| Writing character profiles is a great way to get | | | | - Cultural background |
| started writing. If you are writing a novel, it is | | | | - Parents |
| important to create characters are believable | | | | - Children |
| within the context of the story. Good character | | | | - Grandparents |
| development is critical to good story writing, so it | | | | - Siblings |
| is worth it to spend a little extra time creating | | | | Physical Characteristics |
| your characters. | | | | - Hair color |
| When a character is properly fleshed out, he or | | | | - Eye color |
| she will feel authentic. This will keep the reader | | | | - Hair length |
| motivated to keep reading. Some of the most | | | | - Distinguishing marks (moles, birthmarks, scars) |
| well-known and memorable books are those that | | | | - Disabilities / handicaps |
| contain great characters. One that always comes | | | | - Height |
| to mind for me, is the character Ignatius J. Reilly, | | | | - Weight |
| in the "Confederacy Of Dunces", written by John | | | | - Assistive devices: (glasses, contacts, wheelchair, |
| Kennedy Toole. In the novel, Ignatius's | | | | crutches) |
| eccentricities and strong personality immediately | | | | - Addictions / Vices: (smoking, drinking, drugs) |
| captivate the reader, and in this instance, it is the | | | | Mental / Emotional Characteristics |
| character that drives the story. | | | | - Happy, sad, melancholy, etc |
| Whether you are just beginning your writing | | | | - Intellectual level |
| journey or are already a seasoned author, writing | | | | - Secrets or skeletons in the closet |
| character profiles is essential for gathering and | | | | - Past traumas |
| organizing the information you will need to create | | | | - Introverted or extroverted |
| a character that speaks to the readers. In | | | | Spiritual Beliefs |
| essence, a character profile is a map of the | | | | - Religion |
| person including aspects of his or her personality, | | | | - Belief in God |
| beliefs and traits. | | | | In addition, you should also determine the |
| Here are just a few of the questions you should | | | | relationship this character will have with the other |
| answer to get to know your characters better: | | | | characters in your story. This will help to keep |
| General Information | | | | you organized and it will help with the continuity of |
| - Name (first, middle and last) | | | | the novel. |
| - Gender | | | | The more you develop your characters, the |
| - Birthplace | | | | more they will come to life. Keep in mind, great |
| - Current residence | | | | characters often dictate the story to the author |
| - Occupation | | | | and are the driving force behind the novel. |
| - Ethnicity | | | | |