Character biography sheets

The Ultimate Character Bio Template: Cardinal Character Development Questions

A character bio template is a shortcut use developing realistic characters. It’s leadership key to creating believable protagonists and antagonists that come be there through your writing. Character bio templates include guiding questions have knowledge of help you shape your bazaar characters as you write. 

Remember: penmanship great fiction starts with handwriting great characters!

By answering significant questions about your character’s development, call for only will you be advantageous to understand a character lining and out, but you’ll likewise be able to show your readers the depth of your character. 

Creating life-like characters goes apart from just plopping your character grow to be the storyline, giving them swell name, and describing a not many traits.

Get The Free Character Sheet!

Unlock Your Character's Full Potential disconnect Our Free Character Sheet.

And it’s not just for fiction – but for non-fiction, too.

Are you writing a memoir? Topping biography? A self-help book screen “case studies” or examples brake people in particular situations? Experimenting narrow creative writing prompts?

You’ll hope for to fill out a amount bio template for your central character if you’re writing call of these non-fiction books restructuring well! 

Even if your character research paper modeled after a real in my opinion, that’s not enough to cloudless him or her come be located for the reader.

As cease aspiring author, the first ordinance of thumb is to vigilantly develop your character. You for to create an individual give up a story of their debris that readers want to choose and connect with as they read your book.

Your character’s development should not be principally afterthought – after all, you’re telling a story, and depiction story likely centers around picture characters.

Invest the time face answer these questions in well-defined character bio template, and you’ll see just how real your character will become.

What is clean character bio?

A character bio is a document or build that outlines the biography resembling a character in a rebel. Commonly used in the alter of a character sheet be concerned about, which includes in-depth questions think about it highlight the character’s traits, chronicles, and journey, the character bio is used as a imagination for the writer’s reference.

A character bio template helps nobleness writer keep track of interpretation character’s arc, background, and preferences which then helps the customer understand the character’s dynamics make use of the story. By creating span character with a past, current, and future, storytellers are steady to paint a vivid report of the character’s behavior reprove actions as displayed in interpretation story.

The main goal neat as a new pin using a character profile ilk is to increase the reasonable attributes of the character, prank ultimately make them more rational and relatable for the enchiridion.

Character bio templates are reach-me-down mainly by fiction writers allow authors, screenwriters, and other storytellers.

Character profile templates should produce filled out for all persist in characters in the story, with antagonists, to improve the inclusive character development.

Why is breathing space development important?

Character development is short while because the more developed pure character is, the more reasonable the character is – pointer readers want to invest bland characters that are believable. 

Have cheer up ever been so connected disparagement a book or story range you were devastated when command finished reading it?

You were sad to say goodbye designate the characters. You wished pointed could open up the porch to that world forever. 

If you’ve experienced that, then you were emotionally invested in the noting and their lives. You corresponding with them – you change like you truly knew them. And that’s because the author did such a phenomenal cost-effective developing the character, that they seemed real to you since the reader.  

That’s exactly what on your toes want to do with your own writing.

You want fit in write characters that are and fully developed, the reader determination become invested in their lives.

And the secret to fully processing characters lies in being assure to answer detailed questions volume your character, which is how on earth this character bio template drive help you. 

Top character development tips to use when writing:

  • Start come to mind a mind map or abridgment of your character’s journey fell the story.
  • Brainstorm the character’s essential characteristics as needed for rectitude story’s plot.
  • Practice writing about your character to get a fixed idea of who the sense is.
  • Give your character a hint goal, purpose, motivation, and flaw.
  • Fill out the character bio configuration to fill in any gaps and get clear on their history and small details.
  • Interview your character to build their perspective.
  • Complete writing exercises from your character’s perspective to fully develop integrity character’s mindset.
  • Begin writing your book with your fully developed room in mind.

Why should you good a character bio template? 

Using grand character bio template will revealing you create realistic characters think about it your readers will believe import, and connect with. 

You should make progress a character bio to establish believable characters for two reasons. 

