Character Development Worksheet (10 pts)

Before you begin a short story, take a little time to develop your main character.

1) Begin by giving your main character (protagonist) a name that you are comfortable working with. Remember, you'll be with this character for a while, so you should choose a name you like. Depending on the genre, a name can have hidden symbolic meanings (Think Lennie Smalls from Of Mice and Men) or can sometimes be downright obvious (Think Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series). Or the name may simply suit the character.

What is your character’s “working” name? ______

2) Now you'll need to decide which physical aspects best suit your protagonist -- height, weight, hair and eye color, age, physical deformities, exceptional features, common gestures, type of walk, etc. Write those physical details below:

It sometimes helps to scour newspapers, magazines and even the internet to find a picture of someone who fits the character you are creating. Or, think of it like this: If you were to cast this character in a movie version of your story, which actor would you cast? This can give you a wonderful visual image to work from. Paste that image here:

3) Physical characteristics alone will not be enough. Create a personality outline as well. Include:

Talents/abilities (also, does your character appreciate or resent these talents?)

Ambitions (long term and short term)

Secret

Best friend

Worst Enemy

What the character has lost in his/her life? (could be big or small, concrete or abstract)

4) So you have a character to work with, and now you need to bring him or her to life. Using the principle that all good stories are about unique, individual complex people, you'll need to map out a few more points.

When you are creating your character's personality description, decide what his great strengths are. Give him several strong traits and then add one major glaring weakness. Your character must still be at least likeable, but the glaring weakness must form the underlying tension that drives his behavior. Explain those strengths and that weakness here:

5) Action is Character; meaning: we must be able to see what the character is made of by giving him/her a problem. Create a staggering problem that perhaps preys on the weakness outlined above or that thwarts the character’s ambitions or challenges the character to overcome that loss. It must be a difficult or fearsome problem for your character to overcome, so that the story can recount his struggle to turn his weakness into a form of victory at the end. Above all, never let the protagonist know he is going to succeed. That way he cannot win unless he surrenders something of inestimable value to himself. Describe this conflict/situation here:

Congratulations! You have an empathetic character and the makings of a gripping short story.