"What are some reasons why people might hate original characters (OCs), and what makes an OC bad writing-wise?"

• Ironically some Oc are not original
• They're obnoxious
• Not interesting
• Too many
• Mary sue
• Cringe
• Self-Inserts, Its about Ego 100%, for most.

Most people use Oc's as a form of wish fulfillment, not genuine storytelling. Genuine storytelling, which is what would elevate a lot of these characters. And branding is important, marketing is underrated.

They're not saying anything storywise. Its just a matter of someone bringing attention to themselves amidst a life they have no control over, power fantasy: which can be a recipe of something relatable for others to connect with, the key is execution and restraint of inserting too much of yourself into the formula. 

In writing, there is a humility that can manifest that teaches you things about life. Because to truly represent a story of an experience that you reasonably cannot possibly fathom (ex. a woman writing a man's experience/trauma and a man writing a woman's experience/trauma), at some point you have to learn and humble yourself to write that story worth a damn.

One way or another, OC warrior authors project themselves in the mix to manufacture central importance, it’s a form of narcissism, but it’s natural (namely for adolescent children with social deficits who want to exist, as we all do); social media, wanting to win sports, Oc’s, wanting to be seen, everyone does it eventually.

• To tell a story is not a person deriving some inter-dimensional knowledge from Dimension-X, it’s essentially people channeling their own experience into a story, pieces of themselves & others is the story. It’s inevitable. Projection in isolation is not a problem, it’s why some of the best icons in pop culture exist:

This is why when Manga & Anime are on trial and criticized, the "Fiction doesn't affect reality" red herring is invalid; because fantasy derives from reality and thus bleeds back into it through the beholder.

• The key is moderation and putting your ego on the bottom shelf and prioritizing the narrative over yourself. If there even is a narrative, sometimes the point of the oc is they literally are the story, which is where the stifling “Main character syndrome” effect can come into play.

Because rarely is the most important character separate from who the author is in some way, ESPECIALLY if we’re talking about teenagers or people with low-esteem.

Where their flaws are virtues, never wrong, too confident, almost everything goes their way, damn near everyone likes them, in control in conversations/situations unnaturally; the most powerful but no caveat or stipulation to that power— Average modern Isekai protagonist/Anime self-insert/ Western Woke Mary Sue archetype aka Strong female character/ Average OC essentially

Too many Oc lack complexity, or possess serious issues that are played on as an opportunity to set up a journey for the character or a downfall with no return. Narrative parallels, themes, through lines, perhaps a commentary.

Not expecting a 12 yr old to exercise any of this, but OC’s in general regardless of age, do indeed lack these elements to make an oc “complex”. Doesn’t have to be complicated either. 

Complex means there more to them, complicated means there's disorganization; a contrivance is forced.

You could make an OC complex in one comic sequence and never show them again, & leave it at that. It happens all the time in Short films. Take more notes from that & Indie games.

PRO TIP: playing video games broadens your scope as a writer, because of the inherent immersion factor-- in ways watching a show doesn't. Same with a book. Book vs Video Game? Video Game, because it's 3Dimensional digital reality, way more to chew on and sometimes you get multiple endings. 




Think of a simple tale like Earthbound or Little nightmares 2, short films like “Yardbird” or LISA the Painful/ or LISA the JOYFUL (female mc’s that don’t exist solely to be pieces of meat or Feminist mouthpieces but in fact are Feminist in ways that American/Western Feminism forgot or abandoned to instead be an obstacle to their country's future).

Those are very simple stories with simple characters, style is simple, and the narrative is very simple while the characters are complex, within a world that is very very ugly despite how cartoonish it is or it can be  light hearted with some epic elements with quirky comedy like Earthbound.

Paula doesn't speak, but has dialogue. She's a girly girl, but that's not a sign of weakness, she is in fact the most useful companion in the game & the sole reason why the day is saved in the end fight. 

For VG the narrative is often implemented into gameplay to tell a story, a tragedy or a triumph. World building, goals, the end.

Not every OC needs to be part of an epic, but an OC needs more going for em than just a bio- if you want them to not be typical.

• Mind you, there’s a difference between Self-Insert and OC, it’s just that most people use their OC as self-inserts. 
• Oc is just an original character, an OC that’s just an extra you based off of some random dude on the bus you found interesting from a distance, is not a self-insert
• A Self-insert is specifically designed to be the authors direct conduit into the world, where they tend to be the special snowflake, not a special snowflake, but “THE” special snowflake.



Again, reason why some/many Oc fall flat out the gate is because they're blatantly a projection based off of usually overcompensation, ego, or a favorite media of the author, and there’s very few additions or alterations to the Oc; or it’s over-designed and obnoxious, creativity vs just a mascot that looks like visual vomit: ie. average VTuber avi




For most forms of bad writing in modern day stems from agenda, bad execution, projection, defiance, politics, spite, or lack of vision, or lack of life experience. (that's a big one)

This agenda being: People just want to be the main character in their own world of fiction, because they are the main character in their own simulation of life. But unlike real life, they get to control who matters in the story, where they control who is special and who isn’t.

“People just want to be the main character in their own world of fiction, where they control who is special and who isn’t.” - The essence of OC’s (Original characters)

All stemming from a real world where nobody is special, where you are not the main character. To some extent, I respect people that wait until they’re in an appropriate setting to make themselves the mc in fiction vs people IRL who create nothing and truly believe they are THE main character.



With an oc, rarely is anyone NOT self-inserting, for writing when you’re in the zone, it’s subconscious as to what you’re putting on the notes being of self or a general share. 

• Seldom do people avoid making their self-insert the most special person in some way or not the central focus. But it's a good practice.
• Most people fall into this naturally & some grow out of it, especially since teenagers usually make oc's more frequently because they want to be seen.
• By adulthood is when you've adjusted (or you should have) & make stories about characters separate from you. But a lot adults still use Oc's as a proxy, and it shows.
• That’s some of what people hate about it.

Those are some reasons. Oc's lack nuance, usually stereotypes and clichés that just exist to be a profile/bio aesthetic, meaning some exist literally to be a character sheet with information attached to it: Zodiac sign and everything. Or a mouthpiece, propaganda mascot, etc.

But I like it at the same time, for the most part, because it gives people an outlet. 

Some won’t get it, some won’t know the difference, but you just gotta trust that enough people’s life experience will naturally take them to a place to where they don’t have to feel like the main character to be seen or comfortable in their own skin amidst the realtime meta-story that is in fact: Real life.