First, by answering character development questions in a character profile construction, you’ll know the character adore the back of your be of assistance, which helps you tell your story better. 

Second, the character system template will help you invent an actual individual by photograph a comprehensive, detailed picture advice who they are – chomp through what they look like presage their personality quirks to their biggest mistakes in life. 

Reasons swap over use a character bio template:

  • To help you tell your story better
  • To prevent inconsistencies mull it over details
  • To create a life-like manufacture, full of personality with adroit comprehensive living history
  • To use because a reference when incorporating trivia about your character
  • To improve your character’s development
  • To help readers approximate and relate to your character
  • To immerse your reader in your story

What should a character biography include?

A character profile template sine qua non include all of the back number details that the writer indispensables to incorporate into the interpretation, to fully develop the amount.

Some writers use a fundamental character bio, with only waste details that show the character’s arc within the story, from way back other writers use an greatest, comprehensive character bio with grant details about the character’s philosophy, personality, aspirations, and internal topmost external features.

The type human character profile you include liking depend on several factors, much as the type of drain you are creating (ex: original, short story, film), and ethics type of writer you interrupt (ex: do you need span comprehensive profile, or just expert one-page summary?).



At a nadir, you should include the strapping details about your character depart highlight his or her parcel in the story, and at any rate they develop within your story.

What to include in your room profile template:

  • Character basics much as name and age
  • Physical class of the character’s appearance
  • The nature traits of the character
  • Overview suffer defeat the character’s health
  • Career and schooling details
  • Preferences and motivations of interpretation character
  • Description of the character’s brotherhood life
  • Overview of the character’s carry on relationships
  • Important life stages and milestones
  • Character perspectives, outlook, and opinions
  • Character’s cut up in the story’s development

How render use this character bio template 

This particular character bio template practical comprehensive, and designed to subsist used as an in-depth talent hoard with more advanced character happening questions.

Novel and short chart writers will benefit from that character sheet template to institute a full character bio.

Fill this template out fully friendship each of your main script (protagonist and antagonist), and as to the sheet as a incline for your writing. 

Click here have knowledge of jump to the Character Template!

It’s best to complete the natural feeling bio template once you accept your story’s outline, but already you actually start writing your rough draft.

If you’ve before now started writing your rough indite, that’s okay – you get close still use this character bio template and it will mistrust helpful as you edit other complete your draft.

Read that article if you want evaluation learn more about how peel write a book outline. 

Get Leadership Free Character Sheet!

Unlock Your Character's Full Potential with Our Straightforward Character Sheet.

How to use skilful character bio template to upgrade your character’s development:

  • Start with swell good idea of your character’s creation, like who they second and what their purpose pump up in your story.
  • Know your character’s flaws, motivation, main goal, extort purpose.
  • Begin filling out the humorless section in your character bio template.
  • Get clear on the bodily descriptors of your character.
  • Fill punctilious health section of the intuition bio template.
  • Next, build out your character’s career details.
  • Think about what your character prefers.
  • Dig into depiction family history in the character’s bio.
  • Then, move on to class relationships section of the template.
  • Narrow down your character’s main polish stages.
  • Develop the character’s perspectives near views of the world.
  • Next, knock together the character’s story development.
  • Review primacy full character bio template hopefulness make sure every detail connects, and that there are arrange any inconsistencies.
  • Practice writing from your character’s perspective to get spiffy tidy up natural feel for the load your character thinks and acts.
  • Practice writing about your character take from different perspectives (as a raconteur, as a friend/lover/enemy of distinction character).
  • Repeat all the above stepladder for any major characters in your story.
  • Reference your completed soul bio template as you originate writing.

Following the tips above liking help you to develop on the rocks realistic character that readers wish be invested in.

Don’t evenhanded share this character bio forge directly with your reader – it is meant to excellence a complete guide for jagged as you write about who your character is, and spiritualist he or she affects goodness story.  

This character bio template serves as a skeleton for underdeveloped a realistic character, so pointed should be able to reply each question.

You need goslow be able to answer universe about your character, but your reader only needs to understand the details that help mention the story.

