Character Development

I thought it would be really fun to fill out this “Big Ass Character Sheet” and really explore ourselves. This sheet was created for writers to help with character development in stories, books, and movies. It occurs to me that something like this might be really nice to have, especially if you have children and grandchildren to pass it down to.

It’s really long. It might be easier to copy and paste it into a text document, and then work on filling out the answers from there. Alternatively, if you have access to a printer, you might want to print it out. If not, be prepared to with your notebook and pen. Don’t expect to get this done all in one day… fill in the easy stuff first, and then go back and work on the longer more interesting answers… stop when you get bored.

Note: Some of the questions may need to be reworded to fit our purposes, for example… “How did you come up with your character’s name”, could be changed to “How did your parents come up with your name?”

Are you ready? Let’s go!

Preliminaries:

• The universe your character belongs to:
• The name of your book, movie, game or whatever:
  (Optional for our purposes… but it might be fun to name your life story.
• Tag line:
  (Ex: “Eight legs, two fangs, and an attitude.”… or … “Trapped in time. Surrounded by evil. Low on gas.”…)
• Date:

Names Are Important:

• Full Name:
• Pronunciation:
• Nickname/Alias:
• Meaning:
  (If you aren’t sure your character’s name has a meaning look it up, I’m sure you’ll find something. If it’s a fantasy name you made yourself, give it a meaning.)
• Origin:
  (How did you come up with your character’s name?)
• Title:
  (Do have a title along with their name?)
• Pet Name:
  (What do other people call your character? [kid, squirt, babe, etc] May be insulting, endearing, or a combination of both. May have more than one, if other characters call them different things.
• ID Number:
  (A number that may also be used to identify your character, such as tournaments and prison settings)
• Signature:
  (What is their handwriting like?)

Masculine/Feminine:

• Gender:
• Gender Role:
  (Does your character generally act more feminine or masculine?)
• Orientation:
  (Ex: Straight, Bisexual, Homosexual)

Days, Dates, and Years:

• Real Age:
  (How old your character is in years)
• Age Appearance:
  (How old does your character look? This is mostly for immortal creatures such as deities, but can be used with anybody. If someone looks older or younger than their age)
• Birthday:
• Birthplace:
• Astrological Sign:
  (Western – Aries, Taurus, Gemini… etc)
• Zodiac Sign:
  (Eastern – Year of the Rabbit, Goat, Dragon … etc)
• Element:
  (Fire/Water/Air/Earth)
• Death Date:
  (Leave this blank if you don’t know when they will die. You can always fill it in later.)
• Age at Death:
• Death Place:
• Resting Place:
  (Where is the body of your character now or where will it be put once they die?)
• Manner of Death:
  (How did your character die?)
• Last Words:

Family Matters:

• Immediate Family:
  (Who was your character raised by?)
• Distant Family:
  (The ones they don’t see every day)
• Ancestors:
  (Who are some important ancestors in your character’s family? Their great great granduncle? Them in a past life? Alexander the Great?)
• Parenting:
  (Were their parents strict or fun-loving?)
• Upbringing:
  (What morals and ideals were your characters raised with?)
• Birth order:
• Siblings:
  (describe relationship)
• Spouse:
  (describe relationship)
• Children:
  (describe relationship)
• Grandparents:
  (describe relationship)
• Grandchildren:
  (describe relationship)
• Significant Others:
  (describe relationship)
• Infancy (0 to 2 yrs):
  (What was it like when your character was a baby? Were they nurtured or dropped at birth?)
• Childhood (3 to 12 yrs):
  (What was it like for your character growing as a kid ?)
• Adolescence (13 to 17 yrs):
  ( Teen years, peer group experiences, schooling)
• Adulthood (18 yrs and older):
  (When your character has fully matured. If your character isn’t yet an adult, plan what would happen to them in the future.)
• Coming of Age:
  (When and how did your character “grow up”?)
• Evolution:
  (How has your character changed since they were younger?)
• Relationship skills:

Physical Characteristics:

