Article:
Playing True to You: Creating Your Character

As a girl LARPer, I’ve received MANY different tips, hints, and straight out rules from guys whether I ask for it or not. It’s just natural for someone who knows something very well to want to ’show off’ to the new people, including to the damsel in distress.

Some of these words of wisdom made me roll my eyes or actually stand up and pay attention. You’re probably thinking ‘how hard is it to just pick a name, class and race and just roll with it?’ Not hard at all actually… but you won’t truly enjoy yourself, and when it comes time to actually role-play your character you don’t want to be stumbling around for history to talk about.

Just ask the LARPers that throw their entire self into creating this second personality, they love it! It always goes back to that saying my mother use to tell me; you get what you put into it.

Your first step in really putting your heart into creating your character is you! Sit down in a quiet, dark and cool room. Close your eyes and just begin to let your mind wander. If your mind begins to wander to the chores you have to do, the bills you have to pay, or going to work tomorrow quickly pull your mind back and imagine yourself walking through a small medieval town. Look at each of the shops and stop in the Inn. Order some wine along with a nice hearty beef stew. Can you smell the fresh bread cooking? Can you hear the other patrons talking about adventures and traveling? Really get into it; you can spend minutes or hours on this exercise.

You don’t have to only do this exercise when you’re creating a character… you can do it days, months, or years down the road when you feel yourself becoming separated from your character. Do this to feel back in touch and see how your character is growing. Change the scenery in your mind; maybe choose a situation that happened this past weekend during your LARP. You as a person would answer and respond a certain way but your character may do the opposite which puts you at war with yourself. Connecting of the two personalities can help calm the storm inside.