A worksheet to help guide writers with character creation and development and some writing exercises to get into the character.
Creating an interesting character is the single most important detail to any story -- plot will drive it, conflict will add interest, but without fascinating characters, the story will not really move forward at all. In order to create a great character, an author needs to make sure he or she knows everything there is to know about the character; not every detail might make it into the story, but it's important background information. Try to write about a paragraph for most of the bullet points -- and remember to do this for all major characters; villains need fleshing too! In fact, the most horrible villain tends to be the one most understood.
Background
- Name:
- Full Name:
- Nickname:
- Birthday:
- Place of Birth:
- Sex:
- Residence: (did the character move at all? etc.)
- Occupation:
- Family: (include brothers, sisters, mother, father, spouse, children, and as much extended family as desired)
- Loves: (try to keep these as specific and as passionate as possible)
- Hates:
- Fears:
- Education:
Personality Traits
- Views on Love/Death:
- Favorite Place in the World:
- Least Favorite Place in the World:
- Hobbies:
- Reputation:
- General Viewpoints of Importance: (political leanings, etc.)
- What makes the character tick:
- What makes the character likable:
- What makes the character detestable:
- Other Important Information:
Physical Characteristics
- Eye Color:
- Hair Color:
- Body Type:
- Age:
- Apparent Age:
- Skin Tone:
- Physical activities: (sports, etc.)
- Habits: (does the character have any special 'quirks' - a tick, a habit...)
- Addictions:
- Birthmarks/Scars:
- Posture:
- Describe (paragraph) the character's appearance from head to toe: Writing ExercisesWhen the worksheet is all fleshed out for the character, it is time to experiment with writing exercises. Try writing several pages within the character's voice; doing so will help the character develop his or her own way of talking and it is a great way to toy with dialects, voice, style, and so on. Another good exercise is to fill out the sheet for another character (preferably the antagonist) and then write a small scene between those two characters; alternatively, have each write a 'letter' explaining who they are and why they want what they want -- doing so will also really help drive the plot. Get creative; take the characters out of the story and let them wander around the "real world" and interact with real situations, people, and places -- make sure they are familiar situations, people, and places, and the characters should bloom.The author is not just a writer -- he is an actor, a director, and everything in between. The characters he creates have lives that he wields, but they must be allowed to breathe. As the work continues, the characters develop senses of selves and develop on their own, but first they need a concrete and sturdy background.
The copyright of the article How to Create a Great Character in Character Development is owned by L. Kathleen Hackett. Permission to republish How to Create a Great Character in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
