Writing Characters - A guide

 Good day, welcome to the ultimate guide to writing characters! I am your teacher here, helping you come about writing incredible realistic characters which are unforgettable. 

Realistic characters is a number #1 always in writing. You may ask, what if I am writing a character who is not real, my main character is a mouse, a lion, a fairy, or, an elf, then why should I bother making them realistic? (What about Maximus? Why do people like him? He's a horse!!)

Realism does not mean only something a real person can have. It means, something not cliche or stereotypical. 

How are you to write realistic characters?

Here’s a few points.

The first technique is to observe the people around you, how to they react to a good/bad news, how they respond to rudeness, et cetera. 

If you’re making realistic characters, how can you go about without observing REAL people?

Next, Profiles. Profiles allow you to know your characters much better. Near the end of this document, you will find a good character sheet. 

The 3rd point is that 2 or more characters can share traits, for example, the attributes linked with bad character does not necessitate that it should solely be linked with the antagonist. Your goody-goody characters also should have a pinch of bad character, like normal PEOPLE.

On the flipside, point 4, is that your characters should be unique. Not all your characters speak eloquently, not all of them make the same joke, not all of them are from the exact same location and not all of them look the same. 

It gets really easy when you create a character profile that is detailed that you end up adding all the details about your character that is irrelevant. Choose when you want your readers to know something about your character and what you want them to know about. 

Self inserts– the most cringey thing to read. The writer is precisely describing themselves with a more weirder manner, the character is just a brattier, prettier, and smarter version of you. 

That does not stop you from making your character look like you or have  some traits that you share like brown hair, black eyes, long eyelashes because a million other people share that too.

Small traits matter a lot, small quirks, the way they gulp water is very noisy (can reflect throat surgery?) or their shoelaces are always halfway tied (because they are very untidy?)

Introducing characters into stories can be tricky but these tips are pretty beneficial. 

This is a pretty overlooked idea because of how irrelevant it may seem. However, it is very important that you give significant characters their very own time to be introduced into your story. 

If you introduce all of them at once it can get confusing for the reader to remember and understand each character which then leads to the reader being very confused and eventually bored of the story. 

Give each of them a specific time.

Give your characters a very strong trait while introducing them. Their very long hair, their way of walking and such.

Always describe certain acts or appearances rather than straight out giving facts. 

(Missy used the small brush to tuck away the baby hair, every time she looked in a mirror. This always struck Jem odd, the way she said, “Oh my…this fringe has gone terribly frizzy!”)

This implies Missy’s insecure nature about her looks and also a bit of perfectionism.

Your protagonist’s ideas play an important role. If your protagonist thinks of a character in a specific way, everything revolves around it.

Example: if your protagonist thinks in a prejudice manner about another character, 

(Della grimaced, looking at Jack’s rumpled appearance. Jack never ironed his clothes, combed his hair and always made Della feel like she was being stared at.)

Starting with dialogue is another way readers get stumped and confused about the characters. The way of speech, unless required is to be avoided in introduction.

Physical descriptions create a vivid image in the mind of your reader and help the reader understand the character better.

Introducing: Leonard Kapling a Character who is perceived by the protagonist (Emma Garner) as an antagonist immediately, and thinks he is the two faced one. 

(Note: this is when all the other characters have already been introduced into the story, this is only an introduction for said, Leonard Kapling.)

‘What should we name this unidentified villain?’ asked Charlie. Percy rolled his eyes and so did Professor Jerald.

‘I don’t know,’ responded Mr Bernard nicely, ‘You can name him,’ 

I could see the gears moving in Charlie’s brain but before he could come up with a name, the door opened. 

It opened very silently, the opener having gripped the door very tightly and pushed it down silently than ever. I watched his shoes, black and polished, tap against the marble floor. 

His hair was bleached and stood at the ends, only combed in the middle with a gel. Mr Bernard raised an eyebrow at Professor Jerald and he only raised an eyebrow back. This man, clutched a briefcase, matching with his stiff black suit, sharp eyebrows and piercing black eyes symmetrical on both sides of his face. 

‘Morning,’ Mr Bernard said, sounding hesitant. 

The man shifted his gaze to Mr Bernard, a muscle twitching on the sharp contour of his face. ‘Good Morning,’ he responded. ‘I am Leonard Kapling, here to provide some vital information.’

Here the descriptions of Leonard Kapling implied that he was a very stiff person, with a very stiff personality, and very disciplined demeanour that is rather creepy. They way he turned to Mr Bernard and responded shows a bit of attitude and potential fear.

