There's been a lot of discussion on the ML lately of new 
characters, self-insertions, and other things of that ilk. The 
topic's a pet peeve/concern of mine, and hence you get the 
following essay.

   A disclaimer: I make no pretense of being the sole authority 
on fanfiction. This is all my opinion, and I reserve the right to 
be completely and totally wrong.

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   So you've decided to write your very own fanfic. You have the 
motivation. You have the talent. You have the spare time. You 
even have the plot: a mysterious teenager shows up at the 
Tendo Dojo one day, and...

   Right. Stop right there.

   There's nothing wrong with adding a new character to a fic. 
All of the greats have done it, to various degrees of success, 
and it helps add a bit of uniqueness to the field. However, be 
aware that this character will make or break the fic, and if 
you do it incorrectly you'll get autodeletes faster than you can 
say "Jusenkyo curse".

   So how do you make a memorable character? Well, first, 
here's what NOT to do.

1. Don't have the fic revolve around the character. This is a 
horrible, almost always-fatal mistake. Your audience, as a 
rule, doesn't care one fig for the new guy until he grows on 
them, and if the plot involves him from the get-go you'll have 
your masterpiece consigned to the Great Fanfic Dustheap.

   For an example, I offer The More Things Change by RpM, one 
of the greats of fanfiction. TMTC contains Ryo Muhoshin, one of 
the most famous and memorable new characters, with his very 
own fan base and art galleries.

   And yet, TMTC and it's sequel are not _about_ Ryo and his 
encounters in Nerima. It's a story about Ryouga and Ukyou. Ryo 
becomes a major factor in this, true, but it's a gradual 
process, and he never quite takes center stage.

2. Why should Ranma & Co care? Your new guy shows up. He 
says hi. He's a martial artist. Well, big deal. Ranma & Co have 
their own problems, and new martial artists usually mean 
trouble. They aren't going to immediately latch on to him, 
invite him to stay in the dojo, etc. By doing so, all you're doing 
is insulting the reader's grasp of character development.

   It's perfectly possible for the Nerima regulars to get to know 
a new character. But, as in real life, it takes time.

   For that matter, are you even certain you _want_ your 
character to be best buddies with Ranma? It smacks of wish-
fulfillment, to be honest, and it limits the plot to some degree. 
For a truly original character, try someone who Ranma trusts 
just as far as he can throw him, and vice versa. Good guys, 
after all, don't have to be on the same side.

3. Play with a handicap. Take a hint from Takahashi herself. 
Most, if not all, of her characters have a fatal flaw or two. 
Ranma is arrogant and too quick to talk. Ryouga has that little 
navigational problem, a quick temper, and is constantly taken 
in by Ranma's ploys. Shampoo talks funny and has irritating 
mannerisms. Mousse is half blind, and makes a fool of himself 
over Shamps.

   Perfect characters are boring, folks. I don't wanna read about 
a person who's good, nice, caring, considerate, and a decent 
martial artist. I want to read about someone like Lardizabal 
from DnR, who's an out-and-out rotter at times, can't fight 
worth spit while not drunk, and can be truly obnoxious. (Note 
that even the author admits, however, that his introduction 
could have been handled better.) Or Skeride from Ranma 2096, 
who's basically a good person but who'd kill Akane at the drop 
of a hat if she found she was a ghost. Even the pros have 
trouble with this, at times - ask Richard Lawson about the 
comments he got on his initial version of Nouma.

   Personality flaws are what bring out the life in a character. 
Ability flaws help bring out plot. Would Mousse be as 
interesting if he wasn't constantly mistaking hatracks for 
humans? Don't be afraid to give your creation a defect that 
makes him seem, at times, like an idiot.

   Keep in mind that, as a rule, a Jusenkyo curse is NOT a flaw. 
It's wish-fulfillment. Admit it, it'd be neat to be able to turn 
into something else with a splash of cold water, especially 
something impressive, like a hawk or a tiger or a wolf. Bleah. 
If you want to give your new guy a curse, make it something 
that truly is a detriment. Spring of Drowned Hamster, anyone? 
SoD Banana Slug?

4. Why are we here? Don't just have your fellow show up at the 
dojo to train. I mean, please, at least make it look like you put 
some thought into it. Original characters need motives, and 
ones that don't make the audience hit the 'd' key. 

   Revenge? Well, it's been done. Repeatedly. By Takahashi and 
by fanfic writers. If you go this route, take a tip from a master 
and examine the introduction of Ryo Muhoshin in TMTC.

   Ryo makes his plans. He makes his attack.

   He gets the living spit beat out of him. There's no "why are 
you doing this? Let's work things out!" No, Ryo gets a royal 
thrashing from a very irate Ranma Saotome.

   And after the attack, aside from a idle thought or two, no-
one gives much thought or worry to why he tried to kill Ryouga. 
Because this is _normal_ in Nerima. Another day, another 
wacky villain.

   Your motive should fit into the larger plot of the fanfic.

   It helps a lot if the character has a tie to Nerima somehow. 
One fic featured Kuno's cousin, who was very well presented. It 
doesn't need to be a blood tie either: Noriko, in Raph See's fic 
Scoop of the Day, is the editor of the Furinkan newspaper. Make 
the new character an _old_ one, someone who's been around the 
entire series but who we've never seen. One of Nabiki's 
henchmen. One of Kuno's Kendoists.

