Character Management
Assigning a day of the week to the character. Some people dedicate a specific day to that character, such as Saturdays are only for Character A, and if that Saturday is unavailable, then that character is passed. It helps not getting overwhelmed who you should roleplay for the day, and can bring more attention to characters you haven't RP'd as much. If you feel there is too many, maybe it's time to re-organize and drop some characters.
Limiting yourself. Some people tend to limit themselves on characters, such as you can only have three characters at a time. Some people generally know after a while how many they can manage before some of their characters are neglected and unused. If you want a new character take a look at what you have, who have you been RPing? Who have you not been RPing? If you haven't touched someone in a long while, it might be time to consider retiring them.
Character needs 50 or 100 posts before creating a new one. Some people set achievements for themselves, such as making their newest character hit a post goal. Usually after hitting a certain amount, people tend to know whether they connect with the character, or they're not vibing. This can help especially to people who have an issue of making a continual amount of characters but often only focusing on a few. Plots and desires may come, but they're often a spur of the moment then one to truly sit down and write out. Awarding yourself after an achievement is often a great way to manage yourself.
Dropping characters not in a plot. Some find themselves looking at what their character has been doing for the month. Are they in a plot? It can be as small as being with a new friend, being in a fight, or looking for a back, etc etc. What matters is they're not continually doing meet-and-greets and within a standstill of just existing. In that way some players find themselves limiting when they realize their character is not in a plot, and deciding to drop them and focus on their other ones.
NPCing. Sometimes you just don't know what to do with your character but you have them in a pack. It's okay to NPC them, but then it's to consider how long will they be NPC'd? If it comes to the point it's been three months and you still aren't sure you want them back, or feel the need to, it might be time to re-look at the priorities and instead of setting them to NPC, maybe it's time to retire them until that muse for them returns. There's no shame in dropping a character, and often packs are very welcoming to discuss what happened, or where they are going, and even more-so to welcome them back. Take note this depends on the packs nature!
Removing characters you haven't touched in months. Sometimes we make characters when we get a really nice design or a thought of a cool plot, but sometimes in that spur of muse doesn't really last, and the character may end up dropped. Or even you simply just lose muse for the character, and you don't really look to RPing them too much, or simply forget they exist. There is no shame or harm when realizing you don't RP that character anymore, and sometimes a character purge is needed, whether retiring or killing them happens, it's all about what you are comfortable with. But removing characters you no longer use can also inform your RP partners that hey, they are now unavailable, and can archive threads or removed from plots. If they're heavily involved in someone else though, it'd be nice to just give them a heads up! This can help new plots fall and rise.
'Should I have another Character?'
Too many characters? Maybe consider dropping a few before making another character or adopting. Some people can handle many, some cannot ; but take a look at who you currently have, and who you have the lowest muse for. Do you want to continue RPing them? Do you think you'll get more muse out of this new character then the last few you have? It's alright to hiatus some to make way for new muses.
Do you have the time? If you take a look at your current characters, are you able to roleplay all of them as they are, or are there some you are ignoring? A lot of times we don't want to drop the characters, but we do want to bring in a new one.. Yet consider if you are able to actually spend the time to RP them, or are they just a thought, and a spurr of a muse? If you are adopting, it's especially important to at least remain a bit active with them, instead of letting them sit in dust, but sometimes we really don't have the time, and then maybe it's not the right time for you to adopt/create.
Will you use them? A lot of times we like the idea then actually playing it out. The aesthetic checks out, the vibe is there, and maybe even the muse, but when it comes to actually plotting and grinding it out, it's more difficult to actually click with it. Do you think you really envision the idea and make the plots? If you are adopting as well, you wouldn't want the character to sit around on the shelf, and anyone would at least want the adopt to be used, if not given back.
Are you staying? A hobby is just a hobby, and people don't really expect someone to stay around for a whole five years. It's often really fun to roleplay connections, but if you adopt a character from someone, how long do you plan to stay? Sometimes a lot of people have long-end plots and characters that can extend by the years, but not everyone wants to stay around that long. This also can be counted for haitus's, if you are someone who has a very erratic schedule, maybe adopting from someone else may not be the right time, especially if there is long-periods of absences, but making a character is another story.
How are you currently feeling? Sometimes we think, and make ideas when we aren't in the best mental place, or in time of a busy season in general. What matters is if you are feeling okay enough for this new character and adopt. Do you feel it'll help you re-spark muse? Do you feel you can handle it? Only you know what your limits are.
- Credit to Cyprin for helping write these!