CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT DOC - TEMPLATE

!! NOTE - these are just some templates i have compiled in this post - some of the questions may not be necessary or used in your story, so keep that in mind !!

- CHARACTER QUESTIONS

Who is my character?

What are they named and why?

If I had to describe them in one word, it would be:

What’s their family like?

What do they value?

What lie do they believe?

Why do they believe that lie? What happened in their past that caused them to believe it?

What is their main goal in the story?

Why are they ideal for the journey and why are they not?

Who are their allies and who are their enemies?

What will my character sacrifice?

How do they need to change?

What happens if they doesn’t meet her goals? Why are their goals important? How can I make that worse for them? Who else could it impact?

In what ways are they operating against society and in what ways are they operating within?

What part of their past can come back to haunt them?

What is their greatest fear?

- MORE CHARACTER PLANNING

THE BASICS:

Character’s name:
Role in story:
Physical description:
Age:
MBTI/Enneagram Personality Type:

INTERNAL: THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER

What is their greatest fear?
Inner motivation:
Kryptonite:
What is their misbelief about the world?
Lesson they need to learn:
What is the best thing in their life?
What is the worst thing in their life?
What do they most often look down on people for?
What makes their heart feel alive?
What makes them feel loved, and who was the last person to make them feel that way?
Top three things they value most in life?

EXTERNAL: NOT NECESSARY, BUT GOOD TO KNOW AND SAYS A LOT ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER

Favorite book, movie, and band?
Is there an object they can’t bear to part with and why?
Describe a typical outfit for them from top to bottom.
What names or nicknames has they been called throughout their life?
What is their method of manipulation?
Describe their daily routine.
Their go-to cure for a bad day?

CHARACTER GOALS:

How is your character dissatisfied with their life?
What does your character believe will bring them true happiness or contentment?
What definitive step could they take to turn their dream into a reality?
How has their fear kept them from taking this action already?
How does your protagonist feel they can accomplish their goal while still steering clear of the thing they are afraid of?

THE BACKSTORY SCENE THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
THE SCENE WHERE…

What does your character go into the scene believing and how are they surprised by the outcome?
How does your character struggle to hold onto their old beliefs?
What is their conclusion/new belief?

- CHARACTER CHECKLIST

- Introduce your character at the beginning of your book.
- Let your readers see your character shortcomings and flaws.
- Let your character be put in a situation where they can be different.
- Create a plot where your character can embrace personal change.
- Show the readers what the new and improved character can accomplish.
- As the story progresses, show your readers who your character is now as opposed to who they used to be.
- Let your character fail sometimes.
- Let emotional stress or passion drive some of their decisions.
- Is the character fulfilled enough to end the plot?
- Finally, where does the character go from there? Keep things open to further evolving and developing. Real people never stop changing, so why should your character?

— THE POWERFUL CHARACTER ARC FORMULA


STEP #1: ASK YOURSELF WHY
Why do you want to write this story? Why is the theme important to you?

WHAT IS THE PROTAGONIST’S DESIRE?
(the thing they believe will make them happy)

WHAT IS THE PROTAGONIST’S FEAR?
(the thing stopping them from going after what will make them happy)

WHAT IS THE PROTAGONIST’S MISBELIEF?
(the thing they mistakenly believe is true about the world)

THE OPENING
When a story first opens, nothing hooks the reader except for one thing: your protagonist's inner conflict. In a nutshell, that means: desire VS fear. How is the protagonist's fear standing in the way of getting what she thinks will make her truly happy?

THE INCITING INCIDENT
Why does this inciting incident matter to your protagonist? How does it push her outside her comfort zone? How is she going to respond to it, based on the fear that has raised her?

THE MIDDLE
The fear-based decision your protagonist made after the inciting incident is something she's still paying for…until the game-changing midpoint. This usually leads to bad decisions on the protagonist's part, as she THINKS she's doing the right thing, but is actually doing just the opposite (still trying to avoid the thing she's afraid of.)


THE DARK MOMENT
Disaster strikes! But what does this disaster personally mean to the protagonist? How does it force them to realize that they're the one to blame for this crisis? How does it completely disarm them and make them face off with their fear and misbelief?

THE “AHA” MOMENT
After your protagonist has been brought to their knees by the disaster, they have a revelation — an aha moment. They can suddenly see how their fear and misbelief has led them to make the wrong decisions about everything. So how is your protagonist going to overcome their fear and continue to the climax, therefore developing as a character? What lesson are they going to learn (and simultaneously teach the audience?)

THE ENDING
The Protagonist faces their most difficult challenge yet. It's a true test of their character — and how they respond to the situation is proof that they've changed. At the end of the story, your reader should feel content with the message of the book because the character HAS changed for the better, even if she wasn't able to make things right in the end.

CONCLUSION
If your reader doesn't know how the character has transformed as a result of her journey, you need to rewrite your book until they do.

— TURN YOUR MESSY STORY IDEA INTO AN OUTLINE

PHASE #1: THE PREMISE
What's the basic idea?

PHASE #2: MEET YOUR PROTAGONIST

WHAT IS THEIR DESIRE?
(the thing they want + think will make them happy)

WHAT IS THEIR FEAR?
(the thing stopping them from going after the thing that will make them happy)

WHAT IS THEIR MISBELIEF?
(the thing they mistakenly believe is true about the world, which feeds off their fear)

PHASE #3: THE 3-ACT STRUCTURE
bullet point outline your story beats

ACT 1:

THE HOOK:
grab readers with the inner conflict of Protagonist

SETUP
something is about to happen to Protagonist, reader can feel it

INCITING INCIDENT
something throws Protagonist outside their comfort zone

BUILD-UP
Protagonist is going to have to face this thing head on

1ST PLOT POINT
Protagonist makes a decision that determines what happens next

1ST PINCH POINT
the opposition/antagonistic force looms in the distance

ACT 2:

PRE-MIDPOINT REACTIONARY HERO:
Protagonist is in pursuit of their goal, but something is going to stand in their way

MIDPOINT:
plot twist! everything changes

POST-MIDPOINT ACTiON HERO:
thanks to the game-changing midpoint, Protagonist has to switch gears when it comes to their goal

2ND PINCH POINT:
Antagonist gets closer to disrupting Protagonist’s life

ACT 3:

SUPPOSED VICTORY:
Protagonist feels confident they will be victorious…little do they know, disaster is on the way

DISASTER:
something (or everything) goes wrong. reader saw it coming, Protagonist did not.

DARK MOMENT:
Protagonist feels lost and hopeless in wake of the disaster (their fear challenges them again)

RECOVERY:
Protagonist must overcome their false beliefs to continue to the climax, thus developing as a character

CLIMACTIC CONFRONTATION:
Protagonist faces their biggest challenge of all

VICTORY:
Protagonist overcomes!

RESOLUTION/END:
loose ends are wrapped up, the reader is satisfied.

— HOW TO FIND YOUR CHARACTER’S MISBELIEF

STEP 1: WHAT’S YOUR MAIN THEME?
in as few words as possible, describe your story's main “truth”, character lesson, or “big idea”

if you draw a blank, try answering these questions:

What change would you like to see in the world?

What is the truth that you want to scream from the rooftops?

STEP 2: FLIP THIS TRUTH UPSIDE-DOWN AND MAKE IT A LIE
What is the exact opposite of your story's truth? This is the clearest definition of your character's misbelief!

STEP 3: ASK YOURSELF: “WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED IN MY CHARACTER’S PAST TO MAKE THEM BELIEVE SUCH A THING?”
remember: it doesn't have to be a big pivotal moment – it could be a subtle but constant affirmation (the drip on the rock)

STEP 4: WRITE THAT BACKSTORY SCENE FOR YOUR CHARACTER
actually writing this backstory scene will give you insight into the depths of your character’s inner conflict! pause, go to your scrivener or a word doc, and write this scene.

STEP 5: DESCRIBE (OR WRITE) OTHER SCENES IN THE CHARACTER’S PAST THAT CEMENTED THIS MISBELIEF AS TRUTH TO THEM
brainstorm a few other moments throughout your character’s past where something challenged their hard-won misbelief and they chose their lie in response

SCENE 1:

SCENE 2:

SCENE 3:

STEP 6: ASK YOURSELF: “HOW IS MY CHARACTER DISSATISFIED WITH THEIR LIFE TODAY, BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THIS LIE SO FIRMLY?
their misbelief is the root of their dissatisfaction – but they don't know that. all they know is they are dissatisfied.

STEP 7: ASK YOURSELF: “WHAT DOES MY CHARACTER THINK WILL MAKE THEM HAPPY, BASED ON THEIR MISBELIEF?”
At the end of the day, all your character wants is to be happy. but their definition of “happiness” is contorted by their misbelief

STEP 8: ASK YOURSELF: “WHAT STEPS COULD MY CHARACTER TAKE NOW TO ACTIVELY PURSUE THIS GOAL?”
this will lead into your plot (the external conflict) and become your character’s mission throughout the story

STEP 9: CLARIFY THE MOTIVE, THE GOAL, AND THE PLOT
go back through your answers to all these questions and pull out 1) the lie they started believing at a young age, 2) what they think will bring them true happiness, and 3) the steps they’re going to take to make this dream a reality.

THE MOTIVE:

THE GOAL:

THE PLOT:

STEP 10: LET THIS DRIVE YOUR STORY FORWARD
If you start with your character’s misbelief, that gives them a motive, which gives them a goal, which drives the PLOT.

