The deadline for the FCP Fiesta Contest is a week away (December 28th)! Rare couples seems to be a favorite choice. ;) I might extend the deadline since I take so long to update (sorry sorry!), but we'll see how many submissions I get!

Note: This chapter was written by Forever Fyre. If you love Fyre's writing style and want some fun story prompts, check out her story, Fyre's Guide to Creativity!

Special thanks to: Heart N, Asami Grace, Ana-DaughterofHades, Tzoulia, Anonymous Rex, DStrange, Mai4eternity, Sleeping Kangaroo, GrayShoedWonder, Panakin, Forever Fyre, purpleexplodingbananas, randomanonomousgirl, mike50333, allofthesefeels, Justice Tokidoki, Irako of the Desert, EllieRicci, deaths lovely nightmare, grizzlybairparty, and IAmMyOwnBiggestMystery for reviewing so wonderfully.

Chapter 11 – Azula's Characters and Crybabies

Azula hated climbing in rooms through windows.

She learned that the hard way when she snagged her shirt, fell to the floor, and managed to stub her toe on the metal day-bed that was strategically placed right beneath the window. She started to mumble something about how the FCP wasn't worth it when she heard a loud, annoying laugh coming from the other room. Azula moved to the wall to figure out what they were laughing about. Her brow furrowed as she made out a girl's voice.

"You're so weird!" exclaimed a giggly voice. "Ugh, hang on. Putting you on speaker... There. You don't know how hard it is to paint your nails and play video games upside-down."

Azula slapped her forehead as another voice entered the picture. "Why are you painting your nails?"

"Red paint, duh!"

"Oh yeah, you stopped biting your nails. I hope you realize they probably already cast all the roles... if they decide to make another one." She paused. "How could you even buy that movie? It was terrible!"

"Because I need humor in my life."

"And I am...?"

"That thing."

Azula didn't try to figure out what this pointless conversation meant. She turned the corner and entered the shadows of the clashing too-colorful-for-Azula's-taste room. The rugs were hot pink, and the bedspreads were turquoise. Tie-dye posters were scattered across the lime green walls. There was unexpectedly a large TV screen with Xbox 360 console. At the top of the screen, the words "The Last Airbender: Video Game" flashed.

One more thing in the room disturbed Azula: the girl dangling upside-down from her bed with a telephone placed by one ear, a bottle of red nail-polish in one hand, and a game controller in the other. Her long dark hair was pulled into pigtails, making the fourteen-year-old look even younger than she was. She wore tennis shoes and denim shorts, and she appeared to have had too much sugar in her cereal this morning.

Azula cringed slightly as the girl giggled and continued the conversation. "I don't know. I might make a good Ty Lee."

The blue-fire-bender gagged as the girl's friend on the phone sighed. "Not flexible enough."

"Pana, I'm standing on my head."

The other girl – Pana – paused for a moment. "Fyre, you're crazy."

Azula's eyes widened. This... psychopath… was the thing she was supposed to be teaching? Why did Summer torture her with the weird ones? Mai was getting that perfectly normal boy, Zuko was getting that somewhat normal girl, but this kid was off the charts of "normal."

The girl's eyes turned to Azula. She paused for a moment, staring at Azula like she was thin air. "Panakin," she said calmly. "I'm gonna have to call you back. I'm either asleep at the moment, or the coolest person ever is in my room."

"Robert Pattinson?"

Fyre looked like she'd eaten a lemon. "What? No! Look, I'll call you back." She hung up and swung herself up, so she was sitting on her bed facing the wall.

Fyre paused her game then spun around to face Azula, who was extremely confused. Based on Summer's notes, this girl should have been freaking out right now. But instead, she stood up, yawned, and made her way over to Azula, who she randomly pinched.

Azula jumped back and seized the girl's hand. "What was that for?!"

"Just testing to see if you were real." Her head tilted to the left, causing her right pigtail to smack her in the cheek. She then – very unexpectedly –jumped up in the air like a five-year-old, squealing with delight. This made Azula even more uncomfortable. "Take THAT, world!" Fyre squealed.

