The Character Loft

CharLoft is on Skool!

2026-06-15T02:40:46Z

If you remember this community fondly from baxk in the LiveJournal days join us on Skool!
This is a free community that will post daily character development prompts.

https://www.skool.com/char-loft-4047

Participants needed for a short survey!

2015-08-05T19:02:10Z

Hello everyone!

I'm currently working on my master's dissertation and I need YOU to be a participant!!!

I'm conducting two surveys, one for unpublished writers and the other one is for everyone who likes to read. You would really help me out if you could take 5 minutes to answer one or even both of these. (They're really very short.)

Survey for writers

Survey for readers

You can find more information under the links or take a look at this LJ entry here

Thanks to anyone taking the time to do this, I really really appreaciate it.

So, since it's thursday...

2015-07-30T02:57:44Z

How about a drabble? Maybe 500-1000 words told from your character's point of view at any point in your story. I noticed we weren't sticking to the daily challenges, and I wanna bring that back, so drabble thursdays are a go again!

I hope I'm within my boundaries as a member to do this. I am not a mod or even a co-mod of this community, I just miss it and wanna help it get back on it's feet.

The Death Drabble

2015-05-30T00:28:46Z

For the most part, she never thought she needed one. She knew enough to realize that such recognizable traits to her personality were simply left overs from an easier time, a time when civilization was still holding itself together, and a time without horror or fear.
None of this was ever going to be a point of contention for her or the survivors that had chosen to follow her. Regardless, how they might have felt about Shawn Grey whenever she reached out and tried to communicate with Byron was probably always going to give her pause. The events leading up to the coming conversation wouldn’t be any exception.
Shawn watched him as he kept his eyes beyond the gate between themselves and the world outside. She knew that he was aware of her, and it irritated her that he hadn’t turned to acknowledge her. All she could do was fold her arms and imagine that she could burn holes into the back of his head.
“I came out to tell you that it wasn’t your fault.” He still hadn’t moved, which hadn’t surprised her. She took another step before continuing. “I felt it important you understand, and that I was the one to say so.” She lifted her shoulders. “Trey tried to make a point.”
“Trey was a fool.” Byron hadn’t moved as he spoke, but his opinion hung there long enough to make even the silence thick and uncomfortable. “He made a useless sacrifice, and it’s not one that the others will forget for quite some time.” He finally turned away and set his red eyes on her. His gaze made her uncomfortable, but she chose not to show it.
“I understand why you feel that way…” She answered him quietly but deliberately. “…but each of us live with our backs permanently against a wall.” She paused for a moment. Had the look across his face gotten softer? “It’s not a comfortable way to live. While some might realize that you wish to keep us safe, others only see you as just another threat that lives too close. I think Trey did what he did to make his point, but I also think he did it because he didn’t want this to go on.”

Graphics Wednesday: How I Roll

2015-05-29T01:10:02Z

Well, the first detail I should start with is that I don't play Dungeons & Dragons. I have no dice on my person.

How I conduct myself is simple. I know my situation, and I know what my chances are. I'm quite aware that my existence hinges on the continued survival of my former prey, so I shall continue to maintain their food and supplies. When one of these seven are at risk, I act swiftly and deliberately. To date, I find it unlikely that any of the animated corpses I faced were even aware of my approach before I removed their heads.

I try to keep things consistent, because all of us see stability as a positive. It's true that they value my consistency as a positive trait, so I choose to remain unchanged in personality and action.

Currently, I believe that Miss Grey unintentionally serves as the only chink in my armor, but no we shan't discuss that.

Tuesday

2015-05-28T06:43:59Z

I don't wish to set myself above any of my current charges. That having been said, I would be ignoring the obvious, were I to forget that my blood-red eyes or fangs both come in pairs. I'm also the only one within our gated community who has them, because I've chosen not to sire any others like myself.

Twosday Tuesday

2015-04-29T22:23:25Z

Only two? This may take some thinking to narrow it down, I have my fathers to thank for that, one father in particular who loves to meddle and is also a bit of a prankster. When they were designing me he decided to add a bit more to the mix, because the DNA of six people wasn’t enough.

Thanks to him I could never play murder in the dark, and hide and seek was difficult. Well you try hiding when your skin glows. Also, makes covert missions a tad complicated but then, when are they ever simple?

Or maybe the markings on my back, people tell me they are very fetching, that they have a natural elegance. I’m just relieved I didn’t end up having fur, as is, I just have the markings of tiger stripes stronger down my back, but also more faintly on my legs and arms.
Then there are my eyes with their golden glow, even if I pretend you’re not annoying me my eyes give it away. Not to mention that damn third eyelid, or to give it it’s scientific name my nictitating membrane, that spooks people the first time they see it.