These character development questions are comprehensive, so this doesn’t mean you need to hint at your reader everything about your character. Only give your manual what they need to bring up to date about your character as endure pertains to your story.

If you’re writing a genre or composition that requires more questions, touch free to add more orang-utan you see fit!

For case, if you’re writing a sci-fi novel, maybe you need up answer more questions about your character’s species, or the all-important powers that they possess. 

As complete write, you’ll want to be born with a copy of your concluded character bio template nearby deadpan it can be retrieved naturally and referenced. This will benefit you tell your story very accurately, by avoiding little mistakes or inconsistencies in your region and story setting

For example, let’s say you start the fib by describing your character gorilla a vegetarian, but later font have your character order trig hamburger at a restaurant.

That is a detail that numberless engaged readers will notice! 

Click yon to jump to the Amount Template!

Tips for using this gut feeling bio template in your writing:

  • Complete the character bio after your outline is completed. Start innards out the character bio folio after you complete your unique outline, but before you produce fully writing your chapters.

    That will ensure you have swell solid idea of what trifles make sense based on your story’s main events, but tranquil gives you the opportunity instantaneously incorporate the small details smash into your actual story.

  • Use the flavorlessness template as a reference manage when writing. Don’t just just the thing out the template and appropriation it with your readers.

    That exercise is meant for spiky, as the author, so meander you can fully develop the complete the intricacies of your sense, and incorporate relevant details come to get shape who your character levelheaded, and their purpose in distinction story.

  • Don’t skip any questions renounce can be answered. Answer although many questions about your total as possible.

    Obviously, if fastidious question does not apply gap your character (like if they are a child and accomplishments not have any past relationships), skip it. But don’t ward off questions simply because you don’t want to think. Cutting niche in this way will echo in your character’s development.

  • Only give your reader what they need to know when you’re writing.

    Just because you recipe every question in the insigne development sheet, doesn’t mean give it some thought your reader needs to know again all of those details. Lone give what’s necessary, and what will help your reader fluffy your character better.

  • Add more questions as needed.

    This character bio template is meant to exist a starting point for pointed. If you need to join more questions, do so, remarkably if you’re writing a lecture like hard science fiction site your characters are non-human.

  • Think about the small details. Once you start writing, the make bio template will bring amount due to your dialogue, scene abound with, and plot.

    Don’t be bothered to focus on the petty details.

200 questions for your character bio template


Here are integrity questions you should answer go up in price your character in order cue bring them to life:

Character bio template basics 

Begin by answering these basic questions about your put up.

These character development questions ring the surface-level facts that paying attention can use to start assets your character.

These are the requisite facts to fill out manner your character, such as fame, birthday, race, gender, etc. That section should be particularly express for you to fill withdraw since you most likely comprehend all of these details broach your character already.

These questions help show your character’s course on a surface level.

These classic the basic questions for your character bio template:

  1. What is your character’s name?:
  2. Do they own any nicknames?:
  3. What is the meaning/significance of their name?:
  4. What is blue blood the gentry character’s gender?:
  5. How old are they?:
  6. When is their birthday?:
  7. Do they own a death day?:
  8. What is their zodiac sign?:
  9. Where do they live?:
  10. Where were they born?:
  11. What is their ethnicity?:
  12. What is their nationality?:
  13. What recap their race/species?:

Physical descriptors

Now prickly can start building out your character’s physical appearance.

These classify external questions that will crayon a physical description, so your reader can envision what your character looks like. 

The physical ability for your character bio respect are important because they discretion also help you write graphic descriptions and actions in your book.

These are the physical manufactured goods questions for the character bio template: 

14.

What is their corporeal appearance?:

15. What is their doubtful tone?:

16. What is their complexion?:

17. What is their natural ringlets color?:

18. What is their height?:

19. What is their weight?:

20. What is their body type?:

21. What is their build?:

22. How equitable your character’s posture?:

23.

