We were talking about this in the Cbox and I'm curious what others think:

How do you typically decide your character's wand or Hogwarts house?
Do any of your characters break that pattern? Why?

Houses:
When I'm writing profiles I either just know before I even start (like with Ben or Tib; their house identity is a big part of their identity so their muse lets me know right away) and sometimes I start writing their history and it comes out as I'm writing (Ernest was that way). Emrys is my only current exception because he literally never mentioned his house in his whole Hogwarts history and I had to go take a sorting quiz online to try and figure it out. And then I took three other quizzes because I didn't believe he was a Hufflepuff because he seems like too much of a cynical ass for that... but all the quizzes agreed so I guess he has some hidden Hufflepuff traits somewhere.

With wands:

- woods: I typically picture them with either a light or dark wand wood and pick one randomly. Then I browse this list and read the description to see if it will work with the character. If not I pick a different one and try again, but I don't agonize over it.
- cores: dragon heartstring for headstrong, stubborn, or determined people. Unicorn hair for genuine, sincere, or sensitive people (even if they're secretly sensitive). Phoenix feather for spunky, spontaneous types or people who have to overcome adversity to succeed.
- length, flexibility: I literally just make something up and put zero other thought into it.

Fun Facts About Wands for Lynn Characters:

- Alfred has had three wands with three different cores and they more or less correspond to personality shifts in different life stages.
- Ben has a jackalope antler core because I liked the idea of him having a less powerful wand core and also it seems fitting that he'd be attracted to something novel and American while he was living abroad. Previously he had a kneazle whisker wand because again, I like the idea of him using subpar wands but thinking it gives him extra flair.

  

---

MJ made the most Alfredy of sets and then two years later she made it EVEN BETTER

Houses:
I generally know what house the characters are going into before starting the app (mostly because the ads I pick up have pre-determined this). There's a bunch of my characters that as they develop I find they'd be better suited for a different house (i.e. Jo - Slytherin instead of Gryffindor, Freya - Slytherin instead of Hufflepuff) but it is what it is. In the case that I make an original I'll usually try to figure it out before the app but am not fused if it changes as I go.

Wands
UGH WANDS. If I don't take the pottermore test I will sit and agonize over the wands forever. There's too many variables to consider and I end up overanalyzing it trying to pick the best combo. So yes. I take the pottermore test. Also, funnily enough, the flexibility is the easiest of those variables for me to pick. I generally base it off of how stubborn the character is

  

Houses:
Slytherin: this is where I put people who I find smart, practical, who put themselves first, whom I think that are most likely to succeed in life. I do also have some losers, but they're still driven by selfishness and self preservation.

I'm biased when it comes to Slytherin because I believe in putting yourself first and being practical if you want to succeed in life, otherwise people will take advantage of you and you'll end up bitter and resentful.

Ravenclaw: Here I put my more eccentric types, the covert narcissists, the types who'd go "I liked X before it was cool", intellectual snobs and narcissists.

Ravenclaw is the second house I relate to the most because I'm an intellectual snob. xD

Gryffindor: Here I put my people who I find to be insecure and thirsty for validation. The types who post something on Instagram and track the number of likes to feel better about themselves. The Do Anything For Clout people.

Hufflepuff: Good guy betas that are most likely to put others before themselves, to be taken advantage of. I don't prefer Hufflepuff characters because I find nice people Polyannas boring.

As I wrote this I saw a pattern of sorting people based on their dark /negative traits than positive ones, aka Bob is smart and Megan is brave. I like to explore characters from their dark side and their insecurities. I'm obsessed with Carl Jung's concepts of the shadow self.

Wands:
Woods: In the past I used this list of woods and their properties. With Christobal, I went with rosewood because he's vain and roses are pretty.

Cores: Dragon heartstring for the extroverted types, with more dynamic personalities. Unicorn tail hair for Good Guys and Betas and pure people. Phoenix's tail hair for narcissists and Interesting people who are likely snobs and not like the rest Average Joe people.

