I was recently chatting with fellow writers on Twitter and the topic of character development came up. I mentioned that I had put together my own worksheet to keep track of and flesh out key characters. It has helped me and I happily share it with you. Remember that this is an organic document and you should add things as you discover them. You may not need a full blown sheet for all characters but should use this or something similar to keep track of those pesky details such as: What color did I say his eyes were 30 pages ago? Do yourself a favor and fill one out for the antagonist. Readers won’t buy a two-dimensional bad guy.
Who is ____________?
Physical description: Height, weight, build, eye color, hair color, length and texture, other distinguishing features (glasses/contacts, etc)
Family history/tree: Include birthplace, relationship with and between parents, key events of childhood/adolescence if relevant. Does ethnicity affect character? Where in the world are they from? How does this impact?
Education:
Employment:
Living Situation: Where, with, pets, key elements of home, are they in a relationship? What does their love life look like?
Hobbies, Food favorites or dislikes: Include allergies if relevant to plot or personality.
How others see him/her:
How she/he sees herself/himself:
What she/he isn’t saying (maybe even to herself/himself):
What does he/she say they want?
What does he/she really want? Often different from the question above. Psychologically, emotionally. If it is a “bucket list” ask them why that thing is so important that they have to do it before they die.
Songs you will find on his/her Ipod: Can expand to include fav TV or movies that say something about characters persona
Other items important to this character plot: Phobias (is there a reason-think Robert Langdon in the DaVinci Code), Languages spoken
Great idea :) Thanks for posting. I am able to mentally keep track of these things w/ my main characters but would be cool to have it on file for future reference & for secondary characters.
ReplyDeleteThere's some questions there that I don't use in my character sheet. I have a really long worksheet I got offline, but I never do it, just a shortened version of this. By the time I get my major characters through this, I"m raring to write. :D
ReplyDeleteI do something similar using an Excel worksheet that I print off and have next to me while writing. The character names go across the top and other things - hair, eyes, height, weight, car, family (wife, kids, brothers, etc.), fave food at Mexican, book, movie, etc. goes down the side. Then, I can just quickly access the info when needed. I may have to tweak a bit after reading this post.
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I like this, because it covers a lot of ground but isn't overwhelming. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThis is great. I use a longer one (from Jody Hedlund) but it is way too long to use for every character. Like Elizabeth, once I finish with my main characters I am itching to write.
ReplyDeleteAlso, this had some great questions that aren't on the longer questionnaire. My particular favorite is "Songs you will find on his/her Ipod:" I have reviewed a few authors profiles, and very few address choice in music. Thanks! :-)
Thanks Savana. I've had a terrific response to this post. I found that music is such indicator and often dictator of my mood that it seemed natural for me to wonder what my characters listened to. I also see so many writer talk about what they listen to while they write certain scenes that I incorporated into my worksheet. Hmmm maybe I should open a post dedicated to music and writing. Perhaps after work. Why is "Chain Gang" playing in my head?
ReplyDeleteMy "writing buddy" Kaye Peters and I have both done blogs on music and inspiration in writing. (We have a combined blog-Have Coffee Will Write.) I think that it is an important aspect for many writers, and would be a great idea for a post. It is something that tends to be very individualized. The music I may find helpful to write a sexy romantic scene may help someone else write something completely different.
ReplyDeleteI must say, I used to have "Chain Gang" in my head a lot of days at work. I really don;t miss that! :-)
Good stuff...Thanks for the post!
ReplyDeleteSuch good information. I have spent many hours slogging through pages of first draft material asking myself all those questions (did I make her eyes blue or was it green?, etc). Thanks a bunch.
ReplyDeleteHi Linda and Diana, Thanks for the compliment. I tried pantsing my next work and when I couldn't remember my MC's mother's name and she was in the scene,I knew I had to go back to basics. I also find it gives my characters a more 3-D quality. Keep in touch and let me know how it works for you and please share how you revised it.
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