UNderstanding your Character

It is a good idea to sketch out your major characters and understand them as follows:

• What are they each like? How do you know this?
• External appearance – clothes; insisting on wearing a hat; body language – walk; chew pens; prefers to be bare-foot; plays with hair.
• Individual traits – vegan; lemon in their tea; scared of cats/clowns/teeth brushing/nail clippers; a dog person.
• How do the characters speak (dialogue)? Accent, catch-phrase (“Like”), do they talk loudly or whisper?
• Background – did something happen to them in the past which causes them to behave in a certain way? Genetic or cultural differences?
• State of mind – nervous, agitated.
• Ideally some trait should surprise the reader
• Their true nature is revealed when they have to make a decision or react to an incident e.g. where the plot and character work together. True character is revealed by their actions and innermost thoughts. Are they a fraud, enuine, selfish, kind, strong, weak?
• What motivates them? What do they want?
• What are they afraid of?
• What do the characters do for a living?
• How are they described or seen by other characters?

High level character sketches allow you to be consistent and not trip up as you write:

• Names appropriate to the story/genre
• Physical appearance
• Height
• Weight

Motivations and behaviour

• Wants
• Needs
• Flaws
• What is wrong with them
• Their deepest hidden secret

Behaviour

• How they would react in a particular situation
• Their moral compass
• How they treat people/animals/objects
• Their relationships with people/animals/object/food

Character Sketches

While high-level details are helpful, analysing your characters as fully as possible, as you develop them, will help you to create more rounded and 3-dimensional characters.
More detailed character sketches are useful to help you understand them more fully.
The following may be helpful as a non-exhaustive list of the many things you may wish to know about your characters:

• Character Name
• Role in Story:
• Occupation:
• Special training:
• Jobs:
• Salary:
• Physical Description:
• Ethnic background:
• Physical build:
• How physically fit are they:
• Posture:
• Head shape:
• Eyes:
• Nose:
• Mouth:
• Hair
• Skin:
• Tattoos/piercings/scars:
• Voice:
• Right- or left-handed:
• Handicap:
• Any broken bones or weaknesses:
• What you notice first:
• Clothing:
• How would he describe himself:
• Health/disabilities:
• Characteristics:
• Personality:
• Overall outlook on life:
• Does this character like himself:
• What, if anything, would he like to change about his life:
• Is he lying to himself about something:
• How is he viewed by others:
• Strongest/weakest character traits:
• How much self-control and self-discipline does he have:
• Fears:
• Fatal Flaw:
• Ambition or talent matters most:
• Political leaning and commitment:
• Collections, talents:
• What people like best about him:
• What people does he most admire:
• Interests and favorites:
• Food, drink:
• Music:
• Books:
• Movies:
• Sports, recreation:
• Did he play in school:
• Colour:
• Best way to spend a weekend:
• A great gift for this person:
• Pets:
• Vehicle:
• What would they like to own that they don’t possess:
• Biggest extravagance:
• Relationship with God:
• Belief in afterlife:
• Habits/Mannerisms:
• Typical expressions:
• When happy:
• When angry:
• When sad:
• Idiosyncrasies:
• Laughs or jeers at:
• Ways to cheer up this person:
• Ways to annoy this person:

Background:

• Place of birth:
• Parents:
• How old were they when they died:
• Siblings:
• Friends:
• Dating, marriage:
• Partner:
• What they think about their partner:
• Children:
• Relationship with children:
• Grandchildren:
• Relationship with grandchildren:
• Places lived:
• Current address and phone number:
• Private school or State:
• University or straight to work:
• Favorite subject in school:
• Travel:
• History:
• Who was or is their mentor:

Internal Conflicts:

• What secret are they hiding:
• What stops them from being satisfied:
• What do they want – hopes and dreams:
• Earliest ambition:
• Greatest success:
• What’s the worst thing he’s ever done to someone and why:
• What challenges do they face:
• What does/will he like best about the other main character(s):
• What does/will he like least about the other main character(s):
• If he could do one thing and succeed at it, what would it be:
• Most embarrassing thing that ever happened to him:
• He is the kind of person who:
• Why will the reader sympathize with this person right away:
• Where are they happiest:
• What ambitions do they still have:
• What drives them on:
• Greatest achievement to date:
• Work:
• Personal Life:
• What find most irritating in other people:
• What would 20 year-old self think of them:
• External Conflicts:
• Conflict in their relationship:
• What do they want – hopes and dreams:
• What stops them from being satisfied:
• What challenges are they facing:
• Enemies:
• Biggest trauma:
• What does he care about most in the world:
• What lost object do they wish they still had:
• What is the greatest challenge of our time:
• Life satisfaction out of 10: