How To Craft A Useful Character Sheet for Any Story

Drahn
Aug 13
4 min read

Updated: Aug 19

How To Craft A Useful Character Sheet for Any Story Post - Storyteller Planet

Hey everyone. Master Drahn here with a few things to share from the advanced studies department. I know that storytelling is all fun and games until we have to get into the details of things. I'm here to tell you that it doesn't have to be as daunting as it sounds. We'll hold back on the world-building tips for another time, because today is all about character development! Let's break down some of the important elements of character building and how you can tailor them to tell your story.

Character Development Categories

There are so many things that you can focus on when talking about a brand-new main character. Here's a short list of the most important elements to think about:

Name Meaning
Personality Type
Backstory
Relationships
Style & Prefrences
Habits & Unique Traits
Daily Life

Before we break down some of these topics, we should address why this is so important. Immersing your reader/listener/viewer into your story depends on how immersed you are in the story. If you don't know these characters like they're a lifelong friend, how will your audience connect to them?

This isn't to say that you need to know EVERYTHING about them. But more than their name, skin/hair/eyes, and that "quirky smile" would be much appreciated. I want to know what their crush smells like, what their favorite food makes them feel when they see it coming on the tray, and the reason they tear up when a small child runs past them. Don't you?

Name Meanings & Personality Types

These two can go hand in hand when thinking about a character for the first time, especially if they are the main character. We live in the age of tech, so there is no shortage of baby name websites that break down every name available in the world. You can go the extra mile and take a personality quiz from the perspective of your character, but let's face it, you probably have an idea about who this person is.

Write down a few of the top character traits you can think about. If you end up with a passionate, clumsy, and brave person, start typing into the search engine "baby names that mean passionate and brave yet clumsy". You can make it gender specific to narrow down the possibilities, or keep it androdynous and see what name speaks to you. The point of this exercise is to give you a chance to think deeper about the names you give your characters. Don't just pick one of the most generic character names (they have a list for that, too, if you care to look it up).

Backstory & Relationships

This usually pops up the more you write, but it's a good idea to start thinking about where your characters come from before sending them out on a quest. Who raised them and where? Did they have friends? Love interests? Trauma that haunts them? Did they do something they can't take back and are afraid that others close to them will find out? These add layers to the characters.

If you know that Spike and Jim hate each other, but Spike is in love with Jim's twin sister, Betty, then there is immediately a build-up of tension when Spike asks Betty to the school dance and she says yes. This is more engaging than having Spike ask Betty to the dance, and she says yes, without a lick of backstory to be found.

You don't have to use all the details that you find when thinking about your character's childhood, but having a good chunk of information to pull from when you're writing can be a lifesaver when you get stuck. Especially when it adds to the drama or the comedy of the story. Why does Jim hate Spike? Because he broke the bike his dad gave him for his 8th birthday before he died. Sometimes the smallest details are the most impactful.

Watching a futbol (soccer) game at a bar

Style, Preferences, Habits & Unique Traits

This is where I suggest making a model of your character. There are many ways to make a character model for free without having to draw anything. Some are full body or just the face. You can play with skin color, eye shape, body shape, clothes, poses, and so much more. You can also just make a vision board of your character that includes all these details.

Use clips from online or AI Art as placeholders for your ideas. Stitch together a character using different elements. Even if you can't show it to others, you have a clear idea in your mind what this character is like visually.

Daily Life

By now, you have a good chunk of the details you need to answer this question, so write it out. Take the time to write out a recount about what your character's daily life is all about BEFORE you throw them into your story. This can be weeks before the start of your story or even years before.

Pick a point in the story where nothing related to your story is happening yet, so you can get the best perspective to write about. Have fun with it and learn about your world through your character's eyes. Set a timer for ten minutes and freewrite all the details you can think about, and save the results for when you're ready to outline. Trust me, they will come in handy later on.

Character Development - Storyteller Planet

Main Character - Character Sheet

Now that you have a better idea of your character, maybe you'll have a better chance at filling out the rest of Crystal's Ultimate Character Sheet. The beauty of this exercise is that you can pick and choose what you want to use. Not everyone has magic powers or even parents. It all depends on what you need and how you use it. Even if you only use the details from the tips we've already dived into, you are now one step closer to understanding your characters and writing the story burning within. Stay sharp, and keep visiting us anytime you feel stuck, lost, or just want to say "hey". My fellow Masters and I are here to help.