How to make a character.

Directions:
If you are unsure about what some of these things mean, let me break it all down for you.

Character Name: The only thing that goes on this line is the Character's name that you use in the story.

Full Name: This is the characters real/full name. First name(s), middle, last. Some people have multiple first/middle/last names.

Nick Names: Whatever the character has for a nickname. This doesn't have to be used unless your character has one.

Gender: Pretty basic. Is your character a female, male, transsexual, hermaphrodites?

Age: How old is your character? Is s/he ten years old? Fifty? Six hundred and ninety-seven?

Birthday/year: When was your character born? April 15, 1300 AD? August 22, 2025 AD

Marital Status: Is your character single or married? Are they attached to anyone in particular or are they are a player? (This goes in comparison to Spouse).

Spouse: Who is your character’s lover/mate? Are they gay/lesbian? How does the relationship fare? (This goes in comparison to Marital Status).


Hair: What's his/her hair like? Is it short and brown with blonde highlights? Long and raven black? Blonde in pigtails?

Eyes: Describe his/her eyes. Are they silver and shiny? Are they baby blue like a cloudless summer sky? Are they demonic red like a rose? Do they glimmer? Do they change color depending on his/her current mood?

Origin: Where was this character born and raised? Perhaps s/he was born in Paris, France but raised in New York City? Born and raised in the Nevada deserts? Perhaps s/he was born in Germany during WW2, time traveled to America in the twentieth century to be raised, then time traveled to England in 1682 AD to live out his/her remaining years (if s/he is an elder).

Language: What language does your character speak? Perhaps he was born in Russia but learned only German? Maybe she is a vampire from the 1800s and knows only British English as opposed to American English? Does s/he speak a made-up language? (If you're making up the language, be sure to provide yourself with an alphabet of some sort to be sure your character is accurate and there are no faults to the word meanings. Although, as in Thai, some languages have words that may mean more than one thing depending on how the voice is used. Be sure to explain to the reader what your character is saying; ie: "Egocan non dico vos quotiens Ego adepto dementis." ("I can not to say you as often as I to obtain insanity"). Have it in parenthesis directly after your character has spoken the words or have another character ask to translate. Also, keep in mind, any time you are using another language, the word(s) must be italicized and if you are already typing in italicized letters, they will be non-italicized.

Blood Type: What blood type does your character have? Is it human sort like O Positive or B Negative? Perhaps it is a space alien kind? Is it green or yellow or is it red like a human but is taken from a space alien?

Height: How tall is your character? Is he as huge as a giant and the rest of his people are small enough to be ants to him? Perhaps she’s small in size but her great heart makes her huge? Maybe your character can be tiny but with supernatural abilities, can grow into great sizes.

Weight/Body Structure/Physical Faults: How much does s/he weigh? What is his/her body like? What physical faults does s/he have? Does s/he weigh 160lbs with an athletic form but a bad case of acne? Is s/he a warrior who weighs 225lbs but is entirely covered in muscle and has scars all over his/her body? Is s/he aged with wrinkles, heavy set, appearing to look about 215lbs, and has a withered arm or deformed face? If there are scars, how did s/he receive them? Does your character looks every inch human but has wings and horns like that of a demon?

Parents/Elders/Guardians: Who raised your character? Is the mother or father deceased? Was your character an orphan? Does your character know his/her parents?

Siblings: Is your character an only child? If no, who are/is his/her brother(s) or sister(s)?

Career/Past Careers: Is your character a pizza delivery boy and get paid $6.50 an hour? Is s/he a tavern wench in the Medieval Era? Is s/he an outlaw in a western timeline? Did s/he used to be a chamber maid/servant/cook in a Medieval Castle and marry off to become a mother/father of a large family?

Dreams/Life Goals: What dreams does your character have? What life goals does s/he wish to achieve sometime in his/her life? Does s/he want to become a computer professor at a Pennsylvania University but right now is struggling with a measly retail job and going to school? Does s/he want to become a Knight but is currently a Squire? Perhaps s/he has a dream to be able to walk but is currently crippled and lives in an era where there is no cure for a withered leg or dead nerves.

