Character mapping is essential, although I find myself getting frustrated with it. Does it really matter what my main character's favorite cereal is? Small details should only come out if they reveal something about the character or the story, and we've all read a story that dwelled too much on the boring stuff. She's wearing a cami? Who cares! Tell me WHY she's wearing it, why it matters, or don't bother.
Back to my point. Finding those little details can be a pain, which is why I'm excited about this site:
http://selfpublishingteam.com/chargen/ya/
Yes, it's geared toward YA characters, but that doesn't mean you can't use it for your work-in-progress, regardless of genre.
The generator can pick the name and physical appearance of a character, and you can choose whether you want male or female, and what grade this character is in (remember it's YA). I picked a male from 17-18, and here's what I got:
Basic Information
- Name: Henry
- Gender: Male The gender of your character.
- Age: 17-18 (12th grade) Your character's age.
Henry's Traits
- Role: Outsider The social group of which your character is a part.
- Basic Traits: Spiritual, Clumsy, Disengenuous Three basic traits of your character. It's okay if they conflict; that's part of the intrigue!
- Unique Trait: Ran away The kicker that makes your character unique.
Henry's Appearance
- Hair Color: Brown
- Eye Color: Gray
- Body Type: Average
Henry sounds cool! You can look at his traits and see a story get going. If you already have your character more or less fleshed out, this can still give you some ideas.
Let's say you've got your girl, you've named her Vanessa, and you just need to find her some faults. Here's what the generator gives me:
Shy, Stoic, Clumsy, Indifferent, Immature
Not a bad start. Sometimes that's all you need.
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