1. Desire2write

    Desire2write New Member

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    Character sketch.

    Discussion in 'Character Development' started by Desire2write, Mar 19, 2019.

    I have never used a character sketch. I just write. Am I doing something wrong? How much detail do I need write in a character sketch? Where Do I start? It probably sounds basic but I have never used it in my short stories. Please can anyone assist me?
     
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  2. EBohio

    EBohio Banned

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    As much as you need.

    I pretty much have an idea of a character before I start writing. At least the MC. I just write, I don't do character bios. But I think of them frequently in my mind as the day goes on.
     
  3. John Calligan

    John Calligan Contributor Contributor

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    I always write like a page about the character, history, even personality type, and it helps me as far as what decisions a character makes, but the actual prose always feels so lifeless first draft because I still don't know them until I write it.

    I'm starting on the second draft of a novelette and dang it, it is so boring to read.
     
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2019
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  4. XRD_author

    XRD_author Banned

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    No.
    Some writers find them useful, and maybe you will too.
    But every writer has their own way of writing.
     
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  5. Kalisto

    Kalisto Senior Member

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    I've tried to do character sketches myself. As you can see, it didn't turn out all that well.

    upload_2019-3-20_23-45-53.png
     
  6. Fallow

    Fallow Banned

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    You don't have to write a sketch first, but in a novel it is a good idea to at least take notes as you go so you don't forget that you made Barbara's right index finger missing and 600 pages later she's using a gun with that hand.
     
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  7. badgerjelly

    badgerjelly Contributor Contributor

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    If you’re not doing something some others writers do it doesn’t make it “wrong”. Of course, it’s always useful to try out something different though :)

    I’m not much of a “writer” and my characters just fall on the page as and when they come to me. I explore them by writing and don’t really find sketches (unless illustrated) does much for me.
     
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  8. Alan Aspie

    Alan Aspie Banned Contributor

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    1. Does your workflow work for you you?
    2. Does it give you good results?

    If answers are yes, you are not doing anything wrong. If even one answer is no, then you are doing something wrong.
     
  9. LoaDyron

    LoaDyron Contributor Contributor

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    Write all your ideas you have at the moment. Then when you start writing your story, it will give you the answer you need.
     
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  10. Aled James Taylor

    Aled James Taylor Contributor Contributor

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    My characters tend to be plot driven. I start with fairly neutral characters and then add unique features when needed. If a character needs to make an unusual decision, I ask, 'what kind of person would choose in this way?' If they need to make a rash decision, I make them impulsive. If they need to be fooled by others, I make then gullible. Once I've established these qualities, I can edit the text to introduce the characteristics at an early stage and have those features drive the not so essential events.
     
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  11. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    You don't need a character sketch. If you just write, you'll get there. In fact, I support that method myself, because I'm a character-oriented writer rather than a plot-oriented one. Many successful writers do use character sketches, however. But if you don't need one, don't use one.

    The danger in having no preliminary sketch is that your character may 'evolve' as you write them, so some of what they do doesn't make sense when compared to what they did earlier on. However, all that means is you'll need to do some revising after you've finished, so the two ends match up.
     
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  12. rktho

    rktho Contributor Contributor

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    It may be awkward but she could move her hand up so her middle finger is on the trigger.
     
  13. Fallow

    Fallow Banned

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    I was just referring to be internally consistent. Yes, the character with blue eyes can be brown later on with contact lenses - but its easier to just not have issues that require resolving by keeping track of your characters.
     
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  14. Laurin Kelly

    Laurin Kelly Contributor Contributor

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    The only time I ever did character sketches was when I wrote my first book, which had a very diverse, ensemble cast. It was very basic though - just a list of gender, race, marital status, kids or not, approximate age, and what kind of chef they were.

    Since then my books have had fewer characters, so it's relatively easy to keep it all in my head.
     
  15. XRD_author

    XRD_author Banned

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    I can keep a lot about my characters in my head, but not their exact dates-of-birth. And that matters, because the story spans several decades and it's important that, for example, Sister A was working hard preparing to apply to college when sister S got very ill, which forced their parents to devote all their attention to sister S. That particular example doesn't affect the plot, but it did affect the characters, so when sister A is reacting/responding to something involving sister S, I have to remember how her attitudes to S were shaped during that critical high-stress time in both their lives. Sister T is slightly older than S, so she was shaped a little differently by those times.

