Happy Monday, y’all! On today’s episode of Prewriting with Courtney, you get to see me balance a beach ball on my nose–

No, wait. That’s Tuesdays.

Today, we’re going to talk about the lovely people who populate your stories and how you need to figure them out before you dive into writing them. After all, you’re going to have a much easier time staying in character and moving these characters along to the climactic conclusion of their tale if you’ve spent time beforehand figuring out who they are, what they like, what they dislike, and–most importantly!– what they want.

To accomplish this, you’re going to need a Character List.

Character List

Protagonist

Start with your main character, aka protagonist, aka Our Hero/ine. In 300 words, describe your protagonist. Briefly describe her age, physical appearance (this will keep you from making her a redhead in Chapter 1 and a brunette in Chapter 11), vocation, nationality.* Describe her day-to-day life before the story starts. Not a lot of detail, just what she expects out of life (which the Big Event interrupts). Then define the Something that she desperately wants. This will be what she fights to get during the whole course of the story. (And you won’t let her get it until the end, you cruel thing, you).

Antagonist

Spend another 100-300 words describing your antagonist: age, physical appearance, vocation, nationality.* Define his relationship to your protagonist. Then name the Something he wants — which should be in direct opposition to what your protagonist wants. Your antagonist desperately wants to make sure the protagonist doesn’t achieve her goal. You need to define his motivation. (Separate from the Character List, you’ll need to name at least five obstacles your protagonist must overcome during the story–and these should be obstacles the antagonist places in her way.)

Supporting Characters

In 100 words each, describe your most important supporting characters: age, physical appearance, vocation, nationality.* Define their relationships to the protagonist and/or antagonist.

*Character Profiles

In addition to your character descriptions, you can also do in-depth character profiles. This is entirely optional! Not in the least because it’s a ton of work, and you won’t want to do this for every single character. If you do want to use this list, I’d recommend limiting yourself to the protagonist and antagonist. The in-depth profile can include the following:

BASIC INFORMATION
Name:
Sex:
Age:
Age appearance:
Birthdate:
Birthplace:
Height:
Weight:
Eyes:
Hair:
Ethnic Background:
Marital Status:
Address:
Phone Number:

PERSONAL INFORMATION
Nickname:
Religion/Religious Background:
Political Affiliation:
Social Class:
Education:
Date Graduated:
Major:
Name Of School:
Where:
Residence (Type):
City/Country Background:
Describe Furnishings:
Children:
Health:
Physical Condition/Disabilities:
Friends:
Allies:
Enemies:
Most Significant Other(s):
Community Status:
Pets:
Languages Spoken:
Intelligence:
Sexual Orientation:
Sexual Habits:
Sexual Experience:
Type Of Friends Preferred:
Type Of Lovers Preferred:
What Hometown Was Like:
Smoker/Drinker:
Biggest Accomplishment/Best Known For:
Talents:
Hobbies/Pastimes:
Favorite Book:
Favorite Magazine:
Favorite Newspaper:
Favorite Music:
Favorite Movie:
Favorite TV Show:
Favorite Actor/Actress:
Favorite Place:
Favorite Color:
Favorite Entertainment:
Favorite Food/Diet:
Favorite Drink:
Favorite Sport:
Clothes/Accessories:
Personal Possessions/Toys:
Taste In Art, Literature, Decor:
Name Transmits First Impression To Reader:
Reason/Meaning Behind Name:

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Forehead:
Jawline:
Lips:
Mouth:
Eyebrows:
Hands:
Fingers:
Shoulders:
Limbs:
Complexion/Skin Tone:
Face:
Breasts/Chest:
Waist:
Hips:
Neck:
Ears:
Nose:
Teeth:
Feet:
Build:
Distinguishing Marks:
Posture:
Appearance:
Hair Texture:
Hairstyle:
Predominant Feature/What Noticed First:
Physical Aids?:
How They Walk:
Eye Shape:
Sensitivity To Others Demonstrated Through The Eyes:

FAMILY BACKGROUND
Father:
Profession:
Residence:
Living/Dead:
Mother:
Profession:
Residence:
Living/Dead:
Parents’ Marital Status:
Brothers:
Sisters:
Home Life/Childhood Experience:
Family Relations:
Family History:

PROFESSION/OCCUPATION
Profession:
Union:
Education In Work:
Job-Related Skills:
Favorite Subjects (School):
Poorest Subjects:
Grades (School):
Quality Of Work Performed:
Reputation:
Hours Worked:
Income:
Vocation, Discover New Territories:

MILITARY SERVICE
Branch:
Nationality:
Enlisted Rank:
Highest Rank Achieved:
Service Dates:
Unit/Legion:
Served Under What Ruler:
Campaigns:
Decorations:

PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS/CHARACTER TRAITS
Morals:
Ambitions, Aspirations, Desires:
Major Traits:
Minor Traits:
Outstanding Qualities:
Character Flaws/Weaknesses:
Character Strengths:
Habitual/Favorite Expressions:
Habitual Mannerisms:
Fears, Anxieties, Hangups:
Frustrations:
Complexes:
Temperament:
Emotions:
Attitude Toward Life:
Attitude Toward Death:
Leader/Follower/Dropout:
Most Cherished Beliefs/Values:
Worst Habit:
Highest Hope:
Preoccupations, Worries:
Biggest Source Of Pride:
Biggest Source Of Shame Or Defeat:
Dialogue:
How They Talk/Speech Patterns (Diction, Tone, Speed, Pitch):
Direct Statement Of Thoughts:
Body Language/Posture:
Gestures:
Perception Of Others:
Evaluations Of Others:
Reactions To Others:
Involvement With Objects:
Attitude Toward Opposite Sex:
How They Handle Crisis:
Memories, Dreams:
How They Protect Themselves:
Public Persona:
Daily Habits:
How They Dance:
Pet Peeves:
Ways Of Dealing With Children Or Those In Inferior Positions:
Eating Habits (When, What, How):
Heroes:
Motivational Patterns/What Gets Them Going:
Landscape Observations–We Are A Product Of Where We Live:
Point Of View (Neurosis, Self-Absorbed, What Noticed First In A Room,
Perspective):
Degree Of Intensity = Pace Of Life:
Attention To Detail/Degree Of Concentration:
Confidence Factor:
Generosity:
Handicaps:
How They Treat People They Like:
How They Treat People They Dislike:
How They React When Angry/Upset:
Self-Value/How They See Themselves:
Personality Type:
How They’d Describe Themselves:
Do They See Themselves As Happy/Satisfied?:
Do They See Themselves As A Hero?:
Sense Of Humor:
Most Instructive/Meaningful Experience:
Attitude Toward Sex/Sexual Values:
Attitude Toward Religion:
Attitude Toward Politics:
Attitude Toward Authority:
Ethnic Considerations:
Attitude Toward Money:
Attitude Toward Work:
Attitude Toward Play:
Attitude Toward Their Looks:
Opinion As A Soldier/Fighter:
Feelings Toward Family:
Feelings Toward Friends:
Feelings Toward Enemies:
Secrets:
Philosophy Of Life (In A Phrase):

Disclosure: I’ve had that in-depth profiling list in my digital documents for years. I have no idea where it came from, but I know I didn’t compose it myself. If you recognize it and know where it originated, please let me know as I’d love to give credit! Thanks.