Are you stuck on character development? Do you need ideas for an essay or research paper on a certain person? One way to get unstuck is to write a character sketch. Character sketches can be used for prewriting to organize your characters or for a collection of character sheets to use when looking for ideas.
The purpose of writing a character sketch is to introduce your readers to someone, fictional or real. The idea is for your readers to leave with a strong mental image of that person, know how they talk, know their characteristics, to know something of them personally. A character sketch is a snapshot of your chosen person, not their complete history.
Look for the qualities of character and personality traits that you see in your chosen person. Tell your readers something about that person. Introduce them. One good way to do this is to tell a little story about an encounter you may have had with him or her. Describe the location where the encounter took place; ideally, this would be somewhere that belongs to that person. Focus on the things in the scene that represent your person. Don’t just tell the story as it happened; also describe their facial expressions and gestures. How are they dressed? What words do they say? Use direct quotations to flesh out your character.
Be sure to include details such as:
- Physical features. What color is their hair? What color are their eyes? What is their height? How much do they weigh? How do they dress? Do they smile? Look serious?
- What is your character’s personality? Are they funny, serious, quiet, etc.?
- What do they like or dislike? What you know about their preferences? Why do you know this?
- Who is their family? Who are their siblings? Who are their parents? What is their family history?
- What are their beliefs? What are their hobbies?
- What do you like or dislike about your person?
- Why are you drawn to them? Why did you choose to write about them?
Be sure to use strong visual words to provide a long-lasting mental image of your person or character. Use quality adjectives and words that evoke the five senses. Try to elicit an emotional response from your reader. This will allow them to connect with you and your character, but it will also show how you were feeling when you were writing your piece or while spending time with that person.
This is a great way to assess characters in literature that you’re reading about, researching, or writing about. This is a tool of observation to look at the many facets of your chosen person. It could also help show weak areas that could use some improvement. Use it liberally and often or maybe just for fun!
Bonus! Writing Exercise:
How would you like some revenge? Write a character sketch on your least favorite teacher or professor, exposing their flaws.
As always, thanks for reading! If you have any suggestions or topics that you would like me to cover, please feel free to let me know.
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