Detailed Character Chart

DETAILED  CHARACTER  CHART

This is based on Colleen Reece's chart featured in an article for Writer's Digest, 11/81 and reprinted in 1983-84 Fiction Writer's Market. Titled "Just a Bunch of Words."

Note: If working with characters who span years or generations, a genealogical chart is mandatory to keep ages, times, etc. accurate.

BOOK TITLE: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Name ______________________________________________________________________________ 2. Age ___________________________________

3. Height _______________    4. Weight _______________      5. Birthdate  (YYYY MM DD)  _________________________________________

6. Color hair _________________________ 7. Color eyes ____________________________________________________________________________

8. Scars, handicaps (physical, mental, emotional)   ____________________________________________________________________________

9. Sense of humor and kind ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. Basic nature ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

11. Ambitions __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

12 Philosophy of life ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. Hobbies ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

14. Kinds of music, art, reading preferred ____________________________________________________________________________________

15. Dress _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

16. Favorite colors _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

17. If woman, what does she have in purse; if man, what in pocket or glove compartment _________________________________

18. Educational background __________________________________________________________________________________________________

19. Work experience/occupation _____________________________________________________________________________________________

20. Best friend _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

21. Men/women friends _______________________________________________________________________________________________________

22. Enemies and why __________________________________________________________________________________________________________

23. Parents _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

24. Family background (economic, social, nationality, religious) _____________________________________________________________

25. Description of home (physical, emotional atmosphere--make up floor plans and room plans if it will help)              __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

26. Strongest/weakest character traits _______________________________________________________________________________________

27. Sees self as _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

28. Seen by others as __________________________________________________________________________________________________________

29. Present problem __________________________________________________________________________________________________________

30. How it will get worse _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

31. Most important thing to know about character _________________________________________________________________________

32. One-line characterization ________________________________________________________________________________________________

33. Trait that will make character come alive and why ______________________________________________________________________

34. How different from other similar characters and why __________________________________________________________________

35. Put character in situations of mad, sad, glad, bad and had. Write the scenes, May use later in the book.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Characters who are remembered as combination of saint and sinner, not all good and not all bad!