According to Reedsyblog, they have a full-proof way to create your character bio. They must know a thing or two to be the first google result.
Well, this sure makes it easy, I just have to fill in these questions.
Um.. 13 pages later. Here is mine (Promise that it doesn’t feel that long on here).
Table of Contents
Part 1: The Outer Layer
The basics section
Name: readers wont ever find out. or will they?
Age: mid 20’s
Place of birth: uk
Current location: unknown
Nationality: English
Education: university graduate in science
Occupation: cafe owner
Income: not important for the story
Physical appearance
Eye colour: brown
Hair style: shoulder-length hair (brown)
Build: do you mean ectomorphic? average? triangle? I’m not sure everyone would know when I describe her as a triangle shape.
distinguishing features: button nose, a mole in the middle of the left cheek
Do they wear glasses?: yes
Accessories that are always associated with them: glasses?
Usual level of grooming: presentable?
Describe their handwriting: careful
How do they walk?: leisurely with a bounce in their step with familiar people
Speech And Communication
How do they talk: steady speed
What’s their style of speech: there are a few different suggested styles for example: 5 styles of speech, 54 manners of speaking etc. which do you mean?
Do they have an accent? Estuary English
Posture: relaxed
Do they gesture? when excited
How much eye contact that they like to make (direct, shifty, etc.)?: full
What’s their preferred curse word? bullshit
What’s their catchphrase? that can’t be right
Any speech impediments? no
What’s their laugh like? head tilts up a little giggling
What do they tend to find funny? wittiness
Describe their smile? head bends down to hide their near tooth showing smile
How emotive are they? try to hide it sometimes
Do they wear their emotions on their sleeve? sometimes
How easily can others to read them?
They have a resting neutral face.
Part 2: The Flesh
The Past
What’s the name of their hometown? London
What type of childhood did they have? parents promoted follow your interests
Describe their education? bachelor degree in science – something occurred- decided not to follow that path anymore
Were they involved in organizations and clubs at school? no
At graduation, they were named Most Likely To __N/A_________ in the yearbook. research
Jobs (if applicable)? What would their résumé look like? cafe owner
What was their dream job as a child? Why? find cures because they knew the world needed it
Who were their role models growing up? Describe them. famous chef
What’s their greatest regret? -spoiler alert-
What were their hobbies growing up? baking
Favorite place to be as a child? kitchen
What’s their earliest memory? making doughnuts as a 4-year-old
What’s their saddest memory? -spoiler alert-
What’s their happiest memory? -spoiler alert-
What’s their clearest memory? studying at uni with a friend
What are their skeletons in the closet? -spoiler alert-
If they could change one thing from their past, what would it be? Why? -spoiler alert-
Describe the major turning points or “life beats” in childhood. they were going to help people… they were going to try
What are three adjectives to describe them as a child? thoughtful, active, insightful
What advice would they give to their younger self? you shouldn’t have let it happen
List their criminal record. none
Family
Father: 50’s, researcher, higher education was decided by the work he did and the aspects that were missing- something she wanted to solve. easy-going relationship, she would often watch him work and followed him around when young. close bond.
