Hey all! Today, commemorating several posts about characters, I thought I’d take a dive into the act of character profiling. Any avid writer, D&D player, gamer, etc. has probably done a character profile at some point. Whether for your own use or to post and enlighten readers/players about your characters, character profiles are popular to make.
The depth of one, however, varies greatly, so I’ll start by talking about them in chunks. The chunk can be as big or as small as you like, depending what you need for people to view or for yourself to later refer to. So let’s dive in!
- The Basics. This is the first and often most rudimentary part of your character development, and it starts simple. Name. Age. Gender. Sexuality. Birth date/place. You can give name to their societal class, income, job title, or other immediate factors that weigh in as important to your story. To you, the writer, it often goes without saying. I’ll show a few examples:
Name: Ryoku Dragontalen. Age: 16. Birth date: September 12th, 2001. Birth Place: Brooks, RB. Job Title: Defender. Education: High School. Gender: Male. Sexuality: Heterosexual-Ace. Sign: Virgo. Nationality: Demi-Elf.
Name: Darrold Vornaire. Age: 31. Birth date: January 11th, 1986. Birth Place: Johnhold, RB. Job Title: Chief of Police. Income: 360,000 annually. Education: Masters of Criminal Justice. Gender: Male. Sexuality: Heterosexual. Sign: Capricorn. Nationality: African-American.
The first column just really covers the most basic stuff. You can get a small glimpse of how different a character can be from another in the loosest terms, what genre of story they might be in, and even a time zone and possible setting of the story. The immediate information you choose to relay can really sum up the gist of your character in just a line or two. Depending how deep you want to go, these can be an excellent hover-over footnote to remind you the roles of a large cast, or intuitively lay out a page/website to sum up your heroes easily.
2. Physical Appearance. This one starts easy, things you should know when you begin. Hair color. Eye color. Build. Clothing style. Then you can start to dig. Do they look well put together? How do they walk? Are they in good or poor health, and is it visible? Any scars, distinguishing features? A birthmark? This is where you can begin to wonder what another character might think when they see this character – that’s probably what your readers will think, too. Here’s some examples:
Ryoku
Eye color: Forest green. Hair color: Blond. Build: Slight. Disposition: Sunny. Health: Fair. Distinguishing features: Elven ears, glass eye (left), scar on right hip. Walking Style: Drags his feet a bit. Preferred Outfit: Loki’s sweater, black pants & boots. Clothes Style: Untidy, but clean. Height: 5;4″. Weight: 107 lbs.
Darrold
Eye color: Olive green. Hair color: Black. Build: Fit. Disposition: Hawk-like. Health: Good. Distinguishing features: Notch in left ear, piercing on left ear, cleft in side of nose. Walking Style: Purposeful gait. Preferred Outfit: Police uniform, or dress shirt and pants. Clothes Style: Prim and clean. Height: 6’3″. Weight: 221 lbs.
You can start to notice even more differences between a few characters. Ryoku, a demi-elf Defender, might not immediately look nearly as imposing as Darrold Vornaire, chief of police. You can not only picture their casual appearance, but how they might walk down the street, how people might react, and maybe even a glimpse at their home life.
3. Speech & Communication: Another important part of how your character is seen by others is their voice & style of communication. How fast do they talk? Properly, with some kind of impediment? Do they have an accent? And beyond that, do they gesture wildly while they talk? What sort of posture do they have? Imagine talking to two people; one slouching and avoiding eye contact, hands in pockets, mumbling – and another, back straight, eyes right on you, hands neatly folded before them. Who is more likely to catch attention? Besides just notes, this is important to consider with how other characters interact. Then, consider how they talk. What kind of words do they repeat? What sort of emotion do they passively convey? Ie. the infamous ‘resting bitch face.’ When they speak, do their emotions flash across their face? Is it easy to see what they’re thinking?
Ryoku speaks somewhat quietly, in measured tones. He’s got something like a Canadian accent, and when speaking to spirits, he can’t adapt to their accent. His posture isn’t great, especially as he gets taller in the series. His eye contact isn’t bad, though, helped by his glass eye. He gestures wildly when he gets excited, and generally waves with his hands a lot, especially when anxious. His favorite curse is, classically, ‘fuck.’