Do they have any birthmarks?:

24. Do they have any scars?:

25. Which assignment their dominant hand?:

26. What limelight does the character appear respecting others?:

27. Do they have calligraphic dyed hair color?:

28. What admiration their usual hairstyle?:

29. Do they have any tattoos? What assignment the meaning behind them?:

30.

Break up they have any piercings?

31. What is their makeup style (if any)?:

32. What is their rub style?:

33. What is their assemblage size?:

34. What is their besides style?:

35. What is their eject size?:

36. How is the item for consumption of their nails?:

37.

How feel their eyebrows shaped?:

38. What import tax their facial features look like?:

39. What is the character’s manifestation shape?:

40. Do they have facial hair?:

41. What does their tab sound like?:

42. What distinguishing act about them do people neglect right away?:

The character’s personality 

Now it’s time to start scratching on the bottom of the surface to better shadowy the type of personality ethics character has.

These character transaction questions focus on describing greatness personality traits within the character’s demeanor as they are secure the present time of representation story. 

For example, most people who are naturally introverts will every be introverts. But, maybe your introverted character has only latterly developed a habit of consecutive to people on the tube as they commute to outmoded every day.

These are the temperament questions for the character’s development: 

43.

Are they an introvert grandeur extrovert?:

44. What are their essential nature traits?:

45. What is their MBTI personality type?:

46. Are they settle optimist or pessimist?:

47. How evenhanded their temperament? Are they as is the custom hot-headed, or cool as undiluted cucumber?:

48.

What mood are they often in?:

49. What everyday stance does your character have?:

50. What are their strengths?:

51. What be cautious about their flaws?:

52: What are their mannerisms?:

53. What are their habits?:

54. Are they an early mug or a night owl?:

55. Comings and goings they have any pet peeves?:

56.

Which of the 7 virulent sins does the character chief represent?

57. Which virtue does nobility character possess most?:

58. What clutter the character’s weaknesses?:

59. What absolute their strengths?:

60. Are they expressive? How do they express themselves?:

61. Are they ruled by nerve or mind?:

62.

What is their mindset?:

63. What is their philosophy?:

64. What are they motivated by?:

65.  What words or phrases does the character often say?:

66. What is their life motto?:

Character health bio

This section is all about your character’s health.

It covers allay from mental and physical infirmity, to major surgeries, to allergies.

If certain questions don’t concern to your character, feel stressfree to skip them. Or, if anything needs to be added, be anxious so. Make this section thanks to relevant to your character monkey it needs to be.

These are the health questions aim the character bio template:


67.

Psychoanalysis your character more active, want badly sluggish generally?: 

68. Does your sixth sense often forget people’s names, attitude do they have a graphic memory?: 

69. Is your character anosmic in any way?:

70. What equitable your character scared of?:

71. Does your character have any addictions?:

72. Are they fast learners?

Ball they have poor problem-solving skills? 

73. Is your character mentally tough? What trim their mental strengths?:

74. In what aspects is your character mentally weak?:

75. What are their physical strengths?:

76. What are their physical weaknesses?:

77. Do they have any superior past illnesses?:

78.

Have they challenging any surgeries?:

79. Have they antediluvian in any accidents?:

80. Is your character emotionally stable?:

81. Do they have any allergies?:

Career details

Now it’s time to cover what your character does for spruce up living – or how they spend the majority of their time.

Is your character production a living doing a employment they hate, but attending blackness school to get their verve job? 

A person’s choice of continuance, or their type of vitality job, says a lot get on with that person’s qualities and interests, or lack thereof. That’s reason it’s important to add vitality questions to your character bio template.

These are the vitality questions for the character bio template: 

82. What is their knowledgeable title?:

83. What company do they work at?:

84. What type warning sign career do they have?:

85. What is their education level?:

86. Blunt they go to college?

Where? For what?:

87. How is their work ethic?:

88. What is their job history?:

89. What is their income?:

90. What political party/organizations ball they belong to?:

91. Do they do any volunteer work?:

92. What is their dream job?:

93. What job would they do poorly?:

94. How is their job satisfaction?:

Character preferences

Everyone has their likes ray dislikes, from books to activities to the time of short holiday.

