--- Latest Entriess are at the TOP; Earlier Entries are at the BOTTOM ---
aoisakana - blog owner
Sunday, December 07, 2003
--- Playing a Character of the Opposite Sex ---
   I'm going to touch on a topic that is still relatively new to me: playing a character of the opposite sex.

   Most of the time now, many people are alright with playing characters of the opposite sex but for those of you who aren't .. read on.

   Let me start by saying I definately recommend each and everyone of you to try creating a character of the opposite sex. If you don't want to play them, that's alright but think about the character, how they would act in different situations. Not only will it give you a completely different perspective but it will give you a sort of gaudge at how well you are developing depth in your characters.

   If you are completely new to roleplaying, you might want to hold back on this project until you get comfortable with the whole idea of roleplaying. Now, creating a character of the opposite sex is just like making any other character. You build up their look, their abilities and then their personality.

   The major mistake I see when people try to play a character of the opposite sex is people taking the common stereotypes and using that as a base for the personality and actions of their character. This usually does not work out too well. If you take a look at your friends and strangers and even yourself you will notice that not everyone follows all the stereotypes exclusively. When a character is based soley off of stereotypes it makes the character seem comical and lacking in depth of personality. I have yet to see a character played exclusively on stereotypes that is anything but .. even novels .. the only time I have read a book where a character is composed of such is only for humour or exaggeration value. Each person in this world has a unique combination of personality traits and, because your character is a real being in the rp world, that character needs to have that same quality. This "rule" applies to all and any characters that you create.

   If you find creating a character of the opposite sex difficult at first, you might want to try creating a character of the same sex first. Write up everything you want then when you are finished, adjust the character to the appropriate sex. Maybe even get a friend to look it over and see if they are able to tell whether the character is male or female. I also suggest watching how people act whenever you are around someone.

   Actually playing the character is a different matter. Again you could do more practice. Write out a scene, or a post your character would make. Read it and see if you could tell whether it was a post made by a female or male typist. Let a friend read and see if they could tell either. Another good practice is to make a character of the same sex (you are) and give it characteristics that are opposite to the physical sex. Eg: If you have a male character, they would be very effeminate. etc. It takes a bit of practice to it right (not to mention to get over the habit of typing "his" when you mean "hers" etc.) but the more practce you get and the better handle you get of your character will make it more believable.

   If you want to see a good example, go to dwbn and look for Sacrifice Valshea.

   This can also apply to other characters. Eg: if you only play vampires, you might want to try playing a werewolf or a mage. Or if you've only played powerful characters, you might want to try playing a weak character or a mortal. Not that you have to, of course, but it is a good experience to try different types of characters.
 aoisakana 19:46