Talk:original character

RFD
Seems SoP. If you create a fanwork, you may have borrowed characters and original characters: characters that are original. Equinox ◑ 23:23, 28 September 2014 (UTC)
 * I disagree. Considering "OC" and the like are used for it, and the fact that the term itself is used as if it were a lone noun at times, I think it should be kept. However, I don't really care about the inclusion of this term here anyways, so I won't make any "official" vote. Tharthan (talk) 23:33, 28 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Is "lone noun" a linguistic term? What is it? Why is "brown leaf" not a lone noun? Also, the existence of an abbreviation doesn't say much: we have e.g. FYI and AICMFP and LOL but probably would not want entries for their full expansions. Equinox ◑ 23:38, 28 September 2014 (UTC)
 * By a "lone noun", I refer to it being treated as if it really doesn't have an adjective before it, and furthermore carrying a definition that is separate from its parts. A "character that is original" means, simply, a "character that was created with originality". Meanwhile, an "original character" (as opposed to an "original" "character") is "a character that is used within something that references another product or the like, but that is not part of that product's canon". Additionally, people often refer to "popular OCs" and "a popular original character", once again treating "original character" as "original character" and not "a character that is original".This is a similar case. Tharthan (talk) 23:58, 28 September 2014 (UTC)
 * I'm not sure if you'll care for or be satisfied by these, but:

TVTropes has this: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OriginalCharacter

This mock-blog: http://originalcharacterdisorder.tumblr.com/

A certain encyclopedia that I don't plan to link to because of its content (hint: it uses the letter ash as its symbol) discusses the topic in detail (albeit mockingly).

Other than that, it's pretty hard to find particular attestations of this that merit referencing (probably due to it being a term used only in aficionado subcultures). Tharthan (talk) 03:05, 29 September 2014 (UTC)
 * Keep. "Original character" is a discrete concept within fandom. The term's use is restricted in a way that cannot be derived from its components. Almost every fictional character in existence is an original character, strictly speaking, in that he/she/it was at some point dreamed up by someone. But this term generally only applies to fan-created characters integrated into fanworks (especially fan fiction) based on pre-existing fictional universes. It's generally not used to describe a new character added to an official adaption of an existing creative property that isn't found in the source work/canon (e.g. Tauriel from the second Hobbit movie). -Cloudcuckoolander (talk) 07:19, 30 September 2014 (UTC)


 * Keep (assuming CFI). It is definitely not SOP, since the fanfic context is not obvious.  SOP usage would seemingly be for Olive Oyl and Fritzi Ritz, as opposed to late-comers Popeye and Nancy.  Or in a TV context, Batman and Robin, but not season 3 Batgirl.  And even within the context of fanfic, it is impossible to know a priori what exactly is meant by "original".  Is an "original character" a character that was in the original work that the fanfic is based on?  Or is it a new, original idea, someone dreamed-up by the fan?  Or back to TV, same bat-channel, was Aunt Harriet an "original character"?  SOP won't tell us.  Choor monster (talk) 15:40, 22 October 2014 (UTC)


 * Keep. Isn’t it from the Japanese オリジナルキャラクター, which always means a fan-created character in a fanwork? — T AKASUGI Shinji (talk) 00:24, 28 October 2014 (UTC)
 * And where does the Japanese come from? — Keφr 07:04, 4 November 2014 (UTC)


 * Keep, the implied fanfic context sells it to me. — Keφr 07:04, 4 November 2014 (UTC)

Kept. bd2412 T 00:44, 12 November 2014 (UTC)