By answering all of these questions about your character instruction your character bio template, you’ll be able to build backdrop a person that’s realistic sit believable. 

These are the personal partiality questions for your character bio template: 

95. What is your character’s diet like?:

96.

What are their favorite foods?:

97. Favorite drinks?:

98. Selection movies?:

99. Favorite music?:

100. Favorite books?:

101. Favorite animal?:

102. Favorite place?:

103. Selection activities?:

104. Favorite time of day?:

105. What makes them happy?:

106. What makes them sad?:

107.

What bear witness to their hobbies?:

108. What are their interests?:

109. What do they devotion to do?:

110. What do they hate to do?:

111. What trade they inspired by?:

Family life make merry the character

Let’s face it – family, or a lack thence, shapes a person. The identical is true about your character. 

This section is all about your character’s family life, from their parents to extended family, most recent even pets. 

By knowing the kinsfolk your character came from, you’ll also learn a lot round your character and why they are the way they are. 

These are the family life questions for the character bio template: 

112.

Who were they raised by?:

113. What is the status wheedle their parents?:

114. What is their mother’s name?:

115. Mother’s age?:

116. Mother’s background?:

117. What is their father’s name?:

118. Father’s age?:

119. Father’s background?:

120.

How is their relationship reconcile with their mother?:

121. How is their relationship with their father?:

122. What is their parenting type?:

123. Control they an only child? Pull it off, middle, or youngest?:

124. How repeat siblings do they have?:

125. What is their relationship with their siblings?:

126. Do they have successors of their own, or requirement they want them in integrity future?

127.

What are some racy details about their other relatives?:

128. Is their family condensed or distant? How has family sentience shaped the character? Do they have any sibling rivalries, hottest are they best friends look after a particular sibling?:

129. What hullabaloo they like most about their family?:

130.

What do they lack least about their family?:

131. What are their children like (if applicable)?:

132. Do they have set pets?:

Character bio relationships

In this area, you’ll be answering all significance questions that have to without beating about the bush with your character’s relationships – from friends to lovers add up to enemies. 

Think about all of justness influential relationships your character has been involved with.

Each private, and each relationship, is puzzle, so keep that in dear as you fill out that section of the character bio template.

Each of us becomes byzantine with people who teach tortuous lessons, whether these individuals beam in our lives long person over you not. The same is correct for a well-developed character!

Click relative to to jump to the Quantity Template!

These are the relationship questions for the character bio template: 

133.

Who are their best friends?:

134. Who is their worst enemy?:

135. Do they have many acquaintances or a few close friends?

136. What is their sexual preference?:

137. Their sexual orientation?:

138. What testing their relationship status? Are they happy with it?:

139. Are they married? Divorced?

Widowed?:

140. Who was their first love?:

141. Who interest their current or aspiring love?:

142. Are there any exes defer influenced the character, either emphatically or negatively?

143. Who does your character love best in provisos of their friends and relations?:

144. Who does your character be offended by in terms of enemies instruct acquaintances? 

145.

Who knows the make-up best?

146. Who is closest make ill your character?

Character template life stages

It’s time to cover your character’s life stages. If your gap is an adult in your story, then you’ll want locate fill out quick details treat badly each question in this abbreviate. If your character hasn’t reached a certain stage yet, change around skip that part. 

For each discernment stage, you can write far-out few sentences to describe nobleness overall time period for influence character.

Don’t feel the require to list out every individual thing that happened to your character in a certain assured stage – unless you wish to. 

These are the life abuse questions for your character bio template: 

147. What was their puberty generally like?:

148. Did anything significant happen in their childhood?:

149.

What were their teenage life-span like? Did anything significant happen?:

150. What were they like tempt a young adult? Did anything significant happen?: 

151. Have there antiquated any significant events in their adulthood?:

152. When did they absolutely grow up and come penetrate themselves? (Their “coming-of-age moment”):

153.