Darrold speaks in a somewhat alleviated tone, quickly. Some words of his have an African tinge to them, especially when he’s frazzled or excited. His posture is excellent; he’s infamous for holding eye contact with a raptor gaze during interrogations. To most people, he speaks with his arms crossed or neatly folded behind his back. His poker face is, of course, legendary. His favorite curse? Motherfucker.
You could point-form their descriptions with certain wording or just add a body of ‘speech tics’ or the like to sum it all up. You can also see how their personality continues to form and make them leap further from the page.
4. The Past. Ah, the meat of any character inspiration. In a character’s development, it’s up to you how and when you reveal everything here. Online, in a visible character profile, you probably don’t want to say too much. I usually go with the stuff you can find out about them in the early chapters of the novel, even if it does hinge on spoiler material a bit.
So where does your character live? Where did they live, and what was their childhood like as a result? What was their school life like? If they’re out of school, or late school, what does their resume look like? Is any of it what they really wanted to do, or did the work force change them? What were their earliest, and most defining, memories?
Ryoku: Currently resides in Brooks, RB, born in Petalburg. His childhood in Petalburg was fairly normal, but going to his grandparents’ house in Brooks was an adventure. He lived with his mother and stepfather initially, but Darrold took off shortly after Roxanne was born. He did fine in school until a certain incident. One of his earliest memories is of Blackberry smiling sadly down at him, though he doesn’t remember the context. When he was quite young, Roxanne ran into the woods on their grandparents’ property and injured herself, and Ryoku pushed through the forest to save her, eventually becoming quite nervous about woods. This fear only deepened when they revisited four years later, when Roxanne discovered the Rose, and their mother’s entire side of the family died in a horrible fire. The same year, Darrold was crushed in a tragic accident, ultimately landing in the siblings separating. Later, after meeting Dawn, he was unable to stop Varis from sexually assaulting her. His feelings surmounted until the Day of Black following Guildford’s death, where he lost his eye.
Darrold: Currently resides in London City, Brooklyn, but previously born and raised in Brooks. He met Liliana, Ryoku’s mother, in Petalburg, but eventually moved back to his hometown. He was a rambunctious jailbird as a youth and never imagined he’d wind up serving the police force one day, but it became his whole life and changed him for the better. John Guildford and Brody Elethel were his friends through highschool, both of whom later joined the force with him. He met Liliana in his twenties and they conceived Roxanne, but Darrold became suspicious with the presence of Guild members like Blackberry and Mongrel and ultimately chose to leave. Roxanne and Ryoku visited him on weekends for years, and Darrold was called when they got lost in the woods. When he delved into the forest, he saw a strange and horrific vision of coming death – his, Brody’s, and Guildford’s. Unsure of what he saw, he launched an investigation in secret, but was unable to uncover anything of true value on his own. Any leads he had kept linking him back to Liliana’s guild friends, but he didn’t know anything of the spirit realm. The day he tailed Blackberry to the Guild was the day Liliana and her family died in the tragic fire. Floored, Darrold halted his investigation and took in his daughter and stepson, though his new wife was hardly thrilled about it. The day he finally found some tangible evidence, his metal bookshelf broke free of the wall and crushed him.
Okay, so those are big text blocks, but you can start to see things coming together. The characters are linked, too, but you might not have gotten that until reading about their pasts. And you can do it like that, in text chunks that summarize events chronologically, or in point-form. It’s your notes.
5. Family. Here’s where things really start webbing out. You can already tell Ryoku and Darrold are related, but maybe your characters aren’t. What’s their immediate family like, and how are they connected? Their extended family? What separates or brings them together? What’s their economic status? How often do they see their family?
Ryoku:
Mother: Liliana Mercy, birth mother. Died in a fire when she was 30. Very close. Father: ??? (spoiler alert!) Sister: Roxanne Mercy, 2 years younger. Very close as children, separated as teens. Stepfather: Darrold Vornaire, Roxanne’s father. Crushed by a shelf when he was 31. Grandpa: Bart Mercy, Liliana’s father. Died in a fire when he was 65. Grandma: Rose Mercy, Liliana’s mother. Died in a fire when she was 62. Uncle: Kal Mercy. Died in a fire when he was 27. Foster Father: Richard Walker, 36. Professor at the university, quite close. Foster Mother: Brianna Walker, 36. Resident at the Brooks Regional Hospital. Godfather: Miles “Blackberry”, 40. Affiliated with the Guild and protective of Liliana.
