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47 Character Development Prompts To Flesh Out Your Book Characters

What kind of person is your main character? 

Maybe you’ve started to hear their voice in your head, but they just haven’t been very talkative. 

What can you do to make your character reveal their full self, quirks and all? 

The best way to get to know the people you’ve created is to use character development writing prompts.

We’ve created a list of 47 to put each of your key characters to the test.

Choose your own adventures for them. And see what your characters reveal about themselves. 

Actions speak louder than words. But you’ll need both. 

Key Benefits of Character Development Exercises

Identity or personality prompts, relationship prompts, reaction prompts, ethics and morality prompts, backstory prompts.

The more writing prompts you use in the development of your characters, the more of the following benefits you’ll enjoy:

  • Deeper awareness of the process of creating complex and believable characters
  • Experience writing from the character’s point of view (voice journal entries)
  • Experience writing dialogue (or taking dictation for the voices in your head)
  • Greater ease in making each character stand out as unique and three-dimensional.
  • Well-drawn, interesting characters , which help in the creation of unique plots. 

The more you know about these people in your story, the more real they become to you. 

Related: 16 Best Self-Publishing Companies For Your Writing Business

Then comes the challenge of helping your reader see them through dialogue and essential details.

The more character development prompts you use, though, the more experience you’ll have doing exactly that. 

47 Character Development Prompts 

Try any of the character scenarios below to see what each of your key characters is made of. Put them in situations that reveal their character and what they believe about themselves — as well as what they think of other characters in your story. 

We’ve divided these into groups to make it easier for you to focus on the areas that are the foggiest right now. Dive in and choose a prompt for today’s freewriting exercise . 

1. If your character has a superpower , what is it and how did they discover it? Is it something they’re proud of or would they like to exchange it for someone else’s?

2. What is your character’s biggest flaw ? Write about how they came to terms with it (if they have) or how they react when someone calls them out for it. 

3. Write a scene exposing your character’s fatal flaw and include another character from your story. Write from either character’s point of view. 

4. Write a scene revealing a mental health challenge for your character. Another character recognizes that challenge and offers help. 

5. Your character is trying to decide what to eat on a Friday night alone at their place. Write a voice journal entry about their thought process, what they eat, and why. 

6. Have three of your characters play “ Truth or Dare .” What do they learn about each other? And what character is more likely to choose “Dare” over “Truth”?

7. If your character has decided romantic or sexual love is not for them, write about what led them to identify as asexual or aromantic . How have others reacted? 

8. Has your character discovered an attraction they’ve been taught they shouldn’t have? Write about how has that affected their beliefs and sense of identity?

9. Does your character identify with the gender assigned to them at birth? If not, write about how they came to identify as a trans person and who supported them. 

10. Write a scene where your character reveals their sexual orientation or gender identity to someone who doesn’t respond well to the news. 

11. Have your character take the 16Personalities test to identify their Myers-Briggs type. Write a voice journal entry about their reaction to the results. 

12. Get your character alone with a parental figure that shaped their response to authority. Is your character generally obedient or more likely to question or rebel?

13. Get your character alone with someone they’re attracted to , whether they’ve acknowledged that attraction or not. Let them find out the attraction isn’t mutual. 

14. Get your character alone with someone who hurt them and who now needs their help. Write a scene or dialogue exchange hinting at the hurt caused by the other.

15. Write a scene where your character cooks a meal for someone else in your story. Show how it turns out and what they talk about while they eat (or drink). 

16. Write a scene where one of your character’s siblings comes to visit them. What do they talk about? What have they been through together? 

17. Get your character talking about their first love , who it was and whether the attraction was mutual. Was it an epic love or just a crush? How did it end?

18. Does your character have a mentor , coach,  or guide? Write a scene where they clash with this mentor or take issue with advice or directions they’ve been given. 

19. Has your character ever lost a friend ? Write a scene leading up to that loss and then show how your character reacts. 

20. Write a scene that shows what kind of friend your character is when someone they care about is going through a bad break-up. 

21. How does your character get along with kids ? Write a scene where someone talks to your character about whether they want kids of their own and why or why not.

22. Write a scene describing an encounter between your character and someone who has an unrequited crush on them — and who writes poetry. 

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66 Horror Writing Prompts That Are Freaky As Hell

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41 Of The Best Romance Writing Prompts

23. Write a scene where someone teases your character and then ridicules them for acting “ triggered .” What goes through your character’s head and what do they say?

24. Write a scene showing how your character would respond to a bully — e.g., a belligerent customer harassing an employee or a parent verbally abusing a child. 

25. Write a scene showing how your character would react upon learning that the attraction between them and another character is mutual. 

26. Write a scene showing how your character would respond to the death or serious injury of someone they cared about. What would they reveal about themselves?

27. Write about the moment your character learns what it will cost to get the thing they want most. How do they react? What do they say and do?

28. How would your character react to someone telling them, “ You’re not like other women/men ”? Write a scene or dialogue exchange showing their reaction. 

29. Think of a strong reaction you’ve had that surprised or confused others. Write a scene where one of your characters has a similar reaction to something. 

30. Write a scene where your character reacts to a religious symbol from their past. What does religion mean to them, now, and what do they believe about God?

31. How would your character react if they met their clone — who happens to be both successful and (apparently) evil? Write a scene describing the encounter. 

32. Does your character meet someone who helps them make a better decision about something? Write a scene or dialogue for a pivotal moment involving both. 

33. Does your character meet someone who manipulates them into doing something harmful? What do they do, and how does it affect them and other characters? 

34. What choice would your character make if presented with the trolley problem ? Write a voice journal entry explaining their decision. 

35. Does your character have a redemption arc ? Write a scene where you reveal your character’s turning point or an experience that changes them for the better. 

36. What could push your character over the edge ? Write a scene where this happens? What does your character do or say as a result? What do they lose?

37. Write a scene where your character meets a panhandler asking for money. Do they give the man anything? Use details and dialogue to reveal why or why not. 

38. Your character’s boss has offered them a significant promotion if they can get another employee to quit. Write about your character’s thought process. 

39. Your character has an unpleasant encounter with their rich boss, who leaves their loaded wallet behind. Write a scene showing what your character does and why.

40. Write about a traumatic experience in this character’s life and how it continues to affect them. Whom did it involve, and how have those relationships changed? 

41. Is your character’s world heteronormative ? Write about how your character and others respond to non-hetero romantic relationships. 

42. How has your character dealt with grief in the past? Write a scene where someone confronts them on this or encourages them to talk about it. 

43. Your character isn’t convinced they’re a good person . Write a scene or conversation that explains why. Do they remember ever thinking they were good?

44. Does your character have a secret about their past? Write a scene where this secret comes out. How do they and the other characters react? 

45. Have your character’s beliefs changed significantly since adolescence? Write a voice journal entry about those beliefs and why they changed. 

46. As a child, your character wandered away from their parents, who didn’t notice their absence until a stranger brought them back. Write about what happened. 

47. Write about a mistake your character made that he still hasn’t forgiven himself for. Use a voice journal entry to explain why. 

How will you use these character development prompts?

Now that you have 47 character development writing prompts , which one are you most eager to start with? Which one has already started the movie projector in your head? 

Once you know each character to their core, you can do as Terry Pratchett suggests: “Wind them up, put them down, and simply write down what they do, say, and think.” 

You’ll be doing that for these prompts . But they’ll also help you do it better. 

Meanwhile, you’ll also get better at creating characters your readers will fall in love with and write fanfiction for. 

Get your ship names ready, just in case.

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Writing Forward

20 Fun and Inspiring Character Writing Ideas

by Melissa Donovan | Nov 16, 2021 | Story Writing | 26 comments

character writing ideas

Where do you get your character writing ideas?

Creating a realistic character is one of the most difficult challenges in writing a piece of fiction. We’ve all read stories in which the characters were dull or hollow; they come across like clones of the same characters we’ve met in dozens of stories before.

Readers want characters who are as unique and complex as real people.

Are we, as writers, obligated to deliver such characters?

Character Writing Ideas

You can spend hours, days, weeks, or months developing character ideas. Whether you launch into your story with little knowledge of your characters or create full sketches and backstories for each one before you begin drafting the narrative, there are plenty of tricks and techniques you can use to inspire characters and breathe life into them.

  • Use real people as models for your characters. Think of all the people you know intimately, people you love as well as people you despise. Take their strongest and most interesting traits and qualities and give them to your characters.
  • Need a face for your character? You can use people you know for this too, but you can also use celebrities and other public figures. Some writers find that putting a face to a character brings out a more robust personality. Try it!
  • A baby-name dictionary is a great starting place for names, and names can help you generate ideas for your character sketches. Think about how names influence our perceptions of people, and sketch a character that fits their name.
  • Start with a predicament. Then create characters who have the skills to get out of that predicament. Thieves, for example, can pick locks, so if your characters need to get something out of a locked room or building, one of your characters may have some experience in burgling.
  • Live out your dreams. When you were a kid, did you want to be a rock star or an astronaut? Well, now you can live vicariously through your characters!
  • Turn to fiction. Books, movies, and TV shows are packed with incredible characters that audiences have already fallen for. Don’t try to copy these characters, but by all means, use them for inspiration. Ask yourself what made your favorite characters so compelling.
  • We all have quirks, so it makes sense for characters to have quirks too. Freckles, bitten fingernails, a limp, or a lisp are all ways you can set one character apart from the others.
  • Family and friends make us who we are. Draft sketches for your characters’ family and friends (even if they’re not going to appear in the story) and you may learn a thing or two about your character.
  • Have some style! From a modern urban princess to a bum on the street, every person has his or her own style. Your characters should too! What do they wear? How does she make up her face? Does he wear cologne?
  • Most people have interests, hobbies, and passions. Even if your character’s personal interests aren’t tied directly to the plot, they could enrich it, and they’ll certainly make your character more believable.
  • I’ve always found mannerisms and gestures fascinating. You often see the same mannerisms mirrored throughout a family or group of friends. In fiction, give each character their own unique gestures; biting the bottom lip, scratching one’s forehead, and tapping one’s toe on the floor are all good options.
  • Have you ever noticed that everyone you know has their own special way of talking? We each have a unique voice based on how we string words together, expressions we frequently use, and our intonation. You can make a character more realistic by simply giving the character a unique voice through dialogue.
  • Some of the best characters are extreme or over the top. Think of Luke Skywalker, Robin Hood, and Indiana Jones. These characters have strong personalities and are deeply driven by higher values and personal desires. Think about how your characters’ philosophies and goals shape their personalities.
  • Not all characters are human! Stories can be enriched with pets; they may not be necessary to the plot, but they can add to the emotional value of a story.
  • Do you write science fiction or fantasy? Forget non-human pets. Try creating characters who are not of this earth: androids, aliens, and mythological or fantastical creatures.
  • When you’re fresh out of good character writing ideas, try taking your characters out of the story altogether. Write a scene from a character’s backstory or draft a monologue in your character’s voice.
  • Spend some down time with your characters. What do they do when they’re not struggling with conflict or saving the world? Where do your characters eat? How do they organize their closets? What do they listen to while working out? Sometimes taking a peek at your characters’ most mundane moments will give you insight to who they are.
  • Balancing traits among a group of characters means that each character brings something different to the table. Harry Potter was a hero, but where would he have been without Hermione’s smarts and Ron’s loyalty? Distribute different strengths and weaknesses among your characters, especially if you’re writing an ensemble piece.
  • The literary canon is full of ancient and archetypal characters. From the herald and the hero to the trickster and the villain, myths, legends, and fairy tales can inspire and inform your characters. Put a new twist on these old favorites by forming (rather than copying) your characters from these proven standards from storytelling.
  • What about you? It’s the oldest trick in the book: base a character on yourself.

What are some of your favorite character writing ideas and activities? How do you come up with new characters or make your characters realistic? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment.

whats the story building blocks for fiction writing

26 Comments

Michael

I usually style my characters after my dream images of people I have seen in life as interesting, or as heroic. Their actions and quirks, I have noticed, can usually be attributed to friends, family, or just people I’ve met and known somewhere in my lifetime. Our thoughts and perceptions of people, can carry us into whole new worlds when discovering and developing characters for our writings. Great post !

Marlon

Oh wow you reminded me of something I left out in my post below. Charicatures of real life people is also the best way. Just embellish their flaws and qualities or even mix two people into one character and see how it plays out.

Melissa Donovan

Absolutely!

Thanks, Michael. I know what you mean. I tend to mix traits from public figures, people I know personally, and people I’ve dreamed up. It’s a lot of fun!

Something that has happened in my writing that I didn’t intend. My characters take on personality traits that are similar to my own. This has resulted in my novel’s main character, being often read as me. I guess the only people that really notice that, are people that know me, so I guess it doesnt matter. Just wasn’t what I was shooting for.

Hm, I think this is common for writers. You could always work at making the character different from you, but you may also decide it doesn’t really matter. I’ve heard a lot of authors say that either their main characters or all of their characters are different versions of themselves.

