Creating an OC by Flowerleaf

Flowerleaf shares some advice on how to create original characters for the Warriors universe.

Salutations! This is Flowerleaf. I will be showing you how to create a great OC for any story!

1. Choose a Clan.

A Clan is important when it comes to looks. WindClan cats tend to be leaner and smaller with pelts that blend in with the moor. ShadowClan cats often have thicker fur and darker fur colours. If your cat is ThunderClan, pick any pelt colour and size. ThunderClan cats have a lot of mixed blood. RiverClan cats have thicker, sleeker fur that sheds water. Their pelts are very pretty, ranging from goldens to browns to greys. SkyClan cats are lean like WindClan and have muscular legs for leaping.
A Clan is also important when it comes to personality.
SkyClan cats don’t seek trouble. They like peace. Speaking of peace, RiverClan is also very peaceful. RiverClan cats are graceful, but also very distant and defensive compared to the other Clans. They are also very intelligent and artistic, which shows from them decorating their camp with various items. WindClan cats are fierce and wary. Though they are quick to flee, they, in a way, are by far the toughest Clan. They live in the open and have survived getting chased away. WindClan cats are real survivors. ThunderClan cats are brave and inclusive, but can also be stubborn and arrogant. ShadowClan cats can be very proud and cunning, but also determined and strong.
When choosing a Clan, take a base off of the generic Clan personality and twist and shape it to your liking.

2. Design them!

Pelt colour and size can influence names. Other things can influence names, too! Take Tinycloud, who was named for her size. Deadfoot was named for his limp. Fireheart/star was named for his flame-coloured pelt.
Let’s make our OC a member of SkyClan. They will have a curly, pale-brown pelt and olive green eyes.
If you’re making an OC in a realistic universe, don’t give them weirdly coloured fur.
“(Cat) stretched out in the sunlight, arching out their bright purple back.” What doesn’t seem right in that sentence?
Cats in a realistic universe shouldn’t be purple! But, at that, cats shouldn’t talk or live in Clans or know medicine, but that’s warrior cats!
Basic pelt colours could be:
Brown
Black
Ginger
White
Grey or Silver
Blue-grey
Tortoiseshell or Calico
Tabby

3. Give them a personality, but don’t make them perfect!

Mary-Sue/ Gary-Stu characters are things we see almost too often. They are the average “perfect character with a tragic backstory.”
Every character has flaws. Let’s say our curly-furred SkyClan cat is reliant, adventurous, observant, and curious, but also rather indifferent, narrow-minded, nosy, and somewhat of an attention seeker. You can count on this cat to get the job done, but can’t expect them to understand you or not pry.
Don’t make your character like this:
(Name: Petalsong)
ShadowClan
Long, beautiful cream fur with small white paws. One blue eye. Blind in the other eye due to being attacked by her unkind, resentful sister who disliked her for being perfect.
Kind, compassionate, peaceful, good fighter, respectful.
Every cat likes her and finds it impossible to argue with her.
Tragic Past Life!!!!!!

No.
No.
No,
Never do that!
Cats can and should never reach that level of perfection. Like I said, every character has flaws. Let’s fix Petalsong.

(Name: Petalsong)
ShadowClan
Short, tufty dark ginger fur and white paws with short claws and yellow eyes. Long scar across face from battle.
(So far, this seems more realistic. Referencing what I said earlier, ShadowClan cats tend to have darker fur!)
She is perceptive, resourceful, and daring. Her bad traits are being hypocritical, pompous, reckless.
Though some cats may put up with her, most find her annoying. She seeks no friendships with cats outside ShadowClan and is cold to cats she doesn’t know.

This seems more like a character. She isn’t bad, but she isn’t perfect. Flaws make a character more interesting when creating a personality!

4. Give them a name!

Names, names, names! There are many prefixes and suffixes to choose from! Now that you have the basic Clan, appearance, and personality, you can use these to give them a name!
Think of prefixes before suffixes, as prefixes are given first during kithood!
Let’s give our SkyClan cat a prefix: Tangle, for her curly fur.
Suffixes can be chosen based on looks, like the average “claw” “fur” and “pelt,” or for other things. They can be named for personality, too, as I mentioned earlier.
Let’s call her Tanglecloud, as you can think clouds observe the earth from above.

5. Give them a goal!

Characters don’t exist just to exist. Give them something they want to achieve! Look to your personality for ideas.
Let’s say this:
Tanglecloud is a loyal warrior of SkyClan. She is hunting on their territory when they discover, say, Beetletail, the SkyClan medicine cat who she still has unresolved feelings for. He is headed for the Moonpool. Out of curiosity, she follows him there and dreams.
In StarClan’s hunting grounds, she encounters her deceased brother, Thornstripe, and asks where Beetletail is. Thornstripe says that Beetletail has not been on StarClan’s hunting territories once. Tanglecloud, who is shocked, vows to find out the truth. This is her goal!
I take the nosy, curious side of her and twist it into a story. If your character is ambitious, give them more than one goal to make their story interesting!

6. Avoid Generic Backstories and Stereotypes

There are so many stereotypes.
Brown tabby villain.
Cats with menacing names are always evil.
bEaUtiFul tOrtOiseSheLl!!11!

There are also many normal backstories. There are the:
Tragic Backstories, where some significant cat dies or something AWFUL happens to the OC
Normal Backstories, where they just live and level up
Secret Backstories, otherwise known as uNknOWn BacKstOriEs, where nobody knows the cat’s true origin and it is either really amazing or really shocking,
Or Amazing Backstories where the character is living their best life.
Every character has a different life. It’s fine if you use these stereotypes, but don’t overuse them!

Well, that’s it. Sorry if this article wasn’t that good, it’s one of my first! Flowerleaf signing off!