Creating a Character Profile
As mentioned, you can decide for yourself how detailed you want your character profile to be. You also don’t need to write a profile for every character, just the main protagonists. Screenwriters create profiles in early script development, but you can create a profile at any stage before production.
The elements of a typical character profile are listed below. However, you can include your own sections if needed. For example, in a fantasy, you might have an area for magical abilities.
What to include on your character profile –
Basic Details – This is a general guide with details on the character: name, age, gender, sexual orientation, place of birth, and nationality. Additional information could be: their marital status, current residence, occupation, income level, education level, family, and talents.
Physical Appearance – What does your character look like: including race, height, weight, hair color, and eye color. Additional details could be: if they wear glasses, have tattoos, do they smoke, are they healthy, or do they have a disability. You could also go into detail on how they dress and if they carry any props with them (for example, Sherlock Holmes carries a pipe).
Personality/Communication – This section is for how your character comes across others and their relationships. How do they behave around other people, are they introverted or extroverted, are they shy or confident. Additional notes could be listed on: their speech patterns/accent, are they polite or rude, hero or villain.
Inner Psyche – How your character seems on the outside does not always reflect their inner mind. This section is for more in-depth details regarding their: consciousness, emotions, ambitions, hopes, and dreams. Additional information could be on: their life goals, are they religious/spiritual, what feelings does your character carry around with them.
Advanced Details – Depending on your story/genre, you can go into more detail on your character and the world they live within. And this could mean giving them a full family backstory, a breakdown of their work environment, or culture.