Character creation workshop
(Featuring Ace Attorney)
I owe a considerable amount of who I am to the Ace Attorney series of video games. I’ve been entertained by these games, made connections and friendships through these games, tangentially ended up learning about audio engineering because of these games. Ace Attorney releases remain one of the only things that will get me to upgrade my game systems. (Proud new owner of a Switch, right here!) The first time I played Justice for All, I stayed up all night to finish it, and going to bed during that sunrise at the end of that story was so satisfying. That’s a memory that’s staying with me forever.
For the uninitiated. In the Ace Attorney games, you are a lawyer, tasked with saving the life of your client by investigating crime scenes, interrogating witnesses, and using all your evidence and logic to win the courtroom battle.
Just like that.
I don’t think most people play Ace Attorney for the gameplay mechanics, however. They play it for the story and characters. I know I do. My last blog post was about the constricting boundaries of genres, and I actually think the Ace Attorney games played a huge part in how I plan my stories, as well as my desire to incorporate elements of mystery, humor, drama, tragedy, and everything in between. And always, ALWAYS with strong driving character motivations and actions. Because where these games excel is making you understand who the character is within seconds of them appearing on screen for the first time. As well as the process of peeling back their layers to find out what makes them tick. Or what makes them guilty. Of course, video games are a visual medium, and with writing, we’re limited to what we can describe. But I’m theorizing that character introductions in the Ace Attorney games are actually a brilliant model for working with characters in writing.
Allow me to present Exhibit A: Furio Tigre. Take a minute. Check him out. There are so many interesting things happening visually in his design, it almost makes it easy to put prose to them.
‘The red of his suit nearly matched his sunburnt skin, his chest on full display beneath his jacket. His shoulders hung low, primed for pouncing like the large cat that was his namesake. A prime example of which was emblazoned devouring a dragon on his suit front. It was unclear which was sharper; the ends of his coiffure, or his canine teeth. From the wild look in his eyes, to the wads of cash in his hands, it was clear he meant business. And he was mad.’
Description is not my strong suit as a writer, it’s something I know I need to work on. Small experiments like this help me to hone how to build with details, rather than simply list out a list of physical traits. I think being an avid audiobook listener also helps out with this. I’ve learned to trust my own imagination. If you tell me a scene is set in a library, I can probably fill in most of the details about what that room looks like, leaving space on the page for details that may not be obvious, or that will power the characters.
His first line of dialogue is, and I quote: “Gwoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!“
I love it. I love it so much.
That roar is quickly followed by: “Whad are youse two snoopin' around in my office for!? Gwoaaaaaaaaaaaaaar! My precious carpet! Youse got ash on my rug! You' gonna wish your ugly feet never came through my door! Youse wanna argue with me!? Is that what you' doin'? You dink youse can take me on!? I'm gonna flatten youse two into pancakes and turn youse into my new rugs!”
Accent aside (I admit, it’s a little distracting and unnecessary, but hey), you get an immediate sense of who this guy is and how interactions with him are probably going to go. He’s quick tempered, aggressive, intimidating, and, to quote the wiki with a word I just learned tonight, obstreperous. A few lines of description, a bit of dialogue, and an action, and a character has been established. Of course, as with any good character, who they are on the surface is certainly not all that makes them up, but that’s what the rest of the story is for.
With the Three Willows trilogy drafted and in those not-really-creating stages of work, I’m teetering on the edge of new ideas, and having to create all new casts. It’s certainly hard to leave behind the characters I’ve spent years with now, but I know I want to challenge myself. I want to create visually interesting characters with words and bring them to life for my readers quickly. I know that Ace Attorney will continue to be an inspiration. Thank you, Shu Takumi.
Closing statement: Just, play these games.