This description of him allures the reader to be suspicious of this man and  invites them into the perspective of Emma; perhaps this man only wished to open the door silently because he did not intend to disturb the confrence, but since he is described through the perspective of Emma Garner, he is shown as a threat and a suspicious man.

Character Sheet for fiction writers

Note #1: this sheet need not be filled completely and it is completely up to the writer what information they deem unimportant. 

Note #2: This is a character sheet from epiguide, except that I have omitted some completely irrelevant information. 

Note #3: I used “completely” three times!

General

Full Name: 

Nickname (who created it? Does s/he like it?):

Birthday:

Place of birth:

Ethnicity:

Current address: 

Description of home:

Description of the community (town, city, rural village):

Who does s/he live with?:

Is there home:- 

• 

  Expensive 

• 

  Inexpensive 

• 

  Carefully planned 

• 

  Comfortable 

• 

  Neat 

• 

  Cluttered

Do they drive a car? Own one? Rent?

Pets? (how much do they value them? Name?

Occupation (do they enjoy it? What would they prefer?)

Physical Appearance

Height:                                              

Weight:                                 

Body type (thin, athletic, overweight, curvy, muscular, etc.) 

Eye colour:                             Need glasses/contacts/hearing aid? 

Skin tone (pale, ivory, tan, olive, ruddy, brown, etc.):                                                       

Face shape (round, oval, chubby, thin, long, square, heart-shaped, etc.: 

Any prominent features, freckles/moles/scars/tattoos or other distinguishing marks:

Whom does s/he most look like? 

General health (good, excellent, poor...)? 

Any current health problems or chronic conditions? 

How does s/he dress?

Any special jewellery? (If so, why is it special?):

Describe hairstyle (long, short, crewcut, locs, bangs, side-part etc.):

Natural hair texture (smooth, wavy, curly, etc.): 

Natural hair colour (also mention any other hair colours, dyes):

Grooming: 

• 

  Fastidious/Very neat 

• 

  Average 

• 

  Clean but scruffy 

• 

  Dirty/Unkempt

Speech and Language/Communication

Pace of speech (fast, average, slow?):

Voice tone (shrill, high, average, deep, squeaky, hoarse, harsh, authoritative, cultured, etc.): 

Accent/dialect, if any: 

Any favourite/habitual words/phrases? 

Describe general vocabulary or speech pattern (e.g. educated, precise, pretentious, average, uneducated, vulgar…)

• 

  Mannerisms/demeanour? 

• 

  Cool/confident 

• 

  Volatile 

• 

  Nervous/shy 

• 

  Aggressive 

• 

  Friendly 

• 

  Remote 

• 

  Other (describe) 

Typical posture: 

• 

  Stiff 

• 

  Stands straight but not stiffly 

• 

  Average, varies with mood 

• 

  Slumped/defeated Slouchy, 

• 

  careless Relaxed 

• 

  Other (describe) 

Gestures: 

• 

  Rarely 

• 

  Controlled 

• 

  When excited 

• 

  Most of the time 

• 

  Wildly/oddly 

• 

  Other (describe)

Common/habitual gestures (e.g. nail-biting, hair patting, drumming fingers, clenched fists, hands in pockets, etc.):

Morning Routine: Describe the character's morning rituals.

What time does he/she wake up? Is he/she cheerful in the morning? What does he/she  do during breakfast-read, watch tv, feed kids, etc.

Everyday behaviour/habits

Finances: (prudent/cautious, some debt, lives paycheck to paycheck, deep in debt, criminal activity, etc.): 

Afternoon/Workday: Does s/he work outside the home? How does he/she get there? Is s/he good at this job?

What if anything would he/she rather be doing? How long and hard is the work day?

If the job isn’t outside the home, what does a typical afternoon consist of?

Dinner: Does s/he eat at home or go out a lot? What is/are his or her favourite restaurant(s)? 

Who cooks at home?

Does s/he eat alone?

Evening: What does your character do on a typical evening? Where? With whom? How much does he/she enjoy it?

What is the ideal evening for him or her?

Sleep Habits: Fall asleep easily, or an insomniac? Any recurring dreams? Sleep soundly, or toss & turn?

Any special talents? Skills?

What is s/he particularly unskilled at?

Any hobbies (sports, games, arts, collecting, etc.)?

Family of origin

Mother's name (include maiden name if known/applicable):

Current status: __ living __ deceased (If alive, enter age: ____ ) 

Mother’s occupation, if any: 

Describe the mother’s relationship with character:

Father's name: Current status: __ living __ deceased (If alive, enter age: ____ ) 

Father’s occupation, if any:

 Describe the father’s relationship with character: 

Any step-parents, foster parents, or birth parents (if not same as above): 

(If s/he is adopted, does s/he know? If not, why?) 

