How to Create Annoying Characters?

An Annoying Character… What for?

• Why create an Annoying Character?
• Do you want to annoy the Public?
• To some extent.
• Very few of your Characters will be purely Annoying.
• Just as, very few of your Characters will be purely Enjoyable.
• Annoyance brings Diversity.

• Why do you need this type of Diversity?
• Annoyance reminds the Public that even their favorite Character has issues.
• Annoyance create a Diversity in Relationships.
• Some Character will be Patient, some will be Resilient, and some will blow up whenever things don’t go their way.
• That’s what we expect.
• That’s something we need to see.
• Annoyance create a Diversity of Situations.
• 1 Character will have different reactions in different Situations.
• The more diverse the Situations, the clearer the Story becomes.
• You create Consistency & Coherence.

• Annoyance create Relatability.
• Any type of weakness creates Relatability.
• What does the Public want to see in the Characters you create?
• Which kind of Weakness do they want to see?
• What is the Public’s limit?
• What will trigger the Public?
• How can you make them have a great time?
• Which kind of Annoyance will make the Public Happy?
• Which kind of Annoyance will make the Public Angry?
• Which kind of Annoyance will make the Public Sad?

• Why would you want to integrate horrendous scenes to your stories?
• You can easily interest people into delving in these topics if you choose the theme properly.
• In most situations, if you offer an Explanation and eventually a Solution or Hypothesis it should keep the Public interested.

The Problems that may not be Problems

• Self-Centred, is it a problem?
• Value yourself.
• Characters should value themselves.
• Otherwise the Story will be very short.
• And probably not worth telling.
• Would you rather have a Character which neglect herself for the whole Story?
• That may be a very painful story to read.

• Is it an issue to be Egoistic?
• Selfishness & Survival are intertwined.
• If a Character wants to Survive she has to identify her Interest.
• If the Character has no Interest, she has no Goal.
• How would you Write a Story without a pinch of Egoism?
• How do you create a Character which has no Ego?

• Is it an issue to be Greedy?
• Greed is often construed as 1 of the worst Weaknesses.
• Greed creates damages.
• Does it always?
• Could Greed create benefits.
• Ambition, on the other side, is often a revered Strength.
• Greed & Ambition are often overlapping.
• They may be 1 quality.
• How can your Character Evolve is she isn’t Greedy at all?
• Does her Greed act as a catalyst?
• Does it act as an inhibitor?

• The Main issue is always Neglect.
• Most Issues become issues when they are exacerbated.
• The Balance of One’s interests & the ones of the Team is the basis of all Cooperation.
• Neglecting Team mates is the issue.
• How can your Characters balance their Interest with those of the other team members?
• How can they temperate the impact of their Annoying factor?
• How can they manage their own Issues?

The Common Traits

• What makes a Character Annoying?
• Is she Rigid?
• Is she Entitled?
• Is she Authoritative?
• Is she Dismissive?
• Is she Unhelpful?
• Is she Unsupportive?
• Is she Overbearing?

• What are her reasons for behaving this way?
• Can you identify why the Character behaves this way?
• Should she behave this way?
• What caused this Behavior?
• What could cause a Behavior shift?
• What would make her change?
• Who would make her change?

• A Complete Character
• What are her Goals?
• What are her Quirks?
• What are her Strengths?
• What are her Weaknesses?

Types – Templates of Annoyance

How can you be Annoying?

Bully

• Does a Character uses Intimidation?
• Which kind of Intimidation?
• Is she Violent?
• How does this Violence manifest?
• Through which means?
• Is she Brutal?
• Does she throw herself at other people?
• Does she insult them openly?
• Is it an habit her hers?
• Does she realize the effect of her own actions?
• How premeditated are these actions?

Jester

• Does 1 Character use Sarcasm?
• Does she Insult others?
• Does she Denigrate others?
• Is she Snarky?
• Is she Snidey?
• When is she Sarcastic?
• Why is she Sarcastic?
• What does she try to hide?
• What does she try to protect?
• How Caustic is she?
• How does she Mock people?
• Does she call them Dumb?
• Does she call them Stupid?

