Here are six more items that you will want to include in your character sketches.
6. Your Characters’ Outlook on Life: Is it positive? Negative? Fearful? Reckless? Practical? Romantic?
7. His Habits, Both Good and Bad: Habits define him as a character. Does he eat a leisurely breakfast of bacon and eggs or grab a cup of black coffee on the run? Is his desk cluttered or spotless? Does he keep appointments on time or always arrive ten minutes late?
8. His Education, Profession, and Station in Life: What does a character’s career tell about him, his abilities, interests, and long-range goals? A diplomat or university professor will likely have different concerns and ways of expressing them than a taxi driver or steelworker. At the same time, be wary of stereotypes. Perhaps that diplomat got his start as a taxi driver.
9. His Strengths and Weaknesses: Every human personality has both a light and dark side. A balanced mixture of these lights and darks creates a three-dimensional character, but keep in mind that some traits can be both a strength and a weakness. For example: the strong, silent type who refuses to open up and communicate with his mate.
10. His Idiosyncrasies: What gestures or mannerisms are peculiar to this character? Does he pull on his ear, clear his throat, tap his fingers, fidget with his collar, lick his lips, fiddle with his glasses, twist his ring, or shrug his shoulders? (Of course, if he does all these at once, he has a real problem!)
11. His Voice: Avoid the trap of letting all your characters sound alike—like you, the author! Readers “hear” a character’s voice in their heads, and they’ll cringe if he doesn’t sound authentic. Worse, they’ll stop reading if characters don’t have distinctive voices. Determine what rhythm of speech your character has—smooth, flowing sentences or short and choppy? What tone of voice—soft and mellow, deep, nasal, singsong, melodic, breathy, gravelly, or monotone? Does he mumble? Have an accent? Use big words to impress people? Stutter? Speak too loud? Too fast? Does he speak with an affectation that puts distance between himself and others or with a warmth that puts others at ease? Whatever the case, make him a one and only original!
You won’t use all the description in your story, but you must have a picture of the person formed firmly in your mind. To explore a character’s feelings in depth, mentally step into his skin and write from his viewpoint. In this way, your characters will help you write your story. They can help you bring it alive in ways you couldn’t do by yourself.