Every person is unique in many different ways. The same goes for story characters. Last week, I posted How to Create a Character, but the list was fairly broad. For any story, the creator needs to know the characters inside and out. To that end, I’ve got the worksheet I used to get to know my characters. It’s pretty detailed, so I’ll split it into five parts: Appearance, Where They’ve Been, What They Do, Who They Are, and What Motivates Them.
Before I get started, most of the credit has to go to Carole Thaxton who wrote the curriculum I’m getting this from. Learn to Write the Novel Way is an old book, but still useful in learning the basics about writing. Such as the fact that there are four character types you need to consider: main, minor, protagonist, and antagonist. For sure profile the main, protagonist (if they’re not the same), and antagonist; minor characters need only a basic fact sheet.
Now, onto the good stuff…
Character Appearance
The physical appearance of your character includes basic info like their name and features like their skin tone or birthmarks. I highly suggest sketching out your character and using the sketch as a frame of reference for these aspects.
- Name
- Age
- Hair Color
- Eyes
- Nose
- Mouth
- Skin
- Build (stocky, petite)
- Posture
- Height
- What you notice first
- Clothing/How they dress
- Typical Facial Expressions
Where They’ve Been
This includes all background information and where they’re at now.
- Occupation (their job)
- Place of Work (where they go to work)
- Home (style, placement)
- Where They Were Born
- Parents, Siblings, Children (if said supporting character has already past or will pass in story, that could add depth to character)
- Where They’ve Lived Before
- Childhood/Family Stories (experiences special to your character and their family; only mention the ones that further the plot/give insight to the character’s psyche)
- Education/Special Training
- Jobs
- Travel
- Friends/Dating/Marriage
- Religious Beliefs
- Great Successes/Failures
What They Do
This point describes talents, knowledge, and knee-jerk responses.
- Special skills/knowledge
- Talents
- Special Collections (what they gather could give insight to thought process; optional)
- What People Like Best About Them
- Idiosyncrasies
- He/She is the Kind of Person Who… (thought process question)
Who They Are
This involves personality and internal characteristics. Some of the responses to Where They’ve Been will also be relevant to who they are.
- Interests/Favorites: More can be added to this roster depending on age and time frame. Additions could be favorite animal, weapon, form or technology, etc.
- Food, Drink
- Music
- Books
- Sports. Hobbies
- Best Way to Spend Weekend
- Great Gift for Person (personality)
- Dislikes
- Sanguine, Choleric, Melancholy, Phlegmatic
- Moral Code
- How to Cheer Up
- How to Annoy
What Motivates Them
This last point is fairly simple. It speaks to the desires of your character.
- What Do They Want
- What Do They Need
- How Do Their Beliefs Affect Their Desires
- How Does Their Past Experience Affect Their Desires