Falklore: A Vital Tool

When outlining a novel or even a short story, knowing characters as though you've known them all your life is vital. It goes hand in hand with a column I wrote a week or two ago about morphing yourself into the characters, male or female, in your story. Today, it's the importance of utilizing a "Characterization Chart."

Other than an outline of the plot itself, the chart can easily be the most important tool for the novel and one that will save the writer a lot of time trying to remember things about your characters, some of which are easy to forget. They are the mini-biography references that reveal everything there is to know about your characters. If you can't remember, just refer to the chart. It will keep every character and even animal just the way you want it to be. A chart follows:

CHARACTERIZATION CHART

Character's name: _______________________
Sex _______
Age _______
Ht______
Wt._______

Physical appearance including body type, hair, eyes, facial features, dress, posture, movement, mannerism, speech.
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Personal history that may influence motivation including education, family, early childhood experiences, financial situation, profession, marital status, other relationships, friends (their status in life: professional and otherwise), habits, health, where s/he grew up.
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The inner person including distinctive personality traits, self-image, yearning/ dreams, apprehensions, sense of humor, code of ethics, attitudes.
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Other details including hobbies, favorite food, colors, books, music, art, etc.
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Positive traits.
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Negative traits including character flaws, etc.
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Why is it important for this character to have these traits/attitudes to play his or her intended role in your novel?

Once you make a habit of utilizing the chart, your characters will be bigger than life -- or smaller if you wish.

Questions/Comments? Contact Jim at james@jamesfalk.net, or visit www.jamesfalk.net.

James Falk, as a teen-ager, used to dream of being a big-time racketeer. Fortunately, his dream didn't come true. A 10th grade dropout, he finished highschool after four years in the Marines and went on to earn a B.A. in Journalism and an M.A. in Communications.