Difficulties with titles and Characters...

[Sleipnir56]

Whether it be writing a game, writing a story, or anything else that requires creation, coming up with a title is one of the hardest parts. I know that some say that you'll get the title from your story, but that doesn't always happen. I personally suck at making titles and always struggle with making an intriguing one. It can be so frustrating

Also, though I love making characters, I've been having difficulty making them unique. We all know the cliche Visual Novel characters and, that though they can still be fun, it can get annoying sometimes to see them especially in Otome games. I'm always trying to make my character, like my titles, having something new to them. But this is hard to do.

Has anyone experienced this with either of these two things, or both? Is it ever hard for you to come up with a tittles and characters? If not, how do you do?

[SundownKid]

For me it's actually the opposite. I like to make the characters first and then make the story around them. And I've always been good at coming up with titles for stuff. Maybe there should be a "what should my title be" thread to help with that.

As far as titles go, it's hard to explain. It's sort of an art of knowing what would sound interesting without sounding stupid or awkward.

[Greeny]

Come up with a pun. Use it as your title. Done.

[Sleipnir56]

For me it's actually the opposite. I like to make the characters first and then make the story around them. And I've always been good at coming up with titles for stuff. Maybe there should be a "what should my title be" thread to help with that.

You're really lucky. I like making the character as well, but titles are a major problem. But you're right, that's a good idea. I'm sure there are others who have a hard time with titles and need some extra help. Maybe it should be a thread .

[SundownKid]

For me it's actually the opposite. I like to make the characters first and then make the story around them. And I've always been good at coming up with titles for stuff. Maybe there should be a "what should my title be" thread to help with that.

You're really lucky. I like making the character as well, but titles are a major problem. But you're right, that's a good idea. I'm sure there are others who have a hard time with titles and need some extra help. Maybe it should be a thread .

I got the idea from the thread in TIGSource, another indie game forum. People post their game idea and others come up with potential names. It could be a sticky in the ideas forum or writing forum.

[MaiMai]

For me it's actually the opposite. I like to make the characters first and then make the story around them. And I've always been good at coming up with titles for stuff. Maybe there should be a "what should my title be" thread to help with that.

As far as titles go, it's hard to explain. It's sort of an art of knowing what would sound interesting without sounding stupid or awkward.

This is me. I love making characters, personalities, quirks, likes, dislikes...

Making a whole, cohesive, and satisfying story is a whole other bag.

[Caveat Lector]

Yeah, I can relate to the title thing. What helps is browsing the internet for dozens of "how to come up with a title" articles that probably won't tell me anything new, but might at least get me pointed in the right direction. Then I just jot out whatever phrases or themes or characters come to mind until I find something that makes me go from to to .

For me it's actually the opposite. I like to make the characters first and then make the story around them.

Same here, though sometimes it's the reverse. "Gah, I've got this great basic idea for a story, but who's the star? WHO'S THE STAR!? SO MANY CHOICES!"

[Eiliya]

I usually make my story, create characters that would fit into the story and then give the story a name once I have the whole thing planned out and thus know what would be a fitting name for it.

[thebackup]

For me it's actually the opposite. I like to make the characters first and then make the story around them. And I've always been good at coming up with titles for stuff. Maybe there should be a "what should my title be" thread to help with that.

This.

Although, I have a habit of recycling my characters. Not because I'm lazy, but because I love them. I love seeing them in various scenarios I can come up with

As with titles, I think it helps to come up with a simple, to-the-point, tentative title first. And as you go about your life, that intriguing title you've been looking for might just pop out of nowhere. Or just post that tentative title and ask for suggestions

[Fungii]

If you try too hard to make your character fill or not fill certain criteria, you're gonna end up with a try-hard mess that doesn't feel like a natural makeup for a character. Just try not to make character x just like character y unless they're like, twins or something.

Most of my titles either come from the obvious, or from slapping two words together that I think are cool.

[Carrogath]

I can't say anything about titles because I'm horrible at coming up with them, but when it comes to characters, the best advice I have is to spend time coming up with them. Don't slapdash a bunch of adjectives together and call it a "character"; give the character an actual past and develop their personality based on what they've experienced. It might take a while, but it's enormously rewarding, and it's much harder to make a character act "out of character" once you know what they've been through and understand how it's affected them.

And character development is turning that whole thing on its head: putting the character into a difficult situation, forcing them to make tough decisions and having them emerge having learned something from that stressful situation that will ultimately change their behavior in the future.

Though I guess it's harder than it sounds, haha.

[VNQuality]

It's not as difficult as you think.
Title stories will appear by itself, if you're trying to convey an idea through the story. If you want to make the title interesting, then it should be complementary to the idea, but do not be too literal.

And regarding the characters ... You have to understand that Otomo or dating simulator are built on archetypes. Interest in them is not based on the uniqueness of character, but rather on the situations faced by the archetypes and their conflicts with each other.

Strong character is needed only when you are doing the game, making emphasis strictly on the story, not the date or yaoi, or something.

People love visual novel anime precisely because the protagonist is empty and be easily associated with him. You just put yourself in his place. You can oppose to this protagonist of "Steins; Gate". Character is unique, well constructed, but it does not prevent to associate themselves with him.

[curry nochi rice]

I usually make the characters first, then the title is just some like cropped up from the script. :v
well I do make characters by archetypes to generalize things.... :v
...
p.s.
I didn't use archetypes on my dating sim project... but I used it instead on my visual novel. :v

[Taleweaver]

Again, this thread is better suited to "Asset creation: Writing". I'm moving it.

[naqlada]

This was tough when first starting. It got easier the more it was tackled. I tend to make up words, so that helps as well.