Flexibility: I go based on how flexible as a person the character is. If they're Polyanna, they get a more flexible wand, if they're Frank Underwood, they get a less flexible wand.

The following 1 user Likes Ruby Urquart's post:1 user Likes Ruby Urquart's post
   Jupiter Smith

---

set by MJ

Houses!

I actually don't have a solid system, but I think I unconsciously put certain types towards certain houses. I generally look at positive traits (Dionisia is hardworking, and Orinda is nonjudgmental). Now that I look at it, I tend to look at positives more for my Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, whereas characters with notable flaws (Bella's impulsiveness, Holly's ruthlessness, Ernie's snarkiness) tend to be Gryffindors or Slytherins in the end.

I do have some characters that could have gone multiple ways, but specific traits or other circumstances have led me in one way or another. Edric could have as easily been a Gryffindor, but his distrustful nature made him a Slytherin. Helga could have been a Slyhterin, too, but I think I saw her too "bubbly" so I put her in Hufflepuff.

I think I see Slytherins/Ravenclaws as "introverted" houses, and Gryffindors/Hufflepuffs as "extroverted" houses, even if some of my own characters defy that (Frida is an introvert and Eldin is an extrovert). I'm guilty of using family influence and other played characters to sort characters; Frida was a Hufflepuff because Seneca and Gretchen were Slytherins, and Eldin was in Slytherin because there were other played Slytherin boys around his year.

I'm definitely more likely to play a Slytherin than any other house, and I'm least likely to play Ravenclaws (which is funny because my first character on Charming was a Ravenclaw).

Wands!

I have no clear wand system, sometimes going so far to tell people to name a wand wood/core/etc. in the cbox to help me figure it out, but sometimes I look deeper into it. I use the Pottermore wand document to find matching woods, and I use a similar system as Soph to do core. I see Phoenix feathers as "different/special", Dragon heartstring as "mysterious/analytical/serious", and Unicorn hairs as "kind/friendly/pleasant". I'd bet that most of my Hufflepuffs have Unicorn hair wands, and most of my Slytherins have Dragon heartstrings. It's boring.

  

---

— set by MJ <3 —

Honestly these two things are often the easiest and most fun bits of an app for me... they never take too long to settle on and help cement a personality for later.

HOUSES:
— I usually go with gut instinct for this, and the first ~vibe I get usually checks out as the rest of the app unfolds. Sometimes I stick to stereotypes and what the characters seem to value most: Slytherin for the ambitious social climbers (Calliope, Kris, etc); Ravenclaw for the eccentrics (Ewart, Phyri, etc), Gryffindor for the open-minded adventurer type (Titus, Tyb, etc) and Hufflepuff for the more hardworking (Ari, Sarah, etc).
— That said, I am somewhat more interested in what a sorting might do to develop the character's personality through their teens - e.g. like putting a timid person into a house full of more outgoing Gryffindors, or a muggleborn in a house full of purists, or Evander who 100% thought he would be a Slytherin into Hufflepuff, and so on.
— I also enjoy, from time to time, upsetting conventions where I can. Which is why Jude is a Slytherin, because I like the idea that an ambitious strategist can also be a reformer and hugely compassionate; why Jemima wants to fit in and tries to be just and loyal like a Hufflepuff, but struggles with being self-centred; why Conall and Evander are both what I like to call "grufflepuffs" which is a SUBSET of non-stereotypical-sunshiney Hufflepuffs WHO ARE OFTEN VERY GRUMPY. (Which is not to say they don't value hard work or loyalty because they really do, that's why they're there.)
— Also I can't really explain why Ishmael, who did not go to Hogwarts nor is particularly bookish, lives in the Ravenclaw corner of my head. But he does and always has. I think it's because he likes wordplay, and a good debate???

WANDS:
— Less of an instinct here because I too use the list of Wand Woods to pick; what I do is literally read down the list until I find one that "clicks". I find that way too fun to skip it and pick at random. I like to think that the wood, at least, is a reflection of the character.
— To take some characters as examples, whose woods I have just looked up to remember why I picked 'em...

