Character Profiling

I’ve always enjoyed creating characters, though the process is a long and arduous one. My characters can sometimes become extensions of myself, little puppets with which to play out different worlds and emotions. Over the years, my character profiles have grown from very basic to very complex, and I have heard other writers lament over the difficulty of piecing together believable and genuine characters. Here, for my lovelies, are the parameters I personally use when bringing a character into existence:

Basics

• Name
• Sex
• Age
• Height
• Weight
• Hair
• Eyes
• Distinguishing Features
• Brief History

20 Questions to Ask

1. What foods do they like and dislike? 
2. What are their pet peeves? 
3. Glass half empty or glass half full? 
4. Do they have any previous injuries or ailments that still bother them from time to time (ie. a weak knee)? 
5. Do they have any fears? Are these fears rational or irrational? If rational, was there an event that caused the fear(s)? 
6. Introverted or extroverted? 
7. What insecurities do they have? 
8. Energy level (ie. hyper, calm, etc)? 
9. Someone wrongs your character. How would they react? 
10. Are they a morning person? 
11. What are their ideal weather conditions? 
12. Do they verbally complain or internalize their complaints? 
13. Do they act their age? 
14. How brave are they on a scale of 1-10 (1. They’re afraid of dust and 10. They would take on a dragon bare handed)? 
15. Are they more inclined to give or take? 
16. Your character sees someone being beaten up. Do they intervene or walk away? 
17. Are they a leader or a follower? 
18. Do they have a prized possession and if so, what is it? 
19. Are they “touchy-feely” or do they have a “personal bubble”? 
20. How likely are they to keep a secret if someone were to confide in them?