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8 Elements of Character

This document outlines 8 elements to consider when characterizing a character: physical description, background, personality, relationships, words and actions, motivation, conflict, and change. It provides questions under each element to help describe a character's appearance, experiences, temperament, interactions with others, typical speech and behaviors, goals, obstacles, and development. The overall aim is to create a multidimensional portrayal of a character through examining these different aspects.

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Jessa Mae Fontanilla
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406 views2 pages

8 Elements of Character

This document outlines 8 elements to consider when characterizing a character: physical description, background, personality, relationships, words and actions, motivation, conflict, and change. It provides questions under each element to help describe a character's appearance, experiences, temperament, interactions with others, typical speech and behaviors, goals, obstacles, and development. The overall aim is to create a multidimensional portrayal of a character through examining these different aspects.

Uploaded by

Jessa Mae Fontanilla
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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8 Elements of Character

Physical description: Anything that you can see about her that gives us clues to who she
is. Please remember that authors create characters and choose these physical attributes as part
of the character.
 What does the person looks like?  How does the person carry herself?
 What do they dress like?  How do they sit, walk and move?

Background: This is her past experience that shapes who she becomes.
 Who is this person?  What special skills does she have?
 Where was she raised?  What education does she have?
 What does she know how to do?  What kind of jobs has she held?

Personality: This includes demeanor, temperment, etc. Find actions that illustrate this or
characters saying it. Examples include: shy, outgoing, angry, impulsive, fearful, etc. Note that
this may change according to the circumstances, but a person’s personality usually guides
how they respond to situations.
 What kind of person is she?  What evidence shows the characters
personality?

Relationships: The interaction with all other characters.


 How does she get along with people?  Does she get along with her family?
 Does she have a lot of friends, or only a Why or why not?
few close friends?  Doe she fall in love too quickly? Have
 Does she hate everyone? an ongoing rivalry with her sister?
Words and Actions: Not EVERYTHING someone says tells us about him or her. If you
ask me a question and I give you a direct answer, then that’s not revealing. If I answer every
question with, “Who wants to know?” that could be revealing). Watch for topics the person
talks about a lot, or words that are repeated. If the word is repeated, it’s probably important
(be sure to choose words that tell you something about the character).
 What does the person say and do?  Do they talk differently about her
 What do other characters say about your behind her back?
character?  What does this tell you?

Motivation: Motivations include money, fear, desire for fame, need to prove parents
wrong, need to prove parents right, etc. Motivation may be what they want, such as money, or
it could be what they are trying to get away from, such as fear. The goal may or may not clear
from the motivation. Put what they want in your description, too.
 What is the character trying to achieve or  Why does your character do what she is
accomplish? trying to do?
 What do they like and dislike?

Conflict: External and internal. Sometimes we can be in conflict with ourselves. Look at
this carefully: it usually drives the plot (or, the sequence of events in the story).
 What is standing in the way of your  Is there conflict within the character?
character getting what he or she wants?  How is this shown in the novel?

Change: Don’t just tell me whether she changes over the course of the story. Tell me how
she does. Not all characters change. James Bond never gets to the end of an adventure and
says, “All these fast cars, women, and martinis are so shallow. I should join the Peace Corps
and do something important with my life.”
 How has the character changed  Is she is nicer, or more considerate?
throughout the novel?  How do they think, feel or act
 Have they learned a lesson? differently?

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