Mother: 50’s nurse, worked late hours but tried to make time for daughter and important events. loving relationship but cannot talk as deeply as her dad. bit of distance
Siblings none
Children: none
Extended family: not met
What’s their family’s economic status? middle
How often do they see their family in a year? multiple times a year
External relationships
Who are their closest friends? Describe them. -spoiler alert-
Who are their other significant friends? -spoiler alert-
Enemies? Describe them. -spoiler alert-
How are they perceived by:
- strangers in the street? approachable
- acquaintances at a work function? friendly
- colleagues in the office? cheerful
- authority figures? respectful, dedicated
- friends in their friend circles? funny, great listener, excitable
- children? nice
- the opposite sex? sweet
- extended family? n/a
What social media platforms are they on? n/a for story
How would they use their social media platforms? n/a
How would they fill out an online dating profile for themselves? wouldnt
What’s their role in a group dynamic? harmonizer- dislikes conflict
Who do they depend on: -spoiler alert-
How quickly do they respond to emails? when they see them
What do they want from a relationship? trust
Who would be their ideal partner? N/A
Who is their significant other? Describe them. N/A
How many people would attend their funeral? 10 ish
Part 3: The Core
Psychologically
What do they do on rainy days? bake
They are: book-smart, pessimist, Introverted
What is their favourite sound? a podcast
Favourite place in the world? couch
What secrets do they keep? What are they most afraid of people finding out? -spoiler alert-
What do they want the most? to do what they want, when they want
What’s their biggest flaw? overthinking and then not enough
What’s their biggest strength? loyalty
What’s their biggest fear? -spoiler alert-
What is their biggest accomplishment? opening a cafe
What is their idea of perfect happiness? fresh-baked treats that won’t make them diabetic by eating loads
What’s their favourite quote? “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” –Winston S. Churchill
Do they want to be remembered? What for? giving people good memories
How do they approach:
- power? uncertainty
- ambition? willingly
- love? do not approach
- change? openly
What is the one object or possession that they would rescue from their burning home? cat
What (or who) bores them? she tries not to display her dislike for people/
What makes them angry? not being logical/ not controlling situation
What do they look for in a person? passionate about what they do
How strong is their moral compass? When, specifically, are they willing to compromise their morals? -spoiler alert-
List the last 10 books they read. N/A
Which fictional world would they most wish to visit? harry potter
If they didn’t have to sleep, what would they do with the extra time? test new recipes and keep up with the latest research
What are their pet peeves? not being reliable, being talked over, line cutters, egocentric
If they won the lottery, what would they do? help themselves for retirement, help their family/friends, give to research groups
What is the best compliment that someone ever paid them? they loved their desserts, they’d win a competition with theses
In an elevator, do they push the elevator button more than once? once
What would they want their tombstone to say? they want a tree to be planted over their grave to use her nutrients for the future. little stone stating —- keeps on providing
Their Present and Future
What is their story goal? -spoiler alert
Story motivation? spoiler alert
My Take On This Bio
Pros
- 1. A clearer picture of character: That was quite useful. Currently, when writing my book I would try to make characters sound different but now I know the little elements of the character to ensure they will be dissimilar.
- 2. Research details: It made me research to come up with speech type they had- I think this will give a better concept of an individual rather than the characters blending together now.
- 3. Something to refer back to: More like it has even me tools to refer back to ensure their individuality. Also, I will be able to compare their behaviour back to the concept of the character.
- 4. Inspiration: Writing all of this has given me ideas for carrying out the story.
- 5. Starting from scratch: As a step in making a character when you don’t know what you should include, this should really help.
Cons
- 1. Detail overload: I don’t think I would need all the information required for this character. Top 10 songs and books… That is not of high importance when making a character to me. At best it would be used for one sentence to make the character more relatable. At worse, it wouldn’t feature in the story at all.
- 2. Very long: will I be doing this for all of my characters? No. There is certainly helpful elements but not all of them are necessary- especially for the plot of my story the character connections are fully fleshed out.
- 3. Missing elements: when sitting down to make the character profile, I wanted to add aspects that were not there. For example, what about how they react to a certain situation? We want a cohesive view and by getting to know the character, in a way being able to predict what they may do due to past behaviour. Adding elements that make them exhibit every emotion and what triggers it would be useful.
What This Exercise Will Help Me Do In The Future
Word bank: Ill have to create a word bank for each of my characters. That makes sense to me now. Instead of trying to come up with their different speech patterns on the spot. Doing a little preparing to ensure they sound different and according to how I expect.
Create smaller bios: Something that includes the essentials of what my character needs. Small enough that a brief look can set me back on track. That may mean an altered layout to make it effective.
Sorry! I couldn’t share all of my character bio as it is a mystery book and giving away the details means you won’t get the *fingers crossed* suspenseful and mystery elements that make you want to read on.
Does the profile look cohesive? Actually describing one person and not multiple squashed into one. In real life, people have fighting aspects of themselves- so clashes are a good thing I think.
Is this helpfully for your book? What are the pros and cons for you? let me know in the comments. Until then
Hi! I'm Shannon, a blogger and author. I help people earn doing what they love as writers.
You'll find tips and tutorial on how to become an author, write books people want to read and marketing your story!
Not only that, my blog includes how to start a blog, get reads and make money from your efforts.
To find out more about me, check out the about page.
Oh my. You’re writing a book??? How exciting, can’t wait to read more about it!
Thank you! Hoping the blog will help in the creation process. Are you interested in writing a book also?