Ari = willow = healer with a hidden insecurity
Calliope = chestnut/dragon heartstring = overfond of luxury, not so scrupulous about how said luxury is obtained
Conall = hornbeam = a passion/obsession, highly personalised to their owner's style & won't cooperate for anyone else lol
Ester = holly = needs to overcome impetuosity
Evander = elm = "produces the least foolish errors" 11 year old evander probably asked for this wand outright
Ewart = hornbeam = hahahaha same as Conall's, guess it's my "odd middle aged man" go-to
Jay = hawthorn for a conflicted nature, then pine for mysterious loner
Jude = cypress = "brave, bold, self-sacrificing"
Lorcan = spruce = did somebody say "flamboyant"?
Nelson = acacia = underrated and peculiar, suited to ~subtlety
Phyri = ebony = "non-conformist, highly individual", also lol it's black and the goth option
Sarah = hazel = an oversensitive wand for an oversensitive woman
Titus = sycamore = the one that will burst into flame if you ask it to fetch your slippers once too often (take note Herbert Fudge xD)

— And after all that thought I don't give a damn about cores or length, just throw something in at random and pick a flexibility word I like. Lots of "swishy", probably.

  

---

look ANOTHER beautiful bee!set <3

Houses:

Two of my characters were sorted on Charming, and three of my characters are too young. And I've also adopted a few that had assigned houses already or were American rofl >.> WHICH IS GOOD BECAUSE I AM INDECISIVE.

I really enjoy where they've been placed. They've been pretty perfect. I'm interested to see where Billie ends up because I could see her in all of the houses, except Ravenclaw.

But! I tend to put an absurd amount of thought into which traits drive my characters' decisions and actions. And that drive is what I use to base on which house they end up in.

Gilbert is incredibly eccentric and intelligent, which might point him to being a Ravenclaw. But his determination, courage, and tendency to just dive right into things without much forethought makes him more of a Gryffindor. (And his hardheadedness) I just knew right away he was bound to be a Gryffindor.

Zachariah's pursuit is always knowledge and learning. He couldn't really possibly be anything else besides a Ravenclaw when I made him, honestly.

Deanna ended up being Slytherin because, although incredibly maternal, loyal, and hardworking, the motivation behind her helicopterness is ambition. She's also resourceful in the way that she knows her faked illnesses will get her what she wants. Her ambitious acts also get directed toward her daughter. A lot. She's also all about self and familial preservation.

Wands:

I really look into the woods to see which wood speaks to me as far as the character's personality. Want core I'm less concerned about, but, sometimes, I'm very intentional with them if the wand wood doesn't completely fit.

  

---

MJ, yet again working her magic.  <3 <3 Thank you

Mine is long, but here is my in-depth rant:

Houses:
With most of my characters, I do have some guess as to their house before I fully get their app up and running. There are several exceptions to this.