Sibling(s) (include age and birth order relative to main character): 

Relationship(s) with character: 

Nieces/Nephews: 

In-Laws, if any: 

Other than the above, who else in the story is part of his/her extended family (e.g. cousins, etc.)? 

The Past

Home town (if different from current home):

 Was his/her childhood happy? Troubled? Dull? 

Does the character remember it accurately? 

Earliest memory: 

Happiest memory: 

Saddest memory: 

How much school did s/he attend, if any? 

Did/does s/he like school? 

Why or why not? 

Most significant childhood event: 

Other significant childhood events: 

Significant past jobs:

Police record (explain any convictions, sentence served, where/when): 

Major illnesses, accidents or traumas? How is s/he still affected, if at all?

Relationships with others

Who is his/her best friend? 

Who are his/her other close friends? 

How in general does the character relate to friends?

 … to strangers? 

… to own children, if any? 

… to other family members?

… to own children, if any? 

… to other family members?

… to children in general? 

… to others who are more successful? 

… to others who are less successful? 

… to boss (if any)? 

… to underlings at work? 

… to competitors? 

… to authority (police, IRS, politicians, attorneys, doctors, etc.)?

What do most people consider his/her most likeable trait? 

What do most people consider his/her biggest flaw?

Whom does s/he dislike most, and why? 

Whom does s/he like most, and why? 

Who's the most important person in his/her life right now, and why? 

Whom does s/he secretly admire (non romantic), and why? 

Who was his/her biggest influence, and why? 

Person s/he most misunderstands or misjudges: 

Person who most misunderstands or misjudges him or her: 

Has s/he lost touch with anyone significant in his/her life? If yes, why?

Whom does s/he most rely on for practical advice? Whom does s/he most rely on for emotional support?

Whom, if anyone, does s/he support (e.g. advice or emotional support)?

Mental Attitude/personal beliefs

Any psychological issues (e.g. phobias, depression, paranoia, narcissism, etc.)? 

Is s/he an optimist or pessimist? 

Meyers Briggs Personality Type (see http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp):

S/he is most comfortable when: (alone, hanging w/friends, etc.): 

S/he is most uncomfortable when ... (in a crowd, alone, speaking in public, etc.): 

Is s/he cautious, brave, or reckless in his/her approach to life? 

What does s/he most value/prioritize (family, money, success, religion, etc.)? 

Whom does s/he really love best? 

Whom or what would s/he be willing to die for? 

Is s/he generally compassionate or self-involved? 

Personal philosophy: 

What’s his/her most embarrassing moment? 

What is his/her secret wish? What (or who) is his/her biggest fear? 

Any prejudices (race, culture, religion, etc.)? 

Character's greatest strength: 

Other good characteristics: 

Character's greatest flaw: 

Other character flaws: 

What are his/her own favourite attributes (both physical and personal)? 

What about least favourite? 

Are these feelings accurate? 

How does s/he think others perceive him or her? (And is this accurate?) 

Biggest regret: Other regrets: 

Proudest accomplishment: 

Other accomplishments: 

Quirks: 

Character's biggest secret(s)? 

Who else knows (if anyone)? 

How does s/he react to a crisis? 

What usually causes the problems in his/her life (finances, friends, rivals, colleagues, personality flaws, health, etc.)?

 What would s/he most like to change about her-/himself? Why?

 Write a paragraph (~100 words) of the character describing him/herself: Short term goals: Long term goals: 

Does s/he plan to achieve these goals, or does s/he think they’re unrealistic? 

Will others be affected? If so, does s/he care? 

What if anything is stopping him/her from achieving these goals? 

What event or occurrence does s/he most dread or fear? 

What does he/she actively work to gain, keep or protect? 

Which person in his/her life would s/he most want to emulate? 

Which person in his/her life would s/he least want to emulate?

Favourites

Food:

Drink: 

Colour: 

Book: 

Film: 

TV Show:  

Sport: 

Hangout(s): 

Motto/Quote: 

Possession:

Thankyou for sticking around! Here’s one last tip for character writing: 

FEEDBACK!

Just like you should give me feedback on this document. Ha-ha. 

Feedback is important: get feedback from a friend, a family member or maybe even a complete stranger –

Note: not an editor, someone before that who will just critique you without feeling bad and before you turn in your work to a publisher. 

Now for feedback on this document, write it down in the comment section.

If you got this in the classroom or on my blog, either way drop it in.

For further questions, do the same or if not possible, email me, and I’m completely open to them. 

Email: nabakhadijathamim@gmail.com

Blog: https://nabawritesblogs.blogspot.com/