Hobbies: What does s/he do in his/her spare time? Perhaps s/he enjoys listening to the Boston Symphony playing live in concert? Does s/he enjoy reading mystery novels or writing romance stories? Maybe s/he likes to be around animals and enjoys the comfort of a feline or the dependency of a beast.

Likes: What does your character like? Perhaps s/he enjoys a bouquet of roses? Perhaps s/he likes rain showers. Maybe s/he feels more comfortable in a dark environment?

Loves: What does your character love to do? Does s/he love to paint? Does s/he love a certain pet? Perhaps s/he loves receiving boxes of chocolate from a loved one? How about two warriors dueling-- does your character love to watch or play spare within one?

Dislikes: Your character dislikes something--what is it? Maybe s/he is jealous because a fellow class mate is too smart or popular? Perhaps s/he just can't stand sunshine? Maybe s/he dislikes the color pink because it looks too feminine or blue because it's too masculine.

Loathes: What does your character hate the most of all? Perhaps an enemy ruler who is perfect and his people love him--your character hates him because s/he is jealous that the enemy ruler has everything? Maybe your character loathes his/her mother for abandoning him/her in his/her youth?

Fears: What his s/he afraid of? Everyone has a fear; even if somebody claims s/he is afraid of nothing then s/he is explaining s/he fears the absence of nothing. Maybe your character is a vampire and fears the sunlight? Maybe your
character is an 11 year old boy and is afraid of the dark? Maybe your character is a 17 year old girl who lives in a bad neighborhood and fears getting raped? Perhaps your character is an elder and fears getting mugged or ignored from his/her juniors (juniors = younger citizens)?

Strengths: Give your character strength; what makes him/her stronger inside? Maybe s/he can run in track but can't walk a marathon? Your character can write a brilliant novel on the computer but can't form words with a pen and paper? Your character knows sixteen different languages, how to build a super computer, and create a time traveling device but cannot ride a bicycle (see Weakness)?

Good Qualities: What makes your character good in heart? Remember, even pure evil has some good in it; Satan (in Biblical beliefs) used to be one of the most favored angels of Jesus Christ but had fallen due to his jealousy. Perhaps your character has so much honor and pride as an American hostage in a war and will stand up to the kidnappers and be shot rather than cower in fear (patriotic)? Perhaps s/he has been raised in a very bad family but came out never touching a cigarette, drugs, or alcohol and never received any piercing or tattoos?

Bad Habits: Does your character bite his/her nails until they bleed? Does s/he chew on his/her lower lip when thinking? Maybe your character can't help but pick his/her nose in public? Maybe s/he is almost always sexually turned on and is easy because of it?

Turn Ons: What makes your character sexually aroused or attracted to somebody? What is it that makes him/her get antsy to touch or be touched? Maybe a husband comes home to see his wife wearing only a lacy thong and camisole while doing the dishes? Perhaps a non-popular teenage girl sees the captain of the high school football team washing his car and wearing only his blue jeans while his chest is glistening with sweat? Maybe your character finds the other sex intelligent. Perhaps he finds it a turn to see her driving a standard instead of an automatic vehicle? Maybe s/he is bisexual or gay/lesbian and finds the other sex attractive.

Turn Offs: What makes your character disgusted? Could s/he be attracted to somebody who is fit to perfection like a model but has scars all over his/her body? Perhaps your character is turned off by gays/lesbians? Maybe a boyfriend is attracted to his girlfriend in everyday clothing but her formal clothing is ugly and does not sexually arouse him? Perhaps your character's lover has horrible body odor and smells?


Background: This has the largest writing section available because this is where you are going to explain your character's life story up to the point where s/he is first mentioned in the story (though some writers still continue the background throughout the character's appearance in the said tales). Even if your character is a 3 year old child, you still explain his/her background; how old was the child when s/he learned to speak or walk? This is where you can have as much fun as you would like with your character, but again KEEP IT REALISTIC! Perhaps your character is a 16 year old orphan; what happened to make him/her an orphan and explain his/her life up until s/he enters the story. Maybe your character is a senior citizen; explain most of his/her life if it is required for the story.