Elements of Fiction: Character List
In developing your characters (or breathing new life into tired, old characters), you might want to work with this character list, but don’t try to work every detail into the story.
In fact, you are not required to cover every trait on this
list; some may be unimportant for your story.
But if you choose to develop every trait listed here, you
probably won’t use all of them. In short, knowing your characters well does not
mean blabbing everything about them.
You may refer to the following characteristics for
brainstorming (Feel free to develop them in any order. For example, your character’s
name may not become clear until later in the writing process):
Name and Nickname:
Gender:
Website(s):
Email address:
Sexual orientation
(heterosexual, gay, lesbian, non-binary, binary, transgender):
Age:
Marital status:
Physical attributes
(looks):
Education:
Vocation/occupation:
Status and money:
Off-spring:
Family:
Ethnicity (family
history):
Diction, accent,
etc.:
Relationships:
Places (country,
state, city, home, office, car, summer home, etc.):
Possessions:
Recreations/hobbies:
Obsessions:
Conflicts:
Bad habits/good
habits:
Religious beliefs:
Political beliefs:
General beliefs:
Sexual history:
Ambitions:
Superstitions:
Fears/traumas:
Attitudes:
Personality
(cheerful, somber, thorny, shy, gregarious, etc.):
Character flaws:
Character strengths:
Pets:
Favorite books,
music, films, sports, etc.:
Journal/diary
entries:
Correspondence:
Favorite foods:
Handwriting:
Birthday/astrological
sign:
Talents:
Current physical
condition:
Current mental condition:
Past physical
condition (for example, a character goes on a diet and loses weight and
is strutting her stuff, or, conversely, a formerly thin person has gained a lot
of weight and must deal with a new negative social construct):
Past mental condition:
Other:
Don’t feel that you must cover every characteristic – this
is a brainstorming list, not a task!
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More Elements of Fiction:
Elements of Fiction: Characterization
Elements of Fiction: Point of View
Elements of Fiction: Story Structure
Elements of Fiction: Other Elements
Elements of Fiction: Building a Character (Character List)
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(Adapted from What If? by Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter, HarperPerennial [New York], 1990, pp 47-48).
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