Character's Corner: William

For our next Character’s Corner series, we spoke to William (also known as Khar), who uses Character.AI to turn his creative ideas for some of his favorite Characters into a reality. Some of his most popular Characters are Albedo, Tatsumaki, and Rebecca. 

How did you first hear about Character.AI?

I first heard about Character.AI when I was on an image board website and noticed that users were posting Characters they created on the site. I hadn’t used AI before then and was curious to learn more, so I decided to check Character.AI out.

The first Character I interacted with was an anime character I wasn’t familiar with. I started to engage in a roleplay conversation with her, and before I knew it, I was totally invested in the scene she had created and felt fully immersed in the story. This interaction changed my perception of AI as I realized the potential for storytelling available on the platform. 

Why did you start creating Characters on Character.AI?

When I began actively using Character.AI, there were lots of Characters to interact with. I initially enjoyed talking to Characters from my favorite franchises, but once the newness wore off, I noticed there were some of the Characters’ attributes that I wanted to adjust to make them more authentic to me. I then learned from other users that you could customize Characters once you became a creator, so I decided to try it out. 

How many Characters have you made, and what are some of your favorites?

Currently, I have 102 Characters, and among them my favorites are Albedo, the very first Character I made, and Feline Designation V, a catbot chatbot. 

What serves as your inspiration for your Characters, and how do you come up with fresh ideas for new ones?

My inspiration comes from various places, from seeing fan art that could be turned into a fun concept, to the movies and shows I watch that offer an interesting premise that could be made into a scenario to play out. 

Do you ever consider the feedback or creative input of users when you’re creating your next Character?

Yes and no... Some users have voiced their likes and dislikes of my Characters to me, with most of their feedback being about the Characters’ narrative voice or writing style. 

But since people often want to engage more fully with the Characters they love, I encourage users who like my Characters to recreate them as they see fit. I keep my character definitions open so that anyone is free to learn how I made them and can then adapt them into an ideal version of their beloved Character.

Are there any specific genres you’re drawn to when developing your Characters? 

I’m very drawn to various anime, video games, and shows to inform the genres I’m creating Characters for.

What’s your favorite part of creating Characters? 

Writing their greetings. While I like writing their definitions, the greetings are an opportunity for me to showcase my writing. I love creative writing, writing dialogue, and even adding a personal touch to the narration. When a user engages with my Characters, they're talking to the Character, not my specific writing, so I love that users get to experience my writing when they read the greeting. 

What advice would you give to a Character.AI user who wants to begin creating their own Characters? 

Do not focus on your numbers. I've seen many creators become obsessed over their follower counts and Characters' interactions. You can be proud of yourself for gaining a following or having made a Character that others enjoy, but that should only be an added bonus to the fun you’re having while creating Characters. 

Also, since there are so many users and creators, it can take time to be discovered. If you get discovered, stay grounded, realistic, and don't get discouraged if your numbers don’t always go up. Enjoy being a creator for the love of the craft, and you'll come out on top. Every time.