I agree with Cogito. I like fluid characters and most people react differently in different situations regardless of their beliefs. Doesn't mean that I need characters to develop, though and that you shouldn't write something about the character on the side. Again, this seems to be a very personal matter and if you manage to write well acclaimed stories using this method then there's nothing wrong with it.
I only use them if i feel like I can't write about my character because I don't understand enough about them, but usealy no I don't but they can be helpful
I beg to differ. Maybe I wouldn't want to know about Captain Ahab's diabetes or Butler's ingrown toenail, but I would find it interesting nonetheless. Maybe it doesn't give them depth, necessarily, but those quirks that some people happen to embrace. Besides, who would complain about unnecessary information? I notice that there are not many people that are very fond of the character sheet. I happen to have used at least four character sheets for one character, as silly as this may sound. The character sheet, depending on what questions are listed, can actually be highly amusing to fill out. I always find myself having a good time answering particular questions like "what does your character do in the afternoon" or "what is your character's favourite catchphrase?" The long questionnaires always give me the questions I would have never considered. It really helps me think of my character as something deeper than fiction, as if he/she is actually real. Of course I can't say that it would help everyone, but it certainly doesn't hold back the creative flow. If anything, it may open a few new doors. Obviously I won't be mentioning all these quirks, but they will always be around in case I need them. They tend to add humour and maybe even a strange sense of insightfulness to a story. It doesn't complete a story, but it helps the audience perhaps relate with the character a little more. It's a bit like noticing something unique about that person you knew for a few years. You might just recently notice that your close friend bites his nails when he's nervous. Or you may take note that your sister nibbles on her pencil when she's in deep thought. Some people won't care, but others may treasure these things. It makes people realise that there is always something slightly unique about each and every person. But character sheets must be used with care. Never overuse one. I use my character sheets once in a blue moon because most of the character's personality is already set in my mind. If you find yourself referring to your character sheet every time you decide to write something, then there is something wrong. And you don't need a character sheet to write a character that is both deep and reaslitic. It's possible to create a character without the use of a guide. Many people have done it, many people still do, and they forever will.
Oh, of course. I think it's great if a writer does know about a protagonist's podiatric problems or inability to produce insulin, but when such nonessential information is actually put into the story it tends to get in the way. If you knew that Jay Gatsby really liked pistachio ice cream, you wouldn't become more emotionally invested in the novel. It might make you hungry, but that shouldn't be what an author is going for. As far as I'm concerned, a writer is better off saving a character sheet for Dungeons and Dragons than actually using it to write. They can be useful, but only if you don't know your character already. If it works for you, excellent. Keep using it. I just find that they can make an already difficult job even more daunting. Again, use whatever works for you.
That's true. However, The Great Gatsby is filled with symbolism that can be easily mistaken as unnecessary information. For example, the constant reminder of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg's eyes watching Nick every time he enters the Valley of Ashes. At first, you may think that it is not necessary for Fitzgerald to put in such information when, in reality, it is meant to convey the message that the eyes of God are witnessing the moral decay in America (or something along those lines; it's been a while since I've read/analysed Gatsby). Other than that, I do see your point here and I understand that it can get in the way of a story's progress.
I believe that character sheets are good for getting a "general base" for a character. After that, you start coming up with desirable traits and such for your character, and you begin to remember things about that character much easier. I know I used character sheets for my main character to get a general idea of what I wanted, and then I came up with other characteristics that made the character. It's all about what helps you visualize your character the best.
Arrrrrgh! Can't we just put up a forum for character profile sheet lovers? Okay. ahem - I got that out of my system ... Some people find them extremely helpful. Others would never use them even for lining a songbird's cage. I think it is a strictly personal preference. If you find it helpful to use a character sheet to help you nail down your characters' quirks and background, then do it. But I wouldn't recommend using that profile sheet as a bible for your character. It's too easy to let that shackle your characters and then they tend to suffer from FTT - Failure To Thrive syndrome. I've actually always found it a bit of a curious concept. I tend to have a fairly solid understanding of my primary (and most secondary) characters from the outset. I know my characters as well as I know myself ... perhaps because, on some level, they all ARE myself. Eh?
When this all boils down to one point, it is simply a matter of preference: 1) Whether you use character sheets for a MC or whether you don’t, you can’t bash someone just because they do. 2) All writers are different, are they not? And if some so choose to use character sheets, that doesn’t make them inferior or superior to other writers. We all have various styles and ways of learning our material, and this calls for different writing methods So, comment on other things. Otherwise, please be a tad more courteous. T2
Bravo, sister! Needless to say, all writers are different. We all have different peeves. We all have different ways to go about our own stories. Ray Bradbury gets up at the crack of dawn (three o'clock in the morning) to write out his works. So it doesn't matter what you use or what another writer uses. It's your preference. And that's nothing to be sorry for. T
I perfectly agree. This way your character will be more like machines than human beings. Humans are dynamic, not fixed to a certain list of properties.
Of course. We all want our characters to be dynamic and complex as possible. But we aren't exactly fixing them to a list of properties when using a character profile sheet. We are forming them in our own visions; giving them specific details. The sheet is just a jump starting way to begin.
I tried it once and it didn't help me at all. My characters develop as I go along. If I need to keep referring to a character sheet, then i don't know my characters and shouldn't be writing about them. Seems self-contradictory but that's the way it works for me.
Profile sheets, no. Not for things like favorite foods and quirks and favorite music. These tend to create focus on things that are unessential to the storyline, based on what I"ve seen from friends who use them. Stay away. Character outlines for things like goal, motivation, obstacles, internal struggles (if any), conflict with other characters, how and if they change over time, etc: yes. I recently realized some of my MCs were underdeveloped, so I made this type of chart/diagram thingy to address those issues.
Precisely! I agree. Discovering as you write is the best way to develop a character, I think. Though making a list of what you DO describe them with might be helpful. But why does everyone say this belong in RPG? Creating a character applies the same way there, as long as your character is fictional.
Because RPGs practically invented character sheets. The AD&D character sheets gave numerical values to a number of predefined attributes, which were then used by the dungeon master to decide outcomes based on dice rolls. Now we are seeing more free-form RPGs like those on this site, for whioch character sheets ar far less relevant, but the tradition of character sheets has been hard to break. Many aspiring writers come from the world of free form RPGs, and the notion that character sheets are helpful to character creation is indoctrinated into them. Plus, we see it in other aspects of our lives, Managers and HR personnel hand out Briiggs-Myers quizzes to classify personality types, magazines print compatibility tests, dating sites use questionnaires, all promulgating the myth that personalities can be summed up by asking a set of standardized questions. Ask enough questions, and you will know all about the person. Rubbish. You cannot ask enough questions to define a person, especially if you try to use the same questions for everyone.
