Make Your Character Come to Life With Character Charts

Part of my pre-writing process before sitting down to pin my lousy first draft involves filling out character charts for each of my main characters. I certainly complete this step for my hero and heroine, but it's especially important for any character that you don't completely have a grip on--whether your antagonist or even a minor character who plays an important role in the story.



Why is the use of character charts so important?



Because it helps you understand the inner values and beliefs of your character, helps you get to know them from the inside out, to see what makes them tick, and to better understand the motivation behind what they do.



After all, if you don't completely understand your character then how will the reader understand them?



Here are a few details I try to "uncover" when creating a character.


age (birth date)
upbringing
relationships with parents, sibling, friends
full name and meaning
physical appearance (hair, eye and skin color; facial features; height and weight; typical hair style; even how they feel about their physical appearance)
where they live (currently and in the past--a big part of who we are is influenced by our surroundings)
what their surroundings look like
how they feel about their current living conditions
occupation (including how they feel about their work)
pet peeves
prejudices
fears
joys
lies they tell themselves (& believe)
favorites (colors, foods, books, movies, music, places, etc.)
socioeconomic status (and their socioeconomic status in the past)
goals and dreams
hobbies
personality traits and temperament
quirks and habits
strengths and weaknesses
typical attire
the kind of car they drive
religious background
current status of their relationship with God
pertinent background history
greatest accomplishments and failures
defining moments (you know, those major life events that shape who they are)
how other characters describe them
name meaning and nicknames
pets
how they sound when they talk
typical day
attitude
how they handle conflict
posture
gestures
self-perception

I highly recommend doing a Google search for "character charts," and then combining them to make your own. I also recommend personality testing for your characters. Here's the link for the one I use: http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp. I also use a book I received during annual teacher training, The Art of Profiling by Dan Korem, which is useful for understanding how people act and communicate.



I've found that filling out a character chart not only helps me understand my character better, but often suggests possible scenes for the story.



What about you? Are there other things you do to discover your characters? Let us know in the comments!



Happy Writing,