- For Acacia, it seemed a pretty clear choice for Ravenclaw at the time. It was during her first few threads when it became clear that she could have also been a likely Hufflepuff, but I stand by my decision to put her in Ravenclaw. She's a creative spirit, and wise beyond her years on certain aspects of life. I can't imagine her in Gryffindor or Slytherin.
- I imagined Ace as a Ravenclaw even back when I first put him up as an adoptable. I was so sure. I'm not sure if I could really see him in another house, but given his compassion, I can see him following Acacia's lead towards Hufflepuff as a secondary house. Though I do see some leanings towards the other two houses in a more powerful way than I find for Acacia.
- Alina feels like an outcast in her house, I will be honest. Her muse struggles greatly, but retconning her after so much development doesn't sit very well with me either. She's just not really loyal, and I just have to keep thinking 'not all Hufflepuffs' to get through a thread. Honestly, I was just having a hard time choosing between Ravenclaw and Slytherin for her.
- When I first took Camille's wanted, I instantly thought Gryffindor due to her rebellion faze. Looking back, I think I wouldn't have been as quick to make judgements before getting her app off the ground. She doesn't feel as if she doesn't belong, but it feels like I could have done her better justice. But I like the connections I made for her and it suites me fine.
- Claire is a stereotype Gryffindor, which I find amusing. In all honesty, I tried to highlight some of her other house traits in her sorting post to see if any would stick, because I can see her in Slytherin as well. She has always been a determined mastermind when it came to the pranks with her and her twin, but I loved the Fred and George vibe from them being little Gryffindors. Though her twin could have also easily been in Hufflepuff, something Ocean and I had actually debated on. We were thinking of having them switch robes every now and then to confuse teachers if that would have been the case.
- If I'm remembering correctly, Dorothy's house was thought of more while I was doing her history. She just seemed like a follower, which suits her just fine. I have a lot of strong personalities, and it's pretty interesting to have a character that's not out front and center for a change. I just hope I can do her justice.
- Honestly, I keep thinking I put Earth in Hufflepuff. I swear, she is so bubbly and sweet as sugar. With that and her loyalty, I'm surprised I didn't. But despite her aloofness to certain issues, she is more of a smart cookie than even I give her credit for. She's an academic author of sorts, she's creative in her own quirky ways. I think I, and certain characters of society, vastly underestimate her.
- Gerald is just a snippy Slytherin, as his brother can attest to.
- I'm pretty sure Guinevere was my first Hufflepuff. She was new to me, quite frankly. Honestly, I don't even know what was the other house I debated putting her in. I think she has undergone some change from when I first played her. Given what she's been through - and how developed I've become in my writing, if I'm being honest - she seems pretty different now, and likely would react differently to a few things from how she was the rest of her life. Then again, that's also age, not just experience. But I think I definitely would have still picked Hufflepuff if I could go back and change anything from my earlier days on Charming.
- Henrietta felt like a pretty set Hufflepuff just by how loyal she is to a brother she barely remembers. If there were any other house leanings, I would say I slight leaning to Slytherin because of her determination to find answers. But she is so loyal to more than just her brother. She's quite loyal to her employers, to her friends, and to her other siblings.
- At this point, Hestia has become a real challenge for me. I don't know where her muse is going, and it frustrates me. She feels just too stuck. But that's beside the point. She's fairly Gryffindor, and was especially so during her first years at Hogwarts. But would I have been leaning towards Gryffindor so heavily then if I knew how her personality would develop? I think part of the reason she has changed in particular is because I didn't want older!Claire, basically. I mean, I know that they are different. Hestia isn't a prank hound, but she was so adventurous during her first years at Hogwarts. Her mourning changed that, but I don't see Claire changing in that way. But I don't exactly know what that change has left me with in regards to her. We shall see, I suppose.
- I'm going to admit that I put Liliana in Gryffindor mainly so I'd have a seventh year girl in each house because while making her I just noticed that I had Acacia, Sweetie, and now Dorothy and I was like 'ugh, I don't want two seventh year girls in the same house'. So here we are. While I don't feel she's out of place, she would have definitely been put in Slytherin if I hadn't made that decision of one for each house.
- Maida was a bit hard to place. It took me until near the end of her history to really sort it out. For a hot second, I thought Hufflepuff for loyalty, but it didn't sit well. As I got further in her app process, I took a good look at what I was doing and said 'Oh, yeah, that works'. So here we are.
- Maxima wasn't the easiest to place either. Though I do love where I put her. A snippy little Slytherin. But, and I did make a mental note of this as I made her, not an angsty one like Sweetie. I was really hoping to not make a mini-Sweetie, and I do really hope that I've succeeded. While Sweetie was a mean girl, she had a different view on the world from the beginning, and I think I feel that even now. If Maxima had been placed in an exact scenario as Sweetie, I think she would have handled it differently, and likely would have been in a different place with her relationship if she was Handsome's sister.
- Naomi was less thought out in terms of house. I never really got a firm read on her when it came to that sort of thing. She was just, in Slytherin. There you go. It still feels weird to me.
- Rosie, on the other hand, makes perfect sense as a Slytherin. Which is fantastic because she feels out of her element at the moment. She's not able to use her determination in the way she so chooses. I feel it's perfect for how I want her plot to develop.
- From the beginning, Slytherin felt like a pretty good fit for Sweetie. She's stubborn and very determined. If I were to pick any other house for her, I would likely have picked Ravenclaw, as she has this passion towards her academics. She's brilliant when it comes to keeping cool during a test and such. There are days when I wonder why she wasn't in Ravenclaw, but I'm glad she's a Slytherin. That determination and ambition are what make her academic success thrive. I don't think she would have been as successful if she had been nurtured as a Ravenclaw, because it's just not exactly her element. If she had been in Ravenclaw, I don't feel that she would have become an animagus. And I don't say this against Ravenclaws. This is just because of how she would have developed in that different environment. That determination wouldn't have been as well nurtured, at least to Sweetie's own personality. It's a complex thing for my dear girl, but I think she is definitely where she belongs.
- Warwick is in Slytherin from the sheer determination of wanting it so bad. It is how it is.
- My dear Winifred was originally a Hufflepuff, I believe. Not even by me, but I can definitely see why. She is a very loyal and compassionate person. But I do see an eagerness to learn the world around her. Her lack of NEWTs, I feel, was more to help her father than anything else. Not from a lack of willingness to continue her education. Her love of potions and such have aided in this choice, but I did almost make her a Hufflepuff. I think I would have been happy either way.

