Character development -- the right amount

MrSeth

MrSeth

Well-known member
This is a question bogging me down for some time.

Everywhere I look for character development sheets or questions to answer about a character, either its TOO MUCH or TOO LITTLE.

Too little meaning I don't have enough to establish character to the point that people can relate to him/her

Too much meaning I get over 2 - 3 pages of questions, one after another, until I get bored and fail to start on the screenwriting. This happens to me a lot.


How do I properly develop a character without too many questions. What are the KEY questions to ask? I don't want to waste time answering useless questions like "What is your character's favorite food at Luby's?"

And lastly.. what's the BEST character development sheet that has helped you
 
I find it useful to work backwards from motivation. Figure out the primary motivator for that character (to get the girl, rob the bank, get the love of his parents) and then their back story is figuring out why they need that thing at this point in time.
 
Make sure you put enough points in Charisma. People usually forget about it since it's not as directly helpful, but once you have a good sized party it will definitely matter. Plus you can use persuade to get better rewards early on.
 
Here are a few open ended story focused questions you can use to build a character without being bogged down by trivial stuff:

Will the character live through the story?
Will the character be a major part of the story?
Will the character experience any growth/change?
Will the background of the character be told in the story?

What does the story demand of the character?
What is the character's goal in life?
What does the character do for a living?
What would be considered crossing the line for the character?

When will they show up in the story?
When is it that they have had enough?
When was/is the defining moment for that character?
When would the character be willing to cross the line?

Why should we care about this character?
Why should the character care about themselves?
Why did the character end up involved in the story?
Why would the character get or stay involved?

Who does the character like to be around?
Who do they want to be?
Who would have strong reactions to the character?
Who will the character have to be by the end of the story?

Where does the character fit in the context of the story?
Where does the character come from?
Where are they going in life?
Where do they spend their time?
 
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