Economic Status: Both families were middle-class, Ryoku’s foster family a little richer.
How often?: Ryoku would see his extended family on many holidays.
Darrold:
Mother: Laila Vornaire, birth mother. Given up for adoption, but later introduced herself and they became closer. Father: Unknown. Sister: Nadia Vornaire, 38. Closer as kids, but weren’t close when he died. Grandparents: Unknown on both sides. Lalia was an orphan as well. Foster Father: Doug Smith, 60. Abusive and absent. Foster Mother: Latisha Smith, 49. They didn’t talk. Daughter: Roxanne Mercy. Close, but he didn’t know how to raise a girl who rebelled after her mother’s death. Stepson: Ryoku Dragontalen, 16. Somewhat closer than Roxanne on a friendly basis, shared some of his work and responsibilities. Ex-Wife: Liliana Mercy, died at 30. Were still fairly close at time of death. Wife: Candy Vornaire, outlived him. Not extraordinarily close; relationship sprung up from an affair with a client.
You can see your characters start to flesh out with their family tree. Feel free to go into as much detail as you like, especially if they’re close – or weren’t, which is sometimes even more of a story.
6. External relationships. So we’ve talked about family, but who else are they close to? Talk about their closest friends, acquaintances, even social media friends if it applies in your story. We all treat our closest friends differently than our social media friends, and maybe they see a different side of us. But more than that, how do people perceive your characters? You probably started to get an inkling of this in previous questions – now’s the time to flesh it out. Think deeper, too. What’s their role in a social setting? Are they the plotter? The absent friend? The joker? Who do your characters depend on for advice? Moral support? Financial support?
Ryoku:
Closest Friends: Katiel Fereyen (partners in crime, gaming friends); Will Ramun (guardian, thick as thieves); Dawn Elethel (ex-girlfriend, clinging feelings); Dagoriph Neseru (partner in crime, helped him graduate, Day of Black); Sira Jessura (lusty feelings, reliable friend); Loki the Trickster (protective, mentor)
Significant Acquaintances: Lusari Atella (attraction, close friends); Annalia Rikalla (ex-girlfriend, distant); Chris Olestine (unknown, a fleeting feeling); …
Enemies: Lars Ordenstraum (emperor of Orden); Vincent Ordenstraum (senior emperor, killed Loki); Varis El’Salandier (rival, killed Guildford); …
Perceived by: Strangers: Spirits are intrigued by him; normal people, not so much. School Friends: Quiet, reserved. Authority Figures: Darrold’s stepson, Guildford’s friend. Friend Circles: Calm, collected, sarcastic, reserved. Children: Curious, spirit children are enthralled. Opposite Sex: Cute, dependable. Extended Family: His grandparents thought he’d go far.
Social Media Presence: Practically none; texts his friends with proper grammar. Has an account on Involvedworld.
Group Dynamic: Unwitting leader sometimes, usually a wallflower. In smaller crowds, he’s a joker or flirt.
Depends on: Advice: Loki, Guildford, Will. Mentoring: Loki, Guildford, Will, Advo. Wingman: Kai, Will, Katiel, Dagoriph. Emotional Support: Will, Dawn, Katiel.
Relationships: Usually romantic but an absent lover. Heavily flirtatious and difficulty making up his mind. Ideal partner is probably Dawn, but strays from it often. Currently seeing Sira.
Darrold:
Closest Friends: John Guildford (best friend, work friend); Brody Elethel (best friend, work friend); Liliana Mercy (ex-wife, still close.
Significant Acquaintances: Laila Vornaire (true mother, reacquainted); Blackberry “Miles” (suspicious, play friends); Jeremiah Stone (ex-chief of police, close friend).
Enemies: Lance El’salandier (drug lord, Varis’ father); Enzeric Neseru (drug lord, Dagger’s father); Varis El’Salandier (drug lord, student); Dagoriph Neseru (drug lord, student); several other fugitives.
Perceived by: Strangers: Black police officer, an ‘anomaly’. School Friends: Troublesome, a sure failure. Work Friends: Responsible, trustworthy, dogged. Authority Figures: Worthy officer. Friend Circles: A bit intense, but responsible, funny and brave. Children: A bit intimidating, but love him quickly. Opposite Sex: Attractive, brave, dashing. Extended Family: Worthless, hardly family.
