One of my favorite things to do in writing is to create characters.  I do this in a variety of ways but most of the time it starts with a picture.  I might find a random picture, see a picture in a newspaper, or use IMDB and “cast” the part.   Many times I imagine what the character is like and then find a picture that matches my creation.  Take a look at the man in this picture.  Answer the following questions about him.

1.  Name?

2.  Occupation?

3.  Physical Characteristics?  (List as many as you can.  You can go back later and use these words as you describe him in the scenes he’s a part of in your story.  This is your personal character thesaurus.)

4.  Mental Characteristics?  Is he smart, ambitious, ruthless, kind?

5.  Mannerisms?  Does he stutter?  Cut people off before they can finish a sentence?  Grin a little too much?

6. Write down a short back story for this character.  How did he get on this bench today?

7.  Does this character have an inner conflict?

8.  Does this character have an outer conflict?  Where does he figure in your story?

Once you have written your character sketch, save it all including the picture.  This will help you to keep your character consistent throughout the story.

Write a short paragraph about your ideas for this character and share it with us in the comments.

This photo was submitted by Darnok at Morgue File