Great post! I come up with realistic characters by fleshing out their similarities and differences in contrast with the protagonist. This naturally gives me a list of lessons the protagonist will get to learn due to their interactions. I also write a short story of their personal biography that includes how their parents raised them, what growing up during school was like for them and basically how their certain behaviours influenced the course of their life time. A lot of extra info is left out from the novel, but what does make it make all the difference. Furthermore, to battle writer’s block, writing a character’s biography is what helped me determine how they would act in a certain chapter, and thus finally moved the story forward. Or should I say is how it kept me Writing Forward 😀

That’s awesome, Marlon! It sounds like you use the same approach I do, which is building an elaborate character sketch and backstory. I have a lot of fun with those projects 🙂

Tim LaBarge

Good tips, Melissa. I especially like the idea of diving into a character’s back story. This can provide a lot of depth to your characters and make them come alive through their personality and nuances shaped by the past.

Another useful tool when developing character names is online logs of country-specific surnames. If you know you want a character to have an Irish heritage, or Brazilian ancestry, you can browse these lists of names to find the one that fits best.

Oh yes, that’s why I use A World of Baby Names , which organizes names by heritage. It’s an awesome character creation reference! I love flipping through it and discovering all kinds of interesting names (and their meanings!).

Aziza

You touch on a lot of great points here Melissa. I like to explore the eccentricities of my characters’ thought life, but I often omit descriptions of their appearance because these descriptions bore me. (I guess I’ve read too many books where the descriptions of the character includes: her pretty face, large blue eyes, eyes like limpid pools, eyes like dark pools, her full breasts…) Your note on adding physical quirks actually makes me excited to go back and add some fun descriptions that say more than “she’s a smok’n hot babe-a-tron”.

Thanks, Aziza. I get bored with lengthy descriptions, too. However, I appreciate a few key details to help me visualize a character or setting. “pretty face, large blue eyes…” etc. would be too general. Those descriptions don’t help me see anything in my mind.

Nick

What you can sometimes do is have one of your characters describe another, what they like or dislike about that person, ‘I wish I had your green eyes’, ‘s/he’s such a moody git first thing in the morning’, ‘what’s she like ?’ or nicknames that may or may not have to be explained to new characters,

Yes, that’s a good technique for describing characters, especially in a first-person narrative where a character is unlikely to describe himself or herself. Thanks for mentioning it, Nick.

Jade Gas

I agree greatly on using a baby naming website for cgaracter names. I am in the planning stages of writing a novel and have foynd myself reffering to them for strong character names.

I also like to find associations for characters and build on that. Sometimes a character trait can become a name for a character and something that reflects their personality (I have a character in process who is named by this process).

Thanks very much for the article Melissa! It’s helped me out alot!

You’re welcome! I’m glad you found it useful!

Heather Marsten

Great post on characters – writing a memoir makes it easier to know the characters, but finding those points that make the best descriptors for the people in my life has been a challenge. I appreciate your post and plan to keep it for future reference.

Thanks, Heather. That’s a great point. In nonfiction writing, the characters are provided for us, but there’s still a challenge in choosing which details to share. I hadn’t thought about that.

Christopher Patterson

I love the ideas you have come up with. I am still learning the art of creating realistic characters. I like to use people that I know as a basis. I also enjoy taking some of my favorite characters from books and sampling from them.

I love learning about how writers form characters. Thanks for sharing your technique, Christopher 🙂

Reham Abdullah

this post is really amazing. I learnt a lot from it and I will start writing again using these ideas.

Bob

Try giving characters diseases/conditions like scizofrenia, polio, or bi polar disorder

Rosi Hollinbeck

Great tips here both in your post and from the comments. I will be linking to this post on my blog. Thanks!

Thanks, Rosi!

No name ;)

The easiest and most obvious solution for creating characters is to identify your characters with the characteristics of asterisks, burnt stereotypes

An excellent solution to the name idea is the Scrivener full personal name generator. Detailed gender, ethnicity, etc. will suit your name ideas for you

https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview

I haven’t used that tool, but I do love Scrivener. Best app for writing books, by far.

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Aspiring Author

101 Character Writing Prompts

Author: Natalie Harris-Spencer Updated: June 8, 2023

Expressions on eggs to represent 101 character writing prompts

In order to sell a book and get it published , you need to create a product, which, for most of us here at Aspiring Author , is a novel. And in order to write the darn thing (while lamenting your career choices), you need to live and breathe your characters. Character writing prompts can be an excellent way to help you get inside your characters’ heads and achieve that elusive narrative voice through speech, dialogue, or internal narration.

Creating real people

Creating convincing characters isn’t easy. Have you ever had that feeling that your characters are slippery, not quite sounding or doing the right things, or, worse, are fake? Have you noticed them steering their own way, diverging from your carefully outlined plot? Characters are the one device that should drive your plot – not the other way around. Follow them down whichever dark paths they choose in order to access the truth. Keep them honest and as grounded in reality as possible.

When it comes to creating 3D characters, Ernest Hemingway said it best: “When writing a novel, a writer should create living people; people not characters. A character is a caricature.” And to write real people, you need to ground your people in reality: real circumstances, real settings, and real thoughts and feelings. These character writing prompts have been designed to help you expose the human condition in all its imperfect glory. Humans are multi-layered (ah, the onion), with numerous internal complications, feelings, and flaws. Remember: characters have to change in order for the reader to care about them. They must go on a journey, through which your novel’s plot is the vessel.

The Craft of Character by Mark Boutros

101 character writing prompts

Below are 101 character writing prompts that will help you deepen your understanding of your characters and elevate them from caricatures into real people. As you work your way through these character writing prompts, consider writing how your characters think, feel, but also change . Sameness is never interesting to read.

Physical appearance

  • Does your character have any moles, birth marks, or beauty spots? Where? Describe them.
  • Hair is not character. However, it can show something unexpected or unusual about your character. Write a scene featuring your character’s hair, without relying on the usual tropes (length, color etc.).
  • Write what your character thinks they see when they see their reflection.
  • Write a scene about your character in costume. What are they wearing, and why? How do they feel about it?
  • What does your character’s coughing, sneezing, and hiccoughing sound like?
  • What do they look like when they’re sick?
  • What’s in your character’s wallet apart from money?
  • Switch the gender of your character. How does that change how they think, feel, and move through the world?
  • Write about your character getting their ears pierced or getting a tattoo.
  • Describe your characters hands and feet.
  • Show your character doing a workout. What are they wearing? How do they look before, during and after?
  • Draw a sketch of your character’s passport. Does it help you understand who they are and where they come from?

Inner workings

  • What is your character’s biggest flaw?
  • What is your character’s biggest fear?
  • What or who would your character kill for?
  • What does your character want more than anything else in the world?
  • What is the one thing that is stopping them from getting it?
  • Write a therapy session between your character and their therapist.
  • Write a scene without dialogue that shows exactly what your character wants – only through their actions.
  • Show your character’s reaction to getting a parking ticket.
  • Write a scene about a mental health challenge your character has faced.
  • Put your character on a diet. How do they feel? What mood are they in?
  • Write about your character being insatiable thirsty.
  • Write about a time when your character couldn’t stop laughing.
  • Using just dialogue, write a scene between your character and someone they’re attracted to.
  • Your character is being lectured by someone in a position of authority. How do they react?
  • Show your character making a selfish decision and the ramifications it has on their life.
  • What is your character’s favorite book , and why? Has it always been the same book, or have their tastes evolved?
  • Write a scene where your character can’t remember what happened the night before, and they’re trying to piece it together.
  • Imagine your character is a nervous flyer. Document their thoughts during take-off.
  • Write a recollection scene about the most frightening time of your character’s life.
  • Show your character’s most embarrassing moment, either through recollection, dialogue, or action.
  • Write a scene where your character is struggling to show or purposefully concealing their real feelings and emotions.

Family, relationships, and home

  • How does your character spend their Christmas holidays, and who with?
  • Write a scene with your character attending a family funeral.
  • What are your character’s earliest memories? Do they remember their first home, their parents, or something else?
  • Your character has a bunch of keys. What do they have as keyrings?
  • Write an argument between your character and their mother and/or father.
  • Describe a family portrait: who’s in it? Where are they now?
  • Write your character’s bedtime ritual.
  • Show your character having an argument with a family member at the dinner table. Do they win?
  • What does your character’s closet and/or bedside drawer look like? What’s inside? Are they hiding anything they shouldn’t be?
  • Write a drunk argument between your character and a family member.
  • Imagine your character has a twin. List their similarities and differences, both physical and otherwise.
  • Write about your character on graduation day.
  • Write about your character going on a blind date.
  • Your character is getting married. They choose an unusual wedding cake topper. What is it, and why is it important?
  • Does your character want kids now or in the future? Why or why not?
  • Write a scene where your character moves to a new town. Are they welcome? Why or why not?
  • Write about a home invasion. Show your character’s possessions strewn and/or missing. What’s the first thing they check?
  • Your character opens a letter not addressed to them, only to discover a secret about the previous resident. How do they react?
  • Write a sex scene without mentioning anatomy (you can do it!).
  • Put your character in a country where they don’t speak the language. How do they get by?
  • Show your character meeting their first love again for the first time in ten years.

Epistolary character writing prompts

  • Write a letter in your character’s handwriting.
  • Write a Craigslist ad from the voice of your character.
  • Write an Airbnb listing for your character.
  • Write your character’s LinkedIn profile.
  • Create an online dating profile for your character.
  • Write a letter to your character’s younger self.
  • Create a tarot card reading for your character.
  • Come up with your character’s regular take-out order.
  • Write out your character’s family tree, including dates of birth, marriage, and death.
  • Write a postcard home from a far-flung destination.
  • Write a journal entry from a pivotal day in your character’s life.
  • Write a Valentine’s Day card from your character.
  • Write your character’s weekly shopping list. Include one item that doesn’t go with the rest.
  • Write a text conversation between your character and another person who they are trying to seduce or win over.
  • Write two lies and a truth for your character. The lies should be as convincing as the truth.
  • Write a scene with your character on the top of a Ferris wheel. What can they see? How do they feel?
  • Write a scene with your character in a haunted house.
  • Write a scene with your character falling asleep on the deck of a boat.
  • Write a scene with your character in a station waiting room. Where are they going and why?
  • Write a scene with your character in a hospital bed.
  • Your character has just been discovered stealing a midnight snack. How do they respond?
  • Write a scene with your character at a baseball game.
  • Write a scene with your character at a fireworks display.
  • Write a scene where your character is in a cemetery in the snow.
  • Your character is going on a camping trip. What do they pack?
  • Write a scene showing your character going into a church or place of worship.
  • Write a scene at the top of revolving skyscraper restaurant.
  • Your character makes a surprising discovery in a hotel room. What is it?
  • Your character enters an antiques store. What trinket do they come away with?
  • Write a scene where your character gets lost in a vineyard.
  • Write a scene with your character on a boardwalk or pier.
  • Imagine your character living in another decade. Now write about them – their clothes, their job, their desires.

Nature and animals

  • What is your character’s favorite season and why?
  • Write about your character ice skating on a frozen pond.
  • What does your character see when they look up at the night sky?
  • Is your character a cat or a dog person?
  • Or do they have an unusual pet? Write about it!
  • Write about your character accidentally hitting an animal with their car.
  • Write about your character’s experience of dissecting a frog in a science lesson.
  • What’s the first animal your character goes to see at the zoo?
  • Your character gets stung by a bee. How do they react?
  • Write a scene with your character sunbathing on a tropical beach.
  • Write a scene with your character skinny dipping in a lake.
  • Write a scene with your character watching the sun rise from a mountain top.
  • Take your character for a walk in the woods when the light is fading.
  • Describe the images, shapes, and patterns your character sees in passing clouds.
  • Write a scene where your character is caught in a thunderstorm.

Of course, there are countless more character writing prompts that you can work on. We hope these 101 character writing prompts from Aspiring Author give you just enough to spark your writerly imagination and take your characters to multi-layered, unexpected, and very real places. And trust yourself that your characters can be strange, because the truth is almost always stranger than fiction.

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101 Creative Character Arc Prompts

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Need some inspirational help in finding a new and exciting way to develop characters? Thankfully, character arcs aren't as difficult to develop as you might think. You just need a place to start.

A loser becomes a winner. A king becomes a pauper. The skeptic becomes a believer. Often, the best arcs start with a simple question or compelling traits that become the antithesis of the conflict your character is facing.

With that in mind, here are 101 character prompts that writers can test out on their characters — and their story concepts— to find compelling character arcs that can be explored within their stories.