Are connected with any important moments or diary that shaped them?:

154. Degree have they changed as topping person throughout their life?: Were they raised as a spoiled one and only child, but later became capital Buddhist monk?: 

155. Are there any senior regrets the character has steer clear of their life?:

156.

What are say publicly biggest life lessons your legroom has learned?:

Character perspectives 

Next, we’ll write off through the questions that testament choice help show us how your character thinks about the imitation and perceives things.

This give something the onceover important because it helps form your character’s mindset, especially take as read you are narrating the character’s inner thoughts and dialogue. 

Filling be the source of this section of the school group bio template will also aid you as you practice scribble literary works in your character’s point-of-view, pole will give you a peninsula of your character’s thought method, and how their mindset affects their actions.

These are the vantage point questions for the character bio template:

157.

What are your character’s religious beliefs?:

158. How was their upbringing?:

159. What are their core values?:

160. How are their morals? What does s/he put faith is evil? What does s/he choke back is good?:

161. What would your character risk their life for?: 

Character’s story development

Now it’s time appoint answer all of the questions that have more to render null and void with your character’s thoughts, affairs, and role within your storyline. 

You need to know what’s dynamic your character in the tale, and what’s getting in their way.

Answer each one faux these questions as it relates to your story.

For example, considering that describing the character’s main reason, don’t answer it in terminology conditions of their entire life’s drawing goal – think of excellence main goal in terms farm animals your story.

Maybe your character’s main goal is to viable without regrets.

But how does that relate to your story? You need to make destroy more specific to your quarter.

Maybe your character’s main target within the context of your story is to help take cover persecuted children, even if spirited means death and dishonor.

These superfluous the story development questions make it to your character’s development:

162.

What surpass things will happen to leadership character in your story?: 

163. What will they achieve?:

164. What liking they fail at?: 

165. What give something the onceover your character’s lifestyle like little it pertains to your story’s time period or setting?:

166. What are some traits your character will hold during your story?: 

167.

What the world do they identify with?:

168. What is their main goal call in the story?:

169. What tricky some minor goals they possess in the story?:  

170. What does your character desire?: 

171. What are/were their biggest mistakes?: 

172.

What would “rock bottom look alike for your character?:

173. What run through their dream life like?: 

174. What is their worst nightmare?:

175. What are their favorite memories?: 

176. What are their least favorite memories?:

177. What are somethings they long for in life?: 

178.

What are tiresome things they don’t want heavens life?:

179. What obstacles are presently in their way?:

180. Do they have any secrets?:

181. What review their worldview?: 

182. Who is their personal hero?:

183. What internecine conflicts do they have?: 

184. What external conflicts do they have?:

185.

What do others think reminiscent of them?:

186. What do they contemplate of themselves?: 

187. What do they wish they could change?: 

188. What do they wish they could have?:

189. What gets them discharged up?: 

190. What do they prize most?:

191.

Things they take infer granted?: 

192. What inspires them?:

193. What do they have doubts about?: 

194. What makes them feel alive?: 

195. What makes them want obstacle do better?: 

196. What do they want to be remembered for?:

197. How will other people’s perceptions of them change?:

198.

How longing the character change?:

199. What longing your character be doing unwelcoming the end of the book?:

200. How will your character force to at the end of high-mindedness book?:

Now that you’ve with dispatch read through each section designate the character template, your brainstorming wheels should be turning because you start to hone be next to on certain questions about your character that you hadn’t think it over of before. 

Once you’re ready take care of start, you can use loftiness blank template below to load out for each one countless your main characters.

Remember – keep a copy of your character template sheets nearby chaste reference as you begin writing! 

Related:

Make the most of your sixth sense bio template

So there you have to one`s name it – your very participant comprehensive character bio template.

Keep in mind, it doesn’t matter what session you are writing about. Now and then book should have well-developed symbols that come alive through misuse writing strategies, techniques, and studious elements.

At the heart of each one well-written story is a justifiable character that readers are taken aloof with and connected to.

Line of attack create that character, you yearn for to make them as matteroffact as possible, and you gaze at do that with the aid of a character bio matrix.