Should I go on? Freaky enough? Yet, I can blend in with you all and you would probably not even notice me, I’ve mastered the art of not being noticed. You master that skill when your most useful talent is your strong survival instinct.

Twosday Tuesday

2015-04-29T00:01:16Z

Humans are designed to a certain level of symmetry: two eyes, two ears, two hands, two feet... This means that asymmetrical features tend to stand out. Give us two examples of things that make you stand out from the others.

Munday Monday

2015-04-28T23:44:51Z

What do you feel is the biggest obstacle for you when it comes to getting into character for your creations?

Roleplay Sunday

2015-04-28T23:36:29Z

Everyone needs to unwind sometime. Tag a post with RP and find a way for you and others to relax and have some fun. Saving the universe can wait... Right?

Quotation Saturday

2015-04-28T23:33:52Z

Today's quote: "I have found adventure in flying, in world travel, in business, and even close at hand... Adventure is a state of mind - and spirit." Respond in whatever way suits your character(s).

List It Friday: Dude, Remember That Time...

2015-04-24T14:57:16Z

Today's List It Friday is brought to you by the human inclination to recount amazing... and embarrassing things. Especially at parties in front of other people who you might not want details shared to. As such, we're asking for:

Three events or stories that you recount to others in order to impress and/or amuse them - not necessarily stories about you, mind you... ("Dude, tell them the story about the guy who thought 'negotiation' meant 'kick open a door to a roomful of heavily armed people with guns who just shot through the door a minute ago'!")

and

One event or story about you that you really wish others would stop telling... really, really, REALLY wish others would stop telling, usually because they're embarrassing or annoying to you personally. ("No, you don't want to know about the trip to Mexico. And if they ever end up there again I'm leaving them there.")

Thursday Drabble: Never Say Die

2015-04-23T22:52:07Z

Death is a touchy subject for many people. In the days of the Comic Code, and throughout much of Disney's career, the word was anathema, and even showing someone dying was forbidden. Even today, it's hard to talk about death sometimes.

Of course, that doesn't stop us from asking you for today's 100 word drabble subject: write a drabble about a character talking about death, without saying it.

Winter Bingo Wrapup!

2015-04-22T21:53:49Z

Those of you who've completed the Winter Bingo have been waiting patiently, and we'd like to see what you've come up with so we can award prizes. Link your Drabble post and let us know if you've done an entire card or a line, as well as whether you completed the Cupid Challenge for an extra entry! Post your entries by April 30th; winners will be announced on May 1st!

Graphic Wednesday: This Is How We Roll

2015-04-22T21:28:52Z

Whew. So, you might've already heard that we've been working on a side project that has gotten a lot of attention. So with this in mind, how do you roll?

Me... Well, as the saying goes:

I roll twenties.

So how do you roll?

Prompts 3/16 - 3/22

2015-03-20T16:57:40Z

Happy Spring to those in the hemisphere for such springly goodness! We've just till the end of March left on the Winter Bingo - but there's still time to finish up a line or a card, and be eligible for some great prizes. You can do it!

Munday-
How much do you plan your larger works? Are you an outliner, a seat-of-your-pantser, or somewhere in between?

Twosday
Batman and Robin, Mario and Luigi, Mickey and Minnie, Bonnie and Clyde, Your character and his BFF- write about a dynamic duo!

Graphic Wednesday
Show us your shorts! What are you wearing now that the weather is finally turning warmer?

Thursday Drabble
100 words about never again

Friday List
Five things you are just dying to try

Saturday Quote
Respond in some manner to this quote:
A wonderful thing about true laughter is that it just destroys any kind of system of dividing people.
-John Cleese

Sunday RP
Take a ride on the Redding - a railway journey, an airship journey, or whatever your world's newest, fastest, most modern form of transportation may be. What are your thoughts about trying this newfangled conveyance? Who do you meet there? Tag with RP, and comment to each other to find a traveling companion.

Rainy Monday Munday on a Thursday

2015-03-19T17:19:17Z

January 26, 2009 – Today's prompt is a survey about gender roles and character sexuality.
Answer as many or as few of the questions as you like.

1. What gender of character do you play more of, male or female? Why?

I tend to lean towards writing male characters simply because I’m not very typically female and have no clue how a regular woman thinks. Hah. But more seriously, I think I’ve become more comfortable writing from a male POV than from a female.

2. Is this different or the same as your own gender?

Er, very different.