THE MISBELIEF > DRIVES THE MOTIVE > DRIVES THE GOAL > DRIVES THE PLOT

Most writers don’t do this. They come up with a plot and sometimes a goal for the character, but so often they forget to create a motive behind the goal… and a misbelief behind the motive. That’s why so many stories fall flat and you forget them in a week.
If you want your story to be memorable, it all starts with your character’s misbelief.

Side note about side characters:
You can repeat this whole process with your side characters, but don’t fret too much about writing their backstory scenes and making them have super complex inner conflict. They are SIDE characters for a reason — they don't get as much “screen time” as your main character(s). However, they’re in a unique position to incorporate multiple themes and truths into your story. Do create character arcs for sides, but save your most important theme for your main character.

— EVEN MORE DEVELOPMENT

THE BASICS

Character’s name:
Role in story:
Physical description:
Age:
Personality type (Enneagram or MBTI):
Distinctive skills/abilities:
Greatest fear:
Misbelief about the world:
What happened in their past to make them believe this lie:
What they most often criticize others for:
Love language:
How they respond to emotional pain:
Top three things they value most in life:
Typical outfit, top to bottom:
Method of manipulation:

DIVING DEEPER

How are they dissatisfied with their life?
What do they believe will bring them true happiness or contentment?
What definitive step could they take to turn their dream into a reality?
How has their fear kept them from taking this action already?
How do they feel they can accomplish their goal while steering clear of the thing they’re afraid of?

RELATIONSHIPS

Ask these following questions about each character the MC has a direct relationship with. It can be their friend, family member, love interest, mentor, or enemy:

Describe the MC’s relationship with this character in a few words. (Feel free to use story examples as a reference)
What are some points of conflict in their relationship?
What do they agree on? What do they disagree on?
Do they keep secrets from each other? If so, what and why?
How did they meet and how long have they known each other?
How will their relationship change over the course of the story?

— THE ULTIMATE CHARACTER PROFILE TEMPLATE

Part 1 — The Outer Layer
Definition: How your character looks, sounds, and moves.
Similar to: An offender profile.

1.1. THE BASICS

Name:
Age:
Place of birth:
Current location:
Nationality:
Education:
Occupation:
Income:

1.2. PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Height:
Eye color:
Hair color:
Build:

Distinguishing features (tattoos, scars, birthmarks, etc.):

Preferred outfit?

Glasses?

Accessories (cane, pipe, necklace, etc.):

Grooming:
Disheveled
Smart, very put together
Other? If so, explain:

Distinguishing “tics” and mannerisms:

Health? Do they suffer from chronic illnesses?

Handwriting (sloppy, neat, careful, unintelligible, etc.):

Gait:
Confident, powerful strides
Lazy stroll
Fast, walks at a clip
Distracted, eyes on the ground
Other? If so, explain:

1.3. SPEECH AND COMMUNICATION

Style of speech (elevated, educated, peppered with slang, etc.):

Tempo of speech (rapid, slow, measured, drawl, etc.):

Do they have an accent?
Yes
No

Pitch (melodic, gravelly, deep, etc.):

Posture:
Stiff, military
‘Turtle’, tired
Slouching
Casual and relaxed
Other? If so, explain:

Gesturing:
Only when agitated or eager
Compulsive “hand-talker”
Doesn’t gesture
Controlled, only to make a point
Other? If so, explain:

Level of eye contact (direct, shifty, etc.):

Speech impediments:

Distinguishing speech “tics”:

Preferred curse word:

Catchphrases:

Laughter? What do they tend to find funny?

Describe their smile:

Emotive? Do they wear their emotions on their sleeve? How easily can others read them?

They have a resting ______face.
Angel
Confused
Side-eye
Neutral
Other? If so, explain:

Part 2 — The Flesh

Definition: How your character is a product of their environment.
Similar to: The character bio and backstory.

2.1. THE PAST

Hometown:

Type of childhood (sheltered, neglected, etc.):

Education:

Were they involved in organizations and clubs at school?

At graduation, they were named Most Likely to __________________ in the yearbook.

Jobs (if applicable)? What would their résumé look like?

Dream job as a child? Why?

Who were their role models growing up? Describe them:

Greatest regret:

Hobbies growing up:

Favourite place to be as a child?

If they could change one thing from their past, what would it be? Why?

Major turning points or “life beats” in childhood:

Earliest memory:

Saddest memory:

Happiest memory:

Clearest memory:

What are their skeletons in the closet?

Three adjectives to describe them as a child?

What advice would they give to their younger self?

Criminal record:

2.2. FAMILY

Father

Age (if living)
Occupation
Briefly describe their relationship with your character:

Mother
Age (if living)
Occupation
Briefly describe their relationship with your character:

Siblings
How many?
What are their names? Ages?
Briefly describe their relationship(s) with your character:

Children (if applicable)
How many?
What are their names? Ages?
Briefly describe their relationship(s) with your character:

Extended family
Grandparents
Uncles and aunts
Cousins
Other

Family’s economic status:

How often do they see their family in a year?