Read More: Acceptance, Revelation, Contentment: Exploring Your Character's Inner Arc

101 Character Arc Prompts

1. What is your character's biggest fear?

2. What is your character's biggest regret?

3. What haunts your character when they stare off into nothing?

4. What, if anything, would your character kill for?

5. What is the most traumatic event from their childhood?

6. What is their most dangerous vice?

7. What is the one obstacle between where they are and what they want most in life?

8. Is your character religious?

9. Is your character anti-religion?

10. Who does your character love?

11. Who is their biggest influence?

12. Who in their lives is a bad influence?

13. What does your character see when they look at themselves in a mirror?

14. Why is the character in their ordinary world  at the beginning of the story?

15. Why is your character the one dealing with the main conflict of the story?

16. How does the main conflict most conflict with the main character?

17. Is your character rich or poor?

18. Are they an optimist or pessimist?

19. Does your character have a handicap?

20. Do they have mental health issues?

101 Character Arc Prompts

Joker (2019)

21. What triggers their mental health issues?

22. Who did they hurt in their past?

23. Who hurt them in their past?

24. What does your character strive for most in their life?

25. What makes them laugh?

26. What makes them cry?

27. What makes them lose their temper?

28. What is the most selfish thing your character has done?

29. What is the most unselfish thing they've done for someone else?

30. Does your character have a lot of friends? If not, why not?

31. What is your character's favorite holiday? Why?

32. What is their least favorite holiday? Why?

33. What is your character's biggest flaw?

34. What is their biggest weakness?

35. What causes anxiety in your character?

36. What triggers them? Why?

37. Who is your character's biggest enemy?

38. Who is your character's best friend? Why?

39. Does your character believe in love at first sight?

40. Have they been in love at all?

101 Character Arc Prompts

The Woman King (2022)

41. What are their turn-ons?

42. What are their turn-offs?

43. What gender are your characters?

44. What race is your character?

45. What is your character's sexual orientation?

46. What is the greatest thing your character has done in their lives?

47. Who are their heroes in life? Why?

48. What types of people does your character look down on?

49. Who do they look up to and respect? Why?

50. Who are their mentors ?

51. Why would your character refuse a call to adventure ?

52. What tragedy most affected their life?

53. What tragedy could they have prevented, but failed to?

54. Who does your character need to make amends to?

55. What are they most grateful for in their lives? Why?

56. What causes them shame?

57. What would give them more confidence in life?

58. What would make them believe in God or a higher power?

59. What would make them not believe?

60. Do they work well with others? Why or why not?

101 Character Arc Prompts

Sunset Blvd. (1950)

61. Is your character a leader?

62. Is your character a follower? Why?

63. What is the biggest grudge your character is holding onto?

64. Does your character lie?

65. What do they lie about? Why?

66. Is your character a coward? Why?

67. Is your character heroic?

68. What's an ailment they are still trying to recover from?

69. What's an injury they haven't healed from?

70. What caused the injury?

71. What are your character's negative habits?

72. What is their favorite movie? Why?

73. What is their favorite book? Why?

74. Does your character belong to a particular organization?

75. What is their innate identity?

76. What new things would rock their world most? Why?

77. Does your character have a family? If not, why are they alone?

78. What is your character most stubborn about?

79. What taboos have they broken within their community? Do they regret it?

80. Does your character trust people?

101 Character Arc Prompts

Toy Story 4 (2019)

81. Is your character trustworthy?

82. Is your character tough?

83. If so, what caused them to be so tough?

84. What would finally "break" your character?

85. Who would your character give their life for most?

86. Is your character loyal?

87. What is your character's greatest bias or prejudice?

88. What is your character's worst nightmare?

89. What is their biggest dream?

90. What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to your character?

91. What is your character's favorite place in the world?

92. What location scares them the most?

93. What item does your character treasure most?

94. What is your character's deepest physical scar? How did they get it?

95. Does your character fear authority?

96. Do they fight authority at every turn?

97. If your character could make one wish come true, what would it be?

98. What did your character want to be when they grew up?

99. Why did or didn't it work out that way?

100. What does your character want for their birthday?

101. Who does your character want at their wedding?

WANT MORE IDEAS? TAKE A LOOK AT OUR OTHER  STORY PROMPTS !

Ken Miyamoto has worked in the film industry for nearly two decades, most notably as a studio liaison for Sony Studios and then as a script reader and story analyst for Sony Pictures.

He has many studio meetings under his belt as a produced screenwriter, meeting with the likes of Sony, Dreamworks, Universal, Disney, Warner Brothers, as well as many production and management companies. He has had a previous development deal with Lionsgate, as well as multiple writing assignments, including the produced miniseries  Blackout , starring Anne Heche, Sean Patrick Flanery, Billy Zane, James Brolin, Haylie Duff, Brian Bloom, Eric La Salle, and Bruce Boxleitner, the feature thriller  Hunter’s  Creed , and many produced and distributed Lifetime thrillers. Follow Ken on Twitter  @KenMovies

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205 OC Writing Prompts

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Developing your original character? Looking to write more? Below is a list of OC writing prompts you can use for your original character. These will challenge you to think more about your characters and have fun in the process.

As a site focused on OCs, we custom-made these prompts to be fun for all types of OCs!

Unlock your imagination and bring your original characters to life with our comprehensive list of 205 character writing prompts. Whether you're just starting out with your OC or looking for new ways to challenge and enhance your writing, these prompts will take your creative writing to new heights. Perfect for all types of original characters!

These custom-made prompts are designed to inspire and engage your imagination, making writing fun and exciting. So why wait? Start exploring the world of your original characters and flesh out their bio with our 205 oc writing prompts!

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  • What is your character’s handwriting like?
  • What is on your character’s wish list?
  • What are your character's New Year's resolutions?
  • Your character writes a postcard to a friend from a faraway destination.
  • Your character decides to write a short autobiography.
  • Your character is writing a birthday card to someone.
  • Your character is writing a letter to their future self.
  • Your character is writing a letter to a celebrity.
  • Your character is writing a letter to their future spouse.
  • Your character is writing a letter of apology to someone they have wronged.
  • Your character is writing in a journal. Write an example of their daily journal entry
  • Your character is writing a letter of condolences to someone who has lost a loved one.
  • Your character is writing a recipe for their signature dish. What is it and how do they make it
  • Your character is writing a letter to a government official about an issue they care about. What is the issue and why is it important to them?
  • Your character is writing a toast speech and preparing it for a special occasion.
  • What would your character’s LinkedIn profile look like?
  • What would be your character’s pinned tweets?
  • Your character started using a dating app. What do they write on their profile?
  • What is an accurate tarot reading for your character?
  • What’s the food your characters usually order in restaurants?
  • Your character travels back through time and meets their younger self. What do they say?
  • Write about your character’s first palm-reading
  • Your character is packing for a short trip. What are they bringing?
  • Your character just bought a lottery ticket.
  • What does your character’s passport look like?
  • Your character is describing their appearance to someone.
  • Your character is building a time capsule. What do they put in it?
  • Write about your character from the perspective of another character.
  • Write about your character from the perspective of their partner.
  • Write about your character completing a psychological assessment. What is it for and what is the result?
  • Your character is having a nightmare. What is it about?
  • Your character develops from start to finish of the story. In what way do they develop?
  • What events make your character develop into what they are at the end?
  • Write a scene where your character is talking to themselves.
  • Write a scene about your character’s encounter with their clone.
  • Write about a scene where your character prepares a meal.
  • What is your character’s morning/bedtime routine?
  • Somebody is explaining how your character sounds when they laugh.
  • Write a scene where your character encounters a beggar on the street.
  • Write a scene where your character’s parents describe them.
  • Your character catches a goldfish. What are the 3 wishes they make?
  • Your character discovers a new hobby. What is it and why do they enjoy it?
  • Your character has a conversation with their reflection in the mirror.
  • Write a scene with your character reading their daily horoscope.
  • Your character is making a weekly shopping list. What’s on it?
  • Write a scene where your character is marking their favorite locations on a map.
  • Your character is asked to kill someone for a huge cash prize. What do they do?
  • Write a scene with your character contemplating the meaning of life.
  • Your character has joined CharacterHub , what does their character profile look like?

writing ideas character

  • Write a scene where your character feels uneasy.
  • Write about your character’s most embarrassing moment.
  • Write a scene where your character falls in love at first sight.
  • What is your character grateful for?
  • your character is having a hangover from the night before.
  • your character is annoyed with someone. How do they react?
  • Your character is talking to their crush for the first time.
  • Write a scene where your character got in a fight.
  • Your character is visiting a therapist. What are they talking about?
  • Write a scene where your character is stuck in an elevator with someone they really don’t like.
  • Show your character’s had to pay a fine. How are they feeling about it?
  • Your character has to do something they are really not good at. How do they handle it?
  • Your character is facing their biggest fear.
  • Your character is drunk. How do they behave?
  • Write a scene about your character pretending they don’t have feelings
  • Write about your character discovering their’s or somebody else’s virtue.
  • Write a scene where your character is in danger.
  • Write a scene about your character at the funeral.
  • What is one sentence your character hates hearing?
  • Write a scene where your character is showing someone they love them in their own way.
  • How does your character feel at the graveyard? What are they thinking about?
  • Write a scene with your character talking about their childhood crush
  • Write about your character's reaction to being promoted to a position they never wanted
  • Write about your character's reaction to getting a parking ticket
  • What is your character's reaction to getting stung by a bee?
  • Write about your character's experience of dissecting a frog in science class.
  • What’s your character's favorite season and the reason for their preference?
  • Describe a walk in the woods with your character when the light is fading.
  • Write a scene where your character is sunbathing on a tropical beach.
  • Describe the images, shapes, and patterns that your character sees in passing clouds.
  • Write a scene where your character is swimming naked in a lake.
  • Is your character more of a cat person or a dog person? Or do they have a more unusual pet?
  • Write a scene where your character watches the sunrise from a mountain peak.
  • What does your character observe when they look up at the night sky?
  • What is the first animal that your character visits at the zoo? Why?
  • Your character gets caught in a thunderstorm. What do they do?
  • Your character's first time camping in the wilderness.
  • Write a scene where your character is watching a sunset over a field of flowers.
  • Your character comes across a wild animal while on a hike. How do they react?
  • Write about your character's experience of rescuing an injured animal.
  • Your character stumbles upon an abandoned bird egg. What happens next?
  • Write a scene where your character is trying to photograph a rare animal in its natural habitat.
  • Write about your character's visit to a national park and their observations of the local wildlife.
  • Your character is trying to catch fireflies at night. What memories or thoughts does this bring up for them?
  • Your character has to deal with a group of mischievous monkeys stealing tourists' food.
  • Your OC discovers a new species of dolphin while on a research expedition.
  • Your OC has to care for a baby deer after it was orphaned in a forest fire. What happens?
  • Your character gets lost in the Amazon rainforest and has to find their way back with the help of local indigenous people.
  • Write a scene with your character at the top of a mountain, looking out at the view.
  • Your character has to navigate through a crowded city market to find a specific item.
  • Write a scene with your character in a silent library, surrounded by books.
  • Your character finds themselves lost in a maze or hedge garden. How do they get out?
  • Write a scene with your character on a rollercoaster, experiencing the highs and lows.
  • Your character is stuck in an elevator with a group of strangers. What happens?
  • Write a scene with your character on a deserted island, trying to survive and find a way back to civilization.
  • Your character is on a long road trip and has to deal with car troubles.
  • Write a scene with your character at an amusement park, trying out all the rides and games.
  • Your character is at a music festival, surrounded by crowds of people and live music.
  • Write a scene with your character at a water park, sliding and splashing through the attractions.
  • Your character is at a zoo and has a close encounter with a dangerous animal.
  • Write a scene with your character at a fair, eating fried food and trying their luck at the games.
  • Your character is at a cinema, watching their favorite film on the big screen.
  • Write a scene with your character at a baseball game, cheering on their favorite team.
  • Your character is at an art museum, looking at the paintings and sculptures.
  • Write a scene with your character at a beach, building sandcastles, and swimming in the ocean.
  • Your character is at a circus, watching the acrobats and clowns.
  • Write a scene with your character at a theme park, going on all the thrill rides.
  • Your character is at an aquarium, watching the sea creatures swim and interact.
  • Write a scene showing your character going into a shrine or church
  • What does your character do first in Disneyland?
  • Your character is at the hospital. What happened?
  • Your character is visiting a distant country with a completely different language and culture.

writing ideas character

  • Write a scene with your character meeting their significant other's family for the first time.
  • Your character has to navigate through the challenges of a long-distance relationship.
  • Your character is in a relationship with a co-worker.
  • Write a scene with your character going on a double date with their friends
  • Write a scene with your character celebrating their anniversary with their spouse or partner.
  • Your character has to deal with the end of a toxic relationship and the process of healing and moving on.
  • Write a romantic scene with your character and their partner.
  • Your character is going on a blind date. How does it go?
  • Your character is meeting their first love after a long time.
  • Your character’s partner decided to leave them. How do they react?
  • Write a scene where your character’s partner confesses they cheated on them.
  • Your character is in a long-term relationship but starts to feel attracted to someone else. How do they deal with these conflicting emotions?
  • Your character is struggling to balance their relationship with their demanding career.
  • Your character is in a relationship with a celebrity and must deal with the added challenges of fame.
  • Your character's partner has a secret talent or hobby that they've never shared with anyone, including your character. How do they react when they finally find out?
  • Your character is in a relationship with someone who has a chronic illness and must find ways to support and care for them.
  • Your character's partner is a different age than them, and they must navigate the challenges of an age gap in their relationship.
  • Your character is in a long-distance relationship and must find creative ways to stay connected and maintain their bond despite the distance.