3. Do you find that your gender makes it easier or more challenging to play your characters?

I’m not sure it really has any bearing on how I write my characters, especially my original characters. I’ve always liked to observe humanity as it is and I think that helps me step outside my own gender and into another. Human nature is human nature, no matter the gender.

4. What sexuality / gender identity do your characters have?

It depends on what I’m writing. In certain worlds, they’re het, while in others they’re not. I’ve not yet written someone with a gender identity outside of what they were assigned at birth (and I know I phrased that badly, but no insult was intended), but I really would like to at some point.

5. How does your character's sexuality and gender identity define / affect their personality?

I don’t know how to answer this question because although I was raised with a very traditional sense of gender roles, I don’t actually subscribe to them myself. I do the things I do – cook, garden, etc – because it’s what I like, not because I’m female. Does that make sense? I’d like to think that I portray my characters in a similar manner (for the most part, there are a couple exceptions). That they do what they do because it’s who they are and not because they’re male or gay or whatever defining characteristic you’d like to choose.

On the other hand, Andrej’s sexuality does cause him issues. Although he’s comfortable with who he is and has come to accept it, he was raised knowing that being who he is isn’t suitable. So, he’s constantly at odds with what he wants vs. what he knows he should do. Wes has a similar issue, although I think his results from his uncertainty with himself more than anything.

6. Do you tend to predominantly play characters of a certain sexuality? If so, why?

Nope. My first writing experiences were with general friendships, then I moved on to heterosexual couples. From there, I’ve gotten into same-sex partnerships as well as threesomes on occasion. And depending on my mood and what I think the story is calling for, I can easily switch between them all. I need a little variety or I get bored, feeling like I’ve written this before.

7. To what extent to you write / play your character's sexual or romantic life?

This falls in line with what I said above. It really depends on the story. Not every piece I write needs to have sex in it, although an inordinate amount of them do. I find myself going through long periods of writing very PG-rated pieces before switching gears and upping the smutfest. I’ve also discovered that a couple of my regular readers aren’t interested in the smut at all, so that gives me incentive to write something less explicit.

8. How has the character's romantic life affected his character development?

Ah! So many ways, I think.

For Wes, it has shaken him to his core and forced him to rebuild his internal picture of himself. And for me, this has been the most fun and rewarding part of writing fanfic. For Travis, it has made him grow up and become mostly more responsible. With Ethan and Murphy, it’s given them both stability and in Ethan’s case, redemption. When these two met, they were both pretty lost and in finding each other, they’ve not just found love, but a reason to be and do. For Ali, it gave her everything – a husband, children, and a life outside her job. She went from being an instrument of the military to being an actual person in a lot of ways. It’s funny though because she was my ‘first’ and yet, she still continues to grow and change and it’s really kind of interesting that there are still things I don’t know about her even after nearly 30 years of writing her life story.

Sadly, for poor Andrej, he still doesn’t have a romantic life. I need to work on that. But with having been outed by his co-worker, he’s been able to come to grips with the fact he has a gorgeous partner who doesn’t care where his interests lie, even if that partner is the object of his affection. This in itself is a revelation of epic proportions for Andrej and I think as I continue to write his story, it’s going to bring about some major changes for him.

9. Do you set 'ships' or plan for your characters to be together with other characters, or do you allow their relationships to develop organically? Why?

Again, it depends. I know, I’m wishy washy, what can I say? But with a show like Common Law, where the premise of the entire freaking show is two male cops in couple’s therapy, you kind of have to ship them. In other fandoms, it can vary from episode to episode. On Castle, for instance, I’m a total Caskett shipper. LOVE Kate and Rick. But, then you get certain episodes where Ryan and Espo are even more bromantic than usual and you’re like YES. THESE TWO. But it’s not an everyday thing either.
I definitely prefer an organic approach because it has to seem natural in order to be believable. If you can force a ship and make it work, then wonderful. But if you can’t, it’s going to come off as just that – forced – and won’t fool anyone.

10. Do you change the gender identities / preferred sexualities of canon characters? Why / why not?

Yes, sometimes. Why? Because it’s fun to look at things from a different perspective. What if therapy really did get Wes to open up about his feelings for Travis? Maybe his marriage didn’t fail because he left law to become a cop. Maybe his marriage failed because he married a woman instead of a man? Those are the kinds of things that get you to thinking and writing. But then there are other times when it’s more fun to keep their identities set and pair them up with a different partner, even if you’re not slashing them. Again, using the example of Wes, on the show, he and the ME, Jonelle, had a great rapport. Outside of Travis, the only person I’ve ever shipped Wes with is Jonelle. I’ve never written it, but… there’s still time.

