why do people refer to their characters as OCs? genuine question.
it seems to me OC is a good delineation if you've created a character that exists as part of a fan work, but if they just exist on their own or as part of an original work, how come they aren't just "characters?"
You have to say the entire incantation or else the "do not steal" half doesn't work.
I think it's a convention from like, fanfic stuff an since that kind of fandom has a lot of pull in internet creative communities it became the default. It's notable in the furry fandom, where fanfic is a real thing but not exclusively, a lot of folks will just say 'characters' instead of OCs.
It can be use as an insult for characters whose only function seem to be wish fulfillment on the part of the writer. Like, I have heard people refer to Xander in Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Joss Whedon's OC (well, they said "kinnie", but the idea remain). That is to say: this character doesn't bring anything to the series and is only here so stuff can happen to him. Kind of like a Mary Sue, but without the notion of hyper competence.
I don't entirely agree with that assessment of Xander (although sometimes, yes, it is 100% correct), but that's the point: when the term is applied to an original work, it cease to become a descriptor and become an insult.
In my case it's mostly just a bad habit (ironic self-deprecation).