2.3. EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS

Closest friends? Describe them:

Other significant friends:

Enemies? Describe them:

How are they perceived by…

…strangers in the street?

…acquaintances at a work function?

…colleagues in the office?

…authority figures?

…friends in their friend circles?

…children?

…the opposite gender?

…extended family?

What social media platforms are they on?

Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Snapchat
Reddit
Tumblr
Other? If so, explain:

How would they use their social media platforms?

How would they fill out an online dating profile for themselves?

What’s their role in a group dynamic?
Leader
Joker
Parent
Hype man
Mooch
Other? If so, explain:

Who do they depend on for…

…practical advice?

…mentoring?

…a wingman?

…emotional support?

…moral support?

What do they want from a relationship?

Who would be their ideal partner?

Do they have a significant other? Describe them:

How many people would attend their funeral?

Part 3 — The Core

Definition: How your character is deep down.
Similar to: A psych test.

3.1. PSYCHOLOGY

What do they do on rainy days?

Are they:
Street-smart
Pessimist
Book-smart
Introvert
Optimist
Extrovert

What is their favorite sound?

Favorite place in the world?

What secrets do they keep? What are they most afraid of people finding out?

What do they want the most?

Biggest flaw:

Biggest strength:

Biggest fear:

What is their biggest accomplishment?

What is their idea of perfect happiness?

Do they want to be remembered? What for?

Favorite quote:

How do they approach…

…power?

…ambition?

…love?

…change?

What is the one object or possession that they would rescue from their burning home?

What (or who) bores them?

What makes them angry?

What do they look for in a person?

How strong is their moral compass? When, specifically, are they willing to compromise their morals?

List the last 10 books that they read:

Which fictional world would they most wish to visit?

If they didn’t have to sleep, what would they do with extra time?

What are their pet peeves?

If they won the lottery, what would they do?

Describe the character’s bucket list at the ages of:

15
20
30
40

List the 10 songs that would occupy their All-Time Most Played playlist on Spotify:

What is the best compliment that someone ever paid them?

In an elevator, do they push the elevator button more than once?
Yes
No

What would they want their tombstone to say?

3.2. THE PRESENT AND FUTURE

Story goal:

Story motivation:

Team Rain’s Word Crawl - Part One

Notes:

- All instructions with word counts/what you will do will be bolded so you can see it <3
- Part two will be released once I finish it, and when someone completes it, do notify me so I can make the next part!
- This word crawl is made for Team Rain, mainly as a motivator/a way to get more words! Please copy and paste this and complete this word crawl somewhere else, NOT in this thread! Thank you :)

You are a rain spirit—a spirit that must find enough raindrops to make a permanent rain cloud. You whiz across the sky, searching for raindrops infused with the power of the moon. It’s the only way you won’t evaporate. Will you get enough raindrops before the end of December?

—

You spot something shimmering in the distance—it catches your eye again. It’s a shiny, white cloud, gleaming in the sunlight. Maybe I can find some raindrops there, you think. But as you approach the cloud, the angels pop out, cackling. Write 300 words to escape!

You pause for a moment, catching your breath as the cackles of the angels echo in the distance. They know what you’re doing, and you must be careful. You notice an array of clouds where you can hide under. Sprint for 5 minutes while you stay under the radar.

You spot it—a raindrop! But it’s way past the cover of your clouds. Write a quick 100 words while you debate whether or not to go.

Finally, you decide to leave. You grab the raindrop, but you can hear the angels above you. They must’ve followed from before! Sprint for 5 minutes to run away. If you don’t reach at least 300 words when you’re done, you have to sprint for another 5 minutes.

You can’t evade the angels forever, and you can feel yourself tiring, while the angels are just speeding up. You turn to face them, knowing it’s your last chance. Word war with a rival team for three minutes. If you don’t win, write 200 words while you come up with a different plan.

The angels are defeated, but you’re exhausted. Write 250 words while you rest up.

The raindrop still needs to be returned to your group, and you make your way back to the place. Sprint to 400 words while you go all the way back.

Once you’re there, the raindrop is delivered, but they tell you to wait before going again. Take a five minute break, then come back to the next part.

The time is finally up, and you can now leave to find more raindrops. Give yourself a pat on the back, and write one hundred words to finish getting ready again.

Weekly #3: Developing Characters

Welcome to our third weekly! This one is different from the rest, and is centered on a workshop which we will be basing the activities around <3 Enjoy!

!! NOTICE: Though our previous weeklies allowed you to complete these in any order, we would prefer if you complete parts one and two before mixing things up. Thank you !!

Part One:

Let’s warm up our fingers for a bit. Write a 100 word scene with your character of choice (it doesn’t have to be yours, but we’d prefer it)!

Part Two:

Now, let’s move onto the workshop! First, read through this project by Peggy! Once you’ve finished, fill in the sets of information below for your character for this part. Have fun!