Family and Home

  • Write about your character’s family tree.
  • Write a scene with your character having a family game night at home.
  • Write a scene with your character visiting a family member in the hospital.
  • How your character deals with the arrival of a new baby in the family.
  • Your character has to deal with a difficult family member during a holiday dinner.
  • Your character has to navigate through a family argument and try to find a solution.
  • Write a scene with your character celebrating a family milestone, such as a birthday or anniversary.
  • Write a scene with your character moving into a new house and exploring all the rooms.
  • Write a scene with your character visiting their childhood home and reminiscing about old memories.
  • Your character has to deal with the aftermath of a family member's revelation or secret.
  • Write a scene with your character spending the day with their grandparents, learning about their history and traditions.
  • Write a scene with your character at a family reunion, catching up with relatives they haven't seen in years.
  • Write a scene with your character attending a family wedding
  • Write a scene with your character attending a family therapy session
  • Write a scene with your character dealing with a family member's addiction
  • Write a scene about what is your character doing on New Year’s Eve.
  • Your character got drunk while being with family. What do they say and do?
  • Write a scene where your character is going through their favorite family photos.
  • Write a transcription of your  character’s favorite home video
  • Your character is in a bank and a gang of 5 robbers comes bursting in with gun
  • Your character is a special agent assigned to protect a high-profile witness but must fight to survive when the safe house is attacked by assassins.
  • Write about your character in a plane where a pilot passed out.
  • Your character sees firefighters who must rescue survivors and put out a raging inferno in a burning high-rise building.
  • Your character is a race car driver who must use their skills to outrun the police and a rival gang in a high-speed chase through city streets.
  • Your character gets picked up by a group of soldiers on a mission to retrieve a stolen nuclear warhead from a hostile foreign country.
  • Your character is a mercenary hired to escort a wealthy businessman through a war-torn country but must protect their charge when they become the target of rebels.
  • Your character went deep sea diving and now must rescue their team and retrieve a lost treasure from a sunken ship while fighting off dangerous sea creatures.
  • Your character accidentally joins a group of spies who must stop a rogue nation from launching a devastating missile attack while avoiding detection and capture.
  • Your character survived in the aftermath of a massive earthquake that struck a major city.
  • Your character is a bodyguard who must protect a VIP from a team of assassins during a high-stakes political summit.
  • Your character is a detective who must solve a string of brutal murders before the killer strikes again.
  • Your character must fight for survival in a post-apocalyptic world where resources are scarce and danger lurks at every turn.
  • Your character is a cyber security expert who must stop a hacker from taking down the world's financial system.
  • Your character is a member of a secret society who must stop a dangerous cult from obtaining a powerful artifact
  • Your character gets stuck in an elevator with a serial killer.

writing ideas character

  • Write a scene with your character in their favorite class.
  • Write about your character's experience starting at a new school.
  • Write about your character preparing for and taking their final exams.
  • Write a scene with your character mentoring a younger student.
  • Write about your character’s experience of dissecting a frog in class.
  • Write about your character’s learning style. Do they have any learning disabilities?
  • Your character's journey as they discover and pursue their passion through a school club.
  • Your character has to speak publicly in front of the class. How do they feel?
  • Your character is striving to earn a scholarship for college.
  • Describe your character's experience participating in a school play or musical.
  • Depict your character's experience with a teacher who has a personal vendetta against them.
  • Your character's feelings about being the youngest or oldest in their class.
  • Your character's journey and feelings as they study abroad.
  • Your character's experience with a roommate who is vastly different from them.
  • Your character encounters school bullies for the first time. What happens next?
  • Write about your character working on an art project.
  • Your character's journey as they navigate a world filled with magic and mythical creatures
  • Your character becomes a prince or princess in a royal kingdom
  • Write about your character handling the pressure of breaking a curse
  • Explore your character's feelings about being a misfit or outsider in a magical world
  • Your character's encounter with a powerful enchantress or sorcerer
  • Show your character's determination as they work to reclaim a lost kingdom
  • Write about your character getting a dangerous quest
  • Your character's feelings about being chosen as the only one who can save the kingdom.
  • Write about your character's experience living in a fairy forest
  • Your character's experience with a fairy godmother or magical helper
  • Explore your character's feelings about being a changeling or having a hidden identity
  • Your character's struggles with a cruel or manipulative queen
  • Your character's experience as a mermaid or sea creature.
  • Your character's journey as they search for the fabled fountain of youth
  • Your character's being a prisoner in a tower for one month
  • Describe your character's experience with a powerful dragon guiding a treasure

"With our extensive list of character writing prompts, the possibilities for your original characters are endless. Whether you're exploring new worlds, delving into their backgrounds, or putting them in challenging situations, these prompts will push your writing to new heights. So don't wait, put your imagination to work and start bringing your original characters to life today! We'd love to see what you create with these prompts!

How To Use Prompts on CharacterHub:

CharacterHub is a place where people share their original characters! You can keep track of all your characters and even build an audience around them. The post function has built-in prompts for journaling, writing, sharing art, and more with your character. You can join CharacterHub HERE!

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Table of Contents

Share on social, unlock your character's full potential, join characterhub for exclusive access to revolutionary character-building tools and a like-minded community.

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Character Pose Ideas And References: How To Get Pose Ideas With Examples and Templates

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1001+ Original Character Ideas You Can Use Right Now (And How To Come Up With More Ideas)

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17 OC Challenges You Can Join Right Now: Writing, Art, Drawing Challenges!

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Welcome to characterhub!

Step into CharacterHub and bring your characters to life today!

If seeing characters or creating characters gives you joy, CharacterHub is built just for you! Are you a writer with a tale to tell? An artist sketching vivid dreams? A roleplayer bringing stories to life? Here, creativity knows no bounds.

Design and store your original characters with ease using our user-friendly tools, all while being part of a welcoming and well-moderated community. Share your passion with like-minded creators from around the world. Enjoy features crafted to meet every need of an OC creator.

From the first spark of inspiration to the final masterpiece, we're with you at every step. Join CharacterHub now, and let's make magic together!

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Character Prompts for Your Next Story (by Genre and Role)

By: Author Paul Jenkins

Posted on September 6, 2022

Categories Writing , Creativity , Inspiration , Storytelling

Do you ever get stuck when trying to develop a story idea? If so, character prompts may be just what you need! These creative writing prompts will help you come up with interesting characters and plotlines for your next story. Remember that these are just suggestions – feel free to mix and match them or create your prompts. Use these prompts to jumpstart your creativity and get the ideas flowing! This post starts with a series of general character prompts and then has a series of genre-specific character ideas – so if writing a particular genre, skip straight to the relevant section.

Starter Character Prompts

To kick off, here are some character prompts to inspire your character development. For fun, and originality, try mixing up some of these prompts so that your unique character profiles are a combination of two or more.

  • A skeptic is always the last to believe but the first to offer help.
  • A woman who can’t help but love bad boys, no matter how many times they break her heart.
  • A tax accountant who lives for April because it’s the only time of year when he feels truly alive.
  • A child prodigy who skipped several grades but has never been able to find true friends.
  • A dog walker knows all the neighborhood gossip because she spends her days eavesdropping on people’s conversations.
  • A stay-at-home dad is secretly relieved when his wife returns to work after her maternity leave is up.
  • A young woman who has to care for her ailing father and doesn’t know how much longer she can do it.
  • An artist who uses his art to deal with his depression.
  • A woman who was born into a wealthy family but has always felt like an outsider.
  • A man who is haunted by his time as a soldier in Vietnam.
  • A robot who becomes sentient and starts to question why humans are so cruel to each other.
  • A well-educated woman is forced to drop out of college to support her family.
  • A small-town boy who dreams of moving to the city.
  • A woman in her late twenties who is struggling to find herself.

Character Writing Prompts by Role and Archetype

Sometimes it helps to think about your characters in terms of their role, or archetype, as a way to narrow down your options. For example, if you need a love interest for your protagonist, you might want to consider an archetype such as the “bad boy” or the “damsel in distress.”

For example, the loner who’s never been good at socializing but suddenly finds himself being drawn to someone. Or the joker who everyone loves but is hiding a broken heart.

Here are some more examples to get you started:

Protagonist: A high school student who has just been diagnosed with cancer and is trying to come to terms with her prognosis.

Antagonist: A vampire who is struggling with his addiction to human blood.

Love Interest: A soldier who has returned home from war and is dealing with PTSD.

Best Friend: A woman trying to break into the competitive fashion modeling world.

Mentor: A middle-aged man facing retirement and unsure of what he will do with the rest of his life.

Sidekick : A teenage boy coping with his parent’s recent death in a car accident.

Rival: A chef who is trying to save her failing restaurant.

Rebel: A man struggling to come to terms with his homosexuality.

Outcast: A woman diagnosed with a terminal illness is trying to make the most of her remaining time.

Villain: An assassin who has been hired to kill the president of a small country.

Hero: A single mother fighting for custody of her daughter against her ex-husband.

Princess: A woman who has been forced into an arranged marriage by her father.

Witch: A woman trying to find a cure for the curse placed on her by an evil queen.

Orphan: A girl abandoned by her parents and raised by wolves in the forest outside of town.

Wizard: An old man trying to find a successor before he dies so that he can pass down his knowledge and powers.

Fantasy Character Prompts

  • A creature that has been imprisoned for centuries and is desperate to be free.
  • A woman whose tail has transformed into legs must now learn how to walk on land.
  • A man who a rival king has hired to steal a magic scepter from the royal palace.
  • A gentle giant is misunderstood by everyone in town and constantly ridiculed.
  • An elf has been sent on a quest by the king to find a magical flower that can cure any ailment.
  • A princess whose kingdom is under attack by an evil sorcerer.
  • A young girl dreams of becoming a dragon slayer like her hero, Sir Lancelot.
  • A wizard whose apprentice has run away, and he must now go on a journey to find him.
  • A warrior who is haunted by visions of their dead comrades during battle.
  • A skilled thief who only targets those who have stolen themselves.
  • A dragon who has taken on the form of a human and is pretending to be a king.
  • A young woman discovers she can control the elements.
  • An orphaned street urchin who must save the kingdom from an evil sorcerer.
  • A cursed prince who turns into a beast every full moon.
  • A skilled archer who is revealed to be a part elf.
  • A daring rebel leader fighting against an unjust monarchy.
  • A faithful knight is forced to choose between their duty and their heart.
  • An assassin whose next target is revealed to be their long-lost sibling..
  • A bard whose songs have the power to heal the wounded and sick.
  • A ranger tracking a group of bandits through dangerous territory.
  • A wizard studying at a prestigious academy.
  • A goblin trying to make it in the human world.
  • A paladin is sworn to protect a small village from monsters.
  • A halfling con artist making their way through the world.
  • A necromancer raising an army of undead to take over the kingdom.
  • A child taken captive by orcs and raised as one of their own.

Mystery Character Prompts

  • Write a character whose profession is a mystery to everyone, including themselves.
  • Write a character who is haunted by a mysterious past.
  • Write a character who always carries a memento from a loved one they’ve lost.
  • Write a character with an intense fear of the dark.
  • Write a character who is looking for their long-lost twin brother or sister.
  • Write a character who can’t remember anything before the age of 10.
  • Write a character whose parents disappeared when they were very young.
  • Write a character who was born on Friday the 13th.
  • Write a character who has never had (and doesn’t want) a best friend.
  • Write a character who refuses to speak and only communicates through written notes.
  • Write an amnesia character trying to piece together their previous life through dreams and visions.
  • Write a rogue CIA agent on the run from their former employers.
  • Write an international jewel thief trying to retire but getting pulled back for one last score.
  • Write an assassin who falls in love with one of their targets and can’t bring themself to kill them.
  • Write about someone with multiple personality disorder – each persona knowing nothing about the others.
  • Write about an individual suffering from prosopagnosia – facial blindness/inability to recall faces even of those known well.
  • The victim’s spouse seems genuinely distraught but may be hiding something.
  • The victim’s jealous business partner stands to inherit everything they built together.
  • The nosy neighbor who saw something suspicious the night of the murder won’t say what it is until they’re paid off.
  • The prison inmate with information about the murder that they will only share in exchange for immunity from prosecution.
  • The paranoid conspiracy theorist is convinced that the government was behind the murder.

Thriller Character Prompts

  • A power-hungry politician who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
  • An idealistic young woman who gets caught up in the politician’s web of lies and manipulation.
  • An investigative journalist who is determined to uncover the truth about the politician.
  • A former jewel thief who is being blackmailed into stealing one last diamond.
  • A professional assassin has been hired to kill the protagonist.
  • The daughter of a wealthy politician is being held hostage by the antagonist.
  • A street-wise teenager who is caught up in the world of gangs and drugs.
  • A retired police detective helps the protagonist solve the case.
  • A quirky neighbor who always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
  • A ruthless criminal mastermind who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
  • A ruthless killer who does the bidding of the villain.
  • A single mother who becomes caught up in the conflict between the protagonist and antagonist.
  • A hard-nosed police detective who is investigating a string of murders.
  • An ambitious reporter is trying to get the scoop on the story of a lifetime.
  • A deranged individual who kidnaps children for ransom.
  • A psychopathic killer who enjoys torturing and killing his victims.