Neglecter

• Do you have a Character who Ignore other?
• Why doesn’t she Listen to others?
• Why doesn’t she pay attention to them?
• Does she consider them expendable?
• Does she consider them to be a Hindrance?
• Does she try to Prove their value?
• Does she have difficulties to Focus?
• Is she enthusiastic to Participate?
• Does she enjoy being part of the Team?
• Does she only dislike a specific individual?
• Does she consider this individual toxic?
• How so?
• How does she respond?
• Is she herself often Ignored?

Superior

• Is there a Character which is more Capable than others?
• Is she Skilled?
• Is she Experienced?
• Is she Prepared?
• Does she Belittle others?
• Is she Pedant?
• Is she exhausted because she has to do everything?
• How ineffective are the others?
• Why are they ineffective?
• Can they take initiative?
• Do they want to?
• Is she controlling?

Contrarian

• Is 1 Character Particularly Divisive?
• Why is she Divisive?
• Why does she Contradict?
• What is she looking for?
• Why is she frustrated?
• Is she the only 1 who realizes other are making mistakes?
• What does she consider a mistake?
• Does she call them Useless?
• Does she Question?
• What does she Question?
• Does she want to Clarify?
• What does she want to Clarify?
• There maybe a necessity for Clarity.
• Is it the Character’s Goal?

Complainer

• Is a Character particularly Stubborn?
• Why is she Non integrated?
• Does she sound Hardened?
• Does she sound especially Rigid?
• Is she Cutting others?
• Is she Incapable?
• Is she particularly Unhelpful?
• Does she lack of Nuance?
• Is she Inexperienced?

Avoider

• Is there a Character who is cut off by others?
• Does it anger her?
• Does it annoy her?
• Does she seems to never have any issues?
• Does she avoid conflicts?
• Why does she avoid conflicts?
• What are they afraid of?
• What should come out of conflicts?
• Does she not interact?
• Display no signs of Involvement?
• Does she express herself?
• Does she share information?
• Does she share other resources?

Distracted & Distracting

• Do you have a Character which seems to be out of place?
• Do they do stupid things?
• Do they crack jokes?
• Are they Prepared?
• Do they Plan?
• How do they organize themselves?
• Does she Interrupt the Story?
• How so?
• Is she Enthusiastic?
• Is she Playing?
• Is she Running around?
• Is she Needy?

Timid

• Is there a Character which is particularly discreet?
• Do they display signs of Aggressiveness?
• Do they fake calm?
• What causes this passivity?
• Is she afraid?
• What is she Afraid of?
• Does she ever speak about her Goal?
• To any other Team member?
• How are her Quirks displayed?
• What are her Strengths?
• Does she show them?
• Could it become an Issue for the Team?
• How?

Fake

• Do you have a Characters who strives for admiration?
• What does she do to obtain it?
• What does she says to obtain it?
• What does she pretend to be able to do?
• Does she prove her Strengths?
• How reliable is she?
• When an issue occurs does she act?
• Does she intercede when trouble occurs?

Annoyance	Does	Doesn’t	Strength	Weakness	Goal	Symbol
Bully	Assault	Realize	Definitive	Violent	Exteriorisation	Punch
Jester	Insults	Encourage	Humorous	Sarcastic	Change	Hat
Neglecter	Search	Patient	Detached	Impatient	Results	Armor
Superior	Study	Discard	Skilled	Condescending	Implication	Scepter
Contrarian	Stand	Falter	Endurant	Rough	Clarity	Dagger
Complainer	Find issues	Find Solutions	Hearable/Loud	Lost	Safety	Mouth
Avoider	Secure	Wait	Unbiased	Disinterested	Peace	Blindfold
Distracted	Waste	Focus	Enthusiastic	Unfocused	Fun	Cloud
Timid	Listen	Antagonize	Gentle	Hesitant/Small	Acceptation	Pendant
Fake	Pretend	Act	Entertaining	Dishonest	Admiration	Medal