• Species:
  (Human, animal, or a fantasy race)
• Ethnicity:
• Blood Type:
• Preferred Hand:
  (Right handed, left handed, or ambidextrous?)
• Appearance:
  (What does your character look like?)
• Facial Type:
  (Oval, heart, square, round …)
• Eye Color:
• Hair Color:
• Hairstyle:
• Skin Tone:
• Complexion:
• Makeup:
  (If any)
• Body Type:
  (Endomorph, Ectomorph, Mesomorph, or somewhere in between?)
• Build:
  (Long legs, chubby cheeks, muscular arms…)
• Height:
• Weight:
• Cup Size:
• Facial Hair:
• Shoe Size:
• Birthmarks/scars:
• Tattoos/piercings:
• Distinguishing Features:
  (Something unique that stands out)

Health Matters:

• Health:
  (How healthy is your character?)
• Energy:
  (How much energy does your character have on a daily basis?)
• Memory:
  (How well does your character remember things, and what do they remember?)
• Senses:
  (Are any of your character’s senses better or worse than others?)
• Allergies:
• Handicaps:
  (A limp, deafness, missing an eye… etc)
• Medication:
  (What medications does your character take, if any?)
• Phobias:
  (Things that simply terrify your character. May be trivial or debilitating. Try to have at least one.)
• Addictions:
  (Drugs, alcohol, gambling, or bad teen romance)
• Mental Disorders:
  (Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Paranoia, OCD, etc.)

Style Matters:

• Style:
  (The overall style your character shows, not just limited to clothing. Ex: Punk, Goth, Nerd)
• Mode of Dress:
  (Don’t describe their clothes here. Describe how they wear their clothes. Two people can wear a suit, but each will wear it differently. Ex: Is the shirt tucked in?)
• Grooming:
  (Well-kept or messy?)
• Posture:
  (How does your character present themselves? Ex: Stiff, slouchy, suggestive)
• Gait:
  (The speed and style which how your character moves)
• Coordination:
  (How physically fit is your character? Also add things like reflexes, ect.)
• Habits and Mannerisms:
  (Any nervous ticks or unconscious habits your character might have. Ex: Nail biting, crosses arms, or twirls hair)
• Scent:
  (What does your character smell like? Good or bad? How strong?)

Emotional Matters:

• Mood:
  (What mood are you most likely to catch your character in?)
• Attitude:
  (How does your character interact with others?)
• Stability:
  (How emotionally consistent are they?How much emotional stress can your character take before they break? Lots? None at all? Negative amounts? )
• Expressiveness:
  (Do they hide emotion or let it out openly?)
• When Happy:
  (Ex: Whistles, sings, skips)
• When Depressed:
  (Ex: Locks themselves in their room, listens to music, hugs a stuffed animal)
• When Angry:
  (Ex: Punches walls, screams at people, trolls online, Note: These are generalizations. Different situations will create different reactions.)
• Humor:
  (What does your character think is funny? Blond jokes? Death? Farting?)

The Larger World:

• Current Residence:
  (Where does your character live right now? May or may not include a geographical location)
• Community:
  (What does the general population act like where your character lives?)
• Family:
  (Parents, children, siblings – Include step families if it applies, and label as such.)
• Friends:
  (Who does your character like to hang out with? Who does your character feel safe with and could trust in a time of need?)
• Allies:
  (Who or what company does your character and/or their company work with or fight alongside?)
• Enemies:
  (Who does your character despise? Who is it that your character is always fighting or that they have set out to destroy?)
• Bosses:
  (Who does your character answer to?)
• Followers:
  (Who answers to your character? Who follows your character and is inspired by them or tries to copy them?)
• Heroes:
  (Who does your character look up to?)
• Rivals:
  (Who is your character on good terms with, but is constantly in direct competition with?)
• Relates to:
  (Who is similar to your character?)
• Pets/Familiars:
  (Describe a pet your character owns, real or fantasy and give it a name.)

Material Matters:

• Wardrobe:
  (Describe your character’s closet. What is their formal, casual, or other kind of wear?)
• Equipment:
  (Refers to tools or weapons your character may use. Ex: A sword for a warrior)
• Accessories:
  (Jewelry, glasses, etc.)
• Trinkets:
  (Applies to but not limited to good luck charms, purses, watches, or any other items they carry with them almost all the time.)
• Funds:
  (How much cash does your character have on hand, and how much at home/in the bank?)
• Home:
  (What is your character’s house like? Describe it’s overall appearance, type of house, and describe things such as the yard, wallpaper, or any other information. Things like bedrooms count as your character’s home.)
• Neighborhood:
  (What are the people and places near your character like?)
• Transportation:
  (How does your character get around?)
• License Plate Number:
  (Can be regular numbers, or something more creative. Adjust for your country.)
• Collections:
  (Does your character like to hoard or collect anything?)
• Most valuable possession:
  (In terms of money)
• Prized Possession:
  (What object does your character value above all else?)