Wands:
I'm gonna be blunt with y'all right now. I am not a fan of searching for wands. If I can get others to help me, I do. There are too many wand woods for me to feel confident in my decisions, so here we are. I always look to the sites for wands and such, because it would drive me nuts if I didn't. I take the most stock in wand wood and core, rather than length and flexibility.

- Acacia was my first character, and even then it was a pain for me to choose one for her. Ebony, 13", slight flexibility, single unicorn hair is hers. And as I read it now, I wonder why I ever gave her ebony. I suppose then I wasn't aware of just how much angst being an outsider would bring her. But she does have a broad personality, so I'm glad I chose 13". Her wand should have more flexibility and I'm starting to feel like the best feature of her wand for her is the unicorn hair. Perhaps one day that wand is gonna rebel or something. Guys, lets plot that.
- So, Ace has an Alder, 8”, slightly springy, phoenix. The wood is a reasonable match for Ace's helpful and considerate traits, which pleases me. He doesn't have a very broad personality either, so I like that as well. From what I can gather, I'm glad I decided on this wand. Which is good, I always worry if I made the right choice when it comes to that, which is why that part of the app is so hard for me.
- ... Alina doesn't have a decided wand. I was really hoping to get to that point in her Ollivanders thread, but it never worked out. (if someone could skype an ideal wood to me, that would be great)
- I think I picked Camille's wand wood to be a smart*ss. Holly, 10”, rigid, dragon claw. See where I'm getting at? I see it. Still find it funny. I think other than that, I really chose it because of it's tendency to lean towards those in a spiritual quest. In a way, Camille was. She lost her twin, lost most of her siblings, she was in a really rebelling faze at the time, and she felt abandoned by her father. She does have a broad personality, but not too broad, which is why 10 is more ideal than some of the other wands that I ended up choosing.
- Hawke chose Claire's wand and I am thankful for it every day. 9.5" Dogwood, springy, dragon heartstring. Do with that as you will.
- I chose Dorothy's wand more for era appropriate 'I like the popularity of this one' than anything else. Silver Lime, 11", bendy, unicorn hair. She is definitely not a late blooming seer. But unicorn hair was definitely a good fit just for Dorothy as Dorothy, and is likely the main reason that it still works reasonably well with her.
- If I'm remembering correctly, I was pretty tied between several wand woods with Earth. I just can't, for the life of me, recall what they were. Alder, 14", bendy, unicorn hair was what she ended up having. Alder for pretty much the same reasons as Ace. Caring and compassionate. But she has a very broad personality, and is just odd as a person, hence 14" and bendy. Unicorn hair is also pretty much her.
- Personally, I like how Gerald's wand had a double side of being fit for criminals and aurors alike. Blackthorn, 9", barely flexible, dragon heartstring seemed to fit for him fairly well. He's also not a very complex man, and certainly not too open-minded once an opinion is really formed.
- Honestly, I don't think Guinevere ever had the heart to get a new wand, and certainly was not comfortable asking for her old one to be dug up from her 'grave'. She would likely not fit as well with her old one anyway, but I'll humor it. Pine, 9", fairly flexible, phoenix tail feather. It definitely would have broken Mr. Ollivander's (of JK's making, not Charming) statement that he did believe that the owners of such a wand did not die young if I stuck with Guinevere being dead. Perhaps I shall let her grow to be a really old person, and have that be ironic as a result. Her views are fairly flexible, though I think she also has more depth than she once did, so 9" doesn't really fit as well as say maybe 10".
- I feel that Rowan, 10", slightly springy, unicorn hairs fits Henrietta because she too has a protective nature that fits well with Rowan. Her personality is fairly broad, though I think that perhaps 10" was a bit much. The rest fits fairly well to how I see her, personally.
