: Re: How to not steal characters I know I've recently asked a lot of questions. But I do have a lot of questions, I'm a curious kid who wants to do things right... How do I make the character

@Hamm6328258

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Practice makes perfect. And right now, that's what you are doing. Your practice might develop into viable stories, but for now, just give yourself over to the creative process.

Only if you are selling or presenting the work in an academic setting as original should you be worried.

It's considered good etiquette to acknowledge inspirations if they are close. You can do that in the beginning outside of the story.

Many authors start with Fan Fic as a jumping off point (which definitely steals characters outright).

As to how to "make the character similar to the one I like, but not so similar I'm stealing?"

That's a tough one--you are saying you get obsessed, so it's going to be similar by definition--and similar enough that it will look like a copy.

I like to play the what if game, and then lift them into a different setting. "What if Beast from the X-men were a ruthless businessman instead of a scientist? And he was the main character? And there were no X-men? And what if it was 1910? And what if his skin were purple instead of blue?"

Once you completely remove them from the setting AND OTHER CHARACTERS IN THEIR OLD SETTING, make the plot different, also throw in as many what-ifs as you possibly can, and you make sure and change the name--then you have a different character.

Plenty of comic book heroes follow this. The similarities are...well... more than striking. Character templates are one thing, but know when it crosses the line--like having the same origin story or something.

Some of these are out-right total and complete rip-offs, like Deadpool. But because Deadpool has an element that the original Deathstroke didn't (the 4th wall awareness) Deadpool is more remembered.

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