Hello, I hope all is well! I don’t really run a rp blog but I have a friend who is using my original characters to rp with others on their blog. They didn’t really ask me whether I felt comfortable with them rping my original characters but I never questioned it.
What makes me uncomfortable and slightly upset is that they don’t seem to listen to my thoughts, ideas, or headcannons concerning my characters and instead comes up their own without even asking me most of the time. They don’t really ask for my input on any ideas they have for my original characters and writes them however they want to. In fact they have never asked me about my original characters personalities, backgrounds, etc., and instead went ahead and came up with their own ideas from the get go. The problem is that their characterization of my oc does not sit well with me as it is almost entirely different from how I would characterize them.
While I don’t run a rp blog myself I am very passionate about my original characters because they are created and developed for the very purpose of creating unique and non-stereotypical darker skinned characters with their own insecurities, and it just makes me sad and uncomfortable to see my friend essentially take my characters from me and make them their own without any concern for my feelings on the matter.
This whole situation has been making me feel horrible because I have started to question whether my ideas are just bad and that’s why they don’t seem to take them seriously or even ask me about them. Yet at the same time my friend will take the ideas I had for my oc and apply it to their personal oc. As of right now I feel like I have no control over my original characters to the point that it feels like they aren’t even my ocs anymore.
I just wanted to know how I should handle the situation because right now I am too scared to speak up as it has gotten to the point that I am just worried that my friend and their rp partners will be upset with my interfering. Not only that but like I said above this situation has made me feel insecure and question whether I should speak up because now I’m worried everyone will hate how I characterize my oc since my friend has made them into their own thing.
First off, I’m very sorry you’re dealing with this situation at all.
It should be said that your friend is completely in the wrong for having blatantly STOLEN your OCs and used them without asking you. I know you’ve tried to be kind in generously allowing them to do so regardless and even telling them more about your character, etc., but this type of thing isn’t right.
Your friend has stolen your character and is using them how they see fit. It’s really that simple. Your ideas are not bad and your characters are yours.
I would truly speak up about it if your characters are that important to you. Here is what I would say:
Hey, I need to discuss something with you because it doesn’t sit right with me anymore. At the beginning, you took my OCs and basically started using them as your own without my permission. I tried to be kind and even allowed you to do so without you ever having consulted me, and even tried to tell you about my character so you could play them correctly. However, you constantly play my characters and put them in situations in ways that I do not feel comfortable and that is not my character at all. I do not appreciate this and I am requesting that you stop roleplaying my characters altogether. You have taken my work and tried to make it your own. And not only is it unfair to me, it is very disrespectful. So please, stop playing my characters now and for future reference.
Also please note that a ‘friend’ would not completely steal your character and move along with it and basically ignore everything you have to say about it. It would not be interfering if you speak up, because this person should not have stolen your OCs to begin with.
All the best to you!
The point of an OC is to create your own. Give them your own stuff. Own faceclaim, own backstory, own.
Which is why we stopped roleplaying with original characters because people plagiarize the work and really, when you are in the creative process which take a lot to develop OC’s you do put emotions and feelings into it because that is how our brains work neurological and psychologically. It’s all about creativity. And to restrict our interactions until we get to know the real person behind the original character is more essential to us than to watch a person who took some time and effort to develop their OC only to have it taken from them and denigrated.
We do not have a problem with the creation of OCs. That’s a good thing. We have a problem with unsavory others taking people’s OCs for their own uses disrespecting the time and effort it took to create an OC.
With established characters, well, taking characters and doing behaviors that are odd is what it is all about. It is how someone chooses their MUSE. So what? We do not own the characters, in this case Star Wars. So if someone wants to RP Darth Vader as Donald Trump, well have at it, best of luck. Not something we’d recommend, but whatever… Not our call. We probably won’t be RPing a Darth Vader Donald Trump though. Vader isn’t dumb.
SWAG77 promotes reading, writing and performing Star Wars on social media.
OCs are a manifestation of that. One of the best way to override how someone RPs your “stolen OC” is to write your fanfic (everyday), and then you’d have to find a way to promote it in your fandom.