    This is part of the fun of being an author, in my opinion. :)
     
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  16. Laurin Kelly

    Laurin Kelly Contributor Contributor

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    Oh yes, that makes a difference too. Most of my stories are told over the span of weeks or months, though Gravity's timeline is a little over a year. I'm a contemporary romance writer, so writing anything saga-like isn't in my wheelhouse at all.
     
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  17. XRD_author

    XRD_author Banned

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    Yep. Different tools and techniques for different kinds of books.
    One wouldn't want to cut down a tree with a wood chisel, or form joints for a drawer using a chain saw. :)
     
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  18. cosmic lights

    cosmic lights Contributor Contributor

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    Do you mean a literal sketch?
    Or do you mean what I call "character profile" which is like a detailed version of the character?

    I'll assume it's the second option but some do like to physically draw their characters.
    You don't have to do one and you are doing nothing wrong. I would ask someone to read one of your stories and pay attention to the characters. Do they feel flat when they're not meant to? Do they change throughout the story? Do they have a goal, motivation and conflict? Could they be more interesting if I developed them more and added more things like: Character Lie, wants vs need, desires, beliefs/opinions etc...or are those factors already there? Do the characters need more work to deepen them?

    If people say no, then I'd stick to what you do. If people say yes, they could feel more "real" or interesting I'd start researching tools you can use with characters. Don't feel you need to know them all. But understanding a character's Lie and knowing how and when you use it, can bring a little something extra to a character. Read non-fiction on creating characters and just add things to your tool box.

    Good luck
     
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2019
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  19. DarkPen14

    DarkPen14 Florida Man in Training Contributor

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    Yeah, I don't usually do character sketches. What I do do (stupid english language) is find an image on the internet that kinda sorta looks like how I envision the character, and use that as a frame of reference next to a description of appearance.

    Sad part is, this is harder to do for the MC, because in my case the MC is always something that no one like to draw. As a result, my secondary and tertiary characters are always more fleshed out than the main character. Anyone else have this problem or am I just picking the wrong character to be the MC?
     
  20. rktho

    rktho Contributor Contributor

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    Those are called faceclaims.
     
  21. DarkPen14

    DarkPen14 Florida Man in Training Contributor

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    I realize that, I meant the issue of the secondary characters being more fleshed out than the MC. Half the time I can't even figure out who the MC is, because Laura over there is more developed, but she's gonna die in two pages, for example
     
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  22. Fallow

    Fallow Banned

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    If using a picture helps you focus, that's great. But written characters really do only exist on the page, and if the page doesn't require a description of eyebrows it is something of a diversion to have that information on hand.

    What is important about our characters is what they do and how others react to them. If shape of an earlobe, darkness of the skin or strong feelings about bowling don't figure in the action on the page, then they really don't belong in a character sketch. It is good to think about characters as real people, but when we model actual real people in our mind, we don't fill that model up with unimportant details either - we stick to what's important to interact with that person.

    I think many aspiring writers make things harder on themselves by attempting to picture their WIP as if it is a movie and they are describing that movie. But you really aren't - part of the magic of the written word is that the details that are important are so different from the details of a visual work, and the other details so unimportant that we can be free of worrying about them. So details like whether a character is tall or has blue eyes or is Latino are only useful if those characteristics make the plot function. If not, let the reader fill them in (if they are so inclined), and work on whether the character is forceful or confused or depressed or competent - because those things matter a lot more.
     
  23. EBohio

    EBohio Banned

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    You guys are getting off topic. The OP was talking about written character outline not a drawing.



     
  24. Fallow

    Fallow Banned

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    Many of the same principles apply as many writers think about their characters in primarily visual terms. (And shouldn't.)
     
  25. Alan Aspie

    Alan Aspie Banned Contributor

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    Kallisto's example looks very much like my handwriting.

    Enyrid AOMcYic and then it becomes hard to read.
     

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