I found this while traversing about the internet. I’ve divided it up into 10 parts, and will be posting each part on a different day. I’m thinking every Friday.
I will be filling this out for my character Will! As always, my answers are in italics.
Creating Your Character
The Character Physically
1. What is the character’s stature and build? Are they overweight or lean? What is their height and weight?
He is on the short side, 5’7″. He’s lean.
2. How old are they?
19
3. Describe their posture; is it good? Do they carry themselves well? Are they crooked, straight, or handicapped?
His posture is decent and he carries himself well.
4. Are they in good shape or out of condition? Are they muscular, weak, or strong? Any special abilities or super powers?
He is in good enough shape. He goes to the gym, but mostly just to keep weight off. He has defined muscles, but not anything special.
5. How is their health? Any illnesses or conditions?
His health is good; he is allergic to cats, dogs, and the environment, so he sneezes a lot.
6. Are they physically active or sedentary? A fast or slow mover?
He’s a deliberate mover; every movement has a purpose and he won’t go out of his way to do something. For example, if he leaves something in the basement and is sitting in his room, he’s not going to walk down two flights of stairs to get it. He can move quickly when he needs to.
7. Are they clumsy, awkward, or graceful when they move, walk, or run?
He’s actually rather graceful, and blames it on his mother’s attempts to make him the next Fred Astaire when he was in elementary school.
8. Would you describe the character as good looking, pretty, beautiful, average, plain, ugly, disfigured?
He rates his looks as average; he has a “Townshendesque” nose
9. How does the character regard their physicality? Are they proud, ashamed?
He wishes he were taller, and is a bit ashamed of how short he is, especially since his sister is probably going to surpass him in height. All of the men on his dad’s side of the family are over six feet tall.
10. Describe their complexion and skin. Dark, light, clear, marked, tattooed, branded?
He is very pale, and he has a slight acne problem.
11. Describe their hair, coloring, styling. Is great care taken in upkeep, or disregarded as a nuisance?
His hair is wavy, but he wears it short so he doesn’t have to do much. He washes it regularly.
12. How is their dexterity? Do they have good hands? Can they manipulate and create or repair?
He has good hands–he is a pianist.
13. Is he physically tense or relaxed, nervous, controlled?
He is controlled enough, but feels very tense when back home.
14. What part of their body would you notice first?
His nose.
15. How is their eyesight? Wear glasses, blind, going blind? Color?
His eyesight is 20/20, but he says that he will need glasses by the time he’s 30.
So, there you have it. A short questionaire regarding the physical characteristics of your character. This will be helpful in describing how your character moves, how he looks, etc.
Enjoy! I would love to see what everyone else comes up with. Look for the next one on Friday the 20th!
Ned Wolfe 