Relationship Matters:

• Lovers:
  (From childhood crushes, to exes, to a married partner, who does your character love?)
• Marital Status:
  (Single, Taken, Dating, Available)
• Sex Life:
  (Active, passive, kinky, energetic, non existent… etc)
• Turn-Ons:
  (What does your character want to see in their ideal mate?)
• Turn Offs:
  (What tends to make them back off)

Work Matters:

• Occupation:
• Work Ethic:
  (How hard does your character work? How do they feel about their job?)
• Rank:
  (How high up are they on the corporate ladder?)
• Income:
• Wealth Status:
  (How well financed is your character? Ex: Upper, middle, or lower class)
• Experience:
  (Include things like pasts jobs, or things that contributed to current occupation.)
• Organizations/Affiliations:
  (Who does your character side with?)

Educational Matters:

• Education:
• School:
  (What was their school like?)
• Grades:
  (What grades would they get?)
• Special Education:
  (Did they ever get held back or get honor roll?)
• Social Stereotype:
  (Nerd, goth, punk)
• Degrees:
  (What degrees did/would they earn in school?)
• Extracurricular Activities:
  (Such as P.E. or art)
• Study Habits:
  (How often does your character study and how thoroughly? Every free hour? Not at all? They have someone else study for them somehow?)
• Learning Type:
  (Is your character a Auditory, Visual, Kinesthetic learner?)

Intelligence:

• IQ:
• Logical-Mathematical:
  (How well can your character use reason and logic in their thinking?)
• Spatial:
  (How well can your character create an image in their mind?)
• Linguistic:
  (How good is your character with words, written and spoken?
• Bodily-Kinesthetic:
  (How well does your character control their body motions, how well do they handle objects? How clear is their sense of goal of physical action?)
• Musical:
  (How clear is your character’s perception to sounds, music, tones, and rhythms?)
• Interpersonal:
  (How well does your character interact with and understand others?)
• Intrapersonal:
  (How well does your character understand their self?)
• Naturalistic:
  (How well does your character understand their natural surroundings?)
• Existential:
  (How well can your character understand phenomena or questions beyond sensory data?)

Right and Wrong:

• Religion:
• Morals:
  (What does your character find morally right or wrong?)
• Crimes and punishments:
  (Relationship with authority, laws broken, and crimes committed.)
• Motivation:
  (What moves your character? Power, money, love…)
• Priorities:
  (What does your character place first, second, and third?)
• Philosophy:
  (Your character’s outlook on life)
• Political Party:
  (Democrat, Republican, Liberal, or Conservative)
• Etiquette:
  (How good our your characters manners? Do they bow or chew with their mouth open?)
• Culture:
  (Any things your character may or may not do that is specific to a certain culture. Do your research on this one or you could offend people. )
• Influences:
  (Who or what inspires your character to change? Do they influence anyone else?)
• Relates to:
  (Who can your character relate to?)
• Traditions:
  (Does your character sit around the table with their family? What holidays do they celebrate?)
• Superstitions:
  (Spilling salt, knocking on wood)

Driving Forces:

• Main Goal:
  (Driving force in the story. May be subject to change.)
• Minor Goals/Ambitions:
  (What is your character trying to accomplish?)
• Career:
  (What would be your character’s dream job?)
• Desires:
  (What does your character want?)
• Wishlist:
  (What material items does your character want?)
• Accomplishments:
  (Did they succeed in any goals?)
• Greatest Achievement:
• Biggest Failure:
• Secrets:
  (Everyone has at least one)
• Regrets:
• Worries:
• Best Dream:
  (What would be the best thing that could possibly happen to your character?)
• Worst Nightmare:
  (The worst thing that could ever happen?)
• Best Memories:
  (A few stand out memories from the past – keep it short and sweet.)
• Worst Memories:
  (A few stand out memories from the past – keep it short and sweet.)