Romance Character Prompts

  • A librarian who can’t seem to find love.
  • A pilot who’s afraid of flying.
  • A CEO who’s struggling to connect with people.
  • A baker who’s trying to forget her past.
  • A barista who’s secretly an undercover agent.
  • A nurse who is passionate about her job.
  • A teacher who is burnt out and doesn’t know what she wants anymore.
  • A stay-at-home mom who feels like she’s missing out on her life.
  • A woman who’s trying to move on from a bad breakup.
  • A woman who’s afraid of commitment.
  • A man who’s been hurt before and doesn’t believe in love anymore.
  • A man who’s afraid of intimacy.
  • A couple who are total opposites and can’t seem to make things work.
  • A couple who have been married for years are trying to spice things up.
  • Friends who realize they have feelings for each other.
  • Best friends who decide to start a relationship on a whim.
  • Two people meet online and fall in love without meeting in person.
  • Two people are set up on a blind date, and it’s love at first sight.
  • Two people who have been childhood friends suddenly realize they have feelings for each other.
  • Two co-workers who can’t stand each other but can’t deny the attraction they feel.
  • Strangers who meet on a plane end up sitting next to each other by the time they land.

Science Fiction Character Prompts

  • A woman who is chosen to be the first colonist on Mars.
  • A man who discovers he is an AI created by the government.
  • A woman who can travel through time but only forwards, never backward.
  • A man can turn invisible whenever he wants, but the downside is that he can’t turn it off again once he’s started.
  • A story about an alien who crashlands on Earth and has to find a way back home.
  • A story about two people who are the only survivors of a nuclear holocaust.
  • Someone who can read people’s thoughts but only when they’re thinking about him/her specifically.
  • Someone can choose when and how they die but not when they’re reborn into another life.
  • Aliens have invaded Earth, and the protagonist has to find a way to warn the other humans before it’s too late.
  • The protagonist discovers they are the reincarnation of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh.
  • Someone develops the ability to fly, but every time they use their power, it takes them one day closer to death.
  • A girl with anti-gravity powers gets kidnapped by a group of people who want to use her for nefarious purposes.
  • An engineer is the only one who can save the day when a critical component on the space station fails.
  • A young woman is chosen to be the first human to make contact with an alien race.
  • An ex-military man is hired as a bodyguard for a wealthy businessman but discovers that his client is a criminal mastermind.
  • An alien race is invading the sheriff of a small town on a planet.
  • A pilot who crash-lands on a hostile planet must find a way back home.
  • A detective in a future city where crime is rampant and technology allows people to commit perfect murders.
  • A soldier is sent on a mission to a planet that enemy forces have taken over.
  • A bounty hunter is tracking a fugitive across the galaxy.
  • A doctor is trying to find a cure for a deadly disease sweeping through the population of a space colony.
  • A scientist who has developed a way to travel through time must prevent a disaster from occurring in the future.
  • A group of survivors is stranded on an uninhabited planet after their ship is damaged in an attack by pirates.
  • A group of people is trapped in a spaceship orbiting around a black hole and slowly being pulled in.
  • The captain of a ship that aliens attack must find a way to warn Earth before it’s too late.

25 Character Questions To Help You Develop Deeper Characters

There are a few simple questions you can ask yourself about your characters that will help you develop them more fully. Here are 25 questions to get you started.

  • What motivates your character?
  • What does your character want?
  • What does your character fear?
  • What is your character’s greatest strength?
  • What is your character’s greatest weakness? What is your character’s biggest flaw?
  • Does your character have any secrets? If so, what are they?
  • How does your character view the world?
  • How does your character view other people?
  • What are your character’s core beliefs?
  • How did your character develop those beliefs?
  • What events in your character’s life have shaped who they are today?
  • How does your character react under pressure?
  • What makes your character happy? Sad? Angry?
  • What are some of your character’s favorite things?
  • Does your character have skills or talents that set them apart from others?
  • How does your character dress? How do they carry themselves?
  • What kind of impression does your character make on others when they first meet them?
  • Do people tend to like or dislike your character upon first meeting them? Why do you think that is?
  • Does your character have any close friends or family members? Who are they, and what is their relationship to your character like?
  • Is there anyone in your character’s life with whom they don’t get along? Why is that the case?
  • What would people say about your character if asked to describe them to someone else?
  • How does your character treat strangers as opposed to friends and family?
  • When was the last time your character experienced a strong emotion?
  • What kind of failure has your character suffered in their life? How did they handle that failure?
  • What kind of person is your character at the end of the day?

How Do You Make a Fictional Character Not Flat?

Give your character a unique voice.

One of the quickest ways to spot a flat character is if they all sound the same. When different characters in your story have the same voice, it’s hard for readers to tell them apart. Especially in dialogue. To avoid this, ensure that each character has a distinct way of speaking. This could be something as simple as using different slang words or constructions or something more subtle, like varying sentence structure or word choice. Pay attention to how the people around you speak, and try to mimic that in your writing.

Make Them Relatable

No one wants to read about a perfect person. We all have our quirks and baggage, and your characters should be no different. By making your characters relatable, you make them more real and relatable for your readers. Relatable characters also make it easier for readers to understand their motivations and actions. To make your characters relatable, give them flaws and weaknesses that will make them sympathetic and believable to your reader. Sometimes, this can express through body language.

Give Them Depth

What makes a person interesting? Their hobbies? Their passions? Their secrets? All of the above? The same goes for your characters. You need to give them depth beyond their basic description to make them compelling. What do they like to do in their free time? What are their hopes and dreams? What are their fears? Build in character twists.

Write Them as People, Not as Plot Devices

One of the easiest ways to spot a flat character is if they only exist to further the plot without having any agency. For your characters to feel real, they need to be driving the plot forward, not just passively reacting to events as they unfold around them.

Character Archetypes Every Writer Needs to Know

The hero is the main character of the story. The hero often tries to save or make the world a better place. Examples of heroes include Harry Potter, Katniss Everdeen, and Luke Skywalker.

The mentor is a wise and experienced figure who helps the hero on his or her journey. The mentor often provides guidance, wisdom, and support when the hero needs it most. Examples of mentors include Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings , Professor Dumbledore from Harry Potter , and Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars .

The Threshold Guardian

A figure who stands in the way of the hero and their goal. The threshold guardian can be either positive or negative; they may be trying to help the hero by testing them or trying to stop them outright. Threshold guardians include Hagrid from Harry Potter , Mufasa from The Lion King , and Darth Vader from Star Wars.

The dark side of the hero’s personality. The shadow is often repressed because it threatens the hero’s ego or is socially unacceptable. However, the shadow always comes out eventually. Examples of shadows include Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter , Gaston from Beauty and the Beast , and Kylo Ren from Star Wars .

The Trickster

A light-hearted character who uses their wit and cunning to help (or hinder) the hero on their journey. The trickster is often chaotic and unpredictable, keeping things interesting for the hero and the reader. Examples of tricksters include the Weasley twins from Harry Potter , Merry and Pippin from The Lord of the Rings , and Han Solo from Star Wars .

The Damsel in Distress

A woman who needs rescuing by the Hero. The damsel in distress often motivates the Hero to take action and pursue their goals. Examples of damsels in distress include Princess Leia from Star Wars , Belle from Beauty and the Beast , and Anna from Frozen .

The Love Interest

A character who develops romantic feelings for the Hero throughout the story. Love interests are often used to develop the Hero’s character arc further or provide motivation for them to pursue their goals. Examples of love interests include Hermione Granger from Harry Potter , Arwen from The Lord of the Rings , and Rey from Star Wars .

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Home / Book Writing / 17 Character Development Exercises for Writers

17 Character Development Exercises for Writers

Character development exercises are short forms of deliberate practice to improve your writing skills and round out your characters.

They are typically not used in the final novel, but are little extras that help you understand the personalities that you are writing.

Because for some of us, nailing down that perfect character can be hard. And to help with that, we’ve assembled 17 different exercises to improve your characters.

  • Why character exercises are important
  • A list of 17 different exercises that you can implement today
  • Examples and advice to improve your characters

Table of contents

  • Why Are Character Development Exercises Important?
  • Exercise #1: Write a FULL Description
  • Exercise #2: Play Dress Up
  • Exercise #3: Write a Description Scene Through the Character’s Eyes
  • Exercise #4: Practice Showing Emotion
  • Exercise #5: Write a “Slice of Life” Episode
  • Exercise #6: Write Other People Gossiping About Your Character
  • Exercise #7: Write a Progression Short Story
  • Exercise #8: Draw the Character
  • Exercise #9: Create a Character Profile
  • Exercise #10: Conduct a Character Interview
  • Exercise #11: Play the “Why” Game
  • Exercise #12: Create a Character Based on Someone You Know
  • Exercise #13: Imagine What Happens Before and After the Novel
  • Exercise #14: Put Them in Horrible Situations (Muahahahahah)
  • Exercise #15: Create a Timeline
  • Exercise #16: Do a Little Fan-fiction
  • Exercise #17: Use Character Writing Prompts

So why use a character development exercise in the first place?

This may be a valid question, especially for authors like myself, who just want to dive into the writing and let the characters unfold as I write.

But honestly, a little work up front can save you a load of headache afterward.

Running through a handful of these exercises will help you to:

  • Understand your character’s emotions
  • Give you practice writing in their voice and from their point of view
  • Find out what sets them apart from other characters
  • Flesh them out to create round and dynamic characters
  • Establish the relationship between your characters and the setting, or other characters
  • Deliberate practice of the process to create complex and well-written characters

In short, it’s a great way to deliberately practice writing and reduces the need to go back and do extensive revisions on your characters.

That said, this might not be the best thing to do if you’re a pantser and just want to dive in and discover your characters along the way. But it can be a great tool in your author tool belt.

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Write and format professional books with ease.  Never before has creating formatted books been easier.

So without further ado, here are 17 of our best picks for character development exercises. 

Exercise #1 : Write a FULL Description

When it comes to writing characters, most of us focus on the facial features, things like hair color, eye color, etc.

A great way to begin getting to know your character is to do a full description of them. In a book, we might not do this to the extent you might in a creative writing exercise, which is why it’s good to practice here.

Here are some things to consider: 

  • Skin/hair/eye color
  • Do they have any warts or moles?
  • What is their hair style?
  • What is their build?
  • Do they have any scars, tattoos, etc.
  • What is their general complexion. Is their skin smooth and silky, rough and calloused, or even bruised and battered?
  • What default facial expression do they have?
  • What does he/she smell like?

Exercise #2 : Play Dress Up

What we choose to wear says a lot about a person. Someone wearing an extravagant French-style outfit from the 18th century will give you a completely different impression than a cut business suit from the 21st century.

The problem is that most authors, when they’re writing about their characters, often forget to add a lot of detail about the clothes they are wearing. It’s easy to see these things in your mind and forget that your readers don’t see what you see. They see what you write.

One way to help overcome this oversight is to continue the exercise above, but focus on clothing.

And don’t just focus on any one type, because your protagonist will most likely use several types of clothing throughout the course of your novel. Here are just some examples:

  • Travel clothing
  • Clothes for a night on the town
  • Clothes for wilderness survival
  • Combat wear

Exercise #3 : Write a Description Scene Through the Character’s Eyes

Ideally, every character should experience the same thing differently, depending on their background, their wants and desires, and their tastes.

Additionally, great prose is often written from the perspective of the character making the observation.

For example, let’s say you have two people, one who has grown up in a desert their whole life, where water is scarce, and the other who grew up in a place where water was plentiful. 

Imagine these two people on a hot day, observing a third person splashing water on their face. If you’re writing from the first character’s perspective, you could describe this as “and the man took a handful of water and wasted it on his face.” The second person might describe it this way, “I watched as the man poured the cool liquid and splashed it all over his face. I wish I were him right now.”

Do you see the difference there? In one, the character sees using water in one way as a waste, and for the other, it’s something to be sought after. 

Exercise #4 : Practice Showing Emotion

We’ve all heard the adage to “show, don’t tell,” but what does this really look like for most characters?

This is something that really only comes with practice. Once you’ve done it enough times, you’ll recognize instances where you’re saying things like “he felt hungry,” and can replace them with something like “He winced and put a hand to his stomach as it growled, and he swallowed hard.”

Character emotion is one of these areas where showing rather than telling can really enhance your novel.

Exercise #5 : Write a “Slice of Life” Episode

There are a lot of scenes in a book, and most of them have a purpose. That said, there are many scenes that probably occur in that character’s life, but that we don’t talk about because they’re not important for the story.

However, you as the author should have an idea of what happens in these less important moments.

Some examples of a “slice of life” episode might include:

  • Having dinner with family
  • Going to the bathroom
  • The morning routine
  • A conversation with a co-worker
  • Late-night conversations with a spouse
  • Cooking a meal
  • Going on vacation
  • Playing with their kids
  • Coming home a little too drunk
  • Visiting a museum

Exercise #6 : Write Other People Gossiping About Your Character

Very often, we learn more from others about ourselves that we might not have known on our own. Others can provide unique perspectives, and in some cases expose huge biases (on both sides).

For example, a proud character might not realize that he/she is proud, but it’s easy for an outside observer to spot this.

Exercise #7 : Write a Progression Short Story

In real life, people change a lot, and characters should change in stories too (most of the time). 

A great way to show this is to write a short story that examines the character at different parts of her/his life. You can focus on key moments in their life, but you could also just follow exercise #5 and focus on a few more everyday events.

The purpose of this exercise is to show how that person may have changed. Do they view the world differently as a working adult, vs as a teenager? A child? An elderly person?

What about before or after experiencing some kind of trauma?

Exercise #8 : Draw the Character

I’ll be honest, I’m not an artist. But I am a visual person, and getting some solid visuals of the character can be a huge boost in helping me understand them.