Social Media Presence: Only had a cellphone for work. Struggled to text.
Group Dynamic: Was the leader in school, stayed a leader as an officer but as chief of police.
Depends on: Advice: Guildford, Brody, Laila. Mentoring: Jeremiah. Wingman: Brody, Guildford. Emotional Support: Guildford, Brody, Liliana.
Relationships: Received plenty of advances. Not very focused on love since attained chief; met Liliana the year he started joining the force. Later had affair with Candy as an informant and settled with her, but very unhappy with who she became.
You can see your characters’ relationships starting to spell them out even more. Your characters are starting to look ready – but we’re not quite done.
7. Psychology. Now enough about extrinsic characteristics – let’s talk about your character’s innards. Their soul. Their mind. What makes them tick. This really breathes life into the characters you’ve written out and dictates how they’ll act in the book, and how they treat situations we might not see them overcome. Think deep, deeper than just what choice they might make in a dire situation. Yes, we’re going to see them in a dire situation, but what about the rest? What do they do on rainy days? What’s their favorite type of music? Their biggest strength and deepest flaw?
This one miiiiiight be a bit lengthy, as it really covers a deep part of your character, so I’ll just give one example:
Ryoku:
How does he spend a rainy day? In the spirit realm, Ryoku’s likely to sit outside or near a window and watch the rain, reading a book.
Streetsmart or booksmart? Probably neither honestly. He dabbles in both, most of his street knowledge gained by Dagger and most of his book knowledge from classes and his friends.
Optimistic or Pessimistic? Definitely optimistic.
Introverted or extroverted? Introverted.
Favorite sound? Rain or thunder.
Favorite place? Syaoto or Harohto.
Secrets? He keeps a lot to himself for the fear of worrying his friends. More often, he doesn’t think it relevant to bring up.
Biggest desire? To reunite with his sister and uncover the weird mysteries adding up.
Biggest flaw? His desire to do good by others leaves him failing to please many, ragging on his mental state.
Biggest strength? His determination & resilience, the driving force to keep going.
Biggest fear? Losing more friends or family.
Biggest accomplishment? Wounding Lars (end of book 1) or saving Syaoto.
Idea of happiness: Being surrounded by friends, family & loved ones, experiencing nature at its fullest.
Favorite quote: “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” -Guildford
What do they want to be remembered for? Being kind.
How does he approach power? Doesn’t overly care for it, just needs to get stronger to face his enemies. He practices doggedly and tackles hard problems.
How does he approach ambition? Respects peoples’ drive as long as he understands it or can relate to it.
How does he approach love? Basically makes a fool of himself until somebody likes him for it.
How does he handle change? Depending, somewhat dislikes change. Welcomes good growth, though.
One object he’d rescue from his home? Either Charlie or the rose.
What bores him? Sports or politics. Small talk.
What makes him angry? Injustice, slavery, needless violence.
What does he look for in a person? Kindness.
What’s his moral compass? Previously didn’t believe in much, but had no reason to believe in anything but himself. Accepts basically whatever is presented to him without a doubt. He isn’t religious and doesn’t typically place his belief in any political/royal power. While there are stronger people out there, only he can incite the change he wants.
What is the worst possible misery? Being unloved and alone.
Trait he deplores most? Greed and, to a degree, lust.
When does he find it acceptable to lie? Almost never. He’ll lie or disguise himself to an enemy but has a hard time of it. When pressed, he’s more likely to change the subject.
Now we’ve explored some of the deeper aspects, and even this is just skimming the surface potentially. This basically helps answer a lot of questions about your character. It might even tell you things you didn’t realize. You can see directions your character might go, how they spend their off days, what social interactions they might detest, and more. Of course, there’s much more out there. You can easily Google personality tests and just take them as your character to help flesh them out, but you might also be content with just something like this for your less major characters, or members of a large cast. I’ve done some more simplistic profiles myself – you can check one of those out here to compare to these questions. They’re different, but neither is necessarily bad. They just serve different purposes.
If you want to learn more about Ryoku Dragontalen and my series, check out my first book here! If you’ve read it and are looking for more, or want to read some of my other content, check out my Fictionpress site here or the rest of my blog!
Sovereign Soul 