Character Profiling

Discussion in 'Character Development' started by ChaosReigns, Oct 28, 2013.

  1. Thornesque

    Thornesque Senior Member

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    I don't like that at all, really. Anything that's going to require some sort of an explanation isn't necessary. So, while you should head the character sheet with the name, for clarity's sake, the Age, Gender, and Species are unnecessary. These can be remembered on their own.

    Personality isn't useful at all. Most people have multiple facets to their personalities. The way a person behaves is dependent on the circumstances you put them in. A female character that's shy around boys is going to have a different, outward personality compared to when she's with her friends. There are just far too many situations to consider in order to make "Personality" its own category.

    Skills may be somewhat helpful, but then, I suppose that would depend on what you define as a "skill." As it were, any important skills would also be like the short-answer categories - you're going to be able to remember them. Flaws is the same, as well as likes & dislikes. The fact is, anything of importance is easy enough to remember, and doesn't need to be explored with a character sheet.

    Miscellaneous is useless. You might as well just make another category for anything else you want to make note of.

    The only think is "A little about him/her," which needs to be divided into many more categories. It's too general as it is, right now.
     
  2. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    Or, you might just know your characters well enough this information need not be written down in notes.

    If someone has a very complex plot with dozens of characters that come from different locations, whatever, I can see the need to make some kind of cheat sheet or family trees. No one wants a glaring error like Prince George from Urbia accidentally becomes Prince George from Anbia because he's such a minor character in a complex plot that takes decades to unfold the author lost track.

    But goodness, I know everything about my main and ancillary characters. I know them because they are real people in my head. If a writer had to make a list of what their characters' likes and dislikes were, what does that say about the writer's knowledge of their story?.
     
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  3. Burlbird

    Burlbird Contributor Contributor

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    My "oldest" character will be 20 years old in a month :) After a 10 year hiatus I'm finally writing a story with him: and man did he change! In the begining he was some weird amalgam of Luke Skywalker, Spock and Rick Hunter from Robotech. I think that now, thete is almost nothing of his old "personality" left. He "grew up" as I did, and my personal experiences and growth makes it impossible for me to write him the way I did as a pre-teen. And it's only natural - some sort of auto-biographical influence seems to be absolutely neccessary to create a believable character with flesh and bones.
     
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  4. dawn-mayer

    dawn-mayer New Member

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    I'm not saying to use it everytime xD For example, I don't. But if you have troubles creating your characters I thought it could help a little...Just to start the 'sketch', then go deeper than that. Not everybody is Victor Hugo, we need to start somewhere, right?
     
  5. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    I don't have a problem with anyone's individual method of writing or creating a story. Writers are very diverse.

    I'm not sure when one needs characters before story, but if that works for a writer, it's fantastic.
     
  6. Renee J

    Renee J Senior Member

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    I create events that happened to my characters in their past which shaped who they are at the time of the story. These events may not even get mentioned in the book.
     
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