If you’re like me and really have no design skills , then finding a few photos is fine.

I’d recommend several photos though, since one might not be enough. You could have some for their face and general appearance, one for their clothes and how they look, etc.

If you know a program like Photoshop, you could even crop these together to get an even better sense of what you character looks like.

This is a great exercise for understanding the feel of a character, which is often harder to put into words.

Exercise #9 : Create a Character Profile

Imagine you work for the FBI, and you have to draft up a dossier about your character. What might that look like?

Fortunately, we’ve done a whole article about this topic, so you should definitely check that out, and also don’t forget to pick up our character profile template, which can easily help you through this process.

If you want a thorough process to identify the character’s appearance, personality, background, and more, this is the way to go. 

The best aspects to focus on are the flaws, motivations, and fears of your character. What prompts them to action? Understanding these things will help you get at the core of your character’s personality traits.

Exercise #10 : Conduct a Character Interview

Imagine you sat in a darkened room, across the table from you is your character. You can ask them anything, they won’t be offended, and they will understand the question.

What do you ask them about?

Writing a character interview is almost like writing yourself into a short story where you get to personally meet your character and ask them questions.

This is huge for helping you understand the character’s voice, but also a good strategy for building solid character backstory and character traits.

To help, we’ve already assembled over 200 character development questions that can aid you in this process.

Exercise #11 : Play the “Why” Game

This goes along with the idea of an interview, but sometimes in order to dig really deep into the motivations of your character, you’ve got to ask why.

Is your character aggressive? Ask them why. 

From there you might find out that his mother shouted at him as a kid, and he saw his parents fight a lot. Ask why.

You might learn that his father had a drinking problem and it meant that his mother took it out on him. Ask why.

From there, it might come out that his father had lost a lot of money in a business deal, leading him to turn to drink.

I hope you get the idea. The more you ask why, the more you’ll dig deeper into your character’s past, and the better you will understand them.

Exercise #12 : Create a Character Based on Someone You Know

This can be a little dangerous, because to be honest, most of the people we know are not that interesting. And we also want to avoid lawsuits for defamation if the comparison is too obvious.

That said, the people we know can be a huge inspiration to pick and choose ideas to incorporate into your characters.

For example, my own father and uncle have a really fun way of talking to each other. They’re always ribbing on each other and calling eachother weird, made-up names. You can tell that they love each other, but it’s an uncommon way of showing it.

This might make a good relationship between two people in a book.

Exercise #13 : Imagine What Happens Before and After the Novel

The writer is mostly concerned with what happens during the plot of her novel. But if written well, a character will feel like they exist long before and long after the pages of the book.

So it’s a good idea to try dreaming up what happens to these characters in that time. 

It can be dramatic, or it can be mundane. Impactful, or ordinary. It doesn’t matter much. All that matters is that you have a past and future in mind for that character (unless you plan to kill them off of course).

And who knows, you might even come up with some good ideas for other books involving those characters.

Exercise #14 : Put Them in Horrible Situations (Muahahahahah)

I’ve heard it said that you should basically put your characters through hell in a story, and never let up.

While this is good advice, it’s not always practical. That said, putting your characters through the meat-grinder is a great way to learn how they react to conflict.

These scenarios don’t have to be trials you will actually use in your novel. These are just different ways to put your character in pain and see how they react (I know I sound like a very unethical scientist, don't @ me).

Here are some possibilities:

  • The loss of a loved one
  • A diagnosis of cancer
  • The loss of a limb
  • Getting tortured
  • Breaking up with the love of their life
  • Losing everything they own
  • Being betrayed by a friend

Exercise #15 : Create a Timeline

Sometimes it’s hard to keep every part of a character’s life straight. That’s where a timeline can be helpful.

A timeline is a simple list of events in the character’s life, though they can get more complex and interesting, and you can even put some design skills to work if you want.

But timelines only have to be a simple list of events. They can include events from before their birth to their death, or they can be focused on a specific period of their life.

It will depend on the character and the story you will want to tell.

Exercise #16 : Do a Little Fan-fiction

When we’re writing a story, we might not have a full grasp on it yet, and that’s where writing fan fiction can help.

Imagine your character interacting with characters from a story you already know? Imagine the ultimate crossover between your story and your favorite franchise.

For example, what Hogwarts house would your character belong in? What might it look like when he/she is sorted and interacts with other characters in that house or other characters from the Harry Potter books.

It’s a great way to lean on characters you already know, to help unveil more about the characters you’re trying to discover.

Exercise #17 : Use Character Writing Prompts

There are a bunch of character-related creative writing prompts out there, and many of them can be quite helpful in getting your brain to think outside of the box.

In theory, we could have a list much longer than 17 if we wanted to include more of these prompts, but that would end up being too much.

Instead, I recommend this post , or checking out our list of character questions to give you ideas.

Final Thoughts on Character Development Exercises

If you’ve made it far, first of all, well done.

Second of all, you might be a little overwhelmed, but don’t worry. This list is not meant to be a checklist for everything you should do to expand on your characters.

Instead, this is a handful of ideas that you can take (or leave) and use them to better understand your characters.

As you apply these exercises, I can pretty much guarantee that you will grow as a writer, become more familiar with your characters, and increase your chances of having a great dynamic character in your books.

Let us know how it goes!

Jason Hamilton

When I’m not sipping tea with princesses or lightsaber dueling with little Jedi, I’m a book marketing nut. Having consulted multiple publishing companies and NYT best-selling authors, I created Kindlepreneur to help authors sell more books. I’ve even been called “The Kindlepreneur” by Amazon publicly, and I’m here to help you with your author journey.

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Character Writing Prompts That Will Help Create A Next Bestseller

  • July 24, 2022

Creating characters can be challenging. Writing characters is a powerful means of exercising your imagination, but characters must be well-developed for a story to make an impact. 

This article will offer some character writing prompts and ideas to help you create multi-dimensional, believable characters your readers will love. 

First, let’s take a quick look at the importance of well-developed characters.

The importance of well-developed characters

One of the most critical parts of a story is the life of the characters within it. 

Well-developed characters help to immerse a reader in the story’s world – the reason they’re reading the story in the first place. 

Good characters support story immersion because they are believable. They don’t have to be based on reality – it doesn’t matter if they have superpowers or magic or live on a cloud in the sky. 

What does matter is that the character is multi-dimensional, that they offer something to the reader with which to resonate, and that they’re well-developed. 

When creating complex characters, it is the author’s task to flesh out those characters with diligence and to make everything work – including a character’s biggest flaw – in the character’s world.

A poorly-developed character can irritate readers when such an emotional reaction is not the author’s objective.

So, where do you start if you’re trying to write engaging and believable characters? 

Below we’ve included a list of imaginative character writing prompts to help you develop your characters even further and improve the overall quality of your story.

Character writing prompts to help you develop your characters

The creative writing prompts below are questions and scenarios you can present to your character. These character development exercises can significantly impact your relationship with your characters.

Whether you’ve known a character for a while or just created a new one, using a creative writing prompt helps you get to know them better. 

The more you know your characters, the more accurately you can convey their depths and complexities to the reader, ultimately improving the overall reading experience.

1. Ice-breakers

How we present ourselves to the world can be as unique as our fingerprint. Many of us put on different hats in different circumstances. 

In job interviews, we try to present an air of professionalism. On a first date, we want to appear interesting and exciting. When catching up with an old friend, we offer nostalgic sentiments and a summary of what’s been happening in our lives since we last saw them.

To explore your character’s minds and the way they choose to present themselves in different circumstances, write a short scene for the above examples – a job interview, a first date, or catching up with a friend. 

Explore how your character changes in each circumstance. Develop elements of their approach that remain the same regardless of circumstance.

Ice-breaker questions

Ice-breakers are an excellent way for people to bond. There are also endless ice-breaker questions one can ask. 

Below are some common ice-breakers you can present to your character.

It can help to imagine you’re meeting your character for the first time and want to get to know them. Imagine you two are having lunch or a coffee. 

Alternatively, imagine a scene in which one character learns about another. Use the following ice-breakers to explore your character’s voice and the dialogue.

  • What would you most like to be remembered for when your life is over?
  • If you could have any job/career in the world, what would it be?
  • What’s your earliest childhood memory?
  • Do you have any pets?
  • Do you live in the same country in which you were born? If not, when did you move? If yes, would you like to live anywhere else?
  • Are you a morning person or a night owl?
  • Do you like to exercise? What’s your favorite type of exercise?
  • If you could be any animal, what would you choose?

Character Writing Prompts

2. Trace your character’s roots

Write a family tree for your character. Use a standard family tree template to trace your character’s roots. 

Of course, a family tree can be large, creating even more characters, but you don’t have to elaborate on each family member.

Trace the character’s roots back three to four generations to give the character a rich origin. You may stumble across relatives influencing future scenes and stories in a state of creative flow.

If you like, travel back in time to an ancient ancestor of your character with similar qualities and explore how they relate to the ancient world around them. Which qualities are similar in both characters despite their cultural and time differences?

3. A life story monologue

Write about your character’s life so far by imagining them explaining their entire life story to a new person. Write their monologue that covers their childhood, teenage years, and twenties (and so on, depending on the character’s current age).

Whether or not you use this monologue in a story, this is an excellent exercise for exploring and developing your character’s voice. 

If you like, use the other character to ask some clarifying questions and see how your character responds.

4. Save one thing

Write a scene in which your character’s house catches fire. The other people who live in the house have escaped and are safe. 

Your character has time to save one thing from the burning house. What do they save?

Elaborate on the saved item by exploring why it’s important to the character. 

Is this object sentimental? Was it a gift? Is it something the character needs for a specific purpose? What is that purpose?

Personal items and sentiments can reveal your character and help readers get inside that character’s head. 

For example, perhaps they save a love letter from a former partner. Such an item allows you to explore tha t character’s past and meaningful memories.

5. Group discussion

Your main character is the topic of conversation among other characters in your story. Write a dialogue between two to three characters as they speak about them.

Try this exercise with different sentiments. Write one discussion in which other characters share their favorite qualities about your main character. 

What do they like about them? What is special about their relationship to them? What positive qualities about your character do other characters all agree on?

Write another discussion using the same or different characters, but this time focus on the character’s negative qualities . 

What qualities do other characters dislike? What happened to make one character dislike them? Do other characters disagree with one character’s point of view?

Ideas for new characters

The above prompts are effective methods of further developing your existing characters. However, sometimes you need to create a new character from scratch. 

Perhaps you want to introduce a new character to an existing story, or you have an entirely new story in mind and need to find suitable characters. 

Either way, the ideas and character prompts included below should help to inspire you.

1. Use a name dictionary

People often refer to name dictionaries when searching for a good baby name . However, you can also use this resource to find new characters. 

Flick through a name dictionary and write down or save any names you find interesting. The names you find interesting will likely differ from those others find interesting. 

The difference is that names can conjure up associations, memories, and images unique to our life experiences. You may stumble across the name Jacqueline and remember a J a ck , Jackie, or Jacqueline in your life worthy of basing a character on. 

This is a simple technique, but the mind is a powerful association machine, and even the most random names can conjure unexpected character inspiration.

2. Create a conflict first

Conflict is key to great story-telling. How a character reacts to said conflict and their approach to resolving it are incredibly revealing. 

Conflict in a story offers characters a chance to show off their physical, intellectual, or emotional skills.

One effective means of creating a new character is to create a conflict first, then write characters who fit into it. For example, imagine a bully and his victim. How will the victim character manage to overcome their situation?

Create a character who, even though they are the victim of bullying or face some other conflict, possesses some means of overcoming their situation. 

Perhaps the character has incredible superpowers , such as physical strength, but they know that if they unleash their power, they may kill the bully, so they contain it.

Character Writing Prompts

3. Animal qualities

Animals have represented human qualities for as long as civilization has existed. The term for attributing animals with human qualities is ‘anthropomorphism,’ a common literary device and an innate human tendency.

Snakes are typically deceitful but also represent death and rebirth. Bears are associated with power and strength. 

Foxes are sly and cunning, butterflies represent change and growth, and horses represent elegance, strength, and freedom.

Consider animals and the human traits they represent to find ideas for new characters. Assess how different animals interact and how that dynamic may present itself between characters.

Bonus character development prompts

Your main character wakes up without their memory. Write about their day as they try to remember who they are.

Look at your original character arc, then change one major event. How does that change affect the character’s mind , point of view, and behavior?

How does your character react to criticism? Write a scene in which one character heavily criticizes another, and explore the latter’s response.

Think about interesting people in your own life. Is there anyone who will fit nicely into your story?

Your character has to say ‘no’ to someone important, such as a partner, friend, or boss. How do they feel about it?

Character creation and development is an exercise of great imagination. Hopefully, the ideas and prompts throughout the article have inspired you to elaborate on existing characters or come up with brand new characters altogether.

Just like real people, characters in stories are complex. 

Each of us has a unique background and personality, and those differences make us human. 

When it comes to writing great characters – characters that are believable and make an impact on the reader – it’s essential to respect their individuality.

Take adequate time and offer deep consideration for the characters you create. The process of fleshing out a character’s complexities can be hard work, but it’s also incredibly fun.

