TL;DR
Copy the profile below for each major character and fill in the core fields first: want, need, flaw, belief and stakes. Add voice, relationships and a knowledge log as the draft needs them. Skip long lists of trivia unless a scene uses them. Keep one source scene per fact so you can check consistency during revision.
A character profile is a reference sheet for one person in your book. It saves you from checking old chapters to remember a name, an age or what the character knows. Left unchecked, it becomes a long list of trivia, such as favorite color and star sign, that nothing in the story touches. This template keeps to fields that scenes use and leaves room to add the rest.
The thinking behind the core fields is in character development. The broader reference for the whole book is the story bible template.
How to use it
- Fill in the core section first. If you only complete one part, make it that one.
- Add sections as scenes need them. Voice before your first dialogue scene, relationships before you write the first conflict.
- Write short. One line per field is usually enough.
- Update the knowledge log while drafting. It is the field most often wrong in revision.
- Make one profile per major character. Secondary characters get the mini version at the end.
The profile: copy this
Core
| Field | Your answer |
|---|---|
| Name, and alternate names or nicknames | |
| Role in the story (protagonist, ally, antagonist, foil) | |
| One-sentence description | |
| Want (what they pursue, consciously) | |
| Need (what they lack and may not see) | |
| Flaw (the habit that costs them) | |
| Belief behind the flaw (the idea that makes it feel reasonable) | |
| Stakes (what they lose if they fail) | |
| Fear | |
| Secret |
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when the table is focused.
The want, need, flaw and belief together form the character's engine. If you cannot fill them in, the character may not be ready for a scene yet.
Background that matters
| Field | Your answer |
|---|---|
| Where they come from, in one sentence | |
| The event that shaped the belief | |
| What their background lets them do (skills, access) | |
| What their background prevents them from doing | |
| Age at the start of the story | |
| Occupation |
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when the table is focused.
Limit backstory to what changes present behavior. If a past event does not shape a belief or give a skill, leave it out.
Voice and habits
| Field | Your answer |
|---|---|
| How they speak (short, formal, indirect, joking) | |
| Words or phrases they use often | |
| What they never say aloud | |
| What they notice first in a room | |
| A habit or gesture | |
| How they act under pressure | |
| Point-of-view notes, if they narrate |
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when the table is focused.
A character's voice should differ from the other main characters'. Test it by covering the names in a page of dialogue and seeing whether you can tell who is speaking.
Appearance, only what the reader will see
| Field | Your answer |
|---|---|
| Distinguishing physical details | |
| Where you first mention each, and which scene | |
| Details you must keep consistent (scars, hair, height) |
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when the table is focused.
Record where the manuscript first states a detail. A changed eye color is an easy error for a reader to spot.
Relationships
| Person | Relationship | What each wants from the other | Tension | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when the table is focused.
Include the direction of the relationship. A mentor may see a student as a project, while the student sees a friend. That gap is usually a scene.
Arc
| Step | What happens | Scene |
|---|---|---|
| Where they start (the flaw works) | ||
| The flaw costs something | ||
| The flaw fails | ||
| Doubt in the belief | ||
| Different choice under pressure |
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when the table is focused.
Knowledge log
| Scene or chapter | What the character learns | From whom | Believes it? | Tells anyone? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when the table is focused.
This log prevents the error of a character acting on information before they have it. Add a row whenever a scene gives the character something new.
Open questions
| Question | Needed by | Decision |
|---|---|---|
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when the table is focused.
A filled-in example
This example is from an imaginary novel. It shows the level of detail that is usually enough.
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Name | Mara Venn, called "Ven" by her brother |
| Role | Protagonist |
| One-sentence description | A ferry clerk who keeps accurate records of everyone else's lives |
| Want | To learn who sealed the letter that got her brother arrested |
| Need | To accept that her brother chose his risk |
| Flaw | Treats every locked door as an insult and forces it |
| Belief | If she knows everything, nobody can take her family again |
| Stakes | Her post, her freedom, her one friendship in the guild |
| Fear | Being the last one who did not know |
| Secret | She signed the ferry log the night her brother was arrested, and has not told anyone |
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when the table is focused.
| Scene or chapter | What the character learns | From whom | Believes it? | Tells anyone? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chapter 1 | The seal on the letter is real | Her own inspection | Yes | No |
| Chapter 4 | The stamp is kept in the archive | A clerk | Partly | The friend |
| Chapter 9 | The seal is her brother's own | The registrar | No, at first | No |
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when the table is focused.
Note that the secret and the knowledge log are in different places. The first is what the character hides; the second is what the character knows at each point. They create different kinds of scene.
Mini profile for secondary characters
Copy this for characters who appear more than once but do not carry an arc.
| Field | Your answer |
|---|---|
| Name and role | |
| What they want in the scenes they appear in | |
| What limits them | |
| How they relate to the protagonist | |
| One voice or habit | |
| First appearance (scene) |
Scroll horizontally to see all columns. Arrow keys work when the table is focused.
When the scene and the profile disagree
A profile is a tool for the draft, not a substitute for it. If a scene contradicts the profile, decide which is right. Often the scene is, because it came from the character acting under pressure. Update the profile, note what changed, and check earlier chapters for anything that depended on the old answer. If the profile is right, mark the scene for revision.
A discovery writer may fill in the want and the flaw after the first act, once the character has shown them. An outliner may complete every field first. Either way, the profile should end up describing the character in the book, not only the one in your head.
Revision checklist
- Every major character has want, need, flaw and belief filled in.
- Names and aliases are consistent in the manuscript.
- Physical details match the scene where they first appear.
- The knowledge log matches what is on the page.
- No character acts on information they have not received.
- Voices are distinguishable.
- The arc has at least three scenes where the flaw costs something.
- Open questions have a decision or a deadline.
Frequently asked questions
What should a character profile include?
At minimum: name, role, want, need, flaw, belief, stakes and a one-sentence description. Add voice, relationships, arc and a knowledge log as scenes require them. Skip trivia that no scene uses.
How long should a character profile be?
One page is enough for most major characters. A profile that is longer than the scenes in which the character appears is probably recording trivia. Add detail when a scene asks for it.
Should I fill in the profile before writing?
Fill in the core fields before you start, because they drive scenes. Complete the rest while drafting, and keep the knowledge log current. Some writers write a first draft of a character, then fill in the profile from what emerged.
How do I make characters sound different?
Decide how each speaks: length of sentences, formality, favorite phrases, what they avoid saying. Then cover the names in a page of dialogue and check whether you can tell who is speaking.
Do I need a profile for every character?
No. Major characters get the full profile. Characters who appear a few times get the mini profile. One-scene characters need only a name and a detail.
Where Musael helps
In Musael's world and characters codex, characters are entries with relations to other characters and places, and names in your manuscript link back to their entry, so you can see where each person appears. Use the profile above as a list of what to record about each entry.
