Crafting a Character Profile
When writing, your character(s) will be one of the main focuses. You want to flush out your characters as much as you can, and this is how.
The main thing we’ll be focusing on are subjects like character-driven plots. Character webbing, individual characteristics, and maximizing it. Having a character that is flushed out and crafting their profile will help you in the long run.
The Complexity of Character Development: I have probably mentioned this once before in previous lessons, but as a storyteller, you need to know far more about your characters than your consumer. You should know as much about your characters right down to the smallest of details.
You should respect who your character is by understanding and flushing out details such as their background, perspective, and thoughts & ideas.
Types of Characteristics: Some basic characteristics you might want to look at may include:
Appearance; physical traits
Personality; behavior
Spiritual Views and Values; moral code, belief system
Relationships; impact the character
Life; little details (mostly surface level)
Past; makes who they are today
I have created and posted a detailed character sheet that goes into depth on these characteristics and more that you might want to look at. {insert Tumblr link}
Investigating Characteristics; Creating Traits with Purpose:
The Point in Investigating:
The Point in this is that you want these characteristics to have purpose and you want them to have relevance in both your story and in the character.
When asking the questions of the ‘whats, hows, and whys’ of these characteristics it gets the gears turning in your head.
If you want a character that is true, that is at their core, consistent in behavior and in attitude and with who they are (in how they act and inexperience) you will start with a core set of characteristics you’ve chosen, allowing other characteristics to grow out of those.
For example; they like yellow -> it’s their favorite color -> they have a yellow shirt -> their mom gave it to them -> they love their mom -> yellow reminds them of her -> they miss her -> they moved away from her -> they moved because of school.
Internal and External Characteristics:
Every external characteristic (usually) has an internal characteristic to drive it
Every internal characteristic manifests itself in an external way
For choosing characteristics are these internal or external characteristics? How does it manifest itself, or what is the driver behind it?
How Characteristics Relate to Plot; Three Levels:
Primary Characteristic:
These are the most important characteristics of your character. The 100% influence the plot of your story. This is how it changed the character's worldview. As the storyteller, you have the deepest, solid answer. You want to bring this while plotting your story.
Supporting Characteristic:
These are not essential to your plot, but tell us something about your character. We see these characteristics come out in their action.
Ancillary Details:
These don’t have much with your plot, more so fun facts about your characters.
NOTE: You want all three to balance things out
Creating Plot-Driven Characteristics: As stated before, but is highly important to say, is that both your plot and character rely on each other to move forward so, the first few traits you choose must be the most important traits. These will be your primary.
These traits will allow your other traits and details to grow and branch out.
Crafting Strong Character Relationships: Your main goal in creating strong relationships in your story is to have other characters should leverage your main character to help tell your consumer more about them.
As the storyteller, you want to have many ideas of subject matters for a better understanding and idea of these relationships.
Creating Unique and Memorable Traits: You want to try and avoid low-hanging fruit. Think longer and don’t settle right away. You also want to think in specifics. Researching is your best friend!
~Vocabulary~
Characteristics: a feature or quality belonging typically to a person, place, or thing and serving to identify it.
Maximizing: make the best use of.
Influence: the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself.
Essential: absolutely necessary; extremely important.
Primary: of chief importance; principal.
Leverage: use (something) to maximum advantage.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Hello friends! As you may have noticed, I have not posted any lessons. These lessons were written up a few months ago and I have finally gotten around to posting them, thus, I’ll be writing up even more lessons. Thank you for your patience and I am looking forward to helping you guys write even further!