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Blog ‱ Perfecting your Craft

Posted on Dec 18, 2018

150+ Useful Character Quirks (Plus a Few Clichés to Avoid)

Writing great characters is a constant balancing act — you want each one to have certain quirks and character flaws , but you don’t want them to be SO zany that they’re off-putting to readers. So how can you come up with realistic traits that humanize your characters , without falling into clichĂ©?

Luckily, this post offers a list of over 150 unique character quirks and traits that avoid cliché and can help make the people in your story much more relatable! But before we get into that, here are a few notes on what character quirks are in stories and how to use them.

What are character quirks?

A character quirk is an unusual feature that sets your character apart from others. Many of the most famous figures in literature have distinctive quirks, from Harry Potter’s lightning scar to Hercule Poirot’s mind-blowing detective abilities.

To clarify, “quirk” doesn’t just mean any descriptive quality — for example, having brown hair does nothing to make your character special. Having blue hair, however, is a different story. Basically, for something to be a quirk, it has to stand out from the pack; it has to be, well, quirky.

This might be a physical feature or something about your character’s personality. It might be a special talent (like heightened intelligence) or a paralyzing fear (like arachnophobia). But whatever it is, it should be unusual enough that readers remember it and associate it with whichever character possesses that trait.

How to use character quirks

You might think that deploying a character quirk is pretty simple — just think of one, add it to a description, and you’re done! But it’s actually a bit more nuanced than that. Here are a few ways to ensure that these quirks work effectively in your story.

Make them important to the plot

writing ideas character

Some of the best quirks are those that end up aiding the character or contributing to the plot in some major way. For instance, one of Katniss’ traits in The Hunger Games is that she’s an exceptional hunter, and her skill with a bow and arrow ultimately helps her survive the games. Or think about the example above of Harry’s scar — not only is it a unique physical feature, but it also lets him know when Voldemort is nearby.

If the story is told in first person point of view , your character's quirks will be at the forefront. Use them wisely, to avoid tiring the reader.

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Don’t overuse them

Avoid making any of your characters too quirky. You don’t want any of them, especially female characters , to cross the line from unique to unbelievably idiosyncratic.

Also avoid describing these quirks in too much detail, as this can lead to overly ornate descriptions that make readers cringe. If you find yourself writing a paragraph in your YA romance about “her freckled face that looked like constellations of hazel, shimmering dots practically leaping off her countenance,” stop and reevaluate. Even when introducing a quirk, a brief mention is enough: “A puzzled expression spread across her freckled face.”

Be consistent, with occasional exceptions

Some of these traits should define how your characters act most of the time, but rules are made to be broken — which is why it’s okay to let people go against their quirks every once in a while. For example, a notoriously unfunny person might crack a decent joke, or somebody super-stoic sheds a tear. After all, if a character doesn’t defy their typical traits every once in a while, they’re at risk of becoming flat .

Try to stay original

As you’re figuring out which quirks to give your characters, do your best to be as innovative and original as possible. While almost every quirk in the book has been used at one time or another, your characters’ traits should function in different ways and create a totally unique dynamic in your story.

That being said, here are some ideas to get the ball rolling on various quirks you might use. They’re divided by physical features, personality traits, and strengths and weaknesses, for your perusing convenience. There’s also a list of clichĂ©d quirks at the very end, so you know exactly which ones to avoid. Enjoy!

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150+ useful character quirks

writing ideas character

These traits have to do with someone’s looks or physical mannerisms.

  • Unique eye or hair color
  • Extremely short or tall
  • Some discerning physical mark — birthmark, freckles, mole, or scar
  • Wears unusual glasses
  • Has braces and headgear
  • Large feet — may mean they’re clumsy
  • Bites their nails/lips or chews on their hair
  • Constantly fidgeting and can’t sit still
  • Acne, eczema, or other skin problems
  • Many tattoos or piercings
  • Often sick or has allergies (constantly sniffling/blowing their nose)
  • Talks very loudly or quietly
  • Says everything like it’s a question
  • Terrible breath — may be a coffee drinker
  • Gets sweaty easily (especially when nervous)
  • Unusually hairy arms or legs
  • Very long painted nails
  • Always wears a faceful of makeup
  • Has a stutter or other speech impediment
  • Often tucks their hair behind their ears
  • Constantly chews gum
  • Always picking their teeth
  • Smokes and has a raspy voice
  • Breathes heavily or snores
  • Is extremely muscular
  • Walks very slowly or quickly
  • Left-handed or ambidextrous
  • Constantly scratching themselves
  • Has some noticeable physical tic, like a twitch
  • Always wears a distinct item of clothing or accessory — a favorite pair of socks, a lucky jersey, or even a particular shade of lipstick

If you choose to assign a specific physical quirk to character, remember to be consistent! It can be distracting to readers if someone keeps alternating between eye colors, or if they’re supposed to be extremely short, but have no trouble reaching a high shelf.

Of course, these can be some of the hardest details to remember, since physical appearance isn’t an inherent part of your character’s personality and won’t necessarily affect how they act. Try using a character profile template to keep track of these quirks so you don’t accidentally contradict yourself!

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A story is only as strong as its characters. Fill this out to develop yours.

And speaking of personality


Personality

writing ideas character

These qualities describe how someone acts and what they’re like.

  • Very introverted, quiet and reserved, keeps to themselves
  • Highly extroverted, loves socializing and meeting new people
  • Mega control freak who has to have everything their way
  • Neat freak (often coincides with control freak)
  • Total slob who never knows where anything is
  • Super stubborn and will never admit when they’re wrong
  • Brutally honest and can’t lie to save their life
  • Extremely judgmental of other people
  • Short-tempered, especially when irritated
  • Always patient, even when frustrated
  • Hilarious or odd sense of humor
  • Very hard to make them laugh
  • Loves to eat and is obsessed with food
  • Loves to drink and is constantly partying
  • Constantly complains about everything
  • Extremely loyal and will do anything for their friends/family
  • Adventurous and willing to try anything
  • Cautious and careful no matter what
  • Energetic, hardly ever needs to rest
  • Sleeps all the time and still gets tired during the day
  • Horrible sense of direction and constantly gets lost
  • Overachiever who loves school/structure
  • Really modest and won’t ever brag about themselves
  • Extremely emotional and will cry at the drop of a hat
  • Stoic and detached, rarely shows emotion
  • Wildcard whose behavior is unpredictable, even to their friends
  • Notoriously two-faced and will betray anyone
  • Charismatic and can convince anyone to do their bidding
  • Very proper and always polite to others
  • Dates tons of people and has a new boyfriend or girlfriend every week
  • Obsessive personality — whether it’s a TV show, brand, musical artist, or even another person, they’ll get attached and think/talk about it constantly

Some of these clearly match up with each other (like being adventurous and energetic), while some are opposites (like being short-tempered vs. patient). However, some might overlap even if they don’t seem like they should — for example, someone with a great sense of humor might still be hard to make laugh because they’d have very high standards for what’s funny. As you’re creating characters, think carefully about these traits and how they might relate to each other.

Strengths and weaknesses

writing ideas character

This section contains suggestions for unique strengths and talents, as well as weaknesses or negative traits one might possess.

Strengths/talents:

  • Fantastic cook or baker
  • Skilled musician (piano, guitar, violin, etc.)
  • Artistic talent (drawing, painting, sculpting, etc.)
  • Model athlete (football, hockey, swimming, etc.)
  • Great at voices/ventriloquy
  • Can do sleight-of-hand — may be a pickpocket
  • Speaks multiple languages, even obscure ones
  • Knows everything about history
  • Mathematical or scientific genius
  • Brilliant coder and can hack into any database
  • Skilled mechanical inventor
  • Can build or put together anything
  • Super-quick logical reasoning
  • Exceptional memory/genius IQ (several of the above might fall under this one)
  • Special connection with animals
  • Super empathetic and understanding of other people
  • Extremely fast runner
  • Contortionist (can twist their body into any shape)
  • Psychic talent (can predict the future)
  • Amazing mechanic
  • Super strength, flying, invisibility or other superpowers
  • Unusually high tolerance for pain
  • Survival skills like hunting and fishing
  • Quick reflexes, acts fast in a crisis
  • Brave and fearless, not scared of anything
  • Able to talk their way out of any trouble/invent stories on the fly

Weaknesses/negative traits:

  • Awful driver
  • Always running late
  • Illegible handwriting
  • Terrible at public speaking
  • Socially awkward — hard for them to make friends
  • Has tons of credit card debt from online shopping
  • Self-destructive and always wants what’s worst for them
  • Gets blackout drunk every time they go out
  • Extremely conceited or arrogant
  • Compulsive liar
  • Manipulative of friends
  • Gets jealous over nothing
  • Often mean for no reason
  • Unbelievably self-centered
  • Extremely passive-aggressive
  • Arachnophobia (irrational fear of spiders)
  • Coulrophobia (irrational fear of clowns)
  • Agoraphobia (irrational fear of leaving the house)
  • Pantophobia (fear of everything)

Be careful how you incorporate these strengths and weaknesses, as you don’t want their inclusion to seem unnatural. After all, personality traits tend to reveal themselves on a daily basis, but this may not be true for their special talents and fears.

Indeed, sometimes the best way to use quirks like these is to surprise your reader with it at the right moment. Maybe it’s the eleventh hour, and your MC has nowhere else to turn, only for their friend’s special skill to save the day!

Also, as you can tell from both lists, there’s quite a range of strengths and weaknesses you can give your characters. Some of those talents require more practice than others, and some of the weaknesses are greater flaws than others — for instance, being a mean or manipulative person is obviously much worse than having bad handwriting. However, it’s good to be familiar with a wide range of both major and minor quirks so you can create more well-rounded characters .

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Miscellaneous

These are idiosyncrasies that don’t really fit into any of the above categories, but could still be of good use in your story.

  • Dresses all in one color
  • Bedroom is decorated exactly like a Pinterest picture
  • Won’t drink still water, only sparkling
  • Refuses to use headphones and blasts their music in public
  • Always dresses too nicely for the occasion
  • Walks around barefoot, even in stores and other public places
  • Hates being inside, sleeps and goes to the bathroom outdoors
  • Can’t help but look in every mirror they pass
  • Wears a small plastic backpack everywhere
  • Preps their meals three weeks in advance
  • Drinks shots of espresso all day long
  • Sings opera in the shower
  • Makes their own (terrible) abstract art and hangs it on their walls
  • Gets super excited about Christmas and then really depressed in January
  • Refuses to wear glasses even though they need them
  • Carries around a secret teddy bear
  • Has been wearing the same friendship bracelet for three years
  • Fastidiously lint-rolls all their clothing
  • Will leave a shop or restaurant if someone walks in with a baby
  • Extremely superstitious (knocks on wood, avoids the number 13, etc.)
  • Drops everything other people ask them to hold
  • Likes to go out dancing by themselves
  • Prefers to have the lights off or dimmed at all times
  • Only reads books written before 1900
  • Only watches movies that get really bad reviews
  • Always wears multiple sweaters on top of each other
  • Won’t eat anything that doesn’t have bread (at least on the side)
  • Thinks they’re a time-traveler from the medieval era
  • Gives friends and family excellent homemade presents
  • Leaves the office last every day so they can push all the chairs in
  • Hates jagged numbers (always fills their gas tank to the dollar, sends emails on the hour, etc.)
  • Has an imaginary friend they still talk to, even in adulthood
  • Owns a lizard that they try and use as a guard dog
  • Listens exclusively to Britney Spears
  • Leaves little notes in library books for future readers
  • Uses tissues to hold onto poles on public transportation
  • Wears their hair in Princess Leia buns
  • Never goes a day without talking to their mom
  • Hums “In the Hall of the Mountain King” when they get stressed
  • Clucks their tongue while walking, so they sound like a horse
  • Quotes Pulp Fiction all the time
  • Loves hanging out in completely empty places
  • Convinced they’re going to die in a freak accident
  • Grows all their own food in their vegetable garden
  • Never pays for train or bus tickets
  • Can recite Shakespearean sonnets
  • Recycles and eats vegetarian, but only out of guilt
  • Has a “vision board” posted on their ceiling
  • Loves the beach but hates swimming
  • Flicks people in the forehead when they get annoyed
  • Laughs at everything, even bad jokes
  • Curates a great Instagram feed of street art

ClichĂ©d “quirks” to avoid

Giving your characters interesting tics can cross-over into ham-fisted writing if your quirks are used way too much, like the following:

  • Crooked smile
  • “Intense” stare
  • Relentless clumsiness
  • Artificial hair colors that are supposedly natural
  • Characters thinking they’re unattractive when everyone else thinks they’re beautiful
  • Basically, any archetype that hasn’t been developed enough

When readers see these traits on the page, they roll their eyes and think, “Ugh, not again.” Many of these aren’t even quirks, but fairly common traits that the writer attempts to romanticize. Traits like these signify to the reader that the author has barely put any thought into developing their characters — they’ve just chosen ostensibly quirky features that are actually overused and ineffective. So stay away from them at all costs!

As we said, the business of selecting and integrating quirks is more complicated than it seems. But after reading through this guide, you should have a much better understanding of what they are and how to use them
 not to mention a tremendous variety of quirks from which to choose! So will your character be a gum-chewing code genius or a short-tempered contortionist? From here on out, it’s all up to you.

What are some of your characters' quirks? Tell us in the comments below!