The Basics

Full Name:
Gender:
Sexuality:
Physical Description:

Likes and Dislikes

Favorite Color:
Least-favorite Color:
Favorite Food:
Least-favorite Food:
Favorite type of music:
Do they like physical activity? Yes/No:

Diving Deeper

Personality traits (three):
What people who don’t know them view them as:
What people who know them view them as:
Do they care about what people think?

Beliefs

Controversial belief(s):
What they most look down on people for:
As you answer, think:
Did someone instill these beliefs into them, or are they their own?
Why do they believe these things?

Relationships (AT LEAST three characters—you can do more)

Person 1 (FRIEND)

How they met:
What they agree about:
What they disagree about:
A secret they hide from each other:
Relation to character:

Person 2 (FRIEND)

How they met:
What they agree about:
What they disagree about:
A secret they hide from each other:
Relation to character:

Person 3 (FAMILY)

If parent:
- Are they a good parent?
- Do they pressure your character?
- Does your character want to impress them?
- Did they want to have your character?

If sibling:
- Are they older, younger, or a twin/triplet?
- Do they get along?
- Are they close or not?
- Did they grow up together?

What they agree about:
What they disagree about:
A secret they hide from each other:
Relation to character:

Part 3:

To further develop your characters, you need to actually write scenes to figure out what they’re like. Some things will differ from your plan—and that’s totally okay, so don’t worry about it.

Write 200 words with your character speaking to a stranger, and another 200 words with your character speaking to a loved one.

And once you’re done, write two things you observed on how their behavior changed! :)

Part 4:

Create a timeline of the significant moments of your character's life. Like many authors, you can use post-it notes or a big whiteboard to visualize your character's life. You can easily move or add events until you feel your character has a well-developed history.

You can use a drawing app or real life for this part of the weekly—it doesn’t matter which.

After you've finished the timeline, find the top 5-10 moments that have shaped your character. For instance, if loss is a thematically important part of your book, perhaps a significant part of your character's past is when they lost a grandparent as a child.

Once you’re done, share proof using a picture, either in a project or in a forum!

End:

So, in short, here’s all the word totals for this weekly!

- 100 words from a short scene with your character.
- Filling out the character sheet (any amount!)
- 400 words total from your character talking with a stranger/talking with a loved one, as well as two things you noticed.
- A picture of your character timeline, with 5-10 moments that shaped them.

This weekly is a little different—with not as many word totals, and mostly things that don’t necessarily have a set word count. We hope you enjoy this, nevertheless <3 Once finished, you can receive 4500 points for your group!

!! SLIGHT SPOILER WARNING !!

keefe has gone over to the neverseen, and sophie is unsure what she can believe anymore. keefe’s plan is dangerous, and being a double-agent with the enemy is harder than what he believes. and, to make matters worse, the enemy always seems to be one step ahead, even with keefe on their side. even though sometimes it seems that sophie and her friends are winning, they have to keep being reminded that sometimes they aren’t. especially when losses occur and the neverseen’s schemes are more elaborate than they had ever imagined. it all ends with a giant cliffhanger that leaves everyone taken back at the things that they’d missed before…

Introduction

All characters in a story, including the villain, have complex motives and reasons for why they act the way they do in a story. Characters who have no development or bad development end up becoming flat characters, so how do you develop your characters? There’s five main points that every character needs to be developed.

Every character needs…

- A motivation
This is why they wake up every day, why they chose to participate in the story.

- A misbelief
It stops them from getting what they want, it’s a truth contorted by their past.

- A backstory
The main point that many actions come from—very important!

- Positive and negative traits
All characters have strengths and weaknesses, and that makes them human.

- Fears
Not every character is fearless or completely brave.

-

Motivation

A character’s motivation drives their actions in the story. People don’t usually decide to do something brave because they want to—they have to have reasons behind it. If a character doesn’t have a motivation, they can become a flat character, or very bland and hard to root for. A motivation is what makes a character dynamic and realistic.

For example, let’s say that we have a character named Bob, who slays a dragon just for his “noble qualities”. That’s not a motivation, that’s just lazy character development, if you can even call it that! Nobody likes characters without a motivation for their actions.

Well, what can be a motivation for a character, then? This could tie to a character's backstory, or past, which is what most authors do. For example, instead of Bob slaying a dragon for no other reason than being noble, he could slay the dragon because the dragon killed his family. This gives Bob a more clear motivation for slaying the dragon—instead of trying to be a hero, he wants revenge.

(As you can see, Bob’s motivation also ties to his backstory, which we’ll get into later.)

-

Misbelief

A misbelief is something that a character wrong believes will give them satisfaction, or make them happy. This could have been due to their backstory or upbringing. This contorts a character’s idea of happiness, so they start to believe that what will make them happy is the completely wrong thing, and they need to overcome their misbelief to be truly satisfied.

