User blog comment:Sprinklemist/Writer's Workshop: Characters/@comment-75.166.193.150-20100423233141

When writing a competition story based on (or, perhaps, merely inspired by) Total Drama specifically, the writer must make two choices right off the bat, because these choices will directly impact character development (and perhaps character traits as well). The choices are:

1) Do you want realism, or do you want to preserve the cartoonish exaggerations of the original? (The darker or deeper the tone, the more likely you'll want realism, but I can't think of a tone that would flat-out require realism.)

2) Do you want to "play it straight" (be the tone dark or light), or do you want to preserve the satirical nature of the original?

There are other choices to make as well, e.g. whether to do a drama or a comedy, but the choices above are the ones specific to Total Drama derivatives.

I'm generally a Realist, myself, so my stories have been as realistic as I could make them. If I ever write a competition story (highly unlikely, but never say "never"), it would probably be the same way.

I'm not sure I entirely agree with the statment that we might as well use canon characters if we want characters that are similar to them. If, for example, the writer wants a Gwen type and a Trent type, but doesn't want the baggage of their relationship and doesn't want to do an outright TDI reimagining, then original characters might be in order. If you go that route, though, be sure your characters merely recall the originals without being carbon copies. (Yes, I know I'm dating myself. Does anyone use carbon paper anymore?)

The foregoing assumes of course, that the writer is contemplating a competition story. This wiki probably isn't the right place for a noncomp that has neither canon characters nor characters from this wiki's competition stories. (Special exemption for stories based on this wiki's users.)