Some of the most important and special figures in history have created alter egos (second me) for a variety of purposes. A good alter ego can keep your true identity a secret or help you mentally sort out difficult opinions and actions. Whether you're an amateur superhero looking to hide his genuine gentle personality or a subversive writer looking to protect your reputation from the onslaught of a society unprepared for your vision, alter egos can be essential to helping you achieve your goals. This guide will help you adapt your alter ego to your unique situation.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Designing Your New Persona
Step 1. Determine the purpose of your alter ego
Why did you create an alter ego? What goal do you want to achieve? Do you create alter egos for fun or for serious purposes? The answers to these questions will influence your decision to create an alter ego. For example, if you're trying to keep your nom de plume (aka) identity from appearing in a piece of art that would be considered controversial, you may need to create a fake name instead. However, if you are a musician you want to expand your creativity by adopting a surprising new persona, you may need to create detailed stories and personalities for your characters. Compare your ambitions to your goals when creating an alter ego.
Generally, no alter ego is planned too much. As long as you don't blur the mental line between your alter ego and your true self, you are free to create as detailed an alter ego as you see fit
Step 2. Give your alter ego a personality and voice
The alter ego's most important trait is his personality – the way he talks and acts. Is this alter ego just a substitute in yourself, in other words, will everything be like you except the name? Or will it be a unique character with a personality different from yours? Make your choice based on your goal of creating an alter ego. If you're writing semi-autobiographical work, the characters you include may be best suited to speak and act like you. However, if you're creating a superhero alter ego for yourself, you may want your character to come across as action-packed and impressively exaggerated – more so than a normal person.
Often the alter ego is equipped with traits that its creator did not have. By becoming his alter ego, his creator can attempt to overcome the difficulties caused by his personality defects. For example, you are usually stiff and shy, you can be a cocky, confident alter ego when you are at a party full of people you don't know
Step 3. Give your alter ego a different look
What does your alter ego look like? Does he have a simple but impressive appearance or does he stand out from the crowd? The character's appearance should match or complement his personality – if you're designing the character of a sly used car salesman, you might be able to choose a shiny coat, his hair is neatly slicked back, your smile is wide but insincere, for example. If your alter ego is an extraordinary character such as an extraterrestrial or a superhero, you may need to design an exaggerated costume that demonstrates his superhuman status.
If you plan to hide behind your alter ego in real life keep your appearance in mind when designing your character. Make sure you can realistically imitate your character by changing clothes, applying makeup, etc. If you're a 200kg professional sumo wrestler, your skinny computer hacker alter ego may have to stay in the realm of fiction
Step 4. Create a suitable background story for your alter ego
Characters rarely exist in a creative vacuum. Giving your alter ego an interesting (and appropriate) personal history can give a realistic feel to his appearance and personality. It can also help you determine these things if you're having trouble coming up with a good idea. Your background story can be vague or detailed. It can be ordinary or extraordinary. There is no "right" choice when designing a backstory – only logical ones that reflect the character's appearance and personality. When writing your alter ego story, ask yourself questions such as:
- Where do alter egos come from?
- What was his life like?
- What experiences shape it?
- Who does he know and with whom is he in a relationship?
Step 5. Think of a suitable name
This is the most fun part of the whole process! A good catchy name can make an otherwise just-attractive alter ego become icon. Make a list of names, including ideas that you think are ridiculous or inappropriate – they can lead you to names that are truly inspiring. Think of names that match your alter ego's goals. If you're a typical foreign spy in Central America, for example, you'll need a boring, simple name like "Chris Stephens." You (of course) don't want an over-the-top name that will attract attention like the goofy "Xavier Rex Riviera de la Cruz" like "Guy McNormalson (I'm Normal)."
- Often, the alter ego's name will reflect his or her role or personality. Rapper Nas sometimes refers to himself as "Nas Escobar" – a reference to drug lord Pablo Escobar and a reflection of his sinister personality.
- Another common trick is to choose a name that relates to your own. Your alter ego can be a play on the letters of your own name or a word or phrase (as in the Harry Potter series, the main villain goes by his real name, Tom Marvolo Riddle, to spell the anagram "I am Lord Voldemort.") your real name (Jennifer Lopez, for example use the names J. Lo or Lola.)
Step 6. Complete small details about your alter ego
Give your character some depth by giving him a unique and specific trait. Humans actually have strange traits and habits, so your character will look more real if he has them too. You may want to choose details that match your role or personality - the alter ego of a grizzled mercenary may be walking a little limp from an old, indistinct wound. Instead, you may want to choose a trait that contrasts attractively with the background you give your character. For example, you could give the mercenary character a childish enthusiasm for the game tiddlywinks. Good alter egos, like real people, are often complex and often contradictory.
Part 2 of 2: Using Your New Identity
Step 1. Practice your alter ego
Now that you've designed your special alter ego, it's time to be him! Practice speaking, acting, and/or writing like your character. Research your actions and "voice" – for example, think about whether your character will walk or talk in a certain way based on their background and personality. Gather materials or clothes and make a costume for your alter ego (thrift stores can be a good choice for cheap and outdated clothes). Only you can determine how far you will go as your alter ego – with luck, your character might even be more famous than you!
Consider showing off your character at the next costume party or fan convention you attend
Step 2. Stay in character
Your alter ego will feel more "real" and authentic when you are committed to your appearance. When you go back and forth between your old identity and your new identity, people will see you as someone in a costume, not as someone completely new. Resist the urge to act normally as you would normally act. This will be easier if you get into character hours (even days) before you need to – just walking around the house or doing chores outside the house as your alter ego. You will easily get into your new character like completing simple tasks. A difficult appearance, in time will feel more natural.
Try modifying your daily habits and routines to match your alter ego. If your character takes care of themselves in a different way, for example, make these changes in your daily life. The revered method used by actors like Daniel Day Lewis is well known for adopting the habits of his characters. To prepare for his role in The Age of Innocence, Lewis covered himself with perfume and wore 1870-style clothes while doing his daily chores
Step 3. Look for inspiration from famous alter egos
Hundreds of figures throughout history have adopted alter egos. If you're short on inspiration, check out history books for lots of examples of how to immerse yourself in your new identity. Many alter egos, such as musician David Bowie's famous alter ego "Ziggy Stardust", have become cultural stepping stones in music, fashion, and other art forms. Others, such as the character played by actor Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat, Bruno, etc.) have trumped the fame and recognition of the character creators themselves. Study your historical context – your alter ego, knowingly or unknowingly, may be influenced by an alter ego in the past.
- Please respect past alter egos through minor references, details, etc., but, like any work of art, don't completely copy someone else's creations.
- You can also look at examples of unsuccessful alter egos. For example, 90s country music star Garth Brooks was ridiculed for his somber persona "Chris Gaines." His serious, alt-rock-style alter ego looks goofy and forced compared to his more earnest country look up to that point. Try compiling a list, historically, of alter egos that did or didn't work in your field – writing, music, etc.
Tips
- Make sure your alter ego has flaws.
- If you have a flaw in your behavior, you may be able to cover it up, let your alter ego do it.
- Have fun!
- Be creative but stay true to yourself.
- Try writing a book or comic about the life of your alter ego.
- Don't pick a cheap background story.
Warning
- If your alter ego's character is too perfect, it could lower your self-confidence.
- Don't get too involved in your alter ego's life, remember that you, your life and your friends is what matters most, not your alter ego's life.