Let’s continue the example of Bob. So, Bob wants to slay the dragon for revenge on his parents. But, little does he know, that’s not going to really help him—Bob needs time to grieve. As you can see, this holds Bob back from being truly happy.

As I mentioned before, a misbelief could be tied to a character’s upbringing. If a character had parents who only paid attention to them when they won something, they could think that they are only happy when they win something. Or, if their parents threw them out of the house because of their beliefs or being a “witch”, they could start to believe that they are useless. After all, depressingly, most children believe what their parents say, even if it is incorrect.

This point also ties into the backstory, as you can see. That is why backstory is an important part of character development.

-

Backstory

This point in your character's life changed them forever, impacting them so that they chose the actions they chose in the story. It could have traumatized them, and it also impacted their misbelief, fears, and motivation. That’s why it’s so important that your character has a properly created backstory.

Still using the same example, we know that Bob’s family perished because the dragon burned down their house, so now he wants revenge (motivation) and believes that this will make him satisfied (misbelief).

-

Positive and negative traits

Characters turn out flat if they only have positive traits or negative traits, so give your characters depth with positive and negative traits. Yes, even main characters have weaknesses or negative traits, and that’s what makes them likable and why you root for them. Villains who only have negative traits will also turn out unrealistic.

Balance out the traits that you give your characters so they don’t seem so one sided. I usually give my characters five positive and negative traits. These can be parts of their personality (bravery), or things that they do (always tells the truth, belittles others).

Even positive traits can have downsides. A character can be honest and brutally honest. A character can be sarcastic and never take things seriously. There’s many other positive traits that can have downsides as well.

-

Fears

A character’s fears can be phobias or things that they dislike. Fears matter—they can give your character depth if you tie them into their backstory. Characters should have a main fear and a few phobias—four in total, but you can always add more if you like.

Bob hates and fears fire because his parents were burned by a dragon’s fire. Maybe he was also burned in the brutal fire, and that disfigured him, giving him another motivation for being pitied his whole life because of it. (Just a quick note, characters shouldn't always be perfect in appearance!)

Characters can get over their fears by the end of a story, or they can slowly get over it. It could be an aversion that they always have, though—remember, change takes time. If you’re writing a series, a character may not get over their misbelief right away.

-

Conclusion

Overall, that’s what to know about character development. There’s a lot of character questionnaires out there, and sometimes you can feel pressured to complete them all, so remember that there is such a thing as over-developing a character. Does your character’s birthday or favorite drink really matter in the story? Will it be important later in the story? Will it even make an appearance in it?

Don’t stress too much about character development, really. You don’t need to know every element of a character’s life, and most readers don’t know it all by reading one story. Hopefully these tips helped you to develop your characters, thank you for reading!

worthless - chapter one

TW: mentions of bl00d, d3ath, and w3apons


I threw open the door, brandishing my sw0rd with a confident smirk hidden beneath my mask.

My victims stared at me, eyes widened in terror as they noticed the crimson symbol embroidered on my uniform. “It's one of the rebels!” one yelled, and the rest backed away in fear.

I knocked them down with ease, and in a matter of seconds, the guards were unconscious. I stepped over the b0dies, turning my attention to the remainder of the troops.

There were about ten or less guards facing me. I tightened my grip on the sw0rd, holding in a sigh. I didn’t have time to deal with the rest.

I spotted one who looked younger than the others. A soldier for the royals, but now he was brought to tears just by looking at me, his hands shaking as he tried to lift his g!n. Coward.

I pressed my bl!de against his throat, watching as the others fell back.

The soldier whimpered, staring at the ground. He didn't say anything, just shivered as silent tears rolled down his cheeks.

“Please,” his lip trembled slightly, and he looked up at me with bright blue eyes, “I…don’t know anything.”

I suddenly realized that this was just a boy, probably younger than I was. A boy who didn’t know which side he was on. A boy, confused and afraid, probably with a family who loved him.

Slowly, I lowered the sw0rd. The boy smiled.

Before I could react, he stood and pushed me backwards with surprising strength. My sw0rd flew out of my hand, clattering on the floor.

The others grabbed me, and I fought against their grasp, but they didn’t let go.

The boy paced around me, kicking the sw0rd away. It slid a few feet back, but it was still in reach.

If only I could stretch a bit farther, or I could retrieve my g!n in my holster…

I pushed the disturbing thought aside. Not one person will be killed. That was what he had ordered.

“What do you want with my father?” The boy said, pacing around me.

I was foolish to underestimate them—Lord Hathaway's son, Avery, was said to be here, and I had let myself get too reckless. “Maybe if you told your lackeys to ease up a bit, I could speak,” I said.

The boy waved his hand, and they released me.

I stumbled a bit, trying to reach for my sw0rd, but then I was pinned against the wall, Avery’s hands gripping my arms. Another trick.

He must have sensed the hatred in my eyes, because he grinned again.