Azula stepped back, terrified and confused. The girl was now running back and forth squealing and jumping up and down, until she tripped over thin air and fell face first on her floor. Azula cringed lightly and stepped over her hyperventilating body. "Do you have a phone?" she asked, bending over to look at her.

Fyre gave a kooky smile and pointed to her peace-sign-pillow. "Under the pillow."

Azula poked at the pillow until it fell over. She gripped the cell phone and dialed Summer's number.

"Hello?"

"Summer?" Azula asked, staring in horror at Fyre's demon-possessed cat, which had walked into the room as she dialed. The cat bit Fyre's nose and wandered off without even a meow.

"Hi, Azula! Did you find Fyre?" Summer's cheery voice came through the phone.

Azula narrowed her eyes. "I found... something. Is Fyre..."

"Insane?"

"She's lying on the floor, foaming at the mouth, hyperventilating… and singing oldies music." Azula walked over and checked Fyre's pulse. It was somewhere between a hummingbird-butterfly.

Summer paused for a moment, as if deep in thought. "Is there caffeine or sugar anywhere nearby?" she asked gravelly.

Azula glanced around the bright room. Her gaze landed on a Cherry Dr. Pepper. "Cherry-flavored caffeine."

"Ohhh." Summer drawled out the word. "Sorry Azula, she has ADHD, or something. Just try to unlock her dangerous side. She'll break out of the crazy spell if you do that." Azula could just sense Summer shrugging.

Azula sighed and hung up, before realizing, "This isn't the dangerous side?" She walked over to Fyre's body and nudged her slightly. "I guess I'll be going..."

"What?" Fyre jumped up. "NO! You can't leave! Not yet! I have questions!" Fyre dashed to her closet, which was filled with books, clothes, and DVD's. They all fell on top of Fyreher She grabbed all of her Avatar books and DVD's - there were a lot of them - and ran over to Azula, who had never been so speechless before in her life.

"Okay, so in the Avatar world, do they have, like, hybrid fruit? I mean, I know they have hybrid animals... What is with that anyways? Why don't you have a last name? I mean, Toph does, and she's just a rich kid. And how old is Zuko? I mean, he was thirteen when he was banished and there was that whole 'three year anniversary' thing, but this book here says that he's seventeen. Oh, and –"

Azula grabbed Fyre's tongue, burnt it, grabbed a tie-dye poster off the wall, burnt that, and watched in horror as Fyre scooped up the ashes, placed them in a bag, and hugged it.

"And people think I'm crazy..." Azula whispered, pinching the bridge of her nose and trying to keep calm. Unfortunately, she had made a deal with Zuzu to be in this stupid 'FCP' thing; be good, or go back to the crazy house. Right now, though, she felt like she was in the crazy house.

Azula stuck her arm out in front of Fyre, causing her to stop running and look up at her, smiling wide. "Fyre, sweetie?" Azula placed her arms on the younger girl's shoulders. Fyre nodded rapidly. "You're going to need to calm down. . ."

"Cam howl?" Fyre's burnt tongue attempted to say.

Azula's eye twitched as her friendly smile turned into a terrifying frown, and her eyes mustered to a deadly glare. "Could you be more obsessed?" Azula asked.

"Um... no?"

Azula slapped her forehead. "Okay, I can handle this. Summer for once has lists that may come in handy."

"Lealy?" Fyre raised an eyebrow. Azula glared at her. "Okay, okay! So, I can talk normal with a burnt tongue. Comedic relief, you know?"

"You need this list more than most authors do."

Features that Develop Characters
Most of the lists in this chapter involve creating cool characters. There will be a later chapter that focuses on implementing this knowledge into your story!
In a story, a person's true colors can shine through in the following features…

Reflection - a character's own thoughts on certain matters.

Dialogue - can develop two characters at once! What a deal!

Actions - the way your characters do things can say a lot about their personality.

