Sparkatale

This is an outline for creating a character, please feel free to add something to it: / Think of how many characters you want to have, and how they will relate to the plot and each other. Start with any character. (If you can’t choose which to do first, start with the blond one. If there are no blond characters, then too bad.) Write a general summary of how you imagine that character, in one or two sentences. Then write down the answers to the following questions: / How old is the character? What is their gender? Where and when do they live? What is their physical appearance? What is their background? Who is in their family, and who are their friends? What is their level of importance in your story? / Compare them to yourself, someone you know, or a character of another story so you can relate. / What is their level of experience in whatever you are writing about? How knowledgeable are they- what exactly do they know and not know? How observant are they? How can they grow and improve throughout the story? / How do they face the problems at hand? Are they angry, depressed, amused, indifferent, bored, curious, confused, maybe ambivalent? How do they try solving the problems? Do they, at first? (Keep in mind that they should eventually solve the problems themselves, through their own effort.) How do they feel about change? / What is their level of confidence and self-esteem? Do they get through their problems by having faith in themselves, or is their lack of confidence what causes the problem? Did they lose someone or something that gave them confidence? How do they feel about themselves not being able to do something or doing something well? Are they particularly humble or prideful? Do they accept help from others? / What is their purpose? Do they do something to get revenge, because everybody else is doing it, they want to prove themselves, they’re trying to save people, or do they think that it’s fun? How much are they motivated? / How much do they interact with their environment? Are there a lot of people to talk to and things to get done, or will you have them more inwardly focused and thoughtful? How much effort do they put into their work? Are they lazy or hard-working? And are they generally a slow person (both in actions and in thoughts) or a fast person? / How much are they willing to make sacrifices for others, big or small? How much do they care about others? Do they comfort others through humor or being sensitive? Are they loyal? Are they more gentle or rough? Are they straightforward and honest when they bear bad news, or do they lie to protect others’ feelings? Are they an open book or secretive, and how much do they expose themselves to others? How patient are they? What is their dialog like, and how social are they? / How mature and polite are they? What is their sense of humor like? Do they have one, or are they grim and serious? Do they use humor as a way of getting through hard times? / What are their strengths and weaknesses? What do they like and dislike? What are their habits or quirks? What makes them different? / Are they more focused on fitting it or being themselves? To what level do they respect the thoughts and actions of others? / How do they make decisions? Are they good or bad at it? How long does it take them? Are they a leader or a follower? Do they trust others? Do they believe what they are told? / What are their thoughts and actions towards the other characters? What are the similarities and differences between them and the other characters? / Do this for all the characters. Compare your character outlines, and make sure they fit well with each other and the plot. Also make sure that your answers for each individual character’s outline match up with each other. Your image of the character may change or become more clear as you write your story.
 

David Boyce | May 6, 2014

Great idea for a thread! I'll come by and add to it when I can.

A . Nonymous | June 5, 2014