I have read a number of Q&As on SO in search of some help on this but have so far not solved my issue. I am trying to teach myself ruby/rails, and as a test project, I want to create a list of tvshows and a list of characters where each tvshow has_many characters and each character belongs_to a specific show. I am sure I am doing something basic incorrectly. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. here is the characters controller: class CharactersController < ApplicationController before_action :set_character, only: [:show, :edit, :update, :destroy] # GET /characters # GET /characters.json def index @characters = Character.all end # GET /characters/1 # GET /characters/1.json def show end # GET /characters/new def new @character = Character.new end # GET /characters/1/edit def edit end # POST /characters # POST /characters.json def create @character = @tvshow.characters.create(params[:character]) respond_to do |format| if @character.save format.html { redirect_to @character, notice: 'Character was successfully created.' } format.json { render action: 'show', status: :created, location: @character } else format.html { render action: 'new' } format.json { render json: @character.errors, status: :unprocessable_entity } end end end # PATCH/PUT /characters/1 # PATCH/PUT /characters/1.json def update respond_to do |format| if @character.update(character_params) format.html { redirect_to @character, notice: 'Character was successfully updated.' } format.json { head :no_content } else format.html { render action: 'edit' } format.json { render json: @character.errors, status: :unprocessable_entity } end end end # DELETE /characters/1 # DELETE /characters/1.json def destroy @character.destroy respond_to do |format| format.html { redirect_to characters_url } format.json { head :no_content } end end private # Use callbacks to share common setup or constraints between actions. def set_character @character = Character.find(params[:id]) end # Never trust parameters from the scary internet, only allow the white list through. def character_params params.require(:character).permit(:first_name, :last_name, :bio) end end character model: class Character < ActiveRecord::Base belongs_to :tvshow default_scope -> { order('created_at DESC') } validates :tvshow_id, presence: true end tvshow model: class Tvshow < ActiveRecord::Base has_many :characters, dependent: :destroy end error gets returned when I attempt to create a character. here is the full trace: app/controllers/characters_controller.rb:27:in `create' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_controller/metal/implicit_render.rb:4:in `send_action' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/abstract_controller/base.rb:189:in `process_action' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_controller/metal/rendering.rb:10:in `process_action' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/abstract_controller/callbacks.rb:18:in `block in process_action' activesupport (4.0.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:413:in `_run__1211653665462320621__process_action__callbacks' activesupport (4.0.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:80:in `run_callbacks' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/abstract_controller/callbacks.rb:17:in `process_action' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_controller/metal/rescue.rb:29:in `process_action' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_controller/metal/instrumentation.rb:31:in `block in process_action' activesupport (4.0.0) lib/active_support/notifications.rb:159:in `block in instrument' activesupport (4.0.0) lib/active_support/notifications/instrumenter.rb:20:in `instrument' activesupport (4.0.0) lib/active_support/notifications.rb:159:in `instrument' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_controller/metal/instrumentation.rb:30:in `process_action' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_controller/metal/params_wrapper.rb:245:in `process_action' activerecord (4.0.0) lib/active_record/railties/controller_runtime.rb:18:in `process_action' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/abstract_controller/base.rb:136:in `process' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/abstract_controller/rendering.rb:44:in `process' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_controller/metal.rb:195:in `dispatch' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_controller/metal/rack_delegation.rb:13:in `dispatch' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_controller/metal.rb:231:in `block in action' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb:80:in `call' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb:80:in `dispatch' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb:48:in `call' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_dispatch/journey/router.rb:71:in `block in call' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_dispatch/journey/router.rb:59:in `each' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_dispatch/journey/router.rb:59:in `call' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_dispatch/routing/route_set.rb:655:in `call' rack (1.5.2) lib/rack/etag.rb:23:in `call' rack (1.5.2) lib/rack/conditionalget.rb:35:in `call' rack (1.5.2) lib/rack/head.rb:11:in `call' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/params_parser.rb:27:in `call' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/flash.rb:241:in `call' rack (1.5.2) lib/rack/session/abstract/id.rb:225:in `context' rack (1.5.2) lib/rack/session/abstract/id.rb:220:in `call' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/cookies.rb:486:in `call' activerecord (4.0.0) lib/active_record/query_cache.rb:36:in `call' activerecord (4.0.0) lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_pool.rb:626:in `call' activerecord (4.0.0) lib/active_record/migration.rb:369:in `call' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/callbacks.rb:29:in `block in call' activesupport (4.0.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:373:in `_run__2792846465963916895__call__callbacks' activesupport (4.0.0) lib/active_support/callbacks.rb:80:in `run_callbacks' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/callbacks.rb:27:in `call' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/reloader.rb:64:in `call' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/remote_ip.rb:76:in `call' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/debug_exceptions.rb:17:in `call' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/show_exceptions.rb:30:in `call' railties (4.0.0) lib/rails/rack/logger.rb:38:in `call_app' railties (4.0.0) lib/rails/rack/logger.rb:21:in `block in call' activesupport (4.0.0) lib/active_support/tagged_logging.rb:67:in `block in tagged' activesupport (4.0.0) lib/active_support/tagged_logging.rb:25:in `tagged' activesupport (4.0.0) lib/active_support/tagged_logging.rb:67:in `tagged' railties (4.0.0) lib/rails/rack/logger.rb:21:in `call' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/request_id.rb:21:in `call' rack (1.5.2) lib/rack/methodoverride.rb:21:in `call' rack (1.5.2) lib/rack/runtime.rb:17:in `call' activesupport (4.0.0) lib/active_support/cache/strategy/local_cache.rb:83:in `call' rack (1.5.2) lib/rack/lock.rb:17:in `call' actionpack (4.0.0) lib/action_dispatch/middleware/static.rb:64:in `call' railties (4.0.0) lib/rails/engine.rb:511:in `call' railties (4.0.0) lib/rails/application.rb:97:in `call' rack (1.5.2) lib/rack/lock.rb:17:in `call' rack (1.5.2) lib/rack/content_length.rb:14:in `call' rack (1.5.2) lib/rack/handler/webrick.rb:60:in `service' /Users/dariusgoore/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/lib/ruby/1.9.1/webrick/httpserver.rb:138:in `service' /Users/dariusgoore/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/lib/ruby/1.9.1/webrick/httpserver.rb:94:in `run' /Users/dariusgoore/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/lib/ruby/1.9.1/webrick/server.rb:191:in `block in start_thread'