Quirks and Characteristics:

• Hobbies/Interests:
  (What does your character like to do for fun?)
• Skills/Talents:
  (Similar to hobbies, but refers to the level of skill a character has.)
• Likes:
  (What does your character like?)
• Dislikes:
  (What can’t they stand?)
• Sense of Humor:
  (Dark/dry/witty/sarcastic/dirty/childish/sophisticated/ironic)
• Pet Peeves:
  (Similar to dislikes, only more relating to human behavior than specific objects. Ex: When people tap on things or when people say “You’re not fat!” when you really are.)
• Superstitions/Beliefs:
  (Does your character believe in conspiracy theories or aliens? Do they throw salt over their shoulder or knock on wood?)
• Dreams/Nightmares:
  (What do they dream about – at night.)
• Quirks:
  (The strange little things that your character does to make them unique. Ex: Sleeps with their feet on the pillow or runs their hand along a pole as they walk beside it.)
• Savvy:
  (What is your character particularly well-informed of?)
• Can’t understand:
  (Something they just can’t get into, such as English literate or obsession with sports.)
• Closet Hobby:
  (Something that your character likes but isn’t too obvious.)
• Guilty Pleasure:
  (You know…)

Strengths and Weaknesses:

• Strengths:
  (What makes them stand a bit above the crowd? Ex: Courageous, good listener, calm under pressure. Not supernatural abilities.)
• Flaws:
  (Refers to negative personality traits, not a weakness. Make sure it’s a deep flaw that could actually affect your character, not something trivial like “She can’t dance”.)
• Fatal Flaw:
  (That one thing rises up to bite them in the ass at the worst possible moment. A quality within the character that is both good and bad. It could save their life…or be their downfall.)
• Perception:
  (How does your character generally see the world?)
• Conflicts:
  (What issues make your character want two things, but they can’t have both?)
• Instincts:
  (What they are unconsciously driven to do)
• Lures:
  (What are they inexplicably drawn to be near? Power, money, the helpless …)
• Soft Spot:
  (Their vulnerability, what they feel sorry for or have particularly good feelings toward.)
• Cruel Streak:
  (What makes a character act against their usual morals, and act especially mean? Everyone has something that can do this to them.)

Supernatural Matters:

• Powers/Abilities:
  (Here is where to put any superhuman powers and other abilities your character possesses. Be sure to balance them out with weaknesses, or your character loses credibility. This section may be optional depending on what genre you write.)
• Origin:
  (How did they get their powers?)
• Source:
  (How do they use their powers? Ex: shoots fire from hands, can read minds with their ring…)
• Ability:
  (How adept are they at using said powers?
• Weaknesses:
  (Make it something that your character exclusively is weak to, and keep it credible. A 4-headed radioactive dinosaur is not a credible weakness.)
• Immunities:
  (Ex: cannot be burned. Be very careful with this one.)
• Restrictions:
  (An absolute necessity for those with supernatural powers. Ex: Can only breathe fire when angry or can only cast darkness spells twice a day.)
• Alternate Forms:
  (Transformations, shape shifting abilities, dark side, etc.)
• Extra Anatomy:
  (Such as wings, tail or a third eye …)

Favorites:

• Favorite Colors:
• Favorite Animals:
• Favorite Mythological Creatures:
• Favorite Places:
• Favorite Landmarks:
• Favorite Flavors:
• Favorite Foods:
• Favorite Drinks:
• Favorite Characters:
• Favorite Genre:
• Favorite Books:
• Favorite Movies:
• Favorite Games:
• Favorite Shows:
• Favorite Music:
• Favorite Bands:
• Favorite Songs:
• Favorite Sports:
• Favorite Stores:
• Favorite Subjects:
• Favorite Numbers:
• Favorite Websites:
• Favorite Words:
• Favorite Quotations:
  (Can be lengthy and philosophical or just simple clichés such as “Every dog has his day)

Least Favorites:

• Least Favorite Colors:
• Least Favorite Animals:
• Least Favorite Mythological Creatures:
• Least Favorite Places:
• Favorite Landmarks:
• Least Favorite Flavors:
• Least Favorite Foods:
• Least Favorite Drinks:
• Least Favorite Characters:
• Least Favorite Genre:
• Least Favorite Books:
• Least Favorite Movies:
• Least Favorite Games:
• Least Favorite Shows:
• Least Favorite Music:
• Least Favorite Bands:
• Least Favorite Songs:
• Least Favorite Sports:
• Least Favorite Stores:
• Least Favorite Subjects:
• Least Favorite Numbers:
• Least Favorite Websites:
• Least Favorite Words:
• Least Favorite Quotations:
  (Can be lengthy and philosophical or just simple clichés such as “Every dog has his day)