- Originally I had Hestia as rose vine, because the branches of a rose bush are technically vines, according to my google searches. But the site move re-app lead for me to have to change it to Vine, 15", flexible, fairy wing core. It's fine for me, though I have a deep obsession of roses, so I miss having that unique little spin on things. I do feel that Hestia has some sort of deeper purpose hiding away in that soul of hers, and I think that has been my true reason for keeping her despite the fact that her muse gives me trouble. There's more to her and I want to know what. I also loved how it was seen as ancient and druid associated. Her broad personality, dare I say, has become even more so during my time building her up, so while I see 15" as pretty wild, here we are.
- Elm, 9", bendy, kelpie hair still seems to be a good choice for Liliana. Especially considering that the magic of such a wand is said to be elegant and sophisticated. It seemed like an ideal fit for one that is supposed to be a personification of Aphrodite. The lovely would-be-Goddess having a talent for elegant magic just sounds right to me. And while she is open-minded to a point, she's not very complicated. I loved kelpie hair because Aphrodite was said to come from the sea. There you go.
- As a person that seems well-respected and popular for a lady of her family, I felt that a Pear, 8", supple, kelpie hair seemed fitting for Maida. The kelpie was mainly because it's a common core for this time, and I don't think she would be as picky as some of my other muses about what her wand was, specifically.
- Maxie has a great match with willow due to her insecurity. She doesn't like to focus on that, and does it best to hide it. Reading the description of willow, I think that was the easiest process I ever had in choosing a wood. Willow, 11", flexible, dragon heart string is what I have chose, though I am not sure how confident I am in the flexibility. She seems more stubborn, but perhaps that will change as she grows.
- Naomi is fairly adaptable and quick-witted, which makes her wand fairly ideal for her. Red Oak, 12", Stiff, Dragon Heartstring. Being cut off from her family and being able to move forward so easily is something I think really helps me support the choice of red oak as her wand wood. She's has a broad personality, but I do see her as pretty stubborn when it comes to her own views. Hence why she couldn't adapt to her family's views.
- Walnut, 9", slightly rigid, silky hair is the wand that I chose for Rosie. Walnut is the most ideal as I do see Rosie as a rather brilliant woman of mind. It also makes me think of just how stuck she feels. She could do so much more with her life if she just had a chance. She had aimed for a career and I do feel that she would have excelled given her brains and cunning.
- My dear Sweetie has a wand that I feel actually suited her through out her deep development and change in life. Which is something that I was actually worried about as I started working on this, mainly because I worried if I should have been giving her troubles with her wand after she started changing as a person, but Cherry, 10", mild flexibility, dragon heartstring seems to work for her in general. I'm good. While I feel that she doesn't have as much strength in mind as she really should with such a wand, I do believe that she has come a long way since when she was first made. She's beginning to understand herself and the world around her more. Beginning to forge a strong opinion on the world in general.
- Warwick has had two wands in his life, and I feel that his first wand likely suited him more, and he finds this frustrating. I love this because I like making that prick miserable. Ebony, 12 ½", Slightly Springy, Phoenix Feather was his original wand, where as Elm, 12 ¾", Sturdy, Dragon Heartsring is his current one. I don't feel that his personality is as broad as either hints towards, but that does make for an interesting time. The flexibility of this new wand suites him far more. I don't see Warwick's magic as being as elegant as he thinks it is. While both are ideal matches, I think it is because he just had a sort of pride towards the one he had since first year at Hogwarts that it has left him with a hard time bonding with this new wand.
- Winifred's wand is a wonderful fit in my eyes. Spruce, 13", springy, unicorn hair seems like a very wonderful match for her personality. What really gets me is that due to its nature towards flamboyant and dramatic effects, I think that's part of the reason that her beautician practice leads to weird side-effects and that amuses me greatly.

