Using character templates streamlines brainstorming and tracking ideas for your cast (and fixed details about multi-book characters). Set up character questions as worksheets and it’ll be much faster to start stories, too.
In this guide, learn how to create character worksheets with custom attributes in Plottr. Find ideas for genre-specific questions to ask to flesh out your next ensemble!
Why Use Character Development Worksheets?
Character development worksheets help you create organized brain dumps as you get to know your characters deeper. Answering character questionnaires helps you decide how characters look, where they’ve been (backstory), and where they’re heading (goals, fears and motivations).
Building character bibles helps you:
- Track character details and keep them consistent. Jotting down ideas about how your characters change during your story helps you keep details consistent
- Define character traits for focused characterization. When you know your characters like besties it’s easier to make their personalities shine through. You might not end up using every detail you brainstorm, but the process helps you solidify ideas
- See how characters differ and are alike easier. Detailed, one-page character summaries help you compare and contrast key players. This makes it easier to see where characters could clash or connect
- Pinpoint character attributes relevant to your genre. For example, you may list what makes each suspect suspicious if you’re planning a mystery book
- Discover what you don’t yet know. Character templates are tools for discovery, helping you uncover the juiciest facts and secrets about your ensemble
Choosing the Best Character Templates for Your Story
There are 27 character templates to choose from in Plottr. Which should you use for your story?
These character worksheets suit diverse genres:
- Character Bio Template. Define character traits with 17 fields that include: name, nickname, age, gender, race, height, education, life goals and good/bad habits.
- Big 5 Personality Traits Template. Decide where your character falls on the spectrum between five characteristics: Openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.
- Character Arc Template. This character worksheet explores how your character changes throughout your story. Explore the first impression your character makes, their goal(s), flaw(s), moment of realization (or “Aha!” moment) and more.
- Goal, Motivation, Conflict Template. Explore each character’s internal and external goals, motivations, and the conflicts they encounter while pursuing their goals
If you’re writing a genre with magical elements such as epic or urban fantasy, these worksheets will help:
- Magic Blueprint Template. Based on the Magic Blueprint System by C.R. Rowenson. Define the type of magic used, effects of abilities, source of character’s magic, magic’s reliability, and nine other magical qualities.
- D&D Character Sheet. Get nerdy with a character template inspired by Dungeons & Dragons gameplay. Define characters’ wisdom, constitution, intelligence, charisma and other qualities.
Interview Your Characters for Even Deeper Insights
Having an imaginary interview with your characters is a powerful way to develop intriguing character details. Niche questions will help you find specifics to supplement the broad strokes of blander “ID card” information.
Character development worksheets you can use for character interviews include:
- Marcel Proust Questionnaire Template. This is based on questions answered by the famous French author. What does it include? “What is your idea of perfect happiness?” Questions on shortcomings, too: “What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?”
- Bernard Pivot Questionnaire Template. This character worksheet is based on the Marcel Proust Questionnaire. Questions it asks include favorite and least favorite words, favorite and worst sounds, and favorite curse words.
How to Add Character Templates in Plottr
To use the above templates in Plottr (and create your own — more on that below), first, make sure you have an active Plottr plan. You can also get started with a free 30-day trial.
- Step 1: In an open Plottr file, click the Characters tab
- Step 2: Click the + symbol to create a new character
- Step 3: Click the +Add Template tab above the note input field
- Step 4: Select the character template from the list that appears, then click Choose
But what if there isn’t the exact character template you want for your genre? Easy: create it!
How to Create Character Templates in Plottr with Attributes
What if you want a custom character worksheet you can fill out whenever you create a new character or start a new project?
Attributes in Plottr are versatile inputs you can customize in countless ways. Here’s how to do it:
- Step 1: In the Characters tab, click Attributes in the top navigation bar
- Step 2: In the input field under Add attributes, add a question you want to ask (for example, “Why are they a suspect?” is something you could add for a mystery suspect). Click Add after each template question to store it.
- Step 3: When you’ve added all the attributes you want to build a complete character template, click Save as Template (the button next to ‘Close’)
- Step 4: Give your template a name and save it. It will be listed under My Templates whenever you go to add a character template to a character
Now, let’s create fun character questions to add to Plottr, using it as a character sheet maker!
Mystery Character Worksheets
First let’s create a worksheet we can use to round up suspects for a mystery novel.
Here are questions you could use:
10 Mystery Suspect Questions
- What is their relationship to the victim or crime?
- What is their history with the victim or case?
- Why are they a suspect?
- What motive could they have?
- What opportunity did they have to commit the crime?
- What alibi do they have?
- How do they respond to questioning?
- What secrets might they be hiding?
- Are there inconsistencies in their alibi or conduct?
- Do their actions contradict their words? How?
Add these questions to custom attributes in a new Plottr file as above, then save.
10 Mystery Protagonist Questions
What if you wanted to create a crime/mystery protagonist template in Plottr? Fill out character attributes with all or a few of these questions. Then save it under “Mystery Protagonist.”
- Why do they take up the case?
- What special skills or knowledge do they bring to the investigation?
- What unconventional or non-standard methods do they use?
- How does their past influence their assumptions or beliefs going into this case?
- What personal demons do they face that could hinder their progress?
- What are they willing to risk to crack the case?
- What aren’t they willing to risk to crack the case?
- What vulnerabilities or blind spots might the perp exploit to stop them solving the case?
- How do they interact with law enforcement and other officials?
- Do they have any sayings or catch phrases? (E.g. “Elementary, my dear Watson.”)
10 Romance Character Questions
These character questions could work for romantic leads in any romance subgenre, from feel-good to romantic suspense:
- What are this character’s most desirable qualities?
- What are their least desirable qualities?
- What first attracts them to a love interest?
- What misbelief of theirs could halt a romantic relationship?
- What is their love language? (E.g., acts of service)
- Describe their romantic history
- How do past relationships affect their new ones?
- How do they handle conflict in relationships?
- What are their expectations of a partner?
- What from their past could complicate future romance?
10 Action Adventure Protagonist Questions
What if you’re using the action adventure plot template in Plottr and want character sheets to fill out, too? Create a template using these questions:
- Why does this character set out on an adventure?
- What skills or qualities will help them most?
- What lack of skill or qualities could hinder them?
- How might the adventure change them?
- What objects or tools do they take with them?
- What objects or tools will they make or find on the way?
- What excites them most about this adventure?
- What do they fear most about this adventure?
- What will they learn about themselves through the journey?
- What misbeliefs or false assumptions will their journey test?
10 Animal Story Character Questions
What if you’re writing an animal story, such as a Studio Ghibli or Disney -style story with talking animal characters?
Here are character template question ideas:
- What type of animal is this character?
- What human qualities do they have? (e.g. Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh is melancholic)
- How do they behave typically for their species? (for e.g. sneaky Hyenas in The Lion King)
- How do they behave atypically for their species?
- What advantages do their species have in the story?
- What disadvantages does their species have?
- What is unusual or unique about their dwelling? (e.g. Mrs Badger has a sewing machine in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe)
- What is typical about their dwelling?
- Do they wear human clothing items? What do they wear? (E.g. Krusty Krab wears lilac pants and a baby blue shirt)
- Do they talk? If yes, what is their voice like?
Enjoy a Flexible Character Sheet Maker
Use Plottr as a character sheet maker and create every character questionnaire you need to never fear the blank page! Start now with a free Plottr trial.
What questions do you like to ask when brainstorming characters? Comment below.
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