Character Profile Checklist

Here are some questions I collected that I considered useful when you want to create a character your reader will fall in love with. I like working with this list, I hope you'll find it as helpful as I do.

1. Name, gender, age
2. Who is he/she? What's his/her place in the story?
3. What does he/she desire? Why is that a problem?
4. What's his/her job? How much money does he/she have, how much does he/she spend?
5. important influences in his/her childhood
6. strenghs, talents
7. weaknesses
8. Physical appearance
a) given by nature (including scars, handicaps,
ect.)
b) representing personality (clothes, haircut)
9. mental state
Is he/she happy with his/her life? Do they want
to be somebody else?
10. Is he/she more of a loner or more of a team player? What about relationships?
11. Habits (icluding food, alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, ect.)
12. Is there a pattern in his/her life? Does he/she have a certain way of reacting to something? A phrase he/she always uses?
13. Hobbies (current one and those that were given up)
14. Where did he/she grow up?
15. What's his/her relationship with the media? Does he/she prefer watching TV or reading books, listening to the radio, ect. ?
16. Attitude towards truth, religion, ways of living (his/her own and those of others)
17. Important incidents of his/her past
18. Fears and Secrets - How are those hidden or repressed?
19. What does his/her home look like? Who lives there with her/him?
20. Why does the reader like this character?
21. Why does not the reader like this character?
22. What is the greatest mistake he/she has ever made?
23. What is the best thing he/she ever did?
24. Does he/she talk openly about his/her strenghs and/or flaws?
25. Does he/she have faith in people in general?
26. Is he/she more of a realist or more of a dreamer?
27. Way of talking (accent, slang, ect.)
28. Way of moving
29. How does he/she respond to stress, failure, being let down, joy, love and hate?
30. How does he/she interact with other people, expecially (potential)lovers?
31. How many chances does he/she get to change things? Do they see/take them?
32. How does he/she deal with children (reasons for a certain behavior are often to be found in the character's own childhood)?