Just be sure to relate back to the first point; give their existence RELEVANCE.

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Step 3: Feedback

Since I pretty much covered everything story-related in my last section, I'll move right along.  So how do you make sure a character isn't too overpowered?

The best way I've found is to ask your friends, especially those in the same fandom as yourself.  They'll be able to give you advice.  If not a friend, try finding a helpful critic!  I know of one in particular who's very good...hint hint.

Alright, but enough of me flaunting myself.  The point is, ask around and see what others think of your character.  Don't be afraid of criticism!  It'll help you going forward, I promise.

Finally...I also suggest making your own original tales and not just sticking to fan-fiction.  By all means use it to get an audience...but remember the beginner's trap.  Go read my article on Fan-Fiction for more information on that.

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Conclusion

Fan characters are completely fine!  Just remember that their existence needs to have a point.  You get bonus points for originality too!