  

---

Magic by Elaine!

For houses it's a gut instinct thing if it's not predetermined by a want ad or canon list. Sometimes I think I know but as I'm writing the history and I'm getting a better feel for them they might flip flop. I'm very conscious that I have a lot of Slytherins so I try to steer my new characters to a different house if at all possible.

For wands I go straight to that Pottermore wand wood list and spend a lot of time finding something that sounds right. I also try to avoid giving characters the same wand woods where I can. Before Pottermore I just plucked a random wood out of my brain. I think Tig is the only character left with one of my randomly allocated wand woods since I had Ursula replace her poorly matched Beech wand years ago and the others are inactive or dead >.>

YOU KNOW IT'S TIME FOR ME TO MENTION KELPIE HAIR WAND CORES. Canonically they were popular so I try to dish these out a lot. Otherwise my feisty types get dragon heartstring or maaaybe phoenix feather, my more reserved folk might get a unicorn core, and then I've given some obscure cores to a lot of my WC folk with the logic that they probably wouldn't have gone to Ollivanders but somewhere with cheaper wands/inferior cores.

I don't really bother with flexibility much anymore, I find myself picking a random synonym for bendy or not bendy depending on how assertive a character is and then never caring again. Length is also random, I pick a number and then agonize for about 30 seconds over whether that's the same fraction of an inch I use all the time and then ask myself if it really matters and move on with my life.

The following 1 user Likes Ursula Black's post:1 user Likes Ursula Black's post
   J. Alfred Darrow

---

Thanks to Bee for this magnificent set <3

I generally have an idea for what house they are in before I start writing them. The few times that I don't I try to go with personality characteristics that I write that might point in a direction.

As for wands I do that last. I go through the Pottermore list of woods to see what jives with their personality the best. Sometimes this actually helps me add a few elements to their personality, sometimes it is all very specific for what I'm looking for. I do try to keep in account if it is an American wood most of my peeps wouldn't have it, as well as some of the pricer woods.

For core, for the most part I stick to the three on Pottermore. But, if I have an off the wall character (Asha I'm looking at you) or someone who would end up in an odd family/path (*cough* Somersby *cough*) I pick something odd that would be from a creature native to the land they live in.

Finally for flexibility, I go based off on personality. Lucy isn't very stubborn, so her's is more flexible. Daniel is unyielding in his beliefs so he's the opposite.

Length... I'm fairly certain I only do wands between 11" and 12.5". Otherwise it seems way too short or way too tall. To be entirely candid I don't care by that point and I just want the app to be completed.

  

---

Thank you Bee <3 Your magic has made Sisse bloom