Character Profile:

As promised in yesterdays post, 'Creating Compelling Characters': below is a list that you can copy and save in a word doc. This will help you create a compelling character. On a personal note, I don’t do this. That said, I do keep a list of pertinent details for my characters. Most often, it is as I write the first draft that many of these details come to mind. It is in the actual writing process that my characters come to life. Of course, this makes for major edits when I do the 2nd draft.

Character Profile:

1. Name (including nickname, if applicable):
2. Gender:
3. Age:
4. Health:
5. Appearance (including unique physical characteristics):
6. Identifying Lines:
7. Identifying Mannerisms:
8. Identifying Props:
9. Style of Speech:
10. Education or Vocation:
11. Occupation:
12. Current Job (including job title, company name, and duration):
13. Employment History (including jobs, company names, and time spent at each):
14. Economic Status:
15. Marital Status:
16. Family, Children:
17. Parents Occupations:
18. Ethnicity:
19. Past Relationships:
20. Current Relationships:
21. Home (including location, size , and description):
22. Work ( including company name, size, and location):
23. Possessions (including car, electronic gadgets, sentimental items, and pets):
24. Recreation, Hobbies:
25. Special Skills or Talents:
26. Skill Deficiencies:
27. Tastes (including music, literature, art, food, etc.):
28. Religious Beliefs:
29. Political Beliefs:
30. Promiscuity (including sexual history):
31. Ambitions, Desires, and Long-term Goals:
32. Fears (even Phobias) and Superstitions:
33. Prejudices:
34. Favorite Places (including physical and on-line locations, if applicable):
35. Astrological Sign:
36. Attitudes:
37. Understandable Character Flaws:
38. Virtues:
39. Backstory:
- Place Where the Character Grew up:
- Past Triumphs:
- Past Failures:
- Childhood Traumas:
40. How Will your Character Change Throughout the Story?:

This list came from a workshop handout at the Colorado Gold Conference, 2010; Hosted by Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. My friend attended the workshop and raved about it. I have attended this type of workshop in the past.

Does this help?