5 responses

Ruth Olatunde says:

17/06/2019 – 17:24

I have a character in my story who is extremely good at tolerating pain and will keep obeying rules even if it's eating her up. She hates animals because she can't bare to think that animals have a brain of their own and can decide to do whatever at any point-- like jump on her face #grins. She is touched by victims no matter the situation and mostly watches movies that are under rated. She feels fulfilled paying attention to the unpopular.

serah says:

11/07/2019 – 02:01

"Avoid making any of your characters too quirky. You don’t want any of them, especially female characters, to cross the line from unique to unbelievably idiosyncratic." Sure, let's make all our females cookie cutter plastic barbie dolls. Oh wait, this post praises Katniss, the epitome of that. I forgot that SJWs want us to never give females flaws or make them weird. The person that wrote this article should really talk to a real women, as they aren't all super perfect and talented.

â†Ș Martin Cavannagh replied:

11/07/2019 – 09:00

I think that the author intended quite the opposite. What she was getting at was the idea that a lot of (commonly male) writers will give their (commonly secondary) females characters a series of quirks instead of a rounded personality. The result often ends up being a two-dimensional manic pixie dream girl-type who can be as unreal as a Barbie doll.

â†Ș Elizabeth replied:

29/09/2019 – 17:13

I don’t think that’s what they were meaning. It was more don’t make them absolutely insane and eccentric, but you should give them quirks.

12/10/2019 – 17:15

Why does everyone hate on this article I thought it was great!

Comments are currently closed.

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The Best Character Template Ever (100+ Character Traits!)

writing ideas character

So you have an awesome story and want to bring it to life with some incredible characters, but organizing all those character ideas in your head can be tough!

I know, I’ve been there. We’ve all been there (trust me, I did a very legit survey of us all).

To help, here is a very thorough list of more than 100 different character traits you can use to understand more about your character than you do about your friends and family. Fill out this template with as many or as few details as you’d like. You can even grab your fillable PDF at the bottom of this article.

Readers will sniff out a half-baked character from a mile away, and you better pray they never find a poorly written character in your book. Luckily, this template will help you avoid both of those pitfalls.

How to Use This Template

Hopefully, this template is, for the most part, straightforward. But there are some options that might give you some pause. For the sake of clarity, I’m going to quickly go over the different sections of the template.

In general, the traits get deeper and deeper into the abyss of your character’s soul the further down the list you go.

Demographics are your basics. This is the sort of information someone could likely glean from a short conversation with your character or what the government might gather from a census.

Physical appearance is what someone would notice about your character if they looked at them. This goes beyond just hair, eye, and skin color, though. Things like your character’s gait or their fashion style can add a lot of depth for your reader.

History allows you to understand a character’s past. More importantly, it allows you to understand how that past affects their actions in your story. Some of this information might never see the light of day, but it allows you to craft dynamic, complex characters.

Psychological traits are those that aren’t readily apparent to an onlooker but are critical to how your character operates in any given situation. This is where you start getting deep with things like flaws , desires, and traits that make people (or non-people) who they are.

Communication is not only important for things like dialogue and writing, but they are easy ways for you to differentiate between your characters .

Strengths, weaknesses, and abilities are very vague terms but are quite important. This is especially true for genres like fantasy or sci-fi, and these traits can be helpful when crafting your main characters, including villains .

Relationships are important for characters, even if it means highlighting how alone they are. Relationships can go a lot further than immediate friends, family, or partners. Try and take some time to think about exactly who is involved in your character’s life.

Character growth is the most important category in this template. Here is where you include things like arcs, archetypes, conflicts, goals, and motivation. You need to pay attention to this section, because these ideas will be the ones that make memorable characters.

So check out the template below and think about how you can use it to build your characters. 

The Best Character Template Ever

Demographics.

  • Sex/Gender:
  • Occupation:
  • Socioeconomic status:
  • Other notes:

Physical Appearance

  • Skin color:
  • Hair color:
  • Fitness level:
  • Scars/Birthmarks:
  • Other distinguishing features:
  • Disabilities:
  • Fashion style:
  • Accessories:
  • Cleanliness/Grooming:
  • Posture/Gait:
  • Coordination (or lack thereof):
  • Weaknesses:
  • Birth date:
  • Place of birth:
  • Key family members:
  • Notable events/milestones:
  • Criminal record:
  • Affiliations:
  • Skeletons in the closet:

Psychological Traits

  • Personality type:
  • Personality traits:
  • Temperament:
  • Introvert/Extrovert:
  • Mannerisms:
  • Educational background:
  • Intelligence:
  • Self-esteem:
  • Skills/talents:
  • Morals/Virtues:
  • Phobias/Fears:
  • Angered by:
  • Pet peeves:
  • Obsessed with:
  • Bad habits:
  • Favorite sayings:
  • Accomplishments:

Communication

  • Languages known:
  • Preferred communication methods:
  • Style and pacing of speech:
  • Use of gestures:
  • Facial expressions:
  • Verbal expressions:

Strengths, Weaknesses, and Abilities

  • Physical strengths:
  • Physical weaknesses:
  • Intellectual strengths:
  • Intellectual weaknesses:
  • Interpersonal strengths:
  • Interpersonal weaknesses:
  • Physical abilities:
  • Magical abilities:
  • Physical illnesses/conditions:
  • Mental illnesses/conditions:

Relationships

  • Partner(s)/Significant other(s):
  • Parents/Guardians:
  • Grandparents:
  • Grandchildren:
  • Best friends:
  • Colleagues:
  • Mentors/Teachers:
  • Idols/Role models:
  • Non-living things:
  • Clubs/Memberships:
  • Social media presence:
  • Public perception of them:

Character Growth

  • Character archetype:
  • Character arc:
  • Core values:
  • Internal conflicts:
  • External conflicts:
  • Goals: 
  • Motivations:
  • Epiphanies:
  • Significant events/plot points:

Craft Amazing Characters With Dabble

Creating characters your readers will love (or love to hate) has never been easier than with Dabble. By keeping all of your notes about characters and your plot just a click away from your manuscript, you’ll be able to write a story that is bound for the bestseller lists.

You can click here to grab a PDF copy of this template, or you can just copy and paste the categories you want from this article directly into your Character Notes in Dabble.

That’s not all! We also have a handful of other resources that can help you make some awesome characters. Be sure to check out:

  • Our complete guide to creating characters
  • 101 character goals
  • A metric ton of character ideas you can use with this template
  • 65 character development questions
  • 20 original character interview questions
  • A downloadable character profile

The best part? You can add all of these into your character’s folder in Dabble. Your character will be more real than you or I.

Enough dilly-dallying, time for Dabbling. Click here to get started with your totally free, no credit card required trial of Dabble and build your amazing characters today.

Happy writing!

Doug Landsborough can’t get enough of writing. Whether freelancing as an editor, blog writer, or ghostwriter, Doug is a big fan of the power of words. In his spare time, he writes about monsters, angels, and demons under the name D. William Landsborough. When not obsessing about sympathetic villains and wondrous magic, Doug enjoys board games, horror movies, and spending time with his wife, Sarah.

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There's no avoiding it: critical feedback is an essential for becoming a great writer. Here's how to navigate the process with grace, create excellent work as a result, and get through it all with your self-confidence intact.

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While it's not for every story, tragic irony can be a great way to mess with both your characters and your readers... in a fun way, of course. Learn all about it in this article.

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Sensitivity writers are more prevalent than ever before, and for many authors, they're an essential part of the editing process. But what do they do exactly? And how do you know if you need one? We've got those answers right here.

GameRant

Dungeons & Dragons: Tips For Creating A Character

  • Use online tools like DnD Beyond to streamline the character-making process and save time and stress.
  • Consider playing a pre-rolled character from websites like Drive-Thru RPG for a balanced and ready-to-play option.
  • Try randomly generating a character with sites like DnD Beyond for a unique backstory and motive, and make adjustments to refine it.

Dungeons and Dragons is one of the deepest and most expansive games in existence, and that level of depth and possibility can often feel overwhelming. Sometimes, when there are seemingly limitless options, it can be much harder to make decisions than if there were fewer, more streamlined choices since imagination brings it all together in Dungeons & Dragons .

Dungeons & Dragons: 14 Tips For Writing Your Own Campaign

Character creation is one of the elements in the game that most exemplifies these aspects, with it being made even tougher by the fact that it's the first thing players have to do, they may not have a DM guiding them , and the fact that they will be committed to what they make for a potentially long time. Luckily, this process can be as simple or as intricate as a player wants it to be.

Use Online Tools

Sites like dnd beyond streamline the entire character-making process.

Immediately, before players start concocting their new hero, they should explore the massive surplus of sites and apps they have available to them. Websites like D&D Beyond and apps like the official Wizards of the Coast 5E app make the hardest parts of character creating a breeze.

Players will still have to decide their race, class, and personality, but all the dice rolling and number crunching will be done for them, saving a ton of stress and time.

Play A Pre-Rolled Character

There are hundreds of deep, balanced, or hilarious characters to choose from.

If the player is way more interested in the role-playing part of the game, there is nothing wrong with just using a finished character. Websites like Drive-Thru RPG and the official D&D site have plenty of character sheets available to download.

These are typically well-balanced and ready to play immediately. Plus, many of them are editable, so if a player wants to make any changes big or small they can adjust it, instantly making it more specific to their own play-style.

Randomly Generate A Character

Play with a wild & random character based on chance.

If a player has played a multitude of campaigns and can't decide on what character they want to try next, they can let fate decide. There are sites like DnD Beyond that have impressive random character generators.

These will produce a balanced character ability-wise, but will also create a backstory and motive for them. Then, the player can make adjustments to refine the character, or just generate more until one inspires them.

Play To The Character's Class And Abilities

Make stat choices influenced by a character's personality.

Every race and class comes with lore to read that can be used as a jumping-off point or can be used in full. If a player is stuck on how they want to play their character, but they have a race, class, or style they know they want to focus on mechanically, they can work backward to find their personality or backstory.

D&D: 8 Fun One-Shot Ideas

For example, if playing a cleric sounds interesting, the player can look over their support and healing spells and then just think of what type of person (or being) would know these things or want to use them. Maybe this character was some sort of doctor before heading out on this next quest.

Try A Classic Subversion

Opposites & irony make a great character foundation.

If playing a Stoic adventurer or trope-heavy warrior doesn't seem fun or unique enough, players can always hone in on something classic and then subvert the expectations of it. This could mean playing as a barbarian or warrior who is terrified and conflict-averse despite their power, or a rogue who is obsessed with stealing, but not when it comes to valuables like gold coins.

Taking something recognizable and spinning it in a new direction is fun for the rest of the party, and gives the player an easy route when trying to figure out what they should be doing. Bonus points if they can manage to lean into the tropes up until the moment the subversion is revealed.

Copy A Beloved Character

Characters from other franchises are great blueprints.

A fun route can be for the player to choose one of their favorite characters from a different piece of media and then base their character on them. Tons of movie and video game characters would still be excellent if transferred into a fantasy story, like Snake Plisken from Escape From New York or Nathan Drake from Uncharted.

Best Dungeons & Dragons Campaigns For Beginners

Players just need to change the name and adapt it to fit the setting of their campaign. As the sessions pick up, the character will naturally change and become more unique, keeping it from being too predictable or getting pigeonholed.

Add Skill & Backstory To A New Character

A unique way to build a character is to choose what job they had before the campaign. Players can think of a fantasy job they think is interesting or pick a real-life job they'd love to translate into the world of their campaign.

Then, players just need to figure out why their character was fired, or why they want to try something new, and they have something their character is an expert on, has been doing until the quest, and something they have a strong emotional reaction towards.

Play What You Know

Becoming a powerful version of one's self can be immersive & fun.

If playing a complex fictional character seems too daunting, players can insert themselves into the narrative. They can go through a character-building site or app and choose what they feel best translates their own personality into this fantasy world. Then, they can make all their decisions as they would in real life.

The simple spin on this is to play the opposite. Players can take the same ideology only to make and play the closest to the opposite of themselves that they are capable of, to enter a different mindset from themselves and do a 180 on each decision.

Don't Overwrite The Character's Backstory

A blank & clean slate helps to not confuse the character's narrative direction.

An easy mistake players often make when creating a new character is thinking they need a complex, interesting, funny, or dramatic history for their character. This takes a lot of extra thought and can sometimes conflict with the story that the Dungeon Master is hard at work preparing.

Life-changing events can happen at nearly any time in a D&D campaign . Coming in with a character that is new to adventuring or seems generic on the surface often works out fine as the player and the DM can then work together to find their motivations, personality traits, and quirks as they grow during the campaign.

Come Up With Flaws

Flaws add layers to a character.

The most well-rounded characters in any medium are defined by their flaws as much as their strengths. A crucial flaw can be used as much or as little as a player wants or needs.

Players can come up with a weird or specific quirk that will be noticeable but not constantly irritating to the table, or come up with fears or things their character has never succeeded at. Then, players can think about why or how their character got these traits and, instantly, they have a backstory as well as a recurring role-playing focus to keep them engaged with their character.

Dungeons and Dragons

Original Release Date 1974-00-00

Publisher Wizards of the Coast

Designer Dave Arneson, E. Gary Gygax

Dungeons & Dragons: Tips For Creating A Character

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