Language Matters:

• Languages:
  (What languages does your character speak and how fluently?)
• Accent:
• Voice:
  (High pitched, low pitched…)
• Speech Impediments:
  (Stutters, slurs, or whistles…)
• Greetings and Farewells:
  (How does your character say hello and goodbye?)
• State of Mind:
  (Ask your character “how are you” and see how they respond.)
• Compliment:
  (Have your character say something nice.)
• Insult:
  (Have your character insult someone.)
• Expletive:
  (Can be an actual curse word –  like “Dammit” or some kind of substitute – like Darn it!)
• Laughter:
  (What does your character’s laugh sound like?)
• Tag Line:
  (Something your character says a lot in everyday sentences. Can often be filled with a sound or vocalization. Ex: Lol, dude, uh…)
• Signature Quote:
  (Something significant your character says. Doesn’t have to be meaningful, just make it memorable.)

What do other people think?

• Reputation:
  (How is your character viewed by their peers? Are they held in high esteem? Do they think he’s pure stupid? Do they think he’s an alien?)
• Status:
  (What is their social status? Quiet? Popular? Dead?)
• First Impressions:
  (What would you first think of this character upon meeting them?)
• Stranger Impressions:
  (If someone was told about the character but didn’t know them, what would they think?)
• Friendly Impressions:
  (What do people who are friends or acquaintances of your character think of them?)
• Enemy Impressions:
  (What do people who can’t stand your character think? If you can’t think of anyone who hates your character, we have a problem.)
• Familiar Impressions:
  (What do people very close to your character think of them? Ex: Family, lovers)
• Compliments:
  (What are some good things other people would say of your character? Ex: heroic, good listener)
• Insults:
  (Would anyone like to call your character a whore, jerk, or stupid?)
• Self-Impression:
  (What does your character really think of themselves deep down?)

Temperaments and Types:

• MBTI Personality Type:
  (Ex: ENTP, ISTJ, – if you aren’t sure, try this test at Human Metrics)
• Temperament:
  (Chloric/Sanguine/Melancholic/Phlegmatic – May also be called color types, such as yellow, red, blue, or green)
• Enneagram:
  (The Reformer/The Helper/The Achiever/The Individualist/The Investigator/The Loyalist/The Enthusiast/The Challenger/The Peacemaker)
• Ego/Superego/Id:
  (Superego is aims for perfection, society, and the idea of right and wrong. Id is unconscious desires and instincts – Which of these are they most driven by?
• The Self:
  (The center/core of your character)
• The Shadow:
  (The opposite qualities your character themselves does not believe they possess, but do subconsciously)
• The Anima/Animus:
  (The part of the character of the opposite gender)
• Persona/Mask:
  (What they present to the world, or the side they use to protect themselves)

Role Playing:

• Role:
  (What purpose does your character serve? Mentor, leader, follower? )
• Fulfillment:
  (How well do they serve that role?)
• Significance:
  (Why does your character matter?)
• Alignment:
  (Good/Evil/Neutral/Lawful/Chaotic)
• Comparison:
  (Compare your character to some kind of animal, object, or anything else you can think of.)
• Symbol:
  (Does your character have any kind of recurring symbol that represents them? Ex: a rose, a black cat, a sunset. Could be blatant or subtle.)
• Song:
  (A song you think best suits your character)
• Vice:
  (Pride/Greed/Gluttony/Lust/Envy/Sloth/Wrath)
• Virtue:
  (Patience/Diligence/Chastity/Temperance/Charity/Kindness/Humility)
• Defining Moment:
  (This is it. The single greatest moment of your character, when they truly become alive.)
• Tropes:
  (What about your character is stereotypical or cliched? You can’t say nothing. Every character has some kind of cliche in them.)
• Originality:
  (What makes your character different from one like them?
• One Word:
  (Use a single adjective to sum up your character in a nutshell)

Wow… I don’t know if I’ll ever get this filled out. As I was working on this post, it occurred to me how fun it would be if we could just feed our answers into a computer and get a print out that tells us how to be happy and succeed in life, exactly what we need to do, how when and where to do it.