Character Profile Worksheets

Related ELA Standard: RL.9-10.3

Core Standard

When you are writing a work of fiction it is often helpful to fully develop the background of your characters prior to inserting them into the story. This can be achieved by writing a detailed biography in what we call a character profile. Profiles start with the basic data about the character such as what they look like, their age, where are they from. As you further develop this it is helpful to determine their motivations and aspirations. You can also plot out all of the personality traits which will become fully fleshed out in the story. When you create a character profile for all your major characters and supporting cast it makes writing an exciting story that is well planned much easier. These worksheets will help students learn how to create these profiles and use them to their advantage.

APA Citation Worksheets To Print:

In a Nutshell - What does your cast love, hate, fear, and want?

Their Role - What does your character do in the story?

Motives - We look at both internal and external factors.

Odds and Ends - This worksheet will help you think deeper about your profile.

One Word - Try to complete all of these with a single word. It gives you a great deal to build up from.

Strengths and Weaknesses - What do they do well? What do they struggle with?

Inside Out - This worksheet gives you plenty of space to write your thoughts.

Author Thoughts - This is a good time for you to contemplate how you feel about the entire cast.

Character Flaws - Is there something broken within them?

Challenges and Changes - What speed bumps do they hit and how does that change them?

Bring Them To Life - We ask you to describe and draw them.

Purpose - What is their purpose in the story?

Stakeholders - What do they do in the story? What's at stake for them in the story?

Relationships - How do they interact with the rest of the cast throughout the story?

Who is Your OC? - Describe their backstory in great detail.

How To Create A Character Profile

Ask a reader what hooks them to a story and makes it great. They will answer, "the amazing characters." The most challenging task for any novelist is creating engaging cast that behave like real-life people and have their own stories, challenges, issues, etc. that they need to overcome.

For this, novelists create character profiles. There are many elements involved in creating a helpful and well organized tool like this. Let's discuss these elements in detail.


What is a Character Profile?


They are detailed and in-depth history and background of a fictional persona used for fictional work like books, novels, TV shows, etc. A character profile includes age, appearance, personality traits, background, and relationships.

These are great tools that help writers write their story faster and keep their character traits consistent throughout multiple situations.


How to Create It


To create a good and engaging character, you need to follow a well developed template. The step-by-step process will ensure you have all the basic and detailed information beforehand. The steps are:


Describe the Character's Role and Backstory


First things first, what is your character's role in the story? Are they the antagonist, protagonist, sidekick, or love interest? You also need to add the basic details, such as:

- Full name

- Age

- Income

- Hometown

- Occupation

- Skills

- Talent

- Hobbies

- Good/bad qualities

- Hopes

- Long-term/short-term goals

 


You don't need to dump all this information on your readers. However, having a complete profile can help further in the story. Remember, the more compelling and flawed the character is, the more natural it seems.


List the Physical Traits

Visual representation matters in shows and books. People can relate to the persona if they have matching physical traits. This helps people from different ethnic groups feel recognized and respected.
Even if you don't want to describe your character in great detail, having a complete list of physical traits is essential to determine their interaction with other supporting actors and different situations.

 

Physical traits include:

- Eye color

- Hair color

- Height

- Weight

- Ethnicity

- Fitness level

- Birthmark or distinguishing features

- Disabilities

- Physical mannerisms

 

List the Emotional Characteristics


Physical traits, although necessary, don't make or break a character. What makes them engaging is their personality. What makes them tick? How do they behave in particular situations? How does their mind work? Are they empathetic or cold? How do they deal with challenging situations?


Answering such questions can help you create a character that is worth reading. Emotional attributes include:

- Attitude

- Strengths

- Weaknesses

- Secrets

- Fear

- Introvert or extrovert

 

Create a Background

Your character is more than just a figment of your imagination, and you need to prove that. Create a past an full background. Try to get as much information as possible. What makes them who they are? Did they have a tragic past? Etc. You can include:

- Failures

-  Accomplishments

- Birthplace

- Family members

- Friends

- Childhood

 

After completing the basic four steps above to create a character profile, fill in additional information. Anything that might help you in the future. These include the role of the character, how they help the storyline, what they bring to the table, how the persona will evolve throughout the storyline, etc.

A good character profile is key to a successful and engaging novel or show. Once the foundation is strong, you can build up nicely and without any hiccups along the way.