Similar to outlining the plot, with a character map, I essentially create a grid of information that helps me ensure I have considered and included important characteristics of each character in a story. I usually develop the plot and character map at the same time, bouncing back and forth as the story and the characters’ role in it develops. I’ve seen where authors create biographies and/or personality profiles of their characters and have tried this some myself. Though I’ve not found those efforts particularly useful for me, I’ll start with a quick review as to the extent to which I use them and why.
Caveat: It is important to understand how the characters interact—what is the basis and nature of their relationships (particularly with the protagonist). And it is important for each character (particularly POV characters) to have a life before, beside, and beyond the story. So during outlining or writing (whatever works for you), it is helpful to create their lives. But that can become a trap. Going overboard can become a drag on writing (and reading) the story. Let context provide half the story and leave room for your readers to fill in gaps that aren’t crucial to the plot.
EX: When your protagonist’s (Sarah’s) twenty something best friend (Julie) becomes frustrated with her, she might say (or think if the POV includes her thoughts), [She’s just] “like the girls on my middle school volleyball team.” The context can do the rest. Now, we know a lot about your protagonist’s best friend and their relationship. Whatever your protagonist just said or did caused her best friend to feel like an awkward tween. To say more now, like giving a detailed account of the volleyball team, can sideline your plot. Later, a fresh (and equally brief) comparison that counters or affirms this one will stand out and build both your characters even more. My plotting note about this might read: “Sarah’s [character trait] makes Julie feel as uncomfortable as an awkward tween.”
Caveat to the Caveat: My beta readers rarely (if ever) comment that I have given them too much detail. They are much more likely to ask for more. I believe that is partly about me and partly about them, but it’s all about assumptions based on trust. I am more likely to skimp on details, assuming I have given enough and trusting my reader to see it. The reader is assuming everything is important and trusting me to show them how at some point.
Character Biographies and Personalities
These can be brief or extensive and can include anything from birthdate to eye color and formative experiences to goals in life. I’ve seen many and tried a few worksheets to aid authors in compiling this information. They can be especially helpful for keeping track of this information for series authors who revisit characters over a number of novels and years. You don’t want Joey to have blue eyes in book 1 and brown eyes in book 3 (or maybe you do, but not unintentionally). Recently, I’ve seen a lot of praise for using enneagrams and other personality tests to represent characters.
Here’s a brief description of what I’ve settled on.
Physical Characteristics: If I mention some physical characteristic while writing the story, I jot it down in the character notes. Not the other way around.
When I used these tools, I found I was creating a lot of information that didn’t help me write the story and didn’t matter, especially since I don’t include extensive character descriptions in my stories. I’m always reading new novels and stories and revisiting old ones. One thing that has recently caused me to wonder is the extent to which much/most of science fiction includes these extensive physical descriptions of characters. The story is interrupted with a journalistic description of the character’s eyes (which are always gray or some unusual color), hair, facial structure, height, body type, clothing, etc. As much as I enjoy these stories, I find the practice quite odd.
Personality/Psychology: I usually do a little more up front for this, focusing on any backstory that may influence the way a character responds to the situations I expect in the story.
As a director of large, multilevel teams for a career, I never found enneagrams or their equivalents useful or accurate, so its not a surprise that I don’t find them useful here. People (and hopefully my characters) are more complicated than what one of these profiles will dictate. What is much more helpful to my writing process and accurate to human behavior is to think about what the character wants in general or from a particular scene and what they’ll do to get it.
I’ll do more background for the main characters to guide their motivations, but still, I want to give them flexibility to act in the situation. My experience has been the tools intended to prevent cardboard characters just provide a limited set of silhouettes to cut the cardboard.
So, what do I put in a character map? I use one of the supporting characters in my noir detective story, Paradise Aside, for examples.
A Typical Character Map
I document a profile for each of the main characters (including the antagonists, if any) and minor characters as groups (ex: the old buddies from university, the women at the golf club). The profile can be very simple or include more character traits like:
Description/Personality: This may be the extent of the profile for a simple story or minor character. I write a sentence or two that guides my portrayal of the character. EX: Self-certain. Rich, but approachable (when she wants to be). Beautiful, but not a narcissist. (Note: beauty is portrayed by how other characters respond to the character, not a list of physical traits).
Wants: Within the context of the story. EX: A worthy lover/partner. One who lovers her for who she is, not how she makes him feel about himself.
Needs: Within the context of the story. EX: To maintain/excel the family business.
Significant Relationships: Within the context of the story. EX: Old flame: Amory. Possible new business partner: Falcone.
Original/Thematic Role: If the story is telling a specific genre or type of story, where this character fits in the theme.
A Mystery Character Map
As in plotting, mysteries require some special considerations to meet genre expectations and for the mystery to hold together. My experience as an interactive mystery writer comes in handy here. I would profile the characters for a mystery and the actors (or audience members) who fill the roles are determined later. So, their motivations and knowledge are infinitely more important than their physical characteristics. For a mystery, I add some or all of these traits:
Knows/Secret: What the character knows and will try to keep secret. EX: Wishes Amory hadn’t been flawed.
Believes: What the character believes is true and will defend. EX: One of Amory’s old pals is the most likely murderer.
Relationship with Victim(s): Historical and/or most recent relationship with the victim(s). EX: Loved him like a brother, but didn’t like his egotism.
Reaction to Murder: How the character responds/reacts when they find out about the murder. EX: Truly saddened. Wished things had been different.
Interaction with Detective: How the character responds to the detective and questioning. EX: Suspicious of detective/stand-offish at first. Helpful when gained trust.
Motive: Whether they are a viable suspect or not. EX: Jilted (no). Business competition.
