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Struggling with Character Creation? Try These 4 Methods!

Four different methods to build a character from scratch.

Krystal Exton

Krystal Exton

— 5 min read
Struggling with Character Creation? Try These 4 Methods!
Photo by Perry Merrity II / Unsplash

So, you’re writing a novel, and you want your characters to be more than just talking heads with fancy names?
Well, you've come to the right place! A well-developed character can make or break a story, and there's nothing more tragic than a plot with a lot of promise being brought down by a flat character.

That’s where this Character Creation Guide comes in handy! Think of it as a blueprint that ensures your characters are not only memorable but also consistent throughout your novel. In this post, we’ll go through everything you need to craft interesting, fleshed-out characters that practically leap off the page.

Table of Contents:


So how does one create a character? Well, there's multiple ways, but lets start with the popular character sheets.

Character Sheets

Let's play 20 questions

Why Would I Need a Character Writing Sheet?

Before we hop in, let’s address the elephant in the room: Do you really need a character sheet? The short answer is YES—unless you enjoy getting lost in a sea of inconsistent character traits and backstories. A character sheet helps you:

✔️ Maintain consistency in your character’s personality, habits, and dialogue.

✔️ Avoid plot holes caused by conflicting details.

✔️ Add depth by solidifying wants, needs, and fears.

✔️ Make revisions easier by keeping all essential information in one place to reference.

You can find character sheets everywhere, and for good reason! They are a solid and reliable way to get characters down on paper.

So let's start with the basics;

Character Questions

Basic Information:

  • What is the character's name?
  • How old is the character?
  • Where does the character live?
  • What does the character do for a living?

Physical Attributes:

  • What does the character look like physically?
  • Any distinctive features (scars, tattoos, birthmarks)?
  • How does the character dress?

Background History:

  • What is the character's family background?
  • What significant events have shaped the characters' past?
  • Any childhood memories that are important to the character?

Personality Traits:

  • What are the character's strengths and weaknesses?
  • What are their core beliefs and values?
  • How does the character typically behave in different situations?

Motivations and Goals:

  • What does the character want or desire most in life?
  • Are there any obstacles preventing the character from achieving their goals?
  • How far is the character willing to go to achieve what they want?

If you have an answer to these questions, you have a great start to a great character.

If you feel like this isn't enough, have a look at some of these character creation sheets:

A solid Character Writing Sheet is a game-changer for crafting compelling characters. By taking the time to flesh out details, motivations, and relationships, you’ll create characters that readers connect with—and remember long after they turn the last page.

If character sheets come across as overwhelming with their 100+ questions, I feel you. So let's move on to a more 'to the point' character creation method.

The Zero-Fuckery Quick Create Guide

Character-Driven Organic Plot Development

Chuck Wendig, who is an American author and owner of the blog Terribleminds, wrote a brilliant article about the 'The Zero-Fuckery Quick-Create Guide To Kick-Ass Characters (And All The Crazy Plot Stuff That Surrounds ‘Em)'

In the article "The Zero-Fuckery Quick-Create Guide To Kick-Ass Characters (And All The Crazy Plot Stuff That Surrounds 'Em)", Chuck Wendig emphasizes a character-centric approach to storytelling, showing that plot emerges organically from well-developed characters and their problems.

In this article, Chuck breaks down the important steps to creating an interesting character:

🕴️Creating a Character Logline

🕴️Figuring out the Character's Problem and Solutions

🕴️Finding the Conflict Between

🕴️Deciding the Character's Limitations, Complications, and Greatest Fear

🕴️Finally - The Character Description

This technique gets you straight to the core of your character and the plot that surrounds them without having to go through 100 questions.

Give this technique a try:

The Core of the Character

Wants, Needs, and Goals

Giving your character a goal and having them actively pursue it is the fastest way to get a reader to root for your character. At their core, every character that is worth reading about has wants, needs, and a goal they are trying to achieve. So why not decide on these things first and build the character around them?

For this technique, you'll need to find out:

💁A Character's Want:
What does your character want in life?
'To be happy' is too vague an answer. The best wants/goals are tangible. Try and be more specific - like a new house, an olympic medal, to escape from prison, etc.

💁A Character's Need:
What does your character need?
Your character isn't complete until they have a need.
Our characters are usually wrong about their wants or what they think will make them happy. What will actually make them happy? This is the more hard hitting stuff. For example they could need forgiveness, acceptance, redemption, etc.

💁Your Character's External Goal:
This is the goal your character is actively pursuing throughout your story.
This goal is the primary plot focus for your antagonist - this ties into their want.

💁Your Character's Internal Goal:
This is what is driving your character beneath the surface.
The Internal Goal is what your character thinks they will get out of the External Goal.

To find out more about character goals and how they tie into the plot, check out:

By Example

Need someone to be creating a character with you?

If you learn better by creating a character with somebody else explaining it and creating a character on the fly with you, I cannot recommend The Second Story's Youtube channel enough.

In their video 'Creating Interesting Characters - A Beginner's Guide', Hillary explains the core concepts needed for a character, using examples, and then creates a character in front of you so you can see how it works.

Check out her video here:

(Make sure you tell her I sent you!)

Conclusion

The Take-Aways

Conclusion

And that's it! How did you go? Do you have a character that's feeling more solid in your mind now?

Choosing the right technique to create your character depends on your writing style and project needs. Whether you prefer a minimalist approach or a detailed dossier, there's a tool out there to help you bring your characters to life.

Remember, your character will evolve as you write. Don't be afraid to tweak details as your story progresses. These are guides, not rules.

Our next writing-focused article will focus on bringing some personality to your characters.

I'll see you next week!

✍️ Hop to it and keep writing! 🐸 - Krystal

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