Flashback - the past can definitely reveal a lot.

Reaction - certain things tick them off or make them excited. Find out what.

Other Characters - what type of characters bug them/bring out the best in them?

Quirks - Twirling their hair/tapping their foot/playing with their pencil/etc.

Intimate Setting - a place that sparks strong emotions in your character.

Beloved Object/Pet - use your imagination for this one and think of something striking.

Emails/Letters, etc. - I don't recommend using these in FanFiction, but this is helpful in original works.

"Okay. . .so what? That doesn't tell me much. I mean, yeah, characters need to have character, but it's kind of a cliffhanger, I mean, what do you - "

"Develop in your characters?" Azula shrugged, holding up the next list. "I swear, you and Summer have the same brain."

"Nah. Summer has some sanity left in her."

Summer's Character Sheet – What to Develop in Characters
Yay! My favorite part of every story is getting to know every little detail about my characters, so they come to life in the story. Make sure you check out the bonus list this week to see my professor's character sheet for more development! After all, if you're going to write about them, then you need to know all you can!

Name –

Height –

Age –

Birthplace –

Hair color, length, style –

Ethnicity –

Voice (slang, favorite phrases) –

Scars or other notable physical attributes –

Athleticism –

Dress –

Favorite colors –

Feel about appearance –

Siblings –

Parent relationship –

Childhood memories –

Education –

Work experience –

Where they live (emotionally and physically) –

Neat or messy –

Friends –

Enemies? Why?

Socially –

Dominant traits (2 – 3) –

Strongest trait –

Fears –

Proud of –

Ashamed of –

Insecurities –

Outlook on life –

Life ambitions –

See themselves –

Seen by others –

Will readers like him/her?

Note:Just because you, the author, know everything about this character doesn't mean that you need to hit your audience over the head with it all! The more details that you know, the more believable the character will be. Embed these details strategically throughout the story.

"OUCH. What was that for?" Fyre suddenly yelled.

Azula innocently pulled her hand away from Fyre's wrist, which now had a brand new burn. "It's called fire, Fyre." Azula stopped to scratch her head awkwardly. Fyre just stared as she continued, "Summer told me something about characters, blah blah blah, something about flames, and then something along the lines of Sokka is dead to her. Anyhow, I thought I'd burn you so we could get this chapter over with."

Ignoring her rant, Fyre examined the last list and pointed to a line that stood out to her. "What does she mean when she says we need to interview our characters?

Azula raised an eyebrow at Fyre and her tall pigtails. "I was getting to that."

"Suuure you were."

Character Interview

Directions to a successful interview: Sit down with your character and politely ask the following questions. At first, it might seem awkward, but as you go, they'll warm up to you. If you have a great imagination, try expanding the interview. These are simple questions, so you might be able to build a conversation.

1. Where did you grow up, and does it affect you during the course of the story?

2. Talk to me about your parents. What are their names, and what do you know about their personalities? Also, how do you feel about each one, and how did they each affect your life?

3. Who are your closest friends? What do you think about each one of them?

4. Who is the one person who you admire the most? How about the person who you would give anything for?

5. Name three words describe you best.

6. What is one thing you cannot stand?

7. How do you feel about relationships? What is your "type?"

8. Name a song that describes your life right now.

9. What's your favorite physical feature about yourself?

10. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would you change?

11. If you could be granted one wish, what you would you wish for?

12. Name something that people don't like about you. Name something that people love about you.

13. What are your greatest talents?

14. What are three short or long term goals you would like to accomplish?

15. What's your idea of a perfect day?

"Wow. Summer forgot to mention you like to babble about nothing," Azula grumbled.

Fyre pouted. "It's not nothing! These are great questions! But they're also a lot of questions, and there are a lot of different things to develop in characters. You're not supposed to give readers all the background and qualities of your character all at once. There must be different places to add characterization…"

Fyre's eyes went to the huge pile of lists next to her favorite character. She leaned in and grabbed one of the lists on top and read it. "Man, Summer and I are freaky."

