Storytelling

Character Development
Bringing them to Life

Characters are maybe the most important part of a story. Without them, the story could not exist. We become interested in the story if we are interested in the characters. Do we want them to succeed or fail? Are they the hero or the villain? Do they remind you of yourself or are they very different than you? Would you like to be like them? What traits do you like about them or dislike about them?

Animal Character

  • What kind of animal is this?
  • What do you know about animals like this?
  • Does this character act the same as others in the story or different? If different, how so?

Human or Animal Character

  • Name - You don't always want to refer to him as he/she or it.
  • Nationality - Where was he born/what country is he from?
  • Profession - What is his/her career?
  • Personality
    1. Happy, sad
    2. Courageous or timid
    3. Outgoing or shy
    4. Positive or negative (always have problems)
    5. Short tempered or easy-going
    6. Military man/woman
    7. Educated
  • Speech
    1. Talkative or quiet
    2. Accent
    3. Vernacular (language or dialect from a particular part of a country, clan or group)
    4. Gibberish/nonsense
    5. Speaks only in questions
    6. Frequently uses expressions, quotes or proverbs, such as "A wise man said ..." or "A Penny saved is a penny earned."
    7. Lisp - permanent or temporary (child losing one's front teeth)
    8. Articulates well/educated/speaks clearly, pronounces each word.
    9. Speak fast or slow as in a cowboy's southern drawl.
    10. Speak in rhymes
    11. Stutters
    12. Loud or soft voice
    13. Male or female voice
    14. Young or old voice
    15. Low or squeaky voice
    16. Uses texting abbreviations
    17. Speaks in slogans or commercials
    18. Makes up own words
  • Appearance
    1. Old or young
    2. Tall or short
    3. Body Frame (medium, thin, fat)
    4. Muscular or weak
    5. Hair color/style
    6. Pretty or ugly
    7. Scars or tattoos
    8. Freckles
  • Facial features
    1. Colored eyes
    2. Eye size
    3. Nose size & shape
    4. Lip size & shape
    5. Jaw size & shape
    6. Cheek bones - visible?
  • Clothing
    1. Simple or outrageous
    2. Dressed in winter, spring, fall or summer outfits
    3. Wears hat or unusual clothing that becomes his/her trademark
    4. Wears only t-shirts with slogans
  • Family Relationship
    1. Sister or brother
    2. Large family or only child
    3. One-parent family
    4. Live with grand-parents
    5. Adopted
  • Body Movements
    1. Graceful or awkward
    2. Hand gestures
    3. Many or few
    4. Gait/walk
    5. Fast or slow
    6. Skip
    7. Walk backward
  • Annoying Habits
    1. Biting on his/her lip
    2. Biting or filing nails
    3. Constantly flipping or fixing his/her hair
    4. Looking into mirrors more than usual
    5. Correcting or criticizing other's speech or actions
    6. Bragging
    7. Putting others down
    8. Shaking their legs while sitting
    9. Always speaking about oneself
    10. Living beyond one's means (shopping too much)
    11. Obsesses his/her body image (always on a diet or working out)
    12. Chews gum loudly & blows bubbles
    13. Complainer
    14. Exaggerates constantly
    15. Always has to be right
    16. Overly competitive
    17. Forgetful
  • Other Character Traits, Habits or Virtues
    1. Flosses teeth after each meal
    2. Loves stuffed animals
    3. Calculates everything
    4. Writes down or constant journaling
    5. Constantly texting or on his/her cell phone
    6. Great listener
    7. Always does charity or service for others
    8. Truthful
    9. Thrifty (careful with money)
    10. Always reading
    11. Studious
    12. Intelligent
    13. Wise
    14. Humorous

Describing Your Character

  • You may introduce your character:
  • "Her name is Sally Sue, & she's from the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas."
  • You may describe your character with adjectives & adverbs:
  • "Sally Sue has so many muscles from running 5 miles a day."
  • You can use your plot to allow the story to describe the character:
  • The mean old wicked step-mother led Hansel & Gretel into the forest.
  • When storytelling, you can use body language to describe your character, or use analogies (or compare likenesses) if writing:
  • An elephant walks different than a kangaroo.
  • Hold your hands as claws if you're a lobster.
  • When storytelling you can use facial expressions to describe your character & their personality, or be descriptive when writing:
  • Speak with a wide-open eyes & mouth for a frog.
  • Squint if you're a mole just coming out of your hole.
  • You can use sound effects:
  • Slithering snake
  • Whistling walrus