Weekly Prompts 3/9

2015-03-08T23:23:05Z

Less than a month till the end of bingo! Congrats to folks who have finished (going for a second line or card? :) ) and there's plenty of time left to those who are still working on it. If you haven't snagged a card yet, check out the rules and grab yours here.

Shameless plug for those of you who may be wondering what the heck is going on with those people anyhow - http://roll4itdice.com/ - we're forming a dice company (a subsidiary of our main Lab Arc LLC). You can find our dice in person at some stores already (like Game Paradise in Indiana :) ), or in our Etsy store. We're working on getting online ordering up and running on the domain. Our first in person appearance will be for Free Comic Day May 2nd at the NJ event run by Farpoint Toys / Level Up Entertainment.

Now on to the prompts!

Munday
When was the last time one of your characters surprised you? What did they do?

Twosday
What two things have you done lately that you are most ashamed of?

Graphic Wednesday
If you had to start a meme in a time or place that didn't have the Internet, how would you do it? Show us a pic!

Thursday Drabble
Visit http://uselessfacts.net/ and select a useless fact to turn into a useful drabble.

Friday List It
Five reasons you're looking forward to spring
And one reason you're going to miss winter

Saturday Quote
Respond in some manner to this quote:
It's time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I'd much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure.
-Ernie Harwell

RP Sunday
What is this thing and what does it do? Today you find an unfamiliar object, and aren't quite sure what to do with it. Post a description of your object and your struggles! Tag with rp if you'd like to find someone to play along.

Weekly Prompts

2015-03-01T20:14:41Z

For right now we're going to be putting the prompts up in a once weekly or so - apologies for how busy we've been!

Munday Monday - Challenge!
Take one of your old pieces and do a line edit on it, removing any excessive adverbs, adjectives, and replacing any passive voice with more active language.

Twosday -
Tea for two - but would you rather have coffee? How do you take your tea (or coffee, or other hot beverage?)

Graphic Wednesday -
Show us a picture of something you loved in your formative years.

Thursday Drabble -
Let's get physical - write a drabble about physical fitness or exercise.

Friday List it-
List places that you've been that you never want to go back to.

Saturday Quote -
Respond in some manner to this quote:
People are capable at any time in their lives of doing what they dream of. - Paulo Coelho

Sunday RP-
Setting switch! Take two of your characters and switch their worlds. Put them in each other's places. How do they deal?

Bingo!

2015-02-23T19:25:40Z

Two single lines plus a couple extra words.

My card is here and the fic is here.

List It Friday

2015-02-23T01:05:25Z

List it Friday:

Give us a list of things you do every morning, and one thing you try to avoid doing.

Cook the breakfast--not that hard to make.
Make the coffee--rather pour it down the drain, since it taste awful.
Get the newspaper--they always leave it in a puddle of water for some reason.
Takeout the trash--hate touching icky stuff.
Take a shower--one thing I truly don't mind doing.

And if at all possible avoid having to put out the cat. Hate being scratched so early in the morning--it's worse than listening to the alarm clock when the cat screeches loudly.

Weekend Wrapup - List-It Friday, Quotation Saturday, Sunday RP!

2015-02-22T21:36:43Z

Three for the price of one!

List it Friday:

Give us a list of things you do every morning, and one thing you try to avoid doing.

Quotation Saturday:

Respond in some way to this quotation - "Guns don't kill people. People who say 'Guns don't kill people' kill people. With guns." - from Rob Delaney.

Sunday RP:

You are stuck in a confined space - an elevator, a closet, a hallway with the doors locked, a subway car, a train, an island, a locked mansion - with someone who has wronged you and escaped justice, and whom likely will continue to do so. You have the opportunity to enact your own justice, though not necessarily the guarantee that you'll escape justice yourself if you do. The next few minutes are yours to decide. What do you do?

It's the little things...

2015-02-19T22:47:19Z

In 100 words, tell us about a little thing that means a lot.

Some assembly required...

2015-02-18T22:40:40Z

Respond in some manner to this picture

Winter Bingo--Charloft 2015

2015-02-18T16:16:48Z

http://pickingmybrain.livejournal.com/15442.html- Bingo Card

Posting entry links on here because my journal is not public. This is written in a way that it is intended that you read in order of columns and it forms one final story all together.

Column B

http://pickingmybrain.livejournal.com/19592.html

Column I

http://pickingmybrain.livejournal.com/19724.html

Column N

http://pickingmybrain.livejournal.com/20117.html

Column G

http://pickingmybrain.livejournal.com/20268.html

Column O
http://pickingmybrain.livejournal.com/20569.html