• i love love love the idea of relationship trackers and i love reading them even more but updating them is hell for me and i know i won't update it even if i promise myself i will, so instead i've circumvented this by making instead a list of characters that my character is close enough to be relevant to/for them to have an opinion of my character and then i go and i ask the rper for an IC sentence or two of their character's perspective on my character/their relationship with my character. this is way more succinct than having a paragraph describe their relationship to me and way more engaging than having just "they're friends that met since xyz"; it's also just fun to hear about outside perspectives of your character so just win-win-win.
  
  
• i try giving all of my characters a "thing" (and everyone starts booing because i talk about this in literally every 'character things' thread). basically just a shtick/trope/archetype that i try to lean into: like a verbal idiosyncrasy or a more like, anime-exaggerated "thing" that makes them larger than life and more memorable (like a propensity for tsundere-style violence, extreme long-windedness, a habit of making "people die when they are killed"-style one-liners etc.)
  
  
• naming conventions. i cannot lie i love rule of cool/funny names even when they give things away and i'm recently obsessed with giving my characters, ace attorney style names or just names that are alliterative or just "less realistic" in nature; stuff like naming a mysterious character "mi styrii" or giving a captain character the last name obvious. i think it's also generally helpful for plotting too if your character has a name that's interesting or memorable right off the bat w/getting people initially interested/clicking on your profile/etcetera !!!
  

• I like to use a larger font: I like to use the size tags to make my font slightly larger than usual when writing posts (as demonstrated here). I find it easier to read lengthy posts this way, and hopefully it helps other people as well. It may not be as aesthetically pleasing as some, but I like not having to squint and to be able to lean back in my chair as I read.
  
  
• I treat roleplaying like improv theatre: In both, the actors involved are playing a character and reacting to situations, sometimes unexpected ones. "Yes, and..." is one part of it: whatever the other proposes, introduces, or claims, you accept it as true and react accordingly. But also, it means fomenting trust with each other, so you're not nervous about "getting things right." People make mistakes, that's fine; roll with the punches and continue the story. 
  
  That also means you want to introduce something new with each post so your partner can take it and run with it. This can be something your character says or does, but it can also be environmental elements; and please, trust each other to handle the environmental elements. Yes, sometimes even when it's your character's mother or whatever.
  
  "But Traveller," I hear you say (I have good ears), "what if they make my character's mother behave completely uncharacteristically?"
  
  "Well, my friend, then your character can remark on their mother's weird behaviour and maybe examine it, and a new plot opens up!" (Alternately: just because she acts off in one thread, doesn't mean she'll forevermore have to be off in other threads. It's OK to retcon once the thread is done to make sure your story is kept straight. For the sake of the thread, though, it's fine not to police each other too much, and it's fine to trust each other and work with what you get.)
  

I was filling this out and realized I’m a very character oriented rper. I usually don't plot super far ahead, which some people are into. But these are the tidbits I like to do

Character trivia questions - I love answering these types of questions because they can quickly tell who they are. I always try to answer them at least a little bit differently, or if they’re the same then different reasons as to why they would choose that answer. Like if I don’t know what my character would order at an ice cream truck, I don’t know them at all

Describe actions or surroundings - I try to always describe what my character’s wearing at least once, what they look like, the room they’re in, etc. It also helps by describing it from the character’s point of view, like what they would notice (my one character would point out the holes in the wall with disgust, my other character would see them as ways to escape)

What can I gain from this thread - this is how I don’t get bored with even simple threads. Maybe my character can gain a new friend, understanding, perspective, or maybe I just like annoying my own character. All threads are pieces that help mold them, and I like referencing them later down the line if I can

I try to make my characters feel more life like, as in they could be people if you squinted hard enough. I like doing that through describing micro actions they may do while talking, like for instance a character idly fidgeting with a straw in their drink while they're talking or listening to someone talk. Or the way their hands move when they're in a conversation, if their hands move at all.

I also typically "act out" a character scene at my desk, keeping my character's traits in mind, and do body movements like they would and talk with their mannerisms so that I have dialogue that feels more real. I also don't have my characters respond to every little line of text or action, Often times when I myself talk to someone, things get missed or overlooked or just kind of outright ignored/tuned out. So I also try and take that into consideration when it comes to playing my characters as well. Even if they're 'super/hyper observant' because 'super/hyper observant' doesn't mean they see or react to every little detail.


Speaking of, I like to have my characters each speak differently from one another. Even if they're related they all have their own way to say something. For instance, I have three characters, (A mother, Father, and Son) and the way they say something simple like; 'Either Way.' is completely different from one another. Like the son may say; "Yeah whatever." The mother might say "Either Way" and the father may say; "Regardless." But they all say the same thing different. It makes each character feel unique and also makes roleplaying out miscommunications much easier. 

• convictions i.e a firmly held belief, opinion, purpose or values that encapsulates my character: this can range from political, religious opinions/beliefs to something more superficial or familial. some examples of this are: if my character is spiritual/faithful, they are going to perceive/interact with the world through those lens/beliefs and hold true; if my character's whole world is the love of someone else, they are going to move heaven and earth to make sure the world is safe for/accepts them.
  
  
• challenges especially ones that are too grandiose if not truly impossible, which lends into ambition, even if i'm hesitant to call my characters as such; they are typically not ambitious, at least not overtly, but can be in a very surreptitious, slow-moving manner. examples of challenges could be something feudal and simple as like... conquering ur enemy's territory or stealing ur enemy's tithe. could even be the subversive version, like conquering ur enemy through idk the sheer, indomitable power of love LMFAO
  
  there's also the internal, like if my character's beliefs are being challenged, which lends to inner conflict, self-reflection, going on a spiritual journey, etc etc.
  
  
• exposition as like steadily relaying background information like breadcrumbs that leads to the foundation of my character. doesn't have to be just my character, it could be information that leads to the foundation of a relationship with someone else (whether longstanding, or they met like... the other day), setting, event, or other element of my char's narrative.
  
  if my character is sheltered, then those who engage with them will learn that my char has never left their home, nor had any adventures outside of it, and may be a bit bigoted. if my character is religious, then those who engage with them will learn that my char firmly believes themself to be divinely protected by the universe, and should they die, it'll be the greatest sacrifice brought to the eternal banquet.