WRITING RUFUS
A lot of roleplayers/fanfic writers have trouble keeping their character in character. I'm going to talk a little about how I write Rufus and what it means to be him. (Keep in mind, these are obviously only opinions.)Dialog: Rufus is very refined and withdrawn. He has a dry and sarcastic sense of humor. He doesn't laugh out loud much, and tends to repress his feelings. It's ok for him to yell occasionally or snap at someone, but he doesn't get angry very often, rather he swallows it and becomes quiet. He often is annoyed by people around him.
He tends to keep his words short and blunt to most people, but can often go into long and elaborate speeches if he feels prompt. He also tends to surround himself with people. Even though it seems that he resents everyone most of the time, he's afraid to be alone.
Tone: Rufus's tone is one of ironic humor most of the time. When giving orders or discussing plans, it turns darker and even angry if things aren't going his way. He may even let his emotions build to the point of an angry outburst.
Emotions: Rufus puts up a front that fools people into believing that he is calm, controlled, and in charge. In fact, Rufus is very unstable, finding himself needing help. He hates to rely on others because he thinks it shows weakness. He is most afraid of failing and has an obsession with always wanting to please everyone around him. He wants to do everything on his own, but can't.
Rufus had a bad relationship with his father. His entire childhood was spent trying to be the best at everything he did to get this father's attention. He is very competative because of this. He also has a very deep resentment for his father and becomes extreamly angry thinking about him. He feels that he was never good enough for his father and that he is still under constant criticism, even though his father is dead.
Rufus sets himself apart from people, afraid that if he lets them in they'll see weakness and abandon him. For this reason he has few close friends. He is inwardly frustrated at the people around him all the time, mostly because he doesn't know how to communicate with them. Even though he is rather eliquant with words, he has trouble expressing his feelings.
Writing Rufus can be difficult because he doesn't always say what he's thinking and he is controlled enough not to let his actions give it away either. Therefore, sometimes it's best to incorperate inner monolog.
Inner Monolog: Inner monolog may be used to get a point across to the reader that wouldn't be obvious in dialog. Rufus can think anything because he's free from the judgement of other's, and that's what he's afraid of.
He may be at odds with himself in his inner monolog. Some of his own thoughts he finds, betray him because they are "weak". He may even be in denial about certain feelings because of this.
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