“I’ve heard that you’re a notorious rebel.” The boy glanced to the floor and kicked away my sw0rd. He placed his hand under my chin, forcing me to look him in the eye. “But, unfortunately, you’re only second-rate.”

Gritting my teeth, I narrowed my eyes on the boy. He knew nothing of my life, other than the contorted lies told by the idiotic royalty, or his father.

Nobody truly knew what they had done, but that would all change once I got my hands on those documents, or Lord Hathaway.

The boy turned to his other guards, who were standing at attention. “Let’s find out who she really is, shall we?”

I tried to fight against him, but I couldn't stop him as he lifted the mask off of my face. As soon as he saw me, his smug grin faded and his face turned ashen. He dropped the mask.

“…Evangeline?”

As he was taken aback, I felt his grip loosen. It was just what I needed. I kicked him away, snatching my sw0rd from the ground.

He fell onto the floor, and without hesitation, I plunged my sw0rd into his gut.

Avery coughed as the bl!de pierced him. I winced as I pulled the bl!de out of the body, the red stain on the metal a stark reminder of what I had done. It
had been a while since I had killed someone, but this was different. I couldn't be exposed.

Not again.

I st!bbed him again, and his body fell limp. The guards were aghast, their eyes wide with shock as they stared at the b0dy of their fallen master.

It had all happened in a moment, but I knew that I had k!lled them all.

Next to Avery lay my mask, and I quickly snatched it up, feeling my hands shaking slightly as the bl00died fabric brushed against my face.

I turned towards the stairs, stepping over the unconscious guards as I made my way up, my boots padding against the carpet and leaving red footprints.
I reached the elaborate door and swung it open.

The room was deathly silent, papers scattered around and drawers left open. It was clear that whoever had been here had left in a hurry. I ran inside, hoping, just hoping, that the documents would be there. I scoured the drawers, but all of them were empty.

I let out a guttural scream and flipped the stupid desk over, feeling the satisfaction as it crashed to the floor loudly.

My eyes felt heavy as I looked down at my bl00dy gloves, sleeves, and boots. It was sticky and wet and I hated the feeling.

This mission had been for nothing. I had failed. I closed my eyes and tore my hands through my hair.

I had killed a boy and his guards, illegally broken into Lord Hathaway's house, and destroyed his property. But the one man, the one man who could
have exposed the corrupt monarchy’s secrets was gone, along with the evidence. Even worse, during this escapade, I had left evidence that the rebels
weren’t just a conspiracy.

I hastily pushed those thoughts away, looking at the destruction before me. The guards would wake from their delirium soon, and I had to disappear.

The window was wide open, and I slipped out onto the roof, kicking some of the loose tiles and jumping to the ground. I scanned my surroundings.

I had parked the stagecoach far away, not wanting to draw any suspicion, and now I regretted it. I whistled loudly, hoping he would hear me, and soon enough, the stagecoach came into view.

I grabbed the railing as I stepped onto the vehicle, and then we were off. I swung myself into the coach with ease, collapsing onto the seat and leaning back.

“Any luck?” Carlos turned to me, and his expression morphed from normal to disturbed as his eyes went to the excess amount of bl00d on my uniform.

“Not well,” I fixed a strand of my dark brown hair into my low bun, still trying to catch my breath, “he escaped.”

Carlos grimaced. “Oh. Sorry. But…it’s okay! I think Edward will be merciful to you.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that I failed.”

“Hey,” Carlos met my eyes. “It wasn’t your fault.”

I shifted in my seat, and I still wasn’t satisfied as I stared at the bl00d on my gloves.

“Remember, you’ve got a royal court meeting. Like…right now.” He checked his timepiece. “Strike that—you’re already late. You might want to change.”

“Great.” I sighed, wondering why I always had meetings at the worst times.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes. I’m fine.” My eyes were still on the bl00d sprayed across my hands, recalling the moment.

I cringed as the stagecoach became bumpy, jostling me to the side.

Carlos turned back, actually starting to steer now.

I was about to take my mask off when the stagecoach suddenly lurched again, and I was thrown out of the coach.

I screamed as I hit the road, sliding for what felt like miles before coming to an abrupt stop. Pain flared in my arm, and I coughed as the dust from the ground entered my lungs.

Just a few feet away from me, the stagecoach had halted in front of a tree. It would’ve been crushed, if not for Carlos’s quick thinking. The horses were skittish and whinnying, pacing on the cobblestones.

“You okay?” Carlos called from somewhere far off.

“Yeah!” I yelled back, inspecting myself for injuries. It looked like I’d have a few bruises, but miraculously, nothing serious. I tried to stand, but I stumbled, rubbing my left shoulder as a piercing pain went through me.

“I don’t know what happened.” Carlos admitted. “Sorry, I—”

His voice was suddenly cut off, and I got up and ran towards the sound. Just in time, I saw a guard knock Carlos down with the blunt edge of his bl!de.

