Have you ever created character profiles for the primary solid of your novel?
Whereas not all authors use character profiles, many discover them a really useful device for retaining monitor of their characters – and for growing and fleshing out these characters within the first place.
Performed effectively, a personality profile might help you harness your creativity and actually dig into who your characters are.
Typically, although, writers deal with character profiles as a form-filling train, arising with their character’s eye colour, hair colour, first job, and so forth with out investing any of this with a deeper which means.
They may diligently full character profiles for each character of their novel – even the bus driver who solely has a walk-on half in chapter 5 – however they’re not any nearer to having any actual perception into their characters.
So what ought to go in your character profile … and the way do you have to use it?
What to Embody in a Character Profile
Firstly, not each character in your novel wants a profile in any respect.
Characters who’ve a minor function (like your protagonist’s mom, who solely seems briefly a few instances) don’t have to be absolutely fleshed out. After all, you would possibly wish to make some temporary notes about them … however this undoubtedly doesn’t have to be a whole profile.
Your fundamental characters, although, ought to have particular person profiles. That in all probability contains any viewpoint character. You probably have an antagonist then it’s value making a profile for them too (in spite of everything, even when your fundamental character simply doesn’t “get” the place the antagonist is coming from, you ought to).
It’s solely as much as you ways you construction your character profiles. Usually, although, I’d counsel that:
You don’t focus an excessive amount of on bodily particulars. You might wish to embody issues like hair colour and eye colour in the event you’re ever more likely to point out them – however you may go away them out in the event that they’re not going to be related. The identical goes for peak and construct: until they’re uncommon and vital, you don’t essentially want them in any respect.
In case you are together with bodily particulars, take into consideration how they relate to deeper points of your character. For example, in Harry Potter, the truth that Harry has inexperienced eyes is important as a result of it’s the bodily attribute that hyperlinks him to his mom.
You spend a while exploring deeper questions on your character: issues like “what’s the error they remorse most?” or “in what conditions would they lie?” or “what false beliefs do they maintain?” These type of questions will end in a a lot richer, extra actual character than a easy listing of bodily traits.
The primary book I ever purchased on-line, again in round 2007, was Holly Lisle’s Create a Character Clinic. That is nonetheless one in every of my favourite assets for character creation: it goes far past the everyday “character questionnaire” to dig deep into what actually makes characters tick (and it contains plenty of examples, too).
If you happen to’re utilizing a template or questionnaire that you just’ve discovered on-line, don’t really feel that you want to full each single a part of it – particularly if it’s an extended one! Concentrate on the bits which are most impactful or that assist you to to think about your character extra absolutely: in the event you do resolve to fill in the remainder, you may merely do it at a later stage.
Don’t get hung up on creating the “excellent” character profile earlier than you start writing – as a result of it’ll nearly actually change as you go alongside.
Which brings me on to…
Why Your Character Profile Will Want Updating Commonly
If you happen to create your character profiles through the pre-writing section of your novel, you’ll nearly actually discover that your understanding of your character shifts as you write the primary draft.
Maybe the factor you thought they sincerely regretted from their previous seems to be one thing they’re truly fairly pleased with – no less than initially.
Maybe you notice that it makes rather more sense for them to have grown up someplace rural, not in a metropolis.
Maybe you modify them radically: possibly you merge two characters collectively, otherwise you change a personality’s gender or age. (Or their identify: numerous my characters find yourself altering names part-way by the writing course of as I determine a reputation that’s a greater “match”.)
Your character profile undoubtedly isn’t set in stone. It’s positive to vary your thoughts and rework it – however do just be sure you truly replace it to replicate the modifications you’ve made through the writing course of.
In any other case, it may be very complicated a number of chapters later once you wish to convey a personality again in however you may’t now keep in mind in the event that they’re speculated to be 35 or 25, or whether or not they’re tall with darkish brown hair or quick with strawberry blonde hair.
Character profiles is usually a useful gizmo for creating and fleshing out attention-grabbing characters in your novel; they’re additionally a helpful working doc that you should utilize that can assist you keep on monitor and preserve issues constant through the writing course of.
If you happen to’ve by no means created a personality profile earlier than, why not give it a go immediately?