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Editor-in-Chief of the Reedsy blog, Dario is a graduate of Mälardalen University. As a freelance writer, he has written for many esteemed outlets aimed at writers. A traveler at heart, he can be found roaming the world and working from his laptop.
Ask any great novelist, and they’ll likely tell you that good writing starts with good characters. But building characters from the ground up is also one of the toughest hills to climb, especially if you’ve struggled with those all-too-revealing questions:
If you’re having these doubts, you might want to turn to the age-old solution: a character profile.
A character profile is a detailed biography of a persona that covers everything from their age and appearance to their relationships with others. By understanding parts of their life that readers might not discover during the course of the story, an author can better understand that character’s life, personality, motivations, and their function within a story.
In this post, we will show you our three-part process for assembling a character profile.
Many character bibles present exercises that ask you, “If your character was a color, what color would they be?” For many writers, this is either overkill or a bit too 'woo-woo' for their tastes, and they prefer to create a profile that deals in verifiable facts: height, age, and profession.
Our suggestion lies somewhere between those two approaches, where you build a holistic picture of your character in the context of your story. Our character profile worksheet is in three parts. If you treat a person like an apple, they’re going to have three layers of depth: the “skin,” the “flesh,” and the “core.” (Otherwise known as their physical appearance, backstory, and psychology.) That’s how this character profile template is structured — and if you have a particular area that you’d like to hone, you can skip to it below. Otherwise, this character bible will start with the eagle eye’s view of your character.
The Three-Part Character Profile Template:
As another reminder, we strongly recommend our character profile template in a PDF format and fill it out as you go along! Download it below for free right here.
Reedsy’s Character Profile Template
A story is only as strong as its characters. Fill this out to develop yours.
To be able to identify a criminal, detectives build a painstakingly thorough file of said criminal’s physical characteristics.
That’s the goal of this section, which covers the “skin” of your character: everything from their outer appearance to the way that they speak. Think of it as a kind of offender profile — one that can help you spot your character in the middle of a crowded Times Square.
Do they have any distinguishing features (tattoos, scars, birthmarks)?
What's their preferred outfit?
Do they wear glasses? 👓
What accessories are ALWAYS associated with them (cane, pipe, necklace, etc.)? 🌂
What's their usual level of grooming?
Do they have any distinguishing “tics” and mannerisms?
What's their health like? Do they suffer from chronic illnesses? 🏥
Describe their handwriting (sloppy, neat, careful, unintelligible). ✍
How do they walk? 👣
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How do they talk (rapid, slow, measured, drawl, etc.)?
What's the style of their speech (elevated, educated, peppered with slang, etc.)?
Do they have an accent?
Do they gesture?
How much eye contact do they like to make (direct, shifty, etc.)?
What's their preferred curse word?
What's their catchphrase?
Any speech impediments?
What are any distinguishing speech “tics”?
What's their laugh like? What do they tend to find funny?
Describe their smile?
How emotive are they? Do they wear their emotions on their sleeve? How easily can others read them?
They have a resting _____ face.
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Characters don’t exist in a vacuum — they’re a product of their environment.
This section in the character template dives a bit deeper into your character and covers their “flesh”: the people, circumstances, and formative influences that filled them out and made them who they are today. It’s the springboard to your character’s biography.
What's the name of their hometown? 🏡
What type of childhood did they have (sheltered, neglected, etc.)?
Describe their education. 🍏
Were they involved in organizations and clubs at school?
At graduation, they were named Most Likely To ___________ in the yearbook. 🎓
Jobs (if applicable)? What would their résumé look like? 💼
What was their dream job as a child? Why?
Who were their role models growing up? Describe them. 👨👦
What's their greatest regret?
What were their hobbies growing up? ⛳
Favorite place to be as a child?
What's their earliest memory?
What's their saddest memory?
What's their happiest memory?
What's their clearest memory?
What are their skeletons in the closet? 💀
If they could change one thing from their past, what would it be? Why? ⏳
Describe the major turning points or “life beats” in childhood.
What are three adjectives to describe them as a child?
What advice would they give to their younger self?
List their criminal record. ⚖
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Children 👶(if applicable)
What's their family's economic status? 💰
How often do they see their family in a year?
Who are their closest friends? Describe them.
Who are their other significant friends? 👋
Enemies? Describe them. 😡
How are they perceived by:
What social media platforms are they on?
How would they use their social media platforms?
How would they fill out an online dating profile for themselves? ✨
What’s their role in a group dynamic? 💡
Who do they depend on for:
How quickly do they respond to emails? 📨
What do they want from a relationship?
Who would be their ideal partner? 💖
Who is their significant other? Describe them. 💕
How many people would attend their funeral?
We’ve come now to the “core”: who your character is deep down.
This section in the character profile worksheet covers the “heart” of your character. If a backstory shapes a dynamic character, this will define them. More importantly, it will help inform the two most important points leading up to your novel: the character’s story goal and what drives them.
What do they do on rainy days?
What is their favorite sound? 🔊
Favorite place in the world? 🌎
What secrets do they keep? What are they most afraid of people finding out? 🔒
What do they want the most? 🔍
What's their biggest flaw?
What's their biggest strength?
What's their biggest fear?
What is their biggest accomplishment? 📈
What is their idea of perfect happiness?
What's their favorite quote? 👌
Do they want to be remembered? What for? ⌚
How do they approach:
What is the one object or possession that they would rescue from their burning home? 🔥
What (or who) bores them? 💤
What makes them angry? 💢
What do they look for in a person?
How strong is their moral compass? When, specifically, are they willing to compromise their morals?
List the last 10 books they read. 📚
Which fictional world would they most wish to visit?
If they didn’t have to sleep, what would they do with the extra time?
What are their pet peeves? ⚠
If they won the lottery, what would they do?
Describe the character’s bucket list at the ages of 15, 20, 30, and 40.
List the 10 songs that would occupy their All-Time Most Played playlist on Spotify. 🎵
What is the best compliment that someone ever paid them?
In an elevator, do they push the elevator button more than once? 🚪
What would they want their tombstone to say?
What is their story goal? (answer in a single paragraph)
Story motivation (answer in a single paragraph)
In other words: what does your character want in the story? And why do they want it?
Every other answer in the character profile template builds up to this. It's critical information to know because it’ll make up the unshakable foundation — and raison d'être — for your story. Whenever you feel like your story is straying off course, go straight back to your character’s story goal and motivation, and you'll find the beating heart of your book.
– Originally published on May 31, 2018
