Character Chart / Dossier
Print this form and fill in as much info as possible for each main character you create.
Character's Full Name:
Nickname(s):
Birth Date:
Place of Birth:
Ethnic Background:
Religion:
Degree of Religious Practice:
Current Address:
Does s/he rent or own?:
Brief Description of Home (apartment, trailer,
house, other, etc.):
Does s/he live with anyone?:
Describe the area in which s/he lives (big city,
town, rural, other):
Is this his or her ideal home and location? If
not, what would s/he prefer?:
Home decor: ___ Expensive ___ Inexpensive
___ Carefully planned ___ Comfortable ___
Neat ___ Cluttered:
When someone walks in, what's their first
impression?:
Any Pets? __ No (why?) ___ Yes (what
kind/how many/names?):
How important are they? How well are they
treated?:
Current Occupation:
Current Employer:
Income Level:
Education:
Marital Status:
Current Partner's Name:
Length of Time Married (if more than one
marriage, include all):
Name by Which S/he Addresses
Spouse/Lover/Partner:
How Did They Meet?:
Children (number, names, ages):
Does s/he drive? Own a car? (Make, model,
color, age, etc.):
What's his or her most prized possession, and
why?:
FAVORITES:
Color:
Music:
Literature:
Hangouts:
Food:
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:
Age:
Eye Color:
Glasses or contacts:
Weight/Height:
Type of build:
Skin tone:
Skin type:
Distinguishing Marks:
Any famous person s/he looks like?:
Shape of face/Predominant feature:
General Health/Good, Excellent, Poor...?:
Chronic Conditions?:
Current Conditions?:
How does s/he dress? (price/style): ___
Expensive/Conservative ___
Expensive/Trendy and Daring __
Average/Conservative __ Average/Trendy and
Daring __ Inexpensive/Casual (Whatever's
comfortable?)
__ Inexpensive/Shabby:
Does s/he dress to be noticed? Why?
Jewelry:
Other accessories:
Grooming: __ Very neat (Why?) ___
Average Grooming __ Clean but sloppy __
Unkempt (Why?)
Describe Hairstyle (long, short, crewcut, dreds,
bangs, side-part etc.):
Natural Hair Texture (smooth, wavy, curly,
etc.):
Current Hair Texture (if different):
Natural Hair Color:
Current Hair Color (if different):
SPEECH AND
LANGUAGE/COMMUNICATION:
Pace: (Talks fast, Average, Slow...)
Voice Tone (high, average, deep, etc.):
Accent or Dialect, if any:
Favorite Words/Phrases? Curse words?
Mannerisms/Demeanor? ___ Cool/confident
__ Volatile/moody __ Nervous/fidgety/shy __
Other?
Posture: ___ Stiff and rigid __ Stands straight
but not stiffly __ Average, varies with mood
__ Slumped and defeated __ Slouchy,
careless __ Relaxed __ Other
Gestures: __ Infrequently __ Controlled __
When excited/upset __ Most of the time __
Wildly/weirdly
Favorite Gesture:
FAMILY:
Mother's name:
Mother's current status: ___ living ___
deceased
Relationship with her:
Father's name:
Father's current status: ___ living ___
deceased
Relationship with him:
Any Step/Foster/Birth Parents (if not same as
above):
Sibling(s):
Birth order:
Relationship with each:
Children of siblings:
In-Laws, if any:
Other than the above, who else in the story is
part of his/her extended family (e.g. cousins,
etc.)?
THE PAST:
Hometown:
Type of childhood:
First memory:
Most important childhood event that still affects
him/her:
Did/does s/he like school? Why or why not?
Significant Past Jobs:
Police Record (Arrest(s), convictions,
sentence(s) served):
First sexual experience was with...?
First (romantic) love?
Major accidents or traumas? How is s/he still
affected, if at all?
EVERYDAY BEHAVIOR / HABITS:
Finances: (prudent/cautious, some debt, lives
paycheck to paycheck, deep in debt, criminal
activity, etc.):
Personal Habits: Smoking, Drinking, Drugs,
Gambling, Sex? Are any of these addictions?
Morning Routine: Describe the character's
morning rituals. Who else is sleeping in the
same bed? What time does he/she wake up? Is
he/she cheerful in the morning? What does
he/she do during breakfast-read, watch tv, feed
kids, etc.
Afternoon/Workday: Does s/he work outside
the home? How does he/she get there? Is s/he
good at this job? What would he/she rather be
doing? How long and hard is the work day?
Does s/he have any friends, rivals, enemies?
Dinner: Does s/he eat at home or go out a lot?
What is/are his or her favorite restaurant(s)?
Who cooks at home? Who does he/she eat it
with?
Evening: What does your character do on a
typical evening? Where? With whom? How
much does he/she enjoy it? What is the ideal
evening for him or her?
Sleep Habits: Fall asleep easily, or an
insomniac? Any recurring dreams? Sleep
soundly, or toss & turn?
RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS:
How does character relate to strangers?
Friends?
Spouse/Lover?
Own children, if any?
Other family members
The opposite sex?
Children in general?
Others who are more successful
Others who are less successful
Boss
Underlings at work
Competitors
Authority (police, IRS, politicians, attorneys,
doctors, etc.)
What about him/her do family/friends like most?
What about him/her do family/friends like least?
Any secret attractions/crushes?
Person s/he dislikes most & why:
Person s/he likes most & why:
Person s/he most misunderstands or
misjudges:
Person who most misunderstands or misjudges
him or her:
MENTAL ATTITUDE/PERSONAL BELIEFS:
Optimist or pessimist: Why?
Introvert or extrovert: Why?
Most comfortable when ... (alone, hanging
w/friends, drinking, etc.):
Most uncomfortable when ... (in a crowd, alone,
speaking in public, etc.):
What does s/he most value/prioritize? (family,
money, success, religion, etc.)
Whom does s/he really love best?
What would s/he be willing to die for?
Is s/he generally compassionate or self-
involved?
Personal philosophy:
Past failure s/he'd be embarrassed to have
people know about, and why:
If granted one wish, what would it be? Why?
Psychological issues (e.g. phobias,
depression, paranoia, narcissism, etc.)?
Any prejudices (race, culture, sexuality,
religion, etc.)?
Political party or beliefs, if any:
Does s/he believe in fate or destiny? Is s/he
superstitious?
Character's greatest strength (whether s/he
sees it as such or not):
Other good characteristics:
Character's greatest flaw (whether s/he sees it
as such or not):
Other character flaws:
Character's chief vulnerability/soft spot:
Is this vulnerability obvious to others? If not,
how does character hide it?
Quirks:
Biggest accomplishment:
Minor accomplishments:
Character's darkest secret(s)? Does anyone
else know? How'd they find out?
How does s/he react to a crisis?
What types of problems occur most often?
(Romance, jealousy, financial, etc.)
Whom does s/he secretly admire
(nonromantic), and why?
Who was his/her biggest influence, and why?
Who's the most important person in his/her life
right now, and why?
SELF-PERCEPTION:
Paragraph of self-description:
What's his/her favorite/least favorite physical
feature?
How does s/he think others perceive him or
her?:
Biggest regret:
Minor regrets:
What would s/he most like to change about
self? Why?
ASPIRATIONS/THOUGHTS OF THE
FUTURE:
Short term goals:
Long term goals:
How does s/he plan to accomplish these
goals?
How will others be affected?
What event does s/he most fear?
What does he/she actively work to gain, keep
or protect?
