As a pantser/discovery writer, I know what it’s like to have an idea for a story and want to jump in without doing any prep work. Filling out character questionnaires and plotting out the story has never held much interest for me in the early stages.
But over the years, I’ve discovered the benefits of going into a story with some details already mapped out. When I don’t have anything planned, I have to do a lot of revision work, going through many drafts. However, when I know the basics ahead of time, it saves me from what feels like endless revisions.
Now when I start a new story, I like to develop the characters first, while still leaving plenty to discover about them as I write. I love character-driven stories and find this is the best way to make sure the characters are active and driving the plot instead of the other way around.
If you’re a pantser, this guide on how to create a character is for you (it works as a jumping-off point for plotters too). It’s simple and fast, covering the basics of a character, yet leaving much for you to discover while you write.
How to Create a Character for a Story: 11 Questions for Character Development
This questionnaire for character development contains 11 queries to help you learn basic information about your characters so you can dive right into the story.
1. The Essentials: What’s the character’s name, age, and role in the story?
Start with the simple stuff. For tips on naming characters quickly, check out this guide.
The character’s age may depend on what age group you’d like the story to fall under—children’s, middle grade, young adult, new adult, or adult—especially for the main character.
While this guide focuses on the main character, you can also use it for the other characters. Decide here whether the character you’re developing is the protagonist, antagonist, mentor, sidekick, best friend, love interest, or something else entirely.
2. Physical Description: What does this character look like?
Determine at least their height, hair color, skin tone, eye color, and perhaps one or two things that make them look unique. You can also determine how they dress or style themselves.
3. What is their personality type?
For this step, I love to use the Enneagram, but you can use any personality categorization or simply write a description of what this character is like.
This blog post details a few ways to make your character’s personality feel authentic.
4. What skills and positive traits do they have?
What’s this character good at? What do other people admire about them?
Everyone has positive traits (even antagonists). List some good things about this character.
5. What are their flaws and negative traits?
But with the good comes the bad. What is this character bad at? What negative traits do they have? What do other people criticize them for?
I can’t stress the importance of flaws enough—they make your characters feel human and relatable. Bonus, they can also create conflict and drive the plot.
I’d suggest coming up with one major or fatal flaw and a handful of minor flaws.
6. What is their greatest fear?
Now we’re getting into the good stuff. What does this character fear above all else? Be sure to think about why they’re afraid of this thing and how this fear developed.
If you used the Enneagram for your character’s personality, each Enneagram type has basic fears that you can use and expand upon for your character.
If you’re unsure what this character’s afraid of, you can use a generator like this one to spark some ideas.
7. What is their misbelief about the world?
Often connected to their greatest fear is a character’s misbelief about the world. I stole this concept from author and YouTuber Abbie Emmons, and she does a great job of explaining it in this video.
Essentially, a character’s misbelief is the reverse of the lesson they’re going to learn throughout your story. Say you want your character to learn about trusting others. Flip that on its head and you have your character’s misbelief: that people are not trustworthy.
8. What happened in their past to create this misbelief?
It’s time to figure out why your character believes this lie. Our beliefs come from our experiences, so dive into that backstory and find out what happened in the past to shape your character’s beliefs.
9. How is your character dissatisfied with their life? What do they want?
What’s going wrong in your character’s life? Are they broke? Did their partner just break up with them? Are they jealous of all their friends? Cut off from their family? Grieving a loved one?
This is important because it gives your character a clear desire, something they want that they believe will bring them happiness. If they’re broke, they want money. If their partner ends their relationship, they want to get them back or find a rebound.
To create a well-developed character, have their dissatisfaction caused by their misbelief, flaws, or fear.
10. What definitive step could they take to turn their dream into a reality?
It’s important to have a proactive character from the beginning (unless you’re trying to write a story about a character overcoming their complacency). So how can this character go after their want? Or how have they already been going after their want?
Perhaps their fear has been holding them back from pursuing their dream, but the inciting incident will kick them into gear.
11. How will they try to solve their dissatisfaction the wrong way, letting their misbelief guide them?
Connect it all together by letting a character try to solve their dissatisfaction but in the completely wrong way. They’ll go after the thing they want, but it will take the whole story for them to realize that this thing won’t bring them happiness. By the end of the book, they’ll learn what they really needed all along.
Character Questionnaire Example
If you’re like me, you learn best through examples, so here’s a sample of how to create a character using The Hunger Games and the above questions.
1. The Essentials: What’s the character’s name, age, and role in the story?
Name: Katniss Everdeen
Age: 16
Role: Main character and protagonist
2. Physical Description: What does this character look like?
Thin, dark hair, olive-toned skin, and gray eyes.
3. What is their personality type?
Katniss doesn’t have a warm personality, but she is a survivor. She’s pragmatic, strategic, and careful. She’s a quick thinker. Though she’s slow to trust, she’s fiercely loyal to those she loves.
4. What skills and positive traits do they have?
Archery/hunting, loyalty, resourcefulness, resiliency, intelligence, etc.
5. What are their flaws and negative traits?
Coldness, harshness, difficulty relating to others, distrust, etc.
6. What is their greatest fear?
Losing her family, specifically her younger sister, Prim. She’s already lost her dad and, in some ways, her mom.
7. What is their misbelief about the world?
That she is powerless against the Capitol.
8. What happened in their past to create this misbelief?
She has been oppressed by the Capitol her whole life, fighting to simply survive under their rule. Everything the Capitol does reinforces the idea that Katniss and the other citizens have no power.
9. How is your character dissatisfied with their life? What do they want?
At the beginning of The Hunger Games, Katniss is still in survival mode because of the Capitol’s cruelty. She wants to provide for her family and keep them alive.
10. What definitive step could they take to turn their dream into a reality?
At the beginning of the book, Katniss does everything she can to help her family survive—hunting and trading for food and necessities, entering her name into the reaping more times for more resources, and eventually, volunteering to take her sister’s place in the games.
11. How will they try to solve their dissatisfaction the wrong way, letting their misbelief guide them?
Katniss’ survival mindset continues throughout The Hunger Games. She believes that surviving is the most important thing, and because of this, she plays the Capitol’s game, killing other children, to do it. Her misbelief guides her because she believes she is powerless to do anything but what the Capitol wants.
Peeta helps her learn the book’s lesson: that there’s more to life than just surviving and that she does have power. At the end of the book, she proves she’s learned this lesson by suggesting they eat the poisonous berries. She knows she won’t survive, but she’ll also have shown the Capitol the power she does have, that she’s not just a piece in their games.
Conclusion
I hope you’ve found this guide on how to create a character helpful. Check out my other tips on writing compelling characters here.
Happy writing!