Carlos fell to the floor, rubbing his head and groaning. I stood in front of him and met the guard’s bl!de. Somehow, one of the guards from Lord Hathaway’s estate had followed us.

“What the—” Carlos said, standing wearily, but he’s shoved to the side, the bl!de slicing a cut into his side.

The guard urged the sw0rd forward, and I just managed to evade the flash of silver as I jumped backward. The man was winded from exerting his
strength, and I whipped out my g!n, squeezing the trigger, the b!llet hitting him square in the chest.

The man fell over, clutching his bl00died shirt. I saw the life flicker out of his eyes as his sw0rd fell to the ground.

I stared at his b0dy, kicking it a few times before moving on to Carlos. He favored his side, wincing as he tried to stand.

I offered him help, but he waved it away as I walked towards the stagecoach.

“You’re really going to be late now,” he groaned.

“I know.” I sighed, trying to be nonchalant, but I couldn’t stop my eyes from going to the man’s b0dy lying in the street.

we are made of burning stardust ⭑ a writing comp entry

553 words , read my foreword + commentary here !

I’ve always looked to the stars, even when there wasn’t much left to see. As a kid, long accustomed to the darkness of the lights in our sky, I only frowned whenever they didn’t match with the books. Years later, when I could no longer tell a star from a satellite, soon everything else started to align when the constellations didn’t.

What ignorance it was, I realized, for me to look upon these stars–stars that have lived far longer than we ever would–only to watch them flicker out because of all the lives before mine. So, today, we rest in the mangled peace of our earth, consumed by the sickness of ourselves.

All because we wanted their light, we built our own mirages in this empty world. But the fluorescents we made just weren’t bright enough. Not for us. And we stay hungry, poking at the remnants of a world long eaten up by our casual indulgences.

My teachers all said the stars had been gone for years, waiting for the right moment to reach us and finally blink out. Ma says it will all end today. But I’m still not convinced, even as I watch the stars shudder and fall.

You lie beside me in the dark. I can’t see you but I know too well the silence between us, the prolonged, strangling silence as we probably watch the last meteor shower we’ll ever see. And then they’ll go. Or we will.

“I think I’ll miss them,” I whisper.

“I know,” you say.

We reach for each other’s hands at the same time and I’m still startled at how well we can see each other in this pitch black. Your eyes burn with the same stardust falling from above, and I can lose myself in it, the last lights, wanting to take it in forever.

Words would be better for the both of us. But we can’t speak again, not when it’s already slipping away. Your fingers twist into mine and I exhale as the darkness coats over us and the light grows dim. And, somehow, we are now clinging to each other, waiting. Waiting.

“Think it’ll hurt?”

“I hope not.”

Then the stars fall, and it takes me a moment to realize that they really are as the world is ripped into darkness. In the back of my mind, I wonder where they go, whether they fall on lawns or on the hoods of abandoned cars or turn into the angels that I keep hearing about on the AM, with their hundreds of eyes that will stare deep into our own and deem us worthy.

I close my eyes so I won’t have to see the darkness. Your breathing is steady but my heart is moving fast against yours, and then we’re both shaking because we’re not ready for this. This is the end, a voice says in my head. It is.

And the world erupts in noise, with prayers from my neighbors running to stuff suitcases into their pickup truck and the mournful cries of their engine singing a last hymn and, finally, the screech of the fireworks from the delinquents down the street.

When they burst into temporary flame, the light burns through my eyelids and I can almost pretend that they are stars before they wink out.

Almost.

we are made of burning stardust ⭑ foreword

we are made of burning stardust is an epitome of my growth through writing and everything else i’ve learned this year, often through my english classes and the many problems that occur in this world today. ultimately, this work emerges as an assertion about our world, but is mainly a love letter to the stars and the world we often disregard.

this story was inspired by the constellation daily, but also by the poem “rural boys watch the apocalypse” by keaton st. james! the beauty of this poem and the way the themes are written just strike so deeply with me. i think about it often & that’s why i was inspired by it for this piece! although, instead of a rural setting the “apocalypse” takes place in a unnamed future where the outcome of light pollution and human activity instead leads to the end of the world, which raises more awareness about our world today.

the writing process for this entry was haphazard to say the least—i wrote the first draft, or the one i actually published as a daily (extreme warning not to read it /hj), in my notes app right before school started, which explains its initial roughness. usually with my drafts, it doesn’t make sense at first since i’m getting all my thoughts down and also trying to write the actual story. also, a ginormous thank you to @primosaur, who gave me an amazing second opinion through the critiquitaire! the actual editing process ended up taking me a few hours, with me deleting and changing a lot of sentences so it resembles the entry you see now!

but, really, less formally, i’m super proud of this piece and glad that i came up with an adequate title after a long time of thinking. and thanks to you for reading this, i hope you enjoy my entry! <3