HOW TO CREATE CHARACTERS // tips for character profile for your book // free template
TLDRIn this video, Anna shares valuable tips on creating detailed character profiles for your book. She emphasizes the importance of characters in driving the plot and provides a comprehensive template for developing characters. The template includes sections for name, attributes, physical appearance, powers and abilities, position, personality, strengths, weaknesses, fears, phobias, and a character sign. Anna uses her own character, Dell, from her current project as an example, highlighting how to fill out each section and the significance of each aspect in character development.
Takeaways
- 🎯 Characters are crucial to your story; they drive the plot, not the other way around.
- 📝 Start by creating a character profile to understand and develop your characters before writing.
- 👤 Include basic attributes like name, age, gender, race, and physical appearance.
- 💪🏼 Define their powers and abilities, distinguishing between the two for characters in a fantasy setting.
- 🚀 Consider their social position and how it affects their personality and role in the story.
- 🌟 Describe their personality traits, strengths, weaknesses, fears, and phobias to add depth.
- 📈 Use a visual aid, like a picture, to help you visualize your character and enhance their profile.
- 📋 Keep the character profile flexible, as characters may evolve throughout the writing process.
- 🔮 Use a sign or symbol to represent each character, which can be a fun way to indicate their chapters.
- 🌐 Number your characters based on their importance and involvement in the story for easy reference.
- 💡 Let your characters guide the story, trusting their development as you write.
Q & A
What is the main focus of the video?
-The main focus of the video is on how to create and develop a character profile for writing, specifically for a book.
Why are characters important in a story?
-Characters are important because they drive the story. The plot happens to the characters, not the other way around.
What does the speaker recommend for writers who need inspiration?
-The speaker recommends checking out a video where they discuss their characters in their current project, called Project CZ.
How many characters are in the speaker's book?
-The speaker has 14 characters in their book.
What are some key attributes included in the character template?
-The key attributes include name, age, gender, race, physical appearance, powers and abilities, position, personality, strengths, weaknesses, fears, phobias, and a sign.
What is the difference between powers and abilities according to the speaker?
-Powers are associated with the magic system in the book and are more dramatic, while abilities are skills the character possesses, like hunting or using weapons.
Why is it important to include a photo or visual representation of the character?
-Including a photo helps visualize the character and adds depth to their profile, making it more engaging and easier to understand.
What is the character Dell's position in the book?
-Dell is the rightful queen to the city of Zeel.
How does the speaker suggest using a character's strengths and weaknesses?
-The speaker suggests that strengths can be used to create potential downfalls for the character, and weaknesses can be used to add depth and challenges.
What is the significance of the sign associated with each character?
-The sign is used to indicate which chapters the character is featured in, helping readers follow their journey through the book.
What advice does the speaker give about trusting the writing process?
-The speaker advises to trust the process and the characters, as they will come to life and develop as the story unfolds, even if they initially seem two-dimensional.
Outlines
🎥 Introduction to Character Development
The video begins with the host, Anna, introducing her series of live sessions every Saturday at 9 PM Central Time. She emphasizes the importance of characters in driving the story, rather than the plot happening to them. Anna presents an exciting video on creating a character profile, discussing how to develop and understand characters before writing them. She encourages viewers to subscribe and follow her social media for more content. The video focuses on a character-building template, using Anna's current project, 'Project CZ,' as an example. The template includes sections for the character's name, key attributes, physical appearance, powers and abilities, position, personality, strengths, weaknesses, fears, phobias, and a character sign. Anna uses the character Dell to illustrate the template, detailing her importance in the book and her attributes such as age, height, gender, race, and physical traits. The video also touches on the significance of character visuals and the role of the character's race and origin in the story.
🌟 Defining Character's Physical Appearance and Powers
In this paragraph, Anna delves into the character's physical appearance, explaining that while it's not crucial, it adds depth to the character. She discusses the importance of distinguishing features that can hint at personality traits. Anna then moves on to the character's powers and abilities, differentiating between the two. She explains that powers are connected to the magic system in the book, while abilities are more about skills. Using Dell as an example, Anna describes her character's notable powers related to the magic system and her abilities in hunting and combat. She advises not to make the character profile too detailed but to have a clear understanding of the character's powers and abilities, as they play a significant role in the story's development.
📈 Character's Position, Personality, and Growth
Anna discusses the character's position in society, which reflects their social class and role in the story. She uses Dell's position as the rightful queen to illustrate this point. The paragraph then focuses on the character's personality, emphasizing the need to highlight their main attributes and how these attributes contribute to their characterization and growth throughout the story. Anna notes that Dell is passionate, determined, and logical, but as the story progresses, she begins to act more on emotion than logic. The paragraph concludes with a discussion on the character's strengths and weaknesses, providing examples from Dell's profile. Anna points out that strengths can become downfalls and that fears and phobias add unique traits to the character, making them more relatable and interesting.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡characters
💡character profile
💡plot
💡physical appearance
💡powers and abilities
💡position
💡personality
💡strengths
💡weaknesses
💡fears
💡phobias
Highlights
Characters are crucial to driving the story, as the plot revolves around their actions and development.
The video provides a comprehensive guide on creating and developing characters for a book, including a free character profile template.
The presenter, Anna, shares her own character creation process and insights from her current project, Project CZ.
A character profile should include key attributes such as name, gender, race, physical appearance, powers, abilities, position, personality, strengths, weaknesses, fears, and phobias.
The character profile template is designed to help authors visualize and understand their characters better, aiding in their writing process.
A character's age can significantly influence their actions and personality, making it an essential aspect to consider.
Physical appearance, while not crucial, can provide insights into a character's personality and traits.
In fantasy books, distinguishing between a character's powers and abilities is important for developing a compelling magic system.
A character's position in society can affect their experiences and interactions with other characters.
Personality traits should be clearly defined, as they are the foundation of a character's growth and development throughout the story.
Strengths and weaknesses should be identified, as they can influence the character's actions and potentially lead to their downfall.
Fears and phobias add depth to a character and can be used to create interesting plot points and character growth.
The presenter encourages authors to trust their characters and the writing process, as characters often come to life and evolve naturally as the story unfolds.
A character profile is a living document that can be updated as the story progresses and new ideas emerge.
The video provides a detailed look at the character Adele (Dell), showcasing how to apply the character profile template.
The presenter's approach to character creation emphasizes the importance of understanding each character's unique attributes and backstory.
The video serves as both an educational resource and an inspiration for writers looking to develop rich, complex characters for their stories.