   Resist the urge to make the character a tragic figure, 
bursting with angst. This, too, is the dreaded wish-
fulfillment, to be avoided at all costs. It's in the same 
category as daydreams of how sorry everyone would be if you 
died, or went blind. Fine as daydreams go, but don't inflict 
them on the rest of us.

5. Power.  How much of it should your character have? R1/2 is 
a story about martial artists, so it's reasonable to expect that 
your new guy might be one himself. But how good?

   Well, a lot of the answer to that depends on what sort of 
fellow he is. Villains, as a rule, are allowed to be more 
formidable. If your character is on the side of the angels, 
however, I'd recommend halting his power level around 
somewhere between Akane and Ukyou.

   Why, you ask? Well... there's something about ultrapowerful 
people that get one's teeth on edge. Then too, remember, the 
spotlight isn't supposed to be on your new creation. He's 
supporting cast, not the star. 

   In the end, it's hard to pin down specific reasons for limiting 
the power level. But the results are there. Readers will 
sympathize a lot more with your character if he _isn't_ the 
new God of Martial Arts.

   In fact, are you even sure you want him to be a martial 
artist? Not that there's anything wrong with this, but non-
fighters can be just as dangerous. Ratiko, from Ranma 2096, is 
out of shape. Heck, look at Nabiki. She outmaneuvers the cast 
on a daily basis without a bit of physical might to back it up. 
You want a villain, a scary one? Picture a Nabikilike plotter-
manipulator actively out to make life miserable for the rest of 
the cast.

6. Love and Relationships. There are plenty of single, 
attractive men and women in the Ranmaverse. It's tempting to 
pair up your creation with one.

   If you choose to do so, do it over time. Large amounts of 
time. If Nabiki is glomping your character by the third or 
fourth episode, you're doing something wrong.

   Why? Because relationships between a cast member and a 
new character are a source of scrutiny by the readers, who 
will be waiting to pin the dreaded twin flags of wish-
fulfillment and OOC. The way you avoid this is by making the 
relationship as realistic as possible, something that is 
unsought for; which begins as friendship and slowly blossoms. 
And we do mean _slowly_.  

   Friendships may, at first, seem less worrisome than a 
romance. Don't be fooled by this. Avoid having Ranma and Co 
become best buddies with your new guy at the drop of a hat. 
Make it clear that although he may be likable enough, most of 
them will cheerfully ignore and take advantage of him if the 
situation calls for it.

   Remember that in the Ranmaverse, your 'friends' have a habit 
of trying to kill you, trying to drug you, trying to erase your 
memory, etc.

   Keep in mind that there are factions at work. If Shampoo 
sees the new guy talking with Akane, her first reactions will 
be unfavorable. She may even make the Takahashi Martial 
Artist Standing High Jump To Conclusions and label the new 
guy as a friend of Akane's and, hence, her enemy.

   One sign of a poorly-done new character is a lack of people 
in the normal cast who aren't friendly towards him. If everyone 
likes the new guy, you blew it. Apathy and hostility should be 
the rule from this crowd.

7. Self-insertions. This is a genre that requires considerable 
care.

   Take all the rules above, and escalate them. Extremely.

   If you've been picked up and plopped down in the Ranmaverse, 
do not give yourself martial arts skills. None. Nil. They won't 
do you a whit of good. Even if you have them in real life, edit 
them out.

   Why? Well, simply because it's ludicrous to expect that you 
could beat any of the cast. Or even hold your own.

   Let's look at the weakest of the regulars, Tendo Akane. This 
is a person who's been training since childhood in an advanced, 
family school. She has at very least a black belt, and very 
probably several Dan ratings. She breaks bricks with her bare 
hands for jollies. Before Ranma came, she defeated multiple 
attackers (some of whom were sumo types and kendoists) 
every day without them ever posing a serious threat to her.

   I don't care that belt you have in real life. Unless people call 
you 'sensei' on a regular basis, Akane will wipe the floor with 
you. And she's years away from the level of Ranma, Ryouga, and 
Shampoo.

   Besides, you have an advantage already, that being your 
knowledge of the series. Set me down in Nerima with only a 
knowledge of Japanese and the clothes on my back, and I could 
kill almost every cast member within five days. Face it, folks, 
it's a powder keg waiting for a few judicious sparks.

   Avoid super powers. Self-insertion is will-fulfillment by 
definition, but there's no need to be blatant about it.

   A note on Gaijin protagonists. If the character in your story 
is one, everyone will automatically assume it to be a self -
insertion. Whether it is or not. Just ask Greg Sandborn.

   Self-insertion is best done with a sense of humor. There 
should always be a "we're not really serious here, this is a 
put-on" air about it. If your fic is funny, people will forgive a 
lot. If your character spews drama and angst, well, it's D-key 
time.

   Never come across as wiser than the cast. It may well be 
true, but this irritates the audience to no end. Nobody likes to 
see people blow their own horns.

   Try to keep romantic entanglements to a minimum. If you 
really must have romance, try another original character, or 
one of the background ones. 

8. In closing. Not all of these rules, of course, are absolute. 
Greg Sandborn breaks several of them in Nabiki: New Horizons 
and still turns out a first-rate story. However, I humbly 
submit that following the above guidelines will produce not 
only a better fic than otherwise, but a greater positive responce. 

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-Mike Loader
-nifty .sig in shop with broken axel