"Glad I could help," Azula muttered.

Where to Put Character Development
Sharing everything about a character at once is overwhelming. Find strategic, relevant places to scatter all the great fun facts about your OC…

1. Narrative – Throw some casual characterization into your narrative. Whether if you're writing in first or third person, add your main character's thoughts to the scene to spice it up!

2. Action – Give reasoning behind your characters' actions! A certain mannerism may lead back to his or her upbringing. Catching sight of another character may bring back a flood of memories. That's the great things about stories! Authors can go on a slight tangent and then return to the action as if no time had passed.

3. Friends – Conversations with friends are opportune places to add in some fun memories. Remember that your character had a life before your story, so use the people in their life to your advantage.

4. Enemies – Encounters with the villain can bring out a tragic backstory in the hero. The antagonist of the story can reveal both the good and bad qualities of your main character. Use the empathy we feel for the hero to make us hate/admire the villains!

5. Love Interests – Or lack thereof. Romance has always been a huge component of FanFiction, so what does your character's love life say about their character?

6. Wherever Relevant –Everyone has different places where they like to key their readers into their characters' lives. Some authors keep them super vague the entire story and allow their actions to speak for themselves. Whatever your writing style, just know that richer characters make a richer story!

***Always Remember: You will never write a story that is more interesting than the people in it!***

"Is that everything?" Azula asked impatiently.

Fyre shrugged. "Unless Summer has something to add when she burns this chapter to the ground, nope."

"Good. I'm leaving."

Azula strode to open Fyre's door only to find a panting Twilight lover doubled over on the ground.

"Where's… Robert?" she breathed.

BONUS LIST! Summer's Playwriting Teacher's Character Form
My professor is a published novelist and playwright, and her play was on Broadway! I couldn't put the list in the chapter since it isn't mine, but it's worth sharing. Enjoy!

PART I: PHYSICAL

Full name:

Sex:

Date of Birth/Age:

Place of Residence:

Height:

Weight/Body Build:

Hair:

Eyes:

Peculiar Physical Traits:

Glasses/Contacts:

Nervous Habits:

Smell:

Voice:

Usual Walking Style:

Mannerisms:

Clothes/shoes/accessories:

PART II: GENERAL

Occupation/Social Class:

Education/Intelligence:

Usual disposition:

Optimist/Pessimist?

Introvert/Extrovert?

Confident/Self-conscious?

Hobbies/Recreations/Sports:

Talents:

Major Goals:

1.

2.

3.

4.

PART III: RELATIONSHIPS

Significant Other/Relationship:

S/he lives with:

S/he spends the most time with:

Father/Relationship with him/Occupation:

Mother/Relationship with her/Occupation:

Sibling/Relationship:

S/he views his/her family:

S/he views his/her friends:

PART IV: ATTITUDE

Greatest fear:

Character is most at ease when:

Most ill at ease when:

Philosophy:

How s/he feels about self:

PART V: PERSONALITY

Greatest strength in character's personality:

Greatest weakness in character's personality:

Character's soft spot:
-Is this soft spot obvious to others?:

Biggest vulnerability:

7 deadly sins does your character fight (or give into, willingly or not):
-(The 7 deadly sins are lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, pride)

7 virtues does your character have (or fight against):
-(The 7 virtues are chastity, abstinence, liberality, diligence, patience, kindness, humility)

PART VI SELF-PERCEPTION

One word character would use to describe self:

What does character consider best physical characteristic:

What does character consider worst physical characteristic:

How character thinks others perceive him/her:

What four things would character most like to change about self?

1.

2.

3.

4.

If change #1 was made, would character be as happy as s/he thinks:

Sokka: Don't forget about the FCP Fiesta Contest! Submission PMs must be sent by December 28th! Participate, people!

Sneak peak…Zuko gives Ellie a secret tour of the FCP while he teaches us about starting and ending stories!